All posts tagged: Prophecy

Did a personal prophecy play a role in actor Stephen Baldwin becoming a Christian?

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With all the mockery Christians have received on the dozens of false prophecies given over the past couple of years, that then President Donald Trump would win a second term as US president, it is nice to see that legitimate prophecies have impacted people’s lives. Because it appears that a prophetic word played a key role in the salvation of actor Stephen Baldwin and his wife, Kenya, a Brazilian graphic designer. Their daughter, Hailey, also a believer, is married to mega pop star Justin Bieber. Stephen is also brother to actors Alec Baldwin and William Baldwin. Though, Stephen became a Christian shortly after the September 11, 2001 attack in New York City, in an interview with CBN, Stephen stated that the real transformation started before that tragic day, after they hired a young Brazilian woman, Augusta, as a nanny for their children. Within a week of her arrival, Augusta was singing songs about Jesus in Portuguese to the Baldwin children. Stephen said: “So we hired this lady from Brazil named Augusta, and the whole first …

A call for accountability in the prophetic ministry

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After dozens of major Christian ministries wrongly prophesied that Trump would win re-election as US president in November 2020, to say that the prophetic ministry has been left in tatters would be an understatement. But a new organization, Prophetic Standards, has been set up to call for accountability in the prophetic ministry. Because, despite this failing on the national stage, major prophetic networks are pumping out prophecies on a daily basis as if nothing happened. There is nothing wrong with that necessarily, but in my opinion each of those prophetic words should be tagged with a small notification on whether the individual wrongly prophesied that Trump would be reelected. People need to know how much they can trust these particular ministries. These individuals may still have bona fide ministry, but prophecy may not be one of them. Just because you have an internet connection and a YouTube channel does not automatically make you a prophet. But it seems these prophetic networks are more concerned about protecting the prophetic ministries than protecting the people they are …

Prophecies Are Not Simply Newspaper Headlines in Advance

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By Dr. Michael L. Brown Now that the New York Times, Politico, and other, major secular outlets have covered the failed presidential prophecies, why don’t we make this a teachable moment and ask a basic question about prophecy? Specifically, when prophecy is predictive (and therefore foretelling rather than forthtelling), is it equivalent to headline news in advance? The reason I ask this question is because the recent presidential prophecies were presented like news headlines in advance, informing us of specific dates and details, none of which came to pass. Yet millions of Christians were urged to believe these specific words and were rebuked when they saw fit to question them. But is prophecy normally that specific, especially in terms of dates? Is this the biblical pattern? To be sure, many events are predicted in the Bible with specificity, and on rare occasion, there are specific times and dates put on the prophecies. But that is certainly not the norm. Instead, future prophecies are frequently spoken in such a way that there is some level of …

Do Not Despise Prophecy

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By Dr. Michael L. Brown Did you ever wonder why Paul wrote, “Do not despise prophecies,” or as the New International Version translates, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt” (1 Thess. 5:20)? Why would any Christian be tempted to despise prophetic words? The answer is that prophecy can be obscure. Or confusing. Or complex. Or it can appear to be inaccurate, only to come to pass differently than we expected or have a different application than we understood. Or it can make us uncomfortable, revealing areas we would rather leave covered over. And in the case of New Testament prophecy, when every believer can potentially prophesy, it often needs correction and guidance. It is sometimes flatly wrong, with people claiming inspiration without really having it. That’s why Paul’s full exhortation included these injunctions: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:19-21). Today, when the failed Trump prophecies have gained much notoriety and when prophecy itself is getting a bad …

How a prophetic word changed Gemma Hunt’s life

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Gemma Hunt, 36, is not well known on this side of the ocean, but in Britain she has gained a significant media presence as a children TV presenter on BBC. It was a career sparked by a prophetic word she received as a teenager. She currently is the lead presenter on CBeebies’ Swashbuckle, a pirate theme BBC game show targeted at two to seven-year-olds and also on the BBC’s program Songs of Praise. Since she was hired by BBC in 2002, Hunt has not been shy about her faith in Christ. She was raised in a Christian home and attended a local Baptist church, but admits she was a bit of rebel. In an interview with Premier Christianity, Hunt said that changed while attending Hill House, a Christian summer camp, where she made a decision for Christ at the age 11. But it was while attending a summer camp five years later, that she received a prophetic word that would set the course for her life. She was 16 and attending a Christian camp called …

Did God answer a comedian’s prayer through a prophetic word at Starbucks?

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An employee working at a Starbucks’ drive thru provided an incredible answer to prayer for comedian Victoria Jackson revealing that God does hear our prayers and will use spiritual gifts to confirm it. Jackson, 58, gained fame working as a comedian and singer for Saturday Night Live, a late night comedy show that debuted in 1975 and routinely runs parodies of culture and politics. Famous for her ukulele, she was a regular contributor to SNL from 1986 to 1992 where she performed skits, some involving impersonations of Rosanne Barr. Jackson came from a Christian home and attended Florida Bible College in Hollywood, Florida before moving on to Furman University in South Carolina after receiving a gymnastic scholarship and then to Auburn University where she majored in theater. Jackson’s gym-coach father had trained his daughter in gymnastics, a training that she utilized on screen doing back flips on SNL and reciting poetry while doing hand stands. The comedian refers to herself as a conservative Christian and even sent her children to a Christian school. However, Jackson …

My Prophetic Journey Part 16: From the Hand or the Heart

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You can always spot the fridge of a proud parent or grandparent, covered with photos and artwork of children. My wife and I are no different. The great value in our granddaughter’s art is not that it’s from the hand of a great artist, but that it is 100% from the heart. The heart trumps the hand! Matthew 19:14 says, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Our response to our heavenly Father must be one focused on His heart, not just what comes from His hand. Two brothers in the Bible illustrate this perfectly – Jacob and Esau. Romans 9:13 says, “Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated.” Without getting into Calvinism vs. Arminianism, I just want to look at what these two very different men focused on. Jacob, for all his grasping for things and other faults, had a heart for God. On the other hand, we see in Genesis 25 that Esau not only sold his birthright …

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My prophetic failure

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Español: Mi falla hacia un espíritu de profecía Several years ago, we had a young man in our church moving in the prophetic. He prophesied regularly during church services and even had a visiting prophetic minister pull him out of the congregation and give a word about his prophetic calling. He was on the fast track to the prophetic. Up to this point his prophetic words were fairly innocuous. There was nothing specific about them or directional. They were God loves you type of prophesies that could literally apply to anyone and everyone. There is nothing wrong with these type of words, because often the Holy Spirit will grab the word and highlight it to specific individuals and say this word is for you. And then it happened. The pastor of the church was heading to a conference. As we gathered around to lay hands on him, the young man stepped up with a prophetic word and prophesied some very specific things were going to happen to the pastor at these meetings. One in particular, …

Did God give a prophetic vision to guide Tua Tagovailoa?

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People describe Alabama Crimson Tide’s comeback victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the National Football Championship on January 8, 2018 as nothing short of miraculous. Alabama was losing 13-0 at halftime and the coach pulled the team’s starting QB and threw in rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa, 19, who led the team to an overtime 26-23 victory. After the huge win, Tagovailoa, a Spirit-filled Christian, ran into the crowd to pray with his family and when asked in interviews after the game how he remained so calm in the NCAA’s biggest game of the year, Tagovailoa said he spoke in tongues. But now more is coming out about how the gifts of the Holy Spirit played an even bigger role in a game watched by 28.4 million people. Tagovailoa played high school football in Ewa Beach, Hawaii where he attended Message of Peace church pastored by his uncle and aunt, Tuli and Sai Amosa. While waiting offers to play college football, Tua’s mother Diane shared a prophetic word that Tagovailoa received about Tua’s future. But it …

Chehura desert in Peru Credit: Alma Apatrida/Flickr/Creative Commons

A prophecy about lost treasure

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A couple of decades ago, my wife and I were heading down to Peru to adopt our daughter. Just before we set out on our journey that would take a month and half to complete, we were at a small prayer meeting in our church when Brian, a man with a prophetic gifting, prayed and prophesied over us. He saw us taking a big colored doll down for our daughter. But then he gave me a word, which deeply concerned both my wife and I. He said I see you gathering your treasure, and then he held his hands out, spread his fingers and said it will slip away, pouring out between your fingers like sand. I asked Brian what he meant. He had no further revelation and simply told us what he saw. It was a disturbing word. Because we respected the man and his prophetic gift we were concerned that the adoption was going to fall apart. But we believed God had told us to go and decided to continue on our journey. …

Kim Clement (1956-2016): YouTube Capture

God’s prophetic voice needed today

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As I read about the massacre of 26 people (ages five to 72) in the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, during their Sunday morning service, it struck me how we need God to speak and warn us. Sutherland Springs located 30 miles southeast of San Antonia is a small town of just 400 people. yet somehow evil found its way there. Twenty were also injured in the attack by gunman Devin Patrick Kelley, 26. A former member of the air force, a self-proclaimed atheist and loner, Kelley apparently killed himself after careening off the road in a chase after the shooting. Two days earlier — Friday, November 3, 2017 — a neighbor attacked Christian politician Senator Paul Rand as he returned home. Rand suffered five broken ribs and lung contusions. According to a report on the Daily Caller, another person who lives on the same block alleges the attacker is an “avowed socialist” who fought with other neighbors over politics. Despite this underlying issue, recent media reports suggest that conflicts over landscaping issues …

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Moving in time with heaven

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The Holy Spirit will  give very specific words to me at times – words that I do not normally use in everyday conversation.  I love it when He does this, as it always sends me on a Kingdom treasure hunt. A week ago, Holy Spirit brought the word RECALIBRATE to me in a dream, and I believe He is revealing to us His work within the Body of Christ at this time.  To RECALIBRATE means, basically to CALIBRATE AGAIN.  Here are some definitions I’d like to share with you to deepen your understanding: Calibrate:  to adjust precisely for a particular function; to measure precisely, especially against a standard (merriam-webster.com). Additionally, here are some definitions of the word RECALIBRATE: Recalibrate:  to calibrate something again, or differently. (google.ca).  To make small changes to an instrument so that it measures accurately; to change the way you do or think about something (dictionary.cambridge.org). Many of God’s people are experiencing a season of transition at this time, or are otherwise recognizing that there is a shift in the Spirit.  I …

St. George Monastery (Orthodox Church) was constructed at a cave thought to be the place where the Prophet Elijah hid after fleeing Jezebel. Credit: Catholic Church of England/Flickr/Creative Commons

Under the wing of a prophet — schools of the prophets

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A few years back, a person who functions in the prophetic told me how he moved into that ministry. A prophet was speaking at the church he attended and gave a prophetic word to the man stating he was called to the ministry of a prophet. This senior prophet had also been invited to minister at another church in the same city, so he asked the young man to tag along. He didn’t throw the young man into prophetic with the old sink or swim attitude. As the prophet ministered, he told the young man to sit, listen and try to discern a word for the people being prophesied over. Later the prophet asked young man if he received words similar to what the prophet gave when he ministered to the people. The young man said yes. This was the Holy Spirit training him to have confidence in the ministry God had given him. I think the prophet Amos referred to this when he said: “The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” (Amos …

Hillary Clinton Credit: Aaron Webb/Flickr/Creative Commons

Is a prophecy about Hillary Clinton coming to pass?

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Prior to America’s recent presidential election, several Christian prophets predicted that Donald Trump would become the next president of the United States. One of those was Kim Clement who hinted at Trump’s presidency in 2013. Trump would not officially seek the Republican nomination until June 2015 and most considered the chances of him even winning that nomination as very remote, much less the US presidency. Kim died on November 23, 2016, two weeks after Donald Trump won the presidential election. But Kim Clement, who had gained a reputation in Charismatic circles as  a prophetic worshiper, also had a prophecy for Hillary Clinton. He gave that prophecy back in 2006: “And some of you said, when the Spirit said, ‘Hillary Clinton,’ some of you shouted out, ‘yes!’God said, ‘I have already dealt with her heart, not to be president of this nation, but to be president in a Christian world. She will have a testimony second to none and will eventually come out with it and make declaration that Christ Jesus saved her marriage, saved her …

Wouldn't it be nice if voice spoke from heaven telling us what our spiritual gift was? Credit: The Shiney One/Flickr/Creative Commons

The Holy Spirit wants to be your personal trainer

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If you have been filled with the Holy Spirit, you have also received a spiritual gift (I Corinthians 12). Many of us are uncertain what it is. We expect the heavens to open up and a billboard descend stating the Holy Spirit has given you the gift of knowledge or gift of prophecy. It would be nice if it was that simple. But when you have been given a spiritual gift, one of the first things the Holy Spirit wants to do is display that gift personally to you. Like any loving parent, God wants you to unwrap your present and then He wants to train you in your gifting. My first prophetic revealing and training session oddly enough took place in 1986 as I watched a National Hockey League (NHL) game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary flames. For those not fully familiar with the NHL, Calgary and Edmonton are both in the province of Alberta in Canada. Playing in the same division, there is a fierce rivalry between the two teams. Edmonton …

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The Intersection

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A few weeks ago at a weekly prayer meeting I had a prophetic word for a young man. After I shared the picture I had received with him, I knew I needed to remember it and apply it to my own life. I began to pray for direction for his life and immediately God gave me this “movie” for him. I saw him in his vehicle pulling up to a stop sign at an intersection where he had two or three options for his destiny. Which direction was he to take? Next I saw the action God wanted him to take. I saw him park at the side of the road, put on some worship tunes, and begin to worship God. He was to make declarations about who and what God is – He is Lord, He knows all, and is greater than all our circumstances. He knows what we need and how to get there. What happened next was not what I would have expected. As the worship and declarations went up like vapor …

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Hearing the prophetic sound

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If radio and television sound can be transmitted through receivers, can human beings transmit sounds that are not ordinarily heard by the human ear? If a short-wave radio can receive communication from across the ocean, is it possible for a human to pick up that same information? The prophet Isaiah spoke of supernatural hearing assistance when he wrote: “He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away” (Is. 50:4b-5). On July 6, 2004, while playing my piano and worshiping the LORD, I heard the cries of young children.  As I continued to worship I discerned the cries of the children were from Australia and a burden came upon me. I began to pace my living room and cry out, “Why are the children crying?” After some time the answer came, “Because they have no one to show them the Father’s Love”. That answer disturbed me as I know there are some very …

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An old woman’s prophecy over actor Denzel Washington said he would speak to millions

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Español: La profecía de una anciana sobre el actor Denzel Washington dijo que el hablaría con millones Denzel Washington, 62, is a popular American Actor, playing major roles in such movies as Remembering the Titans, Training Day and one of my favorites — The Book of Eli. He has won two Academy awards and three Golden Globes. In an interview with Parade Magazine, Denzel spoke of his strong spiritual roots, including his father who was Pentecostal preacher for nearly five decades. Denzel added that he reads the Bible daily and has read it through completely three times. God had a call and a purpose for Denzel and he tells of a prophetic word given him by an older woman at their church who many considered a prophet. She told Denzel that one day he would speak to millions of people. Denzel was 21 years old and had just flunked out of college. He was sitting in his mother’s beauty shop, when the old woman approached him. In an interview with Access Hollywood, Denzel recounts what …

Called to be a superhero with flaws?

My Prophetic Journey Part 15: The Last Word

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[This is part of a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] God desires an army of broken and weak supermen and women to change the world. In II Corinthians 12:7-10 we read about Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Verse 9 says, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” In many ways – pedigree, education and position – Paul was a heavy-weight, a “superman” if you will. But it was Paul’s thorn, his weakness, that drove him closer to God. Being used by God in the prophetic, or in any gift, is not about our greatness, but His grace. Several years ago God gave me a disturbing vision of myself. He showed me a before and after picture of me as a vessel. The first picture was what looked like an empty tin can with a number of nails and nasty looking screws sticking into it from the outside. God told me, this was you. The next …

Michael the Arch Angel battling Satan by Luca Giordano (1632-1705): Wikipedia

My Prophetic Journey Part 14: The Angel and the demon

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[This is part of a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] As we journey in the prophetic, we are involved in the supernatural realm, and our perceptions can help or hinder us. Fear is something that can definitely hinder. Even as a young Christian I was oppressed with fear, including a fear of the devil.   Somewhere in my family’s past there was a very dark shadow.   As I got older I still had an unhealthy fear of the enemy. Several years ago my wife and I prayed for a friend who had a number of issues in her life. I got a vision while praying for her. I saw a demon sitting on top of a well. God revealed that she had a Christian inheritance in her family, but the enemy was doing all he could to keep her from accessing that godly well. I have only ever had one vision of a demon and this was it. This demon was a small stupid looking imp, and my …

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My Prophetic Journey Part 13: Prophetic props

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For several years I helped to teach introductory level classes dealing with the prophetic. These classes were divided into two parts – a teaching session, and a practical application. We often had people come who had little to no prophetic experience, who just felt they should be there. One of my greatest joys was seeing these people come alive in God, realizing that they could hear from God! When I attended Bible college our classes always had opportunity for budding preachers to practice preaching and teaching in a safe environment. Why should it not be the same for those stepping out in the prophetic? In teaching the introductory prophetic classes I enjoyed coming up with practical exercises using props. One of these props was an empty chair. I remember putting our prime minister’s name on a slip of paper, putting it into an envelope, and putting the envelope on the chair. The group gathered around the chair. They were told that the name of a real person was in the envelope, but weren’t told who …

Old well in France Credit: Jean Guillaume Coutard/Flickr

My Prophetic Journey Part 11: You Can’t Draw Water from an Empty Well

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[This is the eleventh in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] When I was first called to the prophetic ministry I remember the admonition to not only know the Word, but to live it, and have it as a great well to draw out living water to refresh others. In the past number of years, at the beginning of the year I often have gotten “marching orders” for that year for an area to study, a book of the Bible, like Amos, or a person’s life, like Joseph. As examples, here are a few of the lessons that I learned from these studies. Amos was a farmer, and spoke the language of a farmer. God used his rural background to speak repentance to the northern capital of Bethel. God does not always send us to our “own” people. The book of Isaiah is almost like the whole Bible in one book. Isaiah is in some ways the opposite of Amos – he was an educated blue-blooded prophet …

View from the pulpit. Credit: Tyrone Warner/Flickr/Creative Commons

My Prophetic Journey Part 10: Prophetic Protocol

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[This is the tenth in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] The title of this next article in this series could be, “The Means Must Justify the Ends,” or, sometimes it is more important how you do something than just getting it done. One pitfall in the prophetic is when those who are idealistic or insecure look with criticism on a person or group who does not respond to the word they give in the way they think they should (“if they don’t do as I say, they are rejecting God’s word”). Fortunately, a prophet’s pride is no match for God’s grace. Another situation that can challenge our attitude and response is when you feel you have a hot word from God, but are not given a platform to share it. Moses is a great example of what our attitude and response should be. He was a deliverer, Law giver, and also prophet, and Numbers 12:3 says, “(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all …

Stave Church in Scandinavian Heritage Park, Minot, North Dakota. Credit: Bobak Ha'Eri

My Prophetic Journey Part 9: How to minister in North Dakota and not even be there!

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[This is the ninth in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] Years ago, while a member of a senior prophetic team in a large church, I ran into a continual problem. The team would be invited to minister out-of-town on weekends, and I rarely could go. I ran a small retail business, and it was almost impossible to get Saturdays off, even for God’s work! It drove me crazy. It came to a head one time when our team was invited to minister at a church in Minot, North Dakota. I really, really wanted to go, but my boss said no, and I decided I would spend the weekend in a major pity party. A few days before the trip our team leader had a planning/prayer meeting regarding the weekend. She came to me, expressing how badly she felt that I was unable to go. She shared that she felt under attack from the enemy, and knowing how I felt, asked if I could keep her in …

The Dead Sea Photo: Daniel Godwin/Flickr/Creative Commons

Is Ezekiel’s prophecy about the Dead Sea coming to life?

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Español : ¿Está cobrando vida la profecía de Ezequiel sobre el Mar Muerto? At 429 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest land spot on earth. And as its name suggests due to its salt density (nearly 10 times denser than the ocean), nothing is able to live in the water. This includes fish and other aquatic life. It doesn’t even have plant life along its shore because of the layers of salt. The sea which is 50 kms long borders Israel, Palestine and Jordan. It is a popular Mediterranean tourist destination, and due to the water’s density, people float more than swim in its water. Because of its high mineral concentrations, many believe its water and mud have medicinal qualities. Apparently, even King Herod the Great had a health spa of sorts along its shores. The Bible talks about the Dead Sea a few times. The first is found in Genesis 14:3. But perhaps one of the stranger mentions is an end-time prophecy by Ezekiel that one day the Dead Sea …

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All Shook Up!

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We have a nice apple tree in our front yard, and I just love apple crisp during the cold months. But, if you want nice apples, you have to do some work. When my wife and I moved to our present home we were thrilled that we had an apple tree, but what it produced were tons of small “crabapples.” We were told that at one time the tree had produced larger apples, and a friendly expert told us that as soon as the apples started to grow, to remove many of them and what remained would be larger apples. The other day I was doing my apple thinning, but even after using my six-foot ladder I could not reach the high branches. I had a great idea. It seemed to me that there were a number of really small apples with weak stems, barely attached to the branches, that would easily fall off if I reached up and gave the high branches a good shake. That’s when God spoke to me about John 15:1-11. …

We need to have a prophetic element in our prayers. Photo: Matthew Green/Flickr/Creative Commons

Envisioning prayer

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Last year, I was praying and seeking an answer and intervention for a particular situation that was very troubling to me. As I desperately sought the answer, I suddenly began to envision it happening right down to the exact details — what would it look like, sound like and feel like if it actually came to pass. After picturing the scenario in my mind’s eye, I spontaneously began to thank and praise God for the answer. My response surprised me. I realized because it had been so real in my mind as I prayed my spirit responded with thanksgiving and praise before I even knew what was happening. It was the same response that I would have felt seeing my prayer answered and fulfilled in the flesh. But in this instance it hadn’t happened yet. I believe this was a prophetic prayer. The incident reminded me of a verse: “Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the non-existent things that (He has foretold and promised) as if they (already) existed.”  (Romans 4:17 AMP) …

Was Kim Kardashian’s family saved by a 165-year-old prophecy?

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Kim Kardashian, 34, is an American TV celebrity most famous for her reality TV show Keeping up with the Kardashians. It was rumored she was the highest paid reality star at the time. She has since branched out to other TV programs, movies and the retail and fashion industry. Her father, Robert Kardashian, is a 3rd generation American-Armenian and most famous for his role in helping defend former NFL star OJ Simpson in his notorious murder trial in 1995. Research by the Daily Mail has recently uncovered a strange story of how a prophetic word by a 11-year-old boy saved Kim’s family on her father’s side from the Armenian genocide. The Kardashian family originated in Russia and at that time had the last name Kardaschoffs. Sometime in the mid to late 1800s, they moved to the village of Karakale, in present-day Turkey. It is found near Mt Ararat, considered the resting place of Noah’s ark. The family was considered religious rebels as they did not belong to the Russian Orthodox church but instead favored the …

Robert Downey Jr Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Is Robert Downey Jr interested in Biblical end-times?

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Robert Downey Jr is one of my favourite actors. I enjoyed his roles as Tom Stark in the Iron Man series and as Sherlock Holmes. Sometime back, Downey  was being interviewed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, when he made this surprising statement in response to Stewart’s question on optimism: “Here’s what I heard.” Downey said. “This was a discussion between a Russian military guy and Chuck Missler, who’s a Christian. … Love Chuck. … He asked the Russian guy is there hope for Western civilization,” “The Russian guy said you have to understand the difference between an optimist and a pessimist.