Newsletter for 10/5/06-
What are we "eating"
Spiritually?
What are we "eating"
Spiritually?
Good Morning,
I pray that things are going well for you, today. Before I go to far, let me remind you about our Ministry Time at 6pm
this Saturday in the Fellowship Hall at Rainier Assembly of God. Please feel free to come and bring anyone that
needs ministered to.
I have really been feeling an anticipation in my spirit over the last few weeks that the Lord is about to do something. I
do not know whether this is something in a specific church, all the churches or maybe even just something broad
based in the spirit realm. It is very hard to describe, but there is a real expectancy in the air.
Having shared that with you, I would like to share a little from my heart on the spirit realm. Bill Johnson who is a well
known author and Revival Leader as well as Senior Pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, wrote that the church has
really given birth to a "parent-less" generation of people that want to see more than what they see in the physical. In
other words, they know that there is more to this life than what they see and they are hungry for those things that
they do not see. The church has pretty much left this to the world instead of stepping out into the supernatural as
Jesus did. Let me give you a few examples.
Looking at the new television lineup that has come out this fall, there are again numerous television shows that deal
with the paranormal. One in particular, is called "Heroes". This is a show about people that have different
supernatural giftings. By the way, I am not advertising nor advocating these shows! There are people there that can
be transported (Like Philip in the New Testament), can see things in the future (prophecy), etc. This is just one of
the new shows that deal with these things. In the past there have been numerous shows, books and movies that
deal with witches, supernatural powers, dragons, demons, speaking with the dead, etc. The fact is that we can not
turn the television on without running across some television show that has a major character that is a homosexual. I
believe that this is meant to make all of these things seem to be a common part of our world. According to this line of
thought, these things are "normal".
In the late eighties, I was a full time Youth Pastor and I took several students to a conference at Bible Temple (now
City Bible) in Portland. The name of this conference was "Dragon Slayer." The point of the conference was that if
Satan could put enough references and actual characters into modern media that were either dragons, demons,
etc. then our children would eventually find them comfortable to be around. This of course was very prophetic. We
now see more people involved in new age, cults and the occult than ever before. Some of this has even made it into
the church.
I can remember as a kid, my mom not letting me watch the tv shows "Bewitched" or "The Smurfs". Bewitched for
obvious reasons and the Smurfs because they represented the dead. They did this by looking like dead people
(Blue skin, black mouths). They also had a leader named Beelzebub (common name for Satan). But these shows
are nothing compared to today.
These examples are to point out that there are quite a few people in this world that are looking for something to fill
that "Jesus shaped void" in their hearts and the world is coming up with a few alternatives. There are quite a few
people in the world that have discovered that the Lord has blessed them with spiritual gifts but they don't know what
to do with them. Here comes the occult and says "that gift of prophecy that you have, we can help you nurture."
People come into our churches and say, I have been having all of these dreams can you help me understand them.
Too many Pastors say "don't eat ice cream before you go to bed" or "you need counseling." Their doctor says, "just
take these pills and that will stop and you will get a good night's sleep."
Meanwhile, God is saying "I gave you those gifts to enable you to see and hear in the spirit realm." I would imagine
that there are people within our own churches that have gifts that they are afraid to speak about because they are
afraid of the response. On the other hand, the enemy has said "Come here and let me help you with that."
You may say, "God wouldn't let people use their gifts for someone other than God!" This is not true. Look at
Whitney Houston, raised in a Christian family, but took her gift (singing) and wasted it on the world. The Lord gave
her the voice that she has and gifts are without repentance, so she can do anything she wants with it. Unfortunately
she is wasting it.
Have you ever wondered about the psychics that are able to lead the FBI to a dead body? I believe that these are
people that are using their gift for the wrong side. I believe that there are successful sales people and others in
business that were given a gift and a calling for ministry, that are using it for their own gain. Let's look at a scripture
reference-
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who
brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These
men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." 18 And this she did for many
days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come
out of her." And he came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they
seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. Acts 16:16-19 NKJ
How was she able to tell the future? She was tuned in to the spirit realm, albeit the wrong side. Have you ever
wondered what happened to her after she was delivered? She was delivered from the spirit, but not from her gift. I
have to wonder if she later became a prophetess and ministered to people in her area.
So Jeff, what is your point today? My point is this, we of all people should be tuned into the Holy Spirit more than
anybody is tuned to the enemy. We should be nurturing these people's gifts into what God would have them be,
instead of allowing the enemy to do it. Up to this point we have been too afraid of these things, but Jesus said we
"would do these things and more!" Shouldn't we expect some of these things. Are they really signs and wonders, if
we don't wonder? Let's get out there and take back the Kingdom that was given to us as an inheritance by the King
of Kings. Let's save those that have been harvested by the enemy and bring them back home. Jesus prayed that
NONE should perish but have everlasting life. LET'S GO GET THEM!!!!
Working while it is still day,
Pastor Jeff McCracken and the Kingdom Power Now Team
I pray that things are going well for you, today. Before I go to far, let me remind you about our Ministry Time at 6pm
this Saturday in the Fellowship Hall at Rainier Assembly of God. Please feel free to come and bring anyone that
needs ministered to.
I have really been feeling an anticipation in my spirit over the last few weeks that the Lord is about to do something. I
do not know whether this is something in a specific church, all the churches or maybe even just something broad
based in the spirit realm. It is very hard to describe, but there is a real expectancy in the air.
Having shared that with you, I would like to share a little from my heart on the spirit realm. Bill Johnson who is a well
known author and Revival Leader as well as Senior Pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, wrote that the church has
really given birth to a "parent-less" generation of people that want to see more than what they see in the physical. In
other words, they know that there is more to this life than what they see and they are hungry for those things that
they do not see. The church has pretty much left this to the world instead of stepping out into the supernatural as
Jesus did. Let me give you a few examples.
Looking at the new television lineup that has come out this fall, there are again numerous television shows that deal
with the paranormal. One in particular, is called "Heroes". This is a show about people that have different
supernatural giftings. By the way, I am not advertising nor advocating these shows! There are people there that can
be transported (Like Philip in the New Testament), can see things in the future (prophecy), etc. This is just one of
the new shows that deal with these things. In the past there have been numerous shows, books and movies that
deal with witches, supernatural powers, dragons, demons, speaking with the dead, etc. The fact is that we can not
turn the television on without running across some television show that has a major character that is a homosexual. I
believe that this is meant to make all of these things seem to be a common part of our world. According to this line of
thought, these things are "normal".
In the late eighties, I was a full time Youth Pastor and I took several students to a conference at Bible Temple (now
City Bible) in Portland. The name of this conference was "Dragon Slayer." The point of the conference was that if
Satan could put enough references and actual characters into modern media that were either dragons, demons,
etc. then our children would eventually find them comfortable to be around. This of course was very prophetic. We
now see more people involved in new age, cults and the occult than ever before. Some of this has even made it into
the church.
I can remember as a kid, my mom not letting me watch the tv shows "Bewitched" or "The Smurfs". Bewitched for
obvious reasons and the Smurfs because they represented the dead. They did this by looking like dead people
(Blue skin, black mouths). They also had a leader named Beelzebub (common name for Satan). But these shows
are nothing compared to today.
These examples are to point out that there are quite a few people in this world that are looking for something to fill
that "Jesus shaped void" in their hearts and the world is coming up with a few alternatives. There are quite a few
people in the world that have discovered that the Lord has blessed them with spiritual gifts but they don't know what
to do with them. Here comes the occult and says "that gift of prophecy that you have, we can help you nurture."
People come into our churches and say, I have been having all of these dreams can you help me understand them.
Too many Pastors say "don't eat ice cream before you go to bed" or "you need counseling." Their doctor says, "just
take these pills and that will stop and you will get a good night's sleep."
Meanwhile, God is saying "I gave you those gifts to enable you to see and hear in the spirit realm." I would imagine
that there are people within our own churches that have gifts that they are afraid to speak about because they are
afraid of the response. On the other hand, the enemy has said "Come here and let me help you with that."
You may say, "God wouldn't let people use their gifts for someone other than God!" This is not true. Look at
Whitney Houston, raised in a Christian family, but took her gift (singing) and wasted it on the world. The Lord gave
her the voice that she has and gifts are without repentance, so she can do anything she wants with it. Unfortunately
she is wasting it.
Have you ever wondered about the psychics that are able to lead the FBI to a dead body? I believe that these are
people that are using their gift for the wrong side. I believe that there are successful sales people and others in
business that were given a gift and a calling for ministry, that are using it for their own gain. Let's look at a scripture
reference-
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who
brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These
men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." 18 And this she did for many
days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come
out of her." And he came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they
seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. Acts 16:16-19 NKJ
How was she able to tell the future? She was tuned in to the spirit realm, albeit the wrong side. Have you ever
wondered what happened to her after she was delivered? She was delivered from the spirit, but not from her gift. I
have to wonder if she later became a prophetess and ministered to people in her area.
So Jeff, what is your point today? My point is this, we of all people should be tuned into the Holy Spirit more than
anybody is tuned to the enemy. We should be nurturing these people's gifts into what God would have them be,
instead of allowing the enemy to do it. Up to this point we have been too afraid of these things, but Jesus said we
"would do these things and more!" Shouldn't we expect some of these things. Are they really signs and wonders, if
we don't wonder? Let's get out there and take back the Kingdom that was given to us as an inheritance by the King
of Kings. Let's save those that have been harvested by the enemy and bring them back home. Jesus prayed that
NONE should perish but have everlasting life. LET'S GO GET THEM!!!!
Working while it is still day,
Pastor Jeff McCracken and the Kingdom Power Now Team