Antioch International Ministries

HISTORY & SCRIPTURE POINT THE WAY

Pastor Jim Sanderbeck, AIM President & Overseer

As network overseer and one whose great desire is to support and to promote the Believer and all ministries in an hour when we are fast approaching social and cultural “critical mass”, the Lord has emboldened me and mandated me to become a voice and example of a full-out uncompromising Kingdom son.  I don’t believe that as sons of the Most High God we can continue to sit in the bleachers while others labor in the arenas of the world.  I hope you are feeling that way as well. Now don’t get me wrong–I don’t believe we should be obnoxious nor do I believe that we should become so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good.  But, to be lukewarm, complacent and lethargic has no place in God or the Kingdom–especially right now!  Jesus does not live in the comfort zone.  He lives in the growth zone–which I have often referred to as the “groan zone”.

I love history and recently I’ve been drawn to it more because, as Solomon said in Eccl. 3:1, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.”  He elaborates more in the following 14 verses.  He states in Eccl. 1:9 “That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.” So, you may have noticed, I am no longer about floating on my innertube on the sea of life but, more and more, I’m butterfly stroking on the water.  For some reason, God has placed us over ministry assignments and people of God in a season of great turbulence and daily flux.  I am now intentionally doing things, subtle and overt, like flying a flag, making more pointed comments, and quietly but forcibly letting the world around me know for what and for whom I stand. History, both Biblical and natural is speaking and providing avenues of action.

Edmund Burke was an Irish statesman, economist and philosopher.  He was born in Dublin and served as a member of parliament between 1766 and 1794 in the House of Commons of Great Britain with the Whig Party.  He was a proponent on underpinning the virtues with manners in society and of the importance of religious institutions for the moral stability and good of the state. He is attributed with the following quote:  “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  Boy has the “church” fit that label– at least since just around 1960.

A full research of the quote reads thus: “Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of any evil design. They are enabled to fathom it with common counsel, and to oppose it with united strength. Whereas, when they lie dispersed, without concert, order, or discipline, communication is uncertain, counsel difficult, and resistance impracticable. Where men are not acquainted with each other’s principles, nor experienced in each other’s talents, nor at all practised in their mutual habitudes and dispositions by joint efforts in business; no personal confidence, no friendship, no common interest, subsisting among them; it is evidently impossible that they can act a public part with uniformity, perseverance, or efficacy. In a connection, the most inconsiderable man, by adding to the weight of the whole, has his value, and his use; out of it, the greatest talents are wholly unserviceable to the public. No man, who is not inflamed by vain-glory into enthusiasm, can flatter himself that his single, unsupported, desultory, unsystematic endeavours, are of power to defeat the subtle designs and united cabals of ambitious citizens. When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”

–Edmund Burke, Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents 82-83 (1770) in: Select Works of Edmund Burke, vol. 1, p. 146 (Liberty Fund ed. 1999).

With that posture and quote as a background or foundation, I again stress how important it is for us in these times to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do what He came to do in and through us the true believers–the Ekklesia.  In the very first chapter of Acts is where we must find ourselves today:

Act 1:6  So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

Act 1:7  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

Act 1:8  but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Act 1:9  And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

This is how our Power Cell Initiative can prepare a table for us to touch the world around us: A world in which you have influence.  It doesn’t have to be a big production or be in lights in order for your witness to be impacting.  In fact, when you do something out of a pure heart, you have no idea that you’re doing something special but it is in those instances when a life is changed because the undefiled heart is power on steroids.  Just watch for the opportunities and doors that God opens and then just walk through under the leading of His still small voice.  Let that act, “breathe” life upon the situation.

A practical example of a quiet but visible act of witness is the displaying of the Appeal To Heaven Flag.  My time reviewing history has again spoken to me of how I can make a statement that opens the door to those who are, shall we say, hungry and unaware.  Amazing how these examples opens doors of opportunity without anger or confrontation.  This is what that flag is all about:

The Tree Flag (or the Appeal to Heaven Flag) was one of the flags which was used during the American Revolution. The flag, which featured a pine tree with the motto “An Appeal to Heaven,” or less frequently “An Appeal to God”, was originally used by a squadron of six cruisers which were commissioned under George Washington‘s authority as commander in chief of the Continental Army in October 1775.

The design of the flag came from General Washington’s secretary, Colonel Joseph Reed. In a letter dated October 21, 1775, Reed suggested a “flag with a white background and a tree in the middle, the motto AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN” be used for the ships Washington commissioned. The pine tree had long been a New England symbol being depicted on the Flag of New England flown by colonial merchant ships dating back to 1686. Leading up to the Revolutionary War it became a symbol of Colonial ire and resistance.

This flag, is a symbol of solidarity, conviction and encouragement to fight for liberty. The Appeal To Heaven flag has now become the emblem of a movement aimed at putting “conservative, Biblical” principles into public life.

The Appeal To Heaven flag root comes forth from the writings of the English political philosopher by the name of John Locke (1632-1704).  He argued that when all other political and individual methods of resisting tyranny are exhausted, only an “appeal to heaven” remains.

“And where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven, whenever they judge the cause of sufficient moment. And therefore, though the people cannot be judge, so as to have, by the constitution of that society, any superior power, to determine and give effective sentence in the case; yet they have, by a law antecedent and paramount to all positive laws of men, reserved that ultimate determination to themselves which belongs to all mankind, where there lies no appeal on earth, viz. to judge, whether they have just cause to make their appeal to heaven.”

In summary, Locke’s contention was that no man had inherent power to regulate or restrict divine arbitration in civil affairs. Even in dire circumstances, he alleged, natural rights transcended the political process.

Historical Narrative Article Link” https://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/washington-cruisers-flag.html

What an avenue into discussions of which even most Christians are not aware.  We have been quiet too long.  If we do not begin to do as Burke and Locke suggest, the critical mass of today’s national and international balances will spill over into disaster.  We are experiencing the spirit of Babylon just as it is depicted in Scripture.

Mic 4:1, 10  And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it.   10  “Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth; For now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field, And go to Babylon. [representative of the world’s systems that place man equal with or above God] There you will be rescued; There the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.

This Scriptural passage was integral to our last prayer meeting and Holy Spirit lit upon it (pagah) and propelled us into a powerful time of prayer.  It is my hope that you will take the exhortation of this blog and let it propel you and encourage you in this hour.  We must all look beyond the natural conditions, hear what the Spirit is saying and then act obediently to His voice.  Can you hear the voice behind the word?  Let’s become vessels of power and begin to be His foot-soldiers right here right now.  Let the Kingdom come on earth just as it is in heaven.  Let’s open our mouths and raise our flags (whatever that is) as He directs us in this appointed season.

 

“Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things”

Dutch Sheets & Quin Sherrer with Jamie Buckingham

Reprinted from the Elijah List April 15, 2021

From Dutch Sheets: The revival God is about to bring will require the efforts of all Believers. Holy Spirit “added” thousands of Believers to the Church in Acts chapters 1-5. However, the word used to describe their growth changed to “multiplied” from chapter 6 onward. What caused this? Ministry shifted from the apostles only to including deacons and Believers in general. Holy Spirit wants to use us all. Our dear friend, Quin Sherrer, speaks powerfully of this:

“Shadow Ministry” by Quin Sherrer with Jamie Buckingham

By inviting God’s abiding presence to overshadow and help us, we can make a difference in the lives of many people. Who knows when you may discover a result of your “shadow ministry” – one that may totally surprise you. You go along doing what you always do. Then boom! Someone tells you how your life impacted him or her, and you had no idea.

Several decades ago my writing mentor, Jamie Buckingham, author of more than 40 books, was the keynote speaker at an Aglow International conference; he told this unusual story about a trip he’d made some years earlier to the Sinai Peninsula for book research. He called the book “Shadow Ministry.”

When Jamie had reached the summit of Mt. Sinai – almost 7,500 feet – he walked over to a white man who was standing around with about a dozen Aborigines and inquired about them. The man said he was a missionary accompanying these men – the first Aboriginal tribe from Papua New Guinea who had ever come to Israel; they came to see where Jesus walked and to Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments. These Aborigines wanted to discover if the places mentioned in the Bible were real or not and would take their report back.

They had worked to earn the money to come and had elected these representatives to make this trip. Through this missionary’s ministry in New Guinea, there were 700 to 800 Aborigines in this tribal area who now knew Jesus Christ as Lord. He told Jamie he had been in a motorcycle gang in Australia when he read a book by an American author, received the Lord, and was eventually led to going as a missionary to Papua New Guinea.

“You wouldn’t know an author by the name of Jamie Buckingham, would you?” he asked.

“You aren’t going to believe what I am about to tell you: I am Jamie Buckingham,” he replied.

There was much rejoicing and handshaking. The missionary took Jamie over and introduced him to these people he’d won to Jesus. The 83-year-old chief of the tribe, who had tattoos across his cheeks, looked up into Jamie’s face and said, “Thank you for casting your shadow over us.”

Jamie continued his story. “I had sat in my office in Florida with my Bible open. In solitude, I wrote words. Someone gifted in editing worked on it, passed it to another who printed it, then someone else gifted in distribution got it. And the shadow went up across the world, ending up in New Guinea.” Notice, it took people with various talents to get the book into the hands of a gang member in Australia, who then became a missionary for Christ. (Photo of Jamie Buckingham)

Jamie challenged us saying, “I wonder if so much that we think is insignificant may not be the most important thing in God’s eyes. The Kingdom of God is carried on the shoulders of people who occupy their shadow ministry.”1

The Bible reference the chief referred to came from Acts 5:15; it’s about Believers who laid their sick on beds and mats so that when Peter passed by, at least his shadow might fall on them. All of them were healed. Earlier in Christ’s ministry, He took Peter, James, and John on a high mountain where He was transfigured, and a cloud formed, overshadowing them. Father God spoke from that cloud saying, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him” (Mark 9:7 NASB).

“Overshadowed” by Dutch Sheets

I explain these two references in my book, “Intercessory Prayer,” along with a third passage:

Our third example of Holy Spirit’s bringing forth life as He hovered or brooded over is found in Luke 1:35, the conception of Christ in Mary. The angel of the Lord came to Mary telling her that she would bear a child. She responded by asking, “‘…How can this be since I am a virgin?'” (v. 34).

The answer was this: “Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” “Overshadow” is the Greek word “episkiazo,” which means “to cast a shade upon; to envelope in a haze of brilliancy; to invest with supernatural influence.” It is, in some ways, a counterpart for the Hebrew word “rachaph,” translated “moving” or “hovering” in Genesis 1:2. Thayer says it is used “of the Holy Spirit exerting creative energy upon the womb of the Virgin Mary and impregnating it.”

The word is only used three times in the New Testament. At the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17:5, the passage says that the cloud of the Lord “overshadowed” them. It is also used in Acts 5:15 when people were trying to get close to Peter – in his shadow – that they might be healed. Have you ever wondered how Peter’s shadow could heal someone? It didn’t. What was actually happening was that Holy Spirit was “moving” out from Peter – hovering – and when individuals stepped into the cloud or overshadowing, they were healed.2

“An Invitation to ‘Cast Your Shadow'” by Quin Sherrer

Quin goes on to say:

When we invite the Lord to overshadow us, like Peter, we can cast a shadow – have supernatural influence – on those with whom we have encounters or connections. To cast is to “send out, radiate, hurl, fling, give off.” Let’s do it!

Maybe you are saying, “I can’t do what a well-known author did.” No, but you have your own sphere of influence. Years ago, a teenager shared on a Sunday night at our church, teaching us a big lesson. She had been in a juvenile detention facility in our town, she explained, but on weekends had been allowed to visit the homes of our various church families. Now, she was rehabilitated and going home.

“You fed me, clothed me, loved me, and best of all, you introduced me to Jesus. I am so thrilled with what Jesus has done for me. I want to thank Him. But you are Him here, so I will thank you,” she said. “You are Him here,” she repeated over and over, as her index finger pointed out across the congregation.

Going home, indeed. She was going home to her parents. One day, she will go to an eternal home with her heavenly Father…because they cast their shadow.

Our pastor had dozens of plaques made that read “You Are Him Here” for those of us who wanted to display them in our homes as a reminder that we are Jesus’ hands extended to anyone who knocks on our door. (Photo of Quin Sherrer)

“Christ has no hands on Earth but yours. No feet on Earth but yours, no eyes of compassion on Earth but yours. He has no body on Earth but yours,” said Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century nun.

Who are we influencing for God? Each of us casts a shadow by the way we live our lives, what we say, how we act toward those with whom we have connections. Someone, somewhere is watching, listening, observing.

The great harvest of souls expected soon in America could happen over backyard fences. For years, my New York City friend Janet talked to Sue about Jesus that way. Sue said she wasn’t ready to make a commitment. But on the September night, after the Twin Towers fell, she called Janet. She was ready. Janet led her in prayer and discipled her. Soon their weekly prayer meetings included other neighborhood women. I do not think it takes a tragedy to win others to Christ. We can just stay faithful to Holy Spirit’s leading and, in time, our shadow ministry will be fruitful.

In closing, let’s hear Jamie Buckingham’s take-away. “You look back across your life and you will remember numbers of people who have let their shadow fall on you. Because of that, you are who you are today.” I want to encourage you. Your shadow, perhaps unbeknownst to you, is falling on a number of other people. God is healing and God is blessing because your face is toward Jesus. Ordinary people, doing extraordinary things, through God, for God.

“Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.” (Psalm 91:1 CEV)

Prayer with Dutch Sheets:

Lord, overshadow me with Your presence. Help me, in turn, cast my shadow over those whom You choose. Give me creative ways to do this when there are still areas where social distancing is in effect. Help me not be bashful or intimidated, but give me boldness to speak and act as Holy Spirit guides me.

Just as You did with Mary, hover over me until I carry Your presence. I want to radiate the power of Holy Spirit in such strength that lives are changed and Christ is formed in people. Remind us daily, Father, that we are Him here.

I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our decree: I will be conscious of my influence for Jesus wherever I go.

Portions of today’s post were contributed by Quin Sherrer. (1 Excerpt from Quin Sherrer, Cast Your Shadow, Influence On Purpose, (Amazon, 2018), pp2-5. Taped message by Jamie Buckingham, New Orleans, 1991.2 Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer, (Ventura, CA., Regal Books,1996), p141)

 

Pastor Jim Sanderbeck

March 19, 2021

Antioch International Ministries stands behind the United States of America that was founded by God to be a testimony to the world of the Lordship of Jesus Christ and for the freedoms of His Kingdom to be freely enjoyed on earth as it is in heaven. If you are a Christian and you believe in prayer, join the chorus of prayer and agree that His plans and purposes be fulfilled as He desired and intended from the foundations of time. In Psalm 110:3 (NASB) we read: “Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power…”  In this the “hour of God’s power”, would you be one who would “volunteer freely” to STAND with and for those founding purposes to be made manifest in our seeing? It is time for the “redeemed of the Lord to say so.”

Balancing our Judgmental Witness in a Turbulent World

Pastor Jim Sanderbeck

March 8, 2021

Tension

Over the past 2 weeks, the Holy Spirit has been dealing and speaking to me about judgement—especially judgement as it pertains to people.  He has said to me “in your assignment to reach the world around you, be careful of your [people] judgements.”  He went on to say, “only righteous judgement can produce true justice.  Because natural man judges from the outside in, man’s justice is marred and found incomplete.  In My Kingdom, judgement comes from the inside out and is based on love and righteousness.  Therefore, My judgements are everlasting and My justice is complete and perfect.  Be careful in your judgements.”

Since God has been speaking this to me, I have been working on my “people judging” and pursuing righteous justice.  This exploration of judgement has shown me a “tension” that is difficult for the carnal mind to resolve.  In this turbulent world right now, finding the right balance is challenging to say the least.  The tension:

Don’t Judge

Matt. 7:1-5  “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  2  “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.  3  “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4  “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5  “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”(NASB)

Judge

1Cor, 6:2-3  Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3  Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? (NASB)

But, the answer for this tension is also in the word.  Jesus said: John 5:30  “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (NASB)  Rendering righteous judgement is found in hearing the voice and knowing the nature and will of the Father.  As a son, I am an Ambassador of the Kingdom of God.  An ambassador is one who rules, governs and executes with the full authority of the King.  Therefore, I must know the King.  I must know His nature.  I must know His edicts.  I must know His voice and His will.  This is the example and the teaching of Jesus in John 5:30.  It is in this revelation, that I find peace and am able to deal with the tension that is inherent to righteous judgement.

Dealing with the Tension

A disciple of Jesus has a worldview that looks different than the worldview of unbelievers [and those Christians who remain carnal in their thinking].  I call it a “Kingdom worldview.”  The carnal contrast is a “natural worldview.”  A disciple must intimately know God, must understand the ways of God, must discern the heart, must be willing to discern the intents of the heart, and render judgement in a way that glorifies God.  This can only be done with an image that comes from the inside-out—a Kingdom image.  To judge from the outside-in—a “natural” image pollutes righteousness and justice cannot and will not be fully (I.e. perfectly) just.

I have come to realize that righteous judgements rendered within the family of God are judged on a different kind of “love scale” than those outside of the family.  It is still a scale of love but the condition of the heart produces a different calibration in the scale.   The calibration is adjusted by grace.  Herein, the tension is felt again.

Kingdom Judging

1Co 6:1  Furthermore, how dare you take a fellow believer to court! It is wrong to drag him before the unrighteous to settle a legal dispute. Isn’t it better to take him before God’s holy believers to settle the matter?  2  Don’t you realize that we, the holy ones, will judge the universe? If the unbelieving world is under your jurisdiction, you should be fully competent to settle these trivial lawsuits among yourselves. 3  For surely you know that we will one day judge angels, let alone these everyday matters.  4  Don’t you realize that you are bringing your issues before civil judges appointed by people who have no standing within the church?  5  What a shame that there is not one within the church who has the spirit of wisdom who could arbitrate these disputes and reconcile the offended parties! 6  It’s not right for a believer to sue a fellow believer—and especially to bring it before the unbelievers.  (TPT Bible)

Natural Judging

At the cross, at a moment of intense cruelty and pain, the intentional love of Jesus ruled in judgement.  We read in Luke 23:34, 39-43  Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. 39  One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40  But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41  “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42  And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43  And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (NASB)

In the Kingdom of God, we are judged according to a love standard fitting for aware Kingdom citizens.  In the natural world of men, a disciple judges man’s ignorance of the truth with love and grace—especially if the heart is discerned as good.  We see in the parable of the good and faithful steward, Jesus speaks to this tension in judgement and says:

Luke 12:48  but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. (NASB)

Within the family of God, Jesus clearly told us we are to covenantally love one another because this is how the world will know who we are.

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35  “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”(NASB)

Outside of the family of God, grace and love rules because ignorance blinds.

Luke 23:34  But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”(NASB)

Finally, on this very subject of the tension that exists in judgement and justice, Apostle Paul writes to the church at Rome and clearly provides direction for us all.  He says:

Rom 11:22-23  So fix your gaze on the simultaneous kindness and strict justice of God. How severely he treated those who fell into unbelief! Yet how tender and kind is his relationship with you. So keep on trusting in his kindness; otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23  God is more than ready to graft back in the natural branches when they turn from clinging to their unbelief to embracing faith.  (TPT Bible)

So, in summary, we recognize that there is a tension that exists in rendering righteous judgement that results in true justice.  This tension exists because the Kingdom worldview for disciples of Jesus is quite different than the natural worldview of unregenerated men.  In the Kingdom, disciples judge from the inside-out, and in the natural, men judge from the outside-in.  One is eternal and just while the other is temporal and lacking justice.  We also learned that in righteous judgement there is an obligation for the disciple to discern a difference when judging the Kingdom believer and the natural unregenerated man.  The unregenerated man is blinded from the truth and must experience a love and grace judgement that points him to Jesus while the believer experiences judgement with a higher level of accountability coming out of the grace and the truths of a loving Father.

In these days of turbulence, be an astute disciple who rightly discerns, and pass every judgement through the windowpane of Kingdom rule.  The world and the family of God are counting on YOU.

 

EKKLESIA STAY ENGAGED:  AMERICA SHALL BE SAVED!

Pastor Jim Sanderbeck

March 4, 2021

I have never seen a reason to recreate the wheel.  When the Holy Spirit lights on something that ignites my spirit, I only need to share it—not recreate it.  Share is what I’m going to do in this blog.

Dutch Sheets in his Give Him 15 release for today, March 4, 2021, hits on a very important issue for those who are the Ekklesia of today.  In essence the Holy Spirit is encouraging me to tell you “Be careful my friends to not wax cold in this hour.”  (I will share the link in a moment so that you can participate in the narrative, the prayer and the declaration.)

Dutch refers to a Give Him 15 release from December 2020 and then goes on to make those truths even more contemporary.  He quotes from a dream where Winston Churchill provided 2 important statements.

1. “Never give up except to convictions of honor and good sense.”
2. “We shall go on to the end. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.”

Dutch also quotes Gen. George Patton who said, “It is the unconquerable soul of man and not the nature of the weapon he uses which ensures victory.”

In my coaching days, we did a training exercise I called ‘wall squats.’  With our backs to a wall, hips and knees bent at right angles, and pressure being exerted into the wall and into the ground, we would hold that position for up to at least 3 minutes.  At the end of the time period, with thighs and calves shaking and burning, and hips quaking, we would scream out “we will not cave; we will not be denied!”  This exercise was designed not to just strengthen the body, but to also strengthen our minds and inner reserves.  This is as it must be in this hour for the Ekklesia.

To all of today’s Ekklesia I say to you, we must endure these days with a boldness of faith and assurance of victory.  We must be observers, fruit watchers and active listeners—naturally and spiritually.  We must remember what our God has declared through the prophets that God will bring justice and accountability to our nation that is encompassed roundabout with evil at the highest levels of our government.  Political leadership has failed us; plots and conspiracies must fall so that God’s eternal plans and purposes for the USA will be fulfilled.  Our trust must be in God and not chariots or horses.  We must not shrink back, become weary in well-doing, nor neglectful in our fervent prayers.  God and the Heavenly Host are counting on us to release our rightful authority declarations as sons of the Most High.  We must become God’s needed agreement in the earth and work with the angels of the Heavenly Host as the strategies of God unfold to bring exposure to our evil enemy.

James says this: Jas 1:2-4  Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Hebrews 10:36 tells us “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

Jesus said in Luke 9:62: “But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

As Dutch said in this edition of Give Him 15, “we will never stop in our spiritual war to save America.  ‘America shall be saved’ is more than simply a phrase to bring hope; it is the word of the Lord!

Find this Give Him 15 at http://gh15database.com/2021/03/march-4-2021/

As It Was In The Days Of Noah

Pastor Jim Sanderbeck

Feb. 8, 2021

Gen 5:32  Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  (NASB)

Gen 6:8  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Gen 6:11  Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12  God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13  Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. 14  “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood..; (NASB)

Gen 7:5  Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him. 6  Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth.  (NASB)

Gen 9:9  “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you;  (NASB)

Mat 24:37  “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38  “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39  and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.  (NASB)

Heb 11:7  By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.  (NASB)

I first became intrigued about “As It Was In The Days Of Noah” when I listened to a prophetic word from Pastor Everett Whiteside in July of 2020.  Here is a link to that word:  https://www.facebook.com/everett.whiteside.9/videos/10220402442949594/ .

In this prophetic word to Pastor Whiteside, he says God pointed to the past to give us a look at the future so that we can operate effectively and accurately in the now. – [When God speaks, He doesn’t speak out of time because He is eternal.  So when He speaks He directs us to the past or the future so we can grasp what He is trying to bring to us so that we are effective in the now.  This is the nature of prophesy.]  In this case of the days of Noah, He is giving us a futuristic view of what is coming by looking at what occurred for us in a past season.  For those who live only in the now, they are unable to see or know what is coming.  But for us who choose to life by faith in the Father through Jesus Christ, God provides us with instruction and information so we can be effective for Him in building the Kingdom here on planet earth.  Many, even as Believers, have been overtaken by fear by various conditions [politics, pandemic, social unrest, financial breakdown, etc.] rather than trusting that God will sustain and bring victory over every circumstance.  Rather than listening to the AWS (Advanced Warning System) of God which comes to us by the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and the common threads of His trusted Prophets, many have let go of His promises, purposes and plans and fallen away or shrunk back from the front lines of the battle.  Has God not promised?  Is God unable to fulfill His covenant?  What’s changed?  God doesn’t change His mind.  Stretch your faith in Him!!  He doesn’t promise that there will be no tribulation.  He promises that He will bring you through it.  It isn’t the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog!

What does God want us to take note of and do from looking at what was going on in the days of Noah that will prepare us for the “new normal” of the days ahead?  I don’t even like the words “new normal” but that is the contemporary phrase that references for us that we are in days of extreme pressure, volatility, change, and uncertainty.  Well, let’s look to the Word of God for the “take note of” in my question:

1. We know the earth was filled with corruption and violence.
2. We know the people were going on with their lifestyles without concern or consideration of anything other than their self-centered and decadent ways.
3. We know that all flesh (mankind) was corrupt to the degree that God was fed up and ready to bring forth the judgement of death to His creation.
4. We know that Noah had found favor with God before the rains of judgement came because of his faith in God and that apparently set him apart from all mankind around him.
5. We know that for somewhere between 70 and 100 years Noah was faithful to the command of God as he prepared to build that Ark every day; preparing for the future, while still having to live in the present.
6. We know that Noah was obedient to the direction God gave Him in the construction and loading of the Ark.
7. We know that the people of the day ridiculed or ignored Noah for His apparently “weird” ways and words right up to the sealing of the Ark because they did not stop or change behaviors.
8. We know that Noah found favor with God after the rains of judgement came because of his unwavering faith and obedience. As with Adam and later Abram, God re-established covenant with Noah and all of his descendants.
9. We know that the return of Jesus will be under conditions that were similar to the conditions at the time of Noah, and that the response to judgement will be ignored by all of mankind who are not of the same spirit (full of faith and obedient) as Noah. [May I also remind you that in the parable of the 10 virgins that they were all virgins but only 5 took the time to prepare for the coming of the bridegroom. – just sayin’.  You will have to make your mind up about that one.]

Now, what might God want us “to do” by looking back at “As It Was In The Days Of Noah?”  In his prophesy linked above, Pastor Whiteside referenced multiple times the phrase “preparation for sustainability.”  Preparing for sustainability means that we Followers of Christ must do whatever is necessary to sustain us for whatever the future holds.  What we have to do may seem “crazy,” “impossible”, or it may not seem “logical” to the soulish mind, but we must be obedient to the directives that come from the Throne of the Lord as they concern the coming days.  For example:

1. Leaders must get ready to lead. Leaders must increase in “understanding the times”, understanding the Word, and discerning by way of all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
2. Leaders must be prepared to lead in all ways those who have been assigned and are under the divine order of spiritual government.
3. All Believers who will must come up to a new level of experience in their personal relationship with God in prayer, in the study and meditation of the Scriptures, and in sitting in His presence to learn and to enjoy Him through the Holy Spirit.
4. All believers must practice righteousness in all things. Faith is reckoned as righteousness.  God is no longer winking at sin.  As Pastor Whiteside said, “at takeoff a pilot has a lot of liberty to maneuver up and over or down and under a storm.  They can go somewhat off of their flight pattern to the left or to the right.  BUT, the closer that pilot gets to landing on the runway, the less and less leeway for maneuverability he has.  In other words, as time progresses, maneuverability decreases.
5. All believers must accept and join in the fellowship of those of like-minded faith because separately we do not get the full extent of support or the full counsel of God. Together, we can!

In August of 2020, the Lord spoke to me clearly on the “Do’s” of this season and this counsel of the Lord remains and will remain in effect for whatever “time” is required.  I have called them the 5 P’s.

THE 5 P’s

1. Participate – get out of the bleachers and on to the playing field
2. Pray – intercede for one another, for his strategy to succeed while binding, blinding and bewildering the powers of darkness
3. Prepare – in the natural for several months of provision and spiritual acuteness (the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience) to advance the Kingdom—repent, pursue righteousness in thoughts, words and deeds
4. Position – watch for His divine appointments and opportunities to interact with your sphere of influence
5. Provide – obey His directives of action and for others who need sustenance, protection, spiritual covering and direction

Looking back to “As It Was In The Days Of Noah” is a prophetic directive to the Body of Christ today.  Noah’s encounter with God provided a directive for his hour.  Now we look back at that experience and apply it to this hour.  It is up to you and I to pick up our mantles and be God’s Kingdom ambassadors—carrying His authority and power—in the earth.  This is season and our spheres of influence to walk as Jesus did.  Let’s stick to it and get it done.  STOP, LOOK, LISTEN & PREPARE.  These are days that should be filled with excitement and anticipation.  We are about to see the greatest harvest of souls and the greatest release of signs, wonders and miracles that the earth has ever seen.

TRUST IN GOD – I SMELL VICTORY IN THE CAMP!

Pastor Jim Sanderbeck

Jan. 23, 2021

I’ll start this blog with 2 very distinct statements so that there can be no misunderstanding.

1. This is not a time to become weary in well-doing. God has changed and leveled the landscape (my personal prophetic word of 3/28/20) and is casting off ropes of security (personal prophetic word during AIM intercessory prayer 1/4/21) that are attached to things of natural dependence (I.e. the sense-realm, social expectations, a man or woman, governmental ideologies, etc.).
2. We must stand strong because the Word of the Lord has said that He is preparing a table of justice and righteousness in the presence of our enemies. (personal prophetic word during AIM intercessory prayer 1/4/21).  He has anointed our head, overflowed our cups, and goodness and mercy will accompany us all the days of our lives. (Ps. 23:5-6)

After a long hard effort in any assignment, the natural tendency is to pull back and covet a time of rest.  If victory seems doomed, fear, disappointment, and discouragement will slip in.  At those times, the natural man looks for a place of security and safety where he can lay his head.  But, for the spiritual man, I say to you that the effort necessary to TRIUMPH is not over!  The Ekklesia does not come to choose sides or to be satisfied with a lesser or limited outcome.  God gets no glory in that.  The Ekklesia comes to stand, endure and produce an overcoming victory.  It takes a team effort of the sold-out believer, the angels, and the Holy Spirit all working together in symphonic agreement.  In the natural, it may even look like the adversary has won. But God!.  Do not place your eyes on the natural.  Remember Elisha’s servant’s eyes were opened to the unseen host arrayed against the adversary. (2 Kings 6:15-17)  We are at such a time as that.  It’s ok; God’s got this, and He’s got us.  Just see with spiritual eyes and hear with spiritual ears.

Lana Vawser is a prophetic voice out of Australia that I have come to trust.  I believe she is a prophetess to the nations.  She, and many others, have aligned with the Ekklesia in the US prayerfully and prophetically.  In a recent prophetic declaration, she endorses my thoughts as she basically says “let this thing play out.  God is releasing creative assignments now to tell us what we are to do.”  I believe this to be true because during this post-election time, there are things we, as apostolic Kingdom leaders, need to be doing that encourage all to stand firm.  We dare not draw back and just take a break.  What are YOU supposed to be doing in this particular hour to stand, sustain and advance?

I encourage you again with the 5 P’s: 1.) Participate, 2.) Pray, 3.) Prepare, 4.) Position, and 5. Provide.  Lana urges us to tap into the creativity of God.  He is about to equip us if we will listen and obey His directives and not cave in to the disinformation or confusion that comes through various extreme voices—sometimes Christian.  Remember: Stay encouraged in the Lord and DON’T QUIT!!!  Draw strength from Him by faith.  We just haven’t seen the manifestation of triumph yet.  It’s coming!  Here are some quoted excerpts from Lana’s prophetic word.

“I Heard the Voice of the Lord Thunder: Restored’!”

Lana Vawser, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Restoration of Dreams in the Night Hours

He [God] is coming with a clear word from His heart that will not only bring HEALING to their [Believers] hearts AS they sleep, but also a greater discernment will burst forth within them to recognize that which was from their soul and that which was being revealed and spoken by the Holy Spirit.

I hear the Holy Spirit say, “THERE WILL BE REST IN THE RESET.”

Creativity in Assignments Will Erupt!

The Holy Spirit continued to whisper:

“As this restoration of JOY in Me and their assignments takes place, I am bringing them into a new realm of CREATIVE DOWNLOADS in their assignments. Creativity will begin to explode as I show them the new ways of building with Me. The new ways of partnering with Me creatively in their assignments, in this new era, will ERUPT from My heart into their lives.

“I am going to completely revamp things with My creativity in their assignments right now, and for this new era. The CREATIVE DOWNLOADS that they will receive from encountering Me and My heart are going to restore such JOY in their assignments. I am releasing creative strategies to them on such a deep level that many will look and say, ‘WOW, that is so fresh; it’s so NEW. I have NEVER seen that before.’

“The anointing will be so thick and so heavy—so fresh—that it will be VERY clear that it has been birthed out of My heart and the throne room of Heaven. Implementing in obedience the creative strategies and downloads that I will release will not only see the power of My Spirit move to impact and change lives on a scale that has never been seen, but it will draw in the harvest in such unprecedented ways; salvation will EXPLODE all around.

“My people, as My creative strategies are released from My heart; take them and run with them in the ways that I lead you. The ‘never been done before’ creative strategies will require bold faith and courage, but do not be afraid, for where I guide, I provide, and My favor will explode upon your obedience.

“Listen not to the ‘naysayers’; follow My voice and direction and you will see the most incredible demonstrations of My creative power within your assignments and through your assignments in this hour. Oh the joy that is set before you in partnering with Me in the new things I have for you! You are about to see what a creative God I really am.”

 

If you take the time to truly listen to the mature prophetic voices being voiced in this hour, you will hear the voice of God’s Spirit saying one thing–“He is not finished.” “There will be righteousness and justice return to the US (and all the nations) and it will be accompanied by a great awakening in the hearts of all of those who respond to Him.” I encourage you all to stay in faith, participate, pray, prepare, position, and provide. AIM’s Judy Bauman recently posted these thoughts on Jan. 15. I appreciate her comments and her research that helps us understand that God’s ways and timings are not ours. And, His goal is our hearts for Him and righteousness and justice. In what we are viewing today, could their be any closer parallel?

WHOM WILL YOU SERVE THIS DAY?

This question recently came up in my spirit, and it is a question we all must each ask ourselves and give an answer to the Lord God Almighty.
In the Book of Esther, we read that Haman was filled with a burning hatred for Mordecai the Jew because he refused to bow to Haman. In his jealousy and anger, Haman wrote a decree by the king’s authority to annihilate ALL the Jews in the entire 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia, but that wasn’t enough for this bloodthirsty man. He built a gallows 50 cubits high to hang him! (A cubit is anywhere from 18″ to 22″ so the gallows were about 75-90 feet high!)
In Esther, we learn much about this wickedness that (continually) seeks to destroy God’s people. Just look at Iran’s ongoing threats to “wipe Israel off the map.”
(Spoiler Alert!) After Haman’s plot is exposed to King Ahasuerus, Haman is hung on his own gallows and the king puts Mordecai in command! (Whoo-hoo! Go God!!! Talk about a quick turn around!)
Later in the story, we learn Haman’s 10 sons were also hung on his obscenely tall gallows.
I’m not sure what it will take for those claiming to be of Christ to SEE how completely irrational the hatred for Donald Trump has been. This wicked, blind vindictiveness operates with a mindset fixed on destroying him. But, beloved, the real goal is to destroy GOD’S PEOPLE. The real goal is to destroy you! It doesn’t matter if you like Trump or not, it is actually Christianity that is under attack! (Read the story and see how impetuous King Ahasuerus could be!) Wake up!
In the end, God used the king’s leadership to save the Jews. Purim is still celebrated today for what Queen Esther did to save her people. She risked her own life. (Purim is celebrated so we REMEMBER Esther and is Feb 26 this year.)
For me, learning witches worldwide were coordinating efforts to curse President Trump monthly from the beginning of his administration until he was removed, was enough for me to recognize he was a serious threat to wickedness in high places. Obviously, the devil was and continues stirring fear, jealousy, anger, and irrational hatred for him. If you haven’t asked yourself why, you need to.
Witches are territorial and usually work against other covens to gain power, not work in unity with them. Even within covens there are serious rivalries for high positions. HELLO! What is it going to take to see Christianity is more divided than those in the occult? Dear God, help us!
If you have ignored or joined the blind hatred coming from globalists, then you need to shake off the slumber and start investing in oil for your lampstand because your light is about to come great darkness! If you’ve joined the hatred, then I pray you keep reading this and recognize what spirit has manipulated your thinking. Repentance is all God requires.
The Father is separating the wise from the unwise, the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares. He is doing this NOW.
Whom will you serve? Do you stand strong in the strength of the Lord, or have you joined yourself to the accusations of the godless? There is still time to ask God’s forgiveness and set your face like flint to follow Jesus, but don’t delay! Submit to God and His ways first, then you can resist the devil and he will have to flee. If you aren’t submitted to the plans and purposes of God, there is no way for you to resist the devil. So please, hear my heart this morning and return to your First Love.

Judy Bauman

 

I’LL NEVER GIVE UP!

Pastor Jim Sanderbeck

January 12, 2021

For the past decade, The United States (and in measure the entire globe) has been racked with constant strain, perverted accusations, loss of freedoms, violence, destruction and I could go on and on.  These acts have come from both the left and the right side of government, social, cultural, and spiritual communities.  Unity and fruitful discussion is basically nonexistent between the various ideologies.  Logic has dissolved and rationality has left the building.  Truly, Creation is crying out (Romans 8:19) for deliverance and answers that are to come through the sons of God – those who are being led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:13).  The Bible tells us through the prophets that these times were coming.  It has been right there for all to read but neglected by many.  We also learn through the Word of God that the sons of Issachar were those men who understood the times and knew how to respond to them. (1 Chron. 12:32)  In the Book of Esther (a young Jewess and a Biblical type of the Church who came upon the scene “for such a time as this”) it is written In verse 13 of chapter 1 that Ahasuerus the king (a pagan [non-believing] king), ” …said to the wise men who understood the times—for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice.”  Biblically then we know 1) that tapping into wisdom, direction, understanding of seasons etc. is a pattern for those who were God’s people and 2) it was the pattern for those who were not of God’s people.  Something, we in this season, have obviously lost.

It is time for a reprieve from all the chaos.  The prophetic voices of today declare that reprieve [an intervention from God] is coming.  I believe that one of the greatest contemporary prophetic voices of God was Prophet Kim Clement.  (Remember, a priest speaks to God on behalf of the people.  A prophet speaks to the people on behalf of God.)  To me, he spoke and taught and carried the spirit of Elijah like no other.  He is gone from us now to soon, but for at least 2 decades, his voice was a prophetic voice that was so clear and so accurate, that it could not be denied.  One of his most revealing prophesies, that is manifesting right now, was spoken in 2010.  If you never experienced him in ministry and if you want to hear how accurate and full of God he was, go to this link and listen for 35 minutes to a man who understood the times, the seasons, and what man should do.  He just nails the “betrayal in the Whitehouse.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gWsEiojF9Y&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2acNLJ6FrpNu9EEBmBcAoOy0EAY6JgvMIonE8AI7zIun322lZkgro_Lvk

Even after hearing Kim or if you don’t believe the prophetic gift is active today, then at least look at God’s written Word.  Through the current events we are examining, God is preparing a table in the presence of His enemies to bring a just reprieve. Psalms 23:5-6 sounds like a reprieve to me.  “5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.)

For months, Christian believers have been praying and fasting for our nation.  Believers, not just here in the US, but literally around the globe.  The prophetic voice has increased in frequency and sound.  That prophetic voice is saying that God is going to demonstrate His great power and bring about surprising outcomes.  The prophetic voice has declared that evil would be exposed, accountability would manifest, and judgement would be just and swift.  The sons of Issachar today and those that recognize the violation of law and the lack of justice are saying “THIS MUST STOP!”  The earth and all of creation is groaning.

Unfortunately, conspiracy theories based on unvetted information and purposeful falsification has crept into the arena and has brought a distraction and discouragement to many who are looking for the prophesied and desired reprieve.  Weariness in well-doing has resulted in lost hope.  These things and some others have resulted in discouragement and disappointment, and there has been a falling away of many–political leaders who have stood with the President and the “conservative” platform have in the past week jumped ship in an attempt to try and save their careers at the expense of former colleagues.  Christians who were once encouraged are saying “well, the prophesies were false” and “we missed it.”  May I encourage you that you don’t capitulate to all that is being said.  Examine it.  Find the common threads.  Put much of what you hear on the “shelf” to be examined over time.

I have good news for you.  God is still on the throne and He isn’t worried or anxious!  Not all have fallen away.  There is a remnant of Believers, who, having understood the times, have remained submitted to the Holy Spirit, and have raised up leaders who hold the Kingdom of God perspective.  Those, who like Joshua and Caleb, are saying (paraphrased) “yes there are a lot of giants in the land that we were promised, but look at the size of those grapes.”  (Numbers 13 & 14)

God is still God.  He will do what He says He will do and His word will not come back to Him void without causing its purpose to be accomplished. (Isaiah 55:11)  He will not be mocked.  (Galatians 6:7) He sits in the heavens and laughs at those who plan against Him, and His gathering the nations for the Kingdom of God remains foremost.  (Read Psalms 2)  His Kingdom will come on earth just as it is in heaven.  (Matthew 6:10) Those Christians who will not be moved, will be those who have continued in believing faith, prayed, served within their assignments, kept their eyes on the prize, and have been seen by all to stand firm. “…having done all, stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)  These are days, and now down to hours, that compare to the Red Sea experience of Israel.  They compare to the deliverance battles between David and the Philistines that if God hadn’t shown up, all would have been lost.  They compare to the Jericho march when Joshua led the people into the Promised Land.  Believing faith is not faith until it is fully tested.

Like never before, if we are going to see God bring His reprieve to a groaning world, if you are a Christian who is willing to put it all on the line for God, then you “having done all, must stand.”  You must stand firm.  God’s answers are coming.  DON’T QUIT!!   I don’t know just when or just how, but they are coming.  Believers, let go of whatever rope of security you are holding on to.  You can not put your trust in a man, a platform, or a desired outcome.  Your trust and your hope can only be in one place–the one who is the God Man, Jesus, the Christ.  Stand together.  Suck it up!  This is the hour of God’s power.  How long?  UNTIL!!!!  Hot Potatoes!  What a good time we’re having!

GOD IS ON THE MOVE

Something strong is going on in the Spirit. The prophetic flow is increasing as more and more voices are speaking. I have not seen such an increased flow – ever – and many are seeing that occurring. Every CREDIBLE prophetic voice is saying that God is not yet finished. That God is going to deal strongly with this crazy evilness that seems to be USA dominant but really worldwide.

Our J-O-B is to stay in faith, intercede and keep focused on a monumental and overcoming outcome. If I can do anything for you right now, I want to speak encouragement to every Christian believer’s heart. Don’t put your hand to the plow and look back. God doesn’t lie or put us out on a branch only to saw it off behind us. He doesn’t wall us out. He is the One who walls us in! BE OF GOOD COURAGE.

Please feast on the Scripture, intercede with aggressive believing faith and listen to only CREDIBLE/PROVEN prophets. Right Now, we must enter into balanced Christian living by the Spirit like never before. Be encouraged by talking and sharing with like-minded believers so that iron will sharpen iron and the devil-roaring lion shuts his toothless mouth. Judah is the one who roars with power and authority. Remember: WE WIN!!!!!!

Get only enough news media to be current in awareness. The real news is in the Scripture and in the voice of the Holy Spirit. Here are some links for meat and sustenance.

https://elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=24740 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff6UH10-H7s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClXjc1ybIxQ https://elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=24741

We love you. Be blessed today and every day.

Pastor Jim Sanderbeck

Dec. 18, 2020