DGen: One Dream at a Time -- Our Date With Akira Kurosawa

The guys who read about the scheduled cell group activity with Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa were intrigued as to what exactly was going to happen on the January 24 meeting. I gave as little information as I could on my Multiply calendar because I wanted to surprise the guys in the cell.

So we gathered together last Saturday at 4pm in the yellow room in our church building, and in attendance with me and the Lord were Charles, Louie, Elisha, Jason and Ronnie Jr., and, of course, the late Akira Kurosawa, who was anything but late [I wish I could say the same about the "other guys" who came to the cell. hehehe].

We had a wonderful time in praise and worship before we viewed Akira Kurosawa's Dreams. As always, burdens were lifted and cares were cast off in the presence of the Lord. We drew closer to God and He drew closer to us. The presence of the Lord was awesome.

Then, we proceeded with the film showing. There was one Famoso Guerrero who was really eager to press "play" on the laptop to get the movie started. I had to pacify his excitement by telling him to be cool and relax [FG was gushing with enthusiasm].

So, I turned off the lights and hit the play button and we started watching "Sunshine Through the Rain", the first episode in the series of eight "dreams", told in the form of short films [read the synopsis of the first dream].

The room was really quiet with a few whispers here and there, coming mostly from our invited guest and fellow DGen'er [FG!] who was eager to find out what was going on in this first dream. Sunshine Through the Rain was more of a fantasy-type, fable-like dream and it generated a question from the audience.

"I thought all Japanese films were supposed to be scary?" said one of the muffled voices in the room, who has obviously seen way too many scary Japanese films starring the likes of Sadako and Toshio.

"Shhh! Try to pay attention to the film guys, so you'll get the message of it," was my reply to this query.

Their eyes were glued to the wedding procession of the foxes who, according to the woman in the film, conduct this activity every time the sun shines through rain -- hence the title of the episode.

Afterward, the film came to it's open-ended conclusion and the lights came back on. It was discussion time.

I was very excited about what each of the five guys in the cell saw or derived from the film, as I myself have gotten so much revelation and insight from this part of "Dreams". My first question to the group was: what did you like about the short film? What element -- whether visual or thematic -- caught your eye?

Two of the guys in the group -- Jason and Elisha -- said they liked the foxes. I assumed they meant the wedding march as well. Cool! They liked the foxes. Who wouldn't? I mean when you choreograph a wedding march like that, what's not to like? [you gotta see it to know what we're talking about ;o)]

"Anything else?"

Ronnie said he found the film to be a very lonely one. I guess he meant the tone or the atmosphere of it. And to some degree I agree. He also noticed the issue of submission to authority as represented by the woman instructing the young boy to stay out of the rain to avoid seeing the fox procession, because they get "very angry" when someone does. Astute! I noted that as well.

Louie, on the other hand, was smoking hot -- nag aso-aso -- with revelation. I wasn't even able to ask my second question [which was supposed to be about the kingdom principles or insight they got from the film] and he was already firing off. I was secretly laughing at seeing his eagerness and enthusiasm. Lingaw ko.

"So much for my notes," I told the group, as Louie practically shared to the guys what I jotted down on my notebook. Hahaha! But it was all good. Nalipay ra ko with how the Lord spoke to him through the film and how it showed his depth of perception.

Meanwhile, Charles pointed out the young boy's hesitation in the film -- whether to obey the woman and stay indoors or to disobey his authority figure and wander off and check out the foxes' wedding ceremony. Charles said the boy's body language [again, you have to see it to know what we mean] conveyed the inner conflict we have each time we are presented with a choice.

It was a very enjoyable conversation and much longer than I could transcribe here but toward the end, I asked the guys what they saw in the final shot of Sunshine Through the Rain [pictured above].

Louie was quick to point out that it was about hope, thus rendering my notes useless... again! Hahaha! I didn't tell him right away that he was right but waited for the others to reply. The other guys associated the presence of the rainbow with the flood -- the great flood and Noah -- [they thought there were flood waters behind the rainbow in the picture]. Ronnie said something about the end being incomplete [bitin] -- we were never shown if the boy found the foxes -- and forgiveness for that matter -- or if he indeed used the knife to take his own life, to which I said, "that's the cool thing about open-ended conclusions: they open up room for discussion and speculation and it stirs up the viewers imagination."

I went back to Louie and told him he was right. The image was about hope. Then I asked him why he came to that conclusion.

"It's in your notes," he said pointing to my notebook.

"Yeah, I know that! But I'm asking you and I want to know what you think," came my reply.

Louie started to explain his answer, which was way too theological and complicated for me [hahaha], and the guys and I were too blown away with the way he pronounced "plateau" and "artistically" that we all had a good laugh. He was describing the picture in detail and what each detail meant, but I told him to simplify his answer because the answer in the image was very simple.

I explained to the guys that image was about hope because of the presence and implication of the "rainbow". It represented the nature of God as a covenant keeper and that no matter what trials, testing and storms in life we go through, even as a result of our disobedience, God's promises are always there for us. More importantly, He keeps every word of those promises.

Then somebody breaks out in song: "All Your promises won't let go of me!"

And I said, "Amen! That's it!"

I really loved what the Lord did for us that afternoon. He showed me and the guys a lot of things. Among the other things that we noted in the film were as follows:

+ Sin starts out small, but once you indulge in it and get caught up in it's web, you will find that it gets bigger and bigger to the point that you get glued to it. [depicted in the film when the boy first sees the wedding march making a smokey entrance and later fully parades in front of him]

+ Sometimes we never get the gravity of our sin until it looks us in the eye and we see how far we have been taken by our disobedience, which then causes us to realize the truth and flee from sin. [depited in the film when the foxes catch the boy ogling at their wedding march, causing the boy to run from them]

+ The wages of sin is death. When the boy goes back to his house, the woman tells him one of the foxes visited and left him a knife. The boy was supposedly to kill himself with it for seeing something "he should not have" [man, haven't we done this too many times in our lives! hahaha!].

+ Never take the delegated authority -- of your parents and leaders -- for granted because it keeps you covered and protected.

+ We Christians are called the bride of Christ. One of the things the Lord revealed to us that afternoon was that as a bride, we can choose to be either married to Christ or married to sin.

We ended the meeting by praying for each other... and that constitutes another blog entry altogether.

For now, I want to give God all the glory for what He is doing in the lives of these young men. He is the true Cell Group Leader, the Trainer, the Teacher. And He's doing a great and mighty thing in this Davidic Generation.




- - - - -

By the way, the name "Akira" means "bright", "intelligent", or "clear".

Victory is in His Righteous Right Hand

Francis Frangipane: "His Righteous Right Hand"

The Game of Life

Dream, 12/21/08:

I was in an airport waiting for a delayed flight when a group of men invited me to join their card game. Although in real life I would be uncomfortable playing cards for money, in the dream I not only joined them, but I was soon winning most of the hands. In fact, I had hundreds of dollars accumulated in just a few minutes. In response, the other players began to scheme against me. Yet in spite of this, I repeatedly came out on top. Even when I lost a few hands, I would then win big the next round so that I covered my occasional losses.

A fellow who knew I was a man of God saw me and chided me for gambling. I understood his concern, but the game had a prophetic dimension to it, and it seemed right that I should be playing. The fact was, no matter what cards I was dealt or how the other players conspired against me, I consistently won. Of course, I couldn't play presumptuously; I had to follow the rules and truly play the game. But I soon realized that the difference between my insufficient efforts and my amazing success was God. The Lord was actually on my side, working behind the scenes, helping me to emerge from the game like a champion.

Interpretation:

First, this was not a dream about God helping me gamble. It was a parable about winning at the game of life. I saw that, even when the cards are stacked against me, since God is with me, I inevitably will prosper. I also saw that when our faith is living, we have confidence. Confidence is the barometer of faith. God wants us confident in Him, regardless of our circumstances in life.

You see, too many of us are weighed down with doubt. This is vital, my friends, for our world has been baptized into fear, and fear is contagious. Many are quietly becoming so cautious that they are aren't moving spiritually. They still live moral lives, but they have no goals set before them, no vision. Yet, it is in this very season of increasing fear that the Lord desires for us to be increasingly confident. Remember, I'm not speaking of arrogance, but confidence. Hebrews says, "Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward" (Hebrews 10:35).

For people with faith, this is actually a day of great opportunity. People are asking questions, and the fields are ripe for harvest. In a time when fear will cause men's hearts to fail, those who "know their God shall be strong, and do exploits" (Daniel 11:32). God wants you confident!

Those Who Overcome

You see, there is a difference between knowing doctrinally God is for us and actually believing the Most High is at our right hand. Listen to the Lord's promise:

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

If we genuinely trust Him, walk humbly, and persevere in faith, we will gain the upper hand no matter what circumstance or conspiracy is set against us.

One may argue, "Francis, you are delusional. No one can expect to win all the time."

The principle that God is with us, that ultimately we win if we do not lose faith, is a truth repeatedly declared throughout the Bible. Paul wrote, "God...always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place" (2 Corinthians 2:14). Underline those words "always" and "every place." Remember, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians under great duress (see chapter 1). Yet, in that very context, he said God "always leads us in triumph."

When I told my wife the dream, she said she had just been studying Romans 8:28. This verse reads: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God." As we set our hearts to simply love God, we will discern He is, in fact, working in us, through us, behind us and often in spite of us! Indeed, as I review my life, I have found that none of the weapons formed against me have prospered (see Isaiah 54). The Lord has always led me in Christ's triumph.

Now, I am not implying that I've never failed or that my mistakes are few and rare. No, I fail often and come short daily. I've had to fight for my life at times, and sometimes the fight took months and even years. Yet, God has always been there; He is at my right hand to cleanse, restore and empower me no matter what I have had challenge me. I can say with awe, "No weapon formed against me has prospered."

Even in times of sorrow, the Lord never forsakes us. The psalmist wrote, "Passing through the valley of Baca (weeping)," God transforms our weeping into "a spring," and covers our pain "with blessings" (Psalm 84:6). Ultimately, even death itself will be "swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Beloved, when God is the source of our prosperity, we can never be defrauded by man. He who steals our money, never takes our wealth. As the world's economies wither and life's challenges multiply, let us reclaim our focus: our great wealth is God Himself! No matter what cards we're dealt, He promises, "I will uphold you with My righteous right hand!"


Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
Email: francis1@frangipane.org


ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

Under an Open Heaven

James W. Goll: "Positioned for an Open Heaven"
from the Elijah List


One of the most consistent ways that the Lord speaks to me is through "dreams." Once again, by the grace and faithfulness of God, the Holy Spirit gave me a very vivid instructional dream. The dream was filled with color and emotions, but no words. I do feel that this dream has meaning for me in a personal manner and yet contains truths that are for the Body of Christ. So let me unfold it.

I was attempting to stand in a room where there was a low ceiling. It was an old room filled with religious senses all around it. It was a room representing the Church in its present condition and, in particular, the overall condition of the church where I live in Greater Nashville, Tennessee.

I was standing on the outer edge of the room and I kept trying to stand up. As I would do this, my head would butt against the ceiling, and I could actually feel the weight of the stone ceiling on my head in the dream. I kept trying to raise the roof off by standing up, but it was not working. Then something like a giant, heavenly can opener came down from above and cut a huge hole in the stone roof. The hole appeared in the center of the room. I then moved from the outer edge to the center of the room, and as I did - I looked up.

The sky was filled with the promises of God!

There was now a brilliant "Open Heaven" stationed right over my head. The sky was blue and there were beautiful clouds hovering. I could feel the warmth of the sun upon my body. The atmosphere was filled with faith, hope, love and life.

I then proceeded, in the dream, back to the edge of the room where the ceiling was still intact, and yes, still quite low. Again, I had to crouch down to get under the low ceiling. I attempted to "stand upright" only to feel the weight of the ceiling suppressing me once again. So I stepped back into the center of the room. What a contrast!

Oh, there was clean air to breathe. There was light and no darkness. There was a sense of purpose and destiny fulfilled. I was now positioned correctly under an open heaven, enabling me to achieve the purposes of God. I was centered and walking in the light.

Interpreting the Experience

As I woke up, I had several "knowings" as a result of this dream experience. Again, there were no audible words in this dream. But the feeling dimension was very alive! I did feel a word dropped inside of me, though, as I woke up - "Get Positioned for an Open Heaven."

God wants us each to be properly aligned in this hour with Him and His purposes. He wants to lift the lid off the can, but we must position ourselves properly as this occurs. We must move from the side issues to the central ones. We must be centered on Him.

Walking in Open Heavens deals more with His work versus ours. Our efforts to push through and even "stand uprightly" are acknowledged, but it is truly His work from above that creates a sustained place or Open Heavens for His presence. He has the ability to break through even the hardest of places, circumstances and low ceilings.

Again, in the dream, the Lord saw my efforts and acknowledged them, but then He did the work that I could not. I find it quite interesting that it is more about His work from above than our work from beneath. He does respond, however, to our efforts. But we do not create an Open Heaven - He does. He is the Creator - I am not. I am a responder to His great love and initiative. Yet, what goes up must come down!

Below you will find a short excerpt from my study guide Revival Breakthrough. In it I give some basic Biblical teaching on Open Heavens, so - "Get Positioned for an Open Heaven!" Get into Kingdom Alignment for such a time as this. Step out of the shadows of the side edges and move into the center of His word, will and ways. Be centered in Him - after all, being "centered in Christ" is the best place to be!

Blowing The Roof Off The House

A. Making Jesus At Home In Your House - Read Mark 2:1- 5 slowly as a parable. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring personal applications to your life.

1. Mark 2:1 - Is Jesus at "Home" in your house, family, congregation, city? What would you need to do to have Him be more than the "honored guest" who occasionally shows up?

2. Mark 2:2 - When Jesus is "in His temple," people will gather and revelation will rest on the word of God. May God's house be full to overflowing and may the crowds gather once again to hear the word of the Lord!

3. Mark 2:3 - Some became dissatisfied with the crowds as they were. Four men became desperate for a "breakthrough" on another level. Through the heat of the day they carried their paralytic friend on a stretcher to the house where Jesus was. They worked hard to carry this "dead weight," possibly at a distance. It cost them something to get him there, but they wanted more!

4. Mark 2:4 - They could not get near to Jesus due to the crowds. They could have given up, but instead - they moved from the natural into the supernatural to find their solution. Then hope came. We will tear the roof off the house. So they proceeded upon the roof to tear it open with their hands. Through great effort - they dug a big hole in the roof (Opened Heavens) and lowered their friend into the presence of the living Messiah.

5. Mark 2:5 - Jesus saw "their faith." Whose faith? All their faith together! Then he spoke to the paralytic: "Your sins are forgiven." This results in healing the body. May these words echo through our lives today and the sick Body of Christ be raised up to "wholeness."

B. Opened Heavens

1. Like in Genesis 28:16-17, we need the gates of Heaven opened over our cities, churches and families.

2. Like in Mark 2:1-5, we need to "Blow the Roof Off" our thinking and concepts and believe the Lord for extraordinary works of grace. Desperate times take desperate measures. We need desperate laborers to arise, who are not content with life as it is, to tear the roof off in order to lower another into the presence of Jesus!

THREE KEYS NEEDED

A. Prayer Opens The Way!

1. Testimony of the Hebrides Island Revival in 1952: Two desperate women - Peggy and Christina Smith, 84 and 82 years old - were desperate for a revival on their island off of Scotland. They began praying from Isaiah 44:3, "For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants."

They reminded God of His word. Then they began to claim Isaiah 64:1: "O that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at Thy presence..."

The oldest sister was blind, but she received a vision and proclaimed, "He's coming! He's coming! He's already here!" The Spirit of God fell in a barn that night where seven young men were praying from Isaiah 62:6,7, where it tells us, "On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

Sure enough, God came. This began the great Hebrides Revival under the preaching of Duncan Campbell. A spiritual radiation zone was created and many souls were saved!

2. Testimony of Evan Roberts and the Welsh Revival of 1904: At the age of 13, young Evan began to seek the Lord. At the age of 26, revival came to his hometown. He taught the people to pray two simple prayers. The first, "Send the Spirit now, for Jesus Christ's sake." The second prayer was similar: "Send the Spirit now more powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake." Indeed, God's Spirit came down and 100,000 souls were swept up into God's Kingdom.

Today, a cry is arising: "More, Lord!" Yes, there must be a youth revolution come as it was with Evan Roberts. We must have a "trans-generational anointing" as it was with Peggy and Christina Smith. It is time for prayer to arise and to blow the roof off the house!

WHEN WE CARE FOR HIS PRESENCE

I want to tell you a dream that has recently again gripped my soul. In January 1999, while I was having some forced rest due to a hernia surgery, the Lord visited me with a piercing dream that is helping to set my course of direction right now, and I believe is a clear word to His people in this hour.

In this dream, I was holding long loaves of bread each wrapped in their own individual napkin. I was holding these loaves of bread close to my chest, right over my heart. Then I got our youngest child's (Rachel's) blanket she has had since birth. I now wrapped these loaves of bread in her dear baby blanket. I held the bread close to my heart and just kind of rocked the bread as you would a newborn child.

Then I heard the words, "When My people will care for, cherish, nurture and love the 'Bread of My Presence' like a parent does its newborn child - then revival will come." I then found myself awakened out of the dream only to find my arms were held out as though holding and rocking something. I then heard myself prophesying out loud in the bedroom the same words I had just heard in the dream as the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit was lingering over my body. The Lord was emphasizing these words by having them repeated twice!

This I know - He wants us to cherish and care for His Presence. Pray for His presence. Love His presence. Nurture His presence; after all, isn't this what you have longed for all your life? Isn't this what you were made and created for - to be a carrier of the most brilliant Presence?! Isn't this the answer to the Church's cry for more?

When will revival come? You got it! When we get up in the middle of the night - do the night feedings, hold the child close to our bosom, and wash the child of new beginnings with love and compassion - then revival will come!

Join me as we call forth an Open Heaven and Portals of Revelation to be opened across the face of the earth! May the Church around the world drink deeply from the wells of revival!

Let His Presence comes forth!


James W. Goll and the Entire Goll Family!
Encounters Network
Email: info@encountersnetwork.com

- - - - -

ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

God by the Numbers

Larry Jackson: "Knowing God by the Numbers"

(Note: Be sure to see the introductions by Steve Shultz and Rick Joyner above about this word and the event associated with it. From Elijah List)


"August 8, 2008"

There are times in life when God requires a person's obedience before He reveals His plan to them. I experienced this on January 1, 2008, at 1:30 AM. After a very exciting New Year's Eve celebration at my church in Charlotte, North Carolina, Father gave me instructions to have another celebration service on "August 8, 2008."

WHY A CELEBRATION ON 8-8-08?

At that time, this was all I heard as our church family exchanged hugs and celebrated the coming of a New Year. This wasn't the right time or venue to share these instructions, so I just hid it in my heart, understanding that there would be a much better time later in the year.

I understood the significance of the number 8 (eight is the number for new beginnings), plus we had just entered 2008 and had just spoke to our church about removing the old and entering into the new.

The Church has always understood the significance of the number eight as it relates to our Lord and the new beginnings of the New Covenant that have been made available (Jesus was raised on the 8th day of the week, for instance).

Little did I know how this simple word would change my life in ways that no one but the Lord could prepare me for.

One week after the New Year service, I was driving to a city leaders meeting and Father spoke the instructions to me again. However, this time I sensed another level of importance and an urgency to get started on preparations now. It was strong enough for me to immediately start telling those people around me that I am to have a celebration on August 8, 2008.

At that time I had no idea what it would look like or why this date was so important to the Lord!

Leonardo Fibonacci

Several weeks later, while studying some financial information, I came across the name Leonardo Fibonacci.

Leonardo Fibonacci was a talented mathematician during the Middle Ages. He compiled and supplemented the mathematical knowledge of classical, Arabic and Indian cultures. He was also known for the significant contributions he made to the mathematical fields of algebra and number theory.

Despite my background in computer electronics, with a heavy emphasis on math-related subjects, I had never heard of him or his work. Naturally, my curiosity was piqued. Yet in no way did I think this would have any bearings on what Father told me to do weeks before. Wrong again!

What I did not realize at the time was that God was leading me down a road to find Him in a way I could have never imagined.

What Fibonacci sparked in my heart was the understanding which God has placed in HIS Creation: a multitude of mathematical equations and sequences. They are found in the food; the plant life; the human structure, including the face; and much, much more. What I realized was the fact that everything we see, hear, touch, taste or even smell has mathematic equations associated with them. This understanding became clearer as I continued to study Fibonacci's work as it relates to finances.

Dr. Michael Brown, a Hebrew Scholar

Weeks into this study, I was led to call Dr. Michael Brown, a well-known Hebrew scholar and leader of the Fire School of Ministry. He has relocated to the Charlotte, North Carolina, area.

I spoke with Dr. Brown about the new and exciting information I'd learned while studying the Fibonacci number sequence and rules. But a thought had come to my heart and mind, which was: "Are there mathematic sequences in the word of God from a Hebrew perspective?"

Dr. Brown explained the difference between Hebrew alphabets and our English alphabets and numbers. Unlike the English alphabet, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet also represents a numerical value. Dr. Brown indicated that many books he'd read had alphabets at the bottom of the page instead of a number - because the letters are numbers.

Later I would find out that there was also a name associated with the numerical values of Hebrew and Greek alphabets, which is known as "Gematria."

Dr. Brown introduced me to another person I had never heard of named Dr. Ivan Panin (Dr. Brown and I were having this conversation while I was driving to a speaking engagement in Richmond, Virginia). He told me how Dr. Panin had discovered mathematic sequences in the Bible in the late 1800s and had given his life to Jesus as a result of his findings. Panin was known as a firm agnostic - so well known, that when he discarded his agnosticism and accepted the Christian faith, the newspapers carried headlines telling of his conversion!

This conversation piqued my excitement all the more, and I couldn't wait to arrive at my hotel room in Richmond, Virginia, and dive deep into the information. But I still didn't see the connection with what Father told me to do on the first day of the New Year. This was just information I could use to further my Biblical understanding that could be used in sermons and other teachings, right? Wrong again! God was leading me, even though I didn't know I was following.

The Search Begins

I will never forget turning on my computer and performing the search for Dr. Ivan Panin and being amazed at what he found - without a computer. He learned Hebrew and Greek in four years, and from there he discovered number sequences. Panin says the laws of probability are exceeded into the billions when we try and rationalize the authorship of the Bible as the work of man. He once said: "If human logic is worth anything at all we are simply driven to the conclusion that if my facts I have presented are true, man could never have done this."

He challenged those who read his findings to attempt to write a simple paragraph that would meet the numerical qualifications of the Bible that are simply found in the genealogies of the Bible. He also challenged the readers of the local newspapers to give a natural explanation or rebuttal to his findings. There were no takers!

In my hotel room, I was like a child in grade school again! And then it suddenly happened - while reading Dr. Panin's work on the number 8.

He revealed that the number associated with the name Jesus was 888.

I could hardly believe it! Father had instructed me to have a celebration on the date that reflects the number of His Name. Even after a long drive and a speaking engagement with double services the next morning, it was 2:30 AM before I could pull myself away from the computer, and it was even later before I could actually fall asleep.

The Master Mathematician - the Number of His Name

Even though we seldom (if ever) think of Him in these terms, the Creator of the Universe is the Master Mathematician. He has spoken in the language of math for centuries, but we haven't been listening simply because no one realized it was His voice.

As the pieces began to fall into place, I could clearly see why God had directed me to hold this celebration on August 8, 2008.

Again, in the Greek language, the numerical value for the name Jesus is 888, and most of the names or titles of our Lord are also multiples of 8. The Lord was instructing us to celebrate "the number of His name." August 8, 2008 represents more than just new beginnings; this number, which will not appear on our calendar again for one thousand years, identifies Him.

After considering this (along with the fact that every letter, word, phrase, sentence, paragraph and book in the Bible are more than just words, they are also numerical values), my only conclusion was that the Bible is not just a literary book - but the Bible is also a math book.

The internet has a wealth of information on the subject of Gematria and I have studied, researched, and found much of it. There were many times that my wife asked me to come to bed and leave the study for another day. But it had all come together, and now at every turn, I was finding more of God - in the study of both the Bible and its many numerical meanings.

Several words and phrases in the Bible have the numerical value of 888, which include: Jesus, Messiah, I am the Lord, I change not, the Lord art exalted forever, I am the Life, the Priest with Urim and Thumim, the salvation of our God, the mercy of the Most High, My Beloved, the heavens declare the glory of God, they shall be comforted, and the third day. Also, the names of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the tribe of Judah together equal 888. The book of Revelation, which is the revelation of Jesus, has 888 words in Greek.

Acts 3:16, "And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."

The Language of Math

In my research, I learned about others who were experts in Gematria and Biblical numbers, including Bonnie Gaunt.

Bonnie Gaunt has published several books exploring the awesome revelation locked in the Scriptures through Gematria. Jesus is our new beginning and the King of a new and awesome Kingdom, which we have the opportunity to enter into - to live a new existence.

Most of the Church understands that our Lord JESUS is the new beginning for our life and the entire world. The numbers of Gematria help to further prove this fact.

For example, this is the way to write as the Greek would, using English letters and the Greek values:

The name Jesus (Iesous in Greek) adds up to 888:
Iesous =
I (10) + e (8) + s (200) + o (70) + u (400) + s (200) = 888

Most of the names in the New Testament referring to Jesus are multiples of 8. See the list below:

Lord = 800 = 8 x 100
Jesus = 888 = 8 x 111
Christ = 1,480 = 8 x 185
Savior = 1,408 = 8 x 176
Messiah = 656 = 8 X 82

The title Lord (800) + Jesus (888) + Christ (1,480) has a numerical value which equals 3,168.

The numbers should help to further increase our faith in the fact that Jesus has provided for us a new life and we don't have to live in our old existence any more. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

We clearly understand how important the title Lord Jesus Christ is in the Church, and it is equally as important in the universe. Think about this for a moment, if God wanted everyone in the entire universe to understand that He is God and if HE wanted to speak a language all could grasp, what language would He use? The language of mathematics is an elevated language and it can't lie. If one number is changed, then the entire meaning would also change!

Mathematics in Scripture

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

All of the authors I know sign their work. In this respect, the Lord is no different. The universe in which we live bears His signature; that is, the numerical value of 3168.

For example, the city of Bethlehem is located at 31.68 degrees north latitude on the earth. We would have to dig 10 miles below the earth's crust before reaching lava, and we would have to travel 50 miles above the surface of the earth before entering outer space. The sum of these 2 distances is 60 miles. If we convert 60 miles into feet, the numerical value is 316,800 feet (5,280 feet x 60 = 316,800).

Notice the continual occurrence of 3168!

Acts 17:28 says, "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'"

The Bible states that we live and move and have our being in Jesus and the numbers prove it.

If a box is placed around the earth so that the four sides touch each side of the earth, the perimeter around that box would equal 31,680 miles.

Placing the moon directly on top of earth at the North Pole and drawing a circle around the earth and the moon, the perimeter of the circle would equal 31,680 miles.

3,168 = Mediator between God and men, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. "He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:11).

"To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth." Isaiah 40:25-26

How Do We Celebrate the Number of His Name?

Finding God in the numbers sealed even more the fact that He wanted the celebration on August 8, 2008. But there was one little detail that He hadn't given me. What type of celebration, and how do you celebrate the number of His name?

Early one morning I was awakened and knew it was the Father calling me. Finally, the instructions were given and I knew what to do and how to do it.

We are to have a 12-hour celebration and walk the people through the tabernacle of Moses. Allow each section of the tabernacle to speak of the Lord. The first number that can be cubed is the number 8 (2 x 2 x 2 = 8).

The tabernacle is built in cubit squares. I was instructed to stay 4 hours in each section starting at 8 AM and ending at 8 PM that night.

THE NUMBER "12" IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT

God has used the number 12 throughout the Bible, because the number "12" also represents Him.

You may recall there were 12 tribes of Israel. The 12 pillars, the 12 stones, 12 chargers, bowls of silver and spoons of gold, 12 spies, 12 disciples, 12 foundations, and 12 gates just to name a few.

Aaron the High Priest wore a breastplate with each of the tribes represented by a precious jewel. Also, remember that each name has a numerical value.

The sum of the last three tribes Benjamin, Manasseh and Ephraim equals 888.

The place where the Cross is found is on the last of the four rows of jewels on the breastplate, where Jacob crossed his hands while blessing Ephraim and Manasseh. Also, Benjamin was Joseph's only brother from his mother to whom he gave a double portion. This is the generation who is living in the blessing of the Cross and will walk in the double portion anointing of our Lord.

Below are the twelve tribes of Israel on the breastplate of Aaron. Each tribe has a numerical value from the Hebrew alphabet. For there to be numerical values that relate to Jesus, would mean that Father God knew these names before they were ever born.

Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

JUDAH (30) SIMEON (466) REUBEN (259)
GAD (7) NAPTHALI (570) DAN (54)
ZEBULUN (95) ISSACHAR (830) ASHER (501)

MANASSEH (331)
EPHRAIM (395)
BENJAMIN (162) = These last three equal "888"

Each of the rows in the breastplate are important, but the last row is the one that we will emphasize here. Remember, Benjamin was named Benoni by his mother, before Jacob changed it, which means "Son of Sorrow." The numerical value of the name Benoni is 119, which would have brought the last row value total to 845 (not shown here).

HOWEVER, when Jacob changed his name to "Benjamin" and the numerical value increased to 162 (as illustrated above), the total value of the last row increased to 888, which equals the value of Jesus' name.

Father never wanted His name to be the "son of my sorrows," but rather "Son of My right hand."

While speaking at a MorningStar men's conference, I shared this information with Rick Joyner, Bishop Wellington Boone, and Bob and Bonnie Jones.

Bonnie shared with me that she just had a dream several nights before about the date August 8, 2008. In the dream, God told her that she would find the Joseph Company on that date. He also told her that it would take her 40 days to find them, which started on June 29, 2008. I knew she was looking for the people who would attend this celebration, and the 40 days leading up to August 8, 2008 was a time of preparation and cleansing.

Saved and Safe in His Name

(Note by Steve Shultz: Remember that only AFTER an event passes do we often see the full meaning. So we don't know if this event referred to below - this famine - refers to an actual famine, a spiritual famine, or both. Of course, many will not be able to attend, but you might want to seek the Lord as to how you can align yourself with God's purposes for ANY given date on the calendar!)

Larry Jackson Continues:

I believe Father told me a famine is coming to our land and this celebration will prepare His people for it. It will place them in a position where they will be protected; that is, in His NAME!

We are about to face a season of uncertainty and the Church must know Jesus and the power of His name. We must take the power of Jesus into the streets and marketplace. We are about to enter into one of the most important seasons of harvest man has ever seen.

After the resurrection, Jesus instructs the disciples - who had returned to fishing and had not caught anything all night - to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. When the disciples did what He told them to do, the nets filled immediately.

The Bible tells us that there were 153 fish in the nets. Have you ever asked why 153 fish? 153 = the number of these:

"Passover"
"He is faithful"
"Sons of God"
"He shall cause to inherit" and
"I am the Lord thy God"

Could it be our Lord was telling us that the Sons of God would be revealed in the last days of the great harvest? We are in one of the most important seasons the Church has ever experienced, and most of the time our experiences are reserved only for church services. I believe it is time for the Kingdom to be manifest in the streets and the marketplace where more of the harvest can be caught - not only within the walls of the church buildings.

THE WORLD OLYMPICS BEGIN AUGUST 8, 2008 BUT...

Beginning August 8, the world will be focused on the Olympics, its glory and excitement, while the people of God must also be focused on the King of Glory and the power of His NAME! This is a prophetic date that will come and go with this calendar year, but the number 888 is forever, because Jesus is forever.

Again, Acts 3:16 says, "And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."

I invite you to come and join the celebration where the complete focus will be on Jesus. I've also been instructed not to sell anything at this celebration. There can be nothing that takes away from who He is and why we came together on the number date of His name - August 8, 2008.

For more information about the celebration on August 8, 2008, visit our website at www.BethelOIC.com. There is no fee to register. The celebration will take place at MorningStar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina. To register, email us at frontliners1999@aol.com or click here.

If you cannot join us, have your own celebration on this day and enter into the number of His Name!


Bishop Larry Jackson, Senior Pastor
Bethel Outreach International Church (BOIC)
Email: info@betheloic.org

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ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

Spiritual Drowsiness

Francis Frangipane: "For Dreams to Come True - You Must Wake Up!"
[from the Elijah List]

Just because we walk and talk does not mean we are truly awake. Zechariah was not sleeping when an angel roused him "as a man who is awakened from his sleep" (Zechariah 4:1).

Perhaps we too need to be shaken from our slumber to possess the promises of God! Amazingly, in spite of all the signs, wonders, and warnings announcing that we are truly in the last days, Jesus also said there is a mysterious drowsiness that we have to overcome. Indeed, immediately after highlighting the various evidences of the end (see Matthew 24), He compares the Church to virgins who "all got drowsy and began to sleep" (Matthew 25:5).

Virgins sleeping at the end of the age: this seems incomprehensible with all the signs in the Heavens and wonders upon the earth, not to mention the increasing presence of Christ. Yet this phenomenon is something we each battle: the tendency to become spiritually drowsy and lose our focus as we wait for the Lord's return.

There is a subtle activity of the enemy that dulls our perception and seduces our zeal. Our vision takes a backseat to other less important aspects of life. From the beginning, the voice of satan has had this lulling effect on mankind. Eve's excuse for disobedience was, "The serpent hath caused me to forget" (Genesis 3:13 Young's Literal Translation).

This sense of spiritual forgetfulness, of drowsiness, is the cloud of blindness that we each must discern and overcome. It was in regard to this that the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart through the following dream.

"If You Want Your Dream to Come True, You Have to Wake Up"

There was a temple standing in an open field. My view of the temple was from its side, about 200 yards away. I could not see its front, yet it must have been completely open because great light flashed out from the inside; it pulsed like lightning, yet was solid like sunlight. The block of light issued straight out, and I knew this light was the glory of God.

The temple was so close that I knew that with a little effort I could enter the glory of God. His holy presence was clearly within my reach. There were also others directly in front of me that I recognized as people from church. Everyone seemed very busy. And while the temple and its light were visible and readily accessible to all, every head was bent downward and turned away from the light; each was occupied with other things.

I heard one person say, "I have to do laundry." Another said, "I have to go to work." I could see people reading newspapers, watching televisions, and eating. I was sure everyone could see the light if they wanted to - even more sure that we all knew His glory was near.

There were even a few people reading the Bible and praying, but everyone maintained the downward thrust of their gaze; each had a mental barrier of some kind between themselves and the place of God's presence. No one, in fact, seemed capable of standing up, turning, and steadfastly walking into the very near glory of God.

As I watched, suddenly my wife lifted her head and beheld the temple in the field. She stood and walked without pausing toward the open front. As she drew closer to the light, a garment of glory formed and thickened around her; the closer she went, the more dense the light surrounding her became until she stepped in front of the temple and turned completely toward the blazing face of God.

Oh! How jealous I felt. My wife had entered the glory of God before me! At the same time I realized that there was nothing stopping me from approaching God's presence - nothing except the pile of things to do and responsibilities that, in truth, ruled my life more than the voice of God.

Pushing the weight of these pressures from me, I determined to rise and enter the temple myself. But, to my great regret, in my dream as I rose up, I suddenly woke up!

The longing and disappointment within me seemed unbearable. I had been so close to entering God's presence. How I wanted to enter the temple and be swallowed up in His glory!

I cried, "Lord, why did You let me wake up?"

Instantly, the word of the Lord responded to my cry. He said, "I will not have My servant's life fulfilled by a dream. If you want your dream to come true, you have to wake up."

Breaking Passivity - Setting Priorities

Beloved, today, God is awakening us to the reality of His presence. The promises the Lord gives us in the Scriptures must become more to us than dream-like realities only reserved for the hereafter. Moses frequented the glory of God! Israel's seventy elders ate and drank in God's resplendent glory (see Exodus 24:9-11). Jesus unveiled God's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration! Paul says that we all can behold the glory of God and be transformed by it (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).

For this reason, the Scripture says, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14). If we truly want Christ to "shine" upon us, we must arise from the distractions that entomb us in lethargy and spiritual darkness.

Right at this moment, the presence of the living God is near enough to hear the whisper of your heart. But if we want our dream of standing in the presence of God to come true, we must wake up.


Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
Email: francis1@frangipane.org

Let the River Flow 2008: Living Our Dreams

Notes from the 2008 Let the River Flow Conference... from Arlene del Socorro {thanks!}.

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LET THE RIVER FLOW CONFERENCE 2008
Feb. 18, 2008 Monday Ladies’ Meeting 7:00 pm – LIVING OUR DREAMS

Lindy Oliver

WOMEN are NURTURERS, capable of compassion and helping and encouraging children to find their own faith in God. Women are multi-tasking people.

We are created to be DREAMERS and it is something we are not supposed to outgrow.

A DREAM is something strongly desired, something that fully satisfies.

We need to change our “IF ONLY” with ‘WHAT CAN WE DO TOGETHER LORD?”

The world is a dream stealer. Even the church can be a dream stealer. But we need to TAKE PLEASURE IN THE LORD and hold on to our dream.

PSALMS 37:4-6 DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.


HOW DO WE GET FROM HAVING DREAMS TO REALLY LIVING THOSE DREAMS?

Example of Mary: LUKE 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 FOR NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD."

38 "I AM THE LORD'S SERVANT," MARY ANSWERED. "MAY IT BE TO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID." Then the angel left her.


It has to START WITH THE LORD.

Share your dreams with Him. DREAMS ARE BORN OUT OF A RELATIONSHIP. Conception comes not from passion but from INTIMACY.

Believe that WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. (verse 37)
BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS. Believe the prophetic words you received and what God has placed in your heart. It’s not about knowing how it’s going to happen, it’s about WHO GAVE THE PROMISE.

We need to SURRENDER TO GOD’S IDEA like Mary.
She believed so she conceived. (verse 38)

We have to carry our dreams to its’ FULL TERM.
It was an inconvenient time for Mary to travel and she was uncomfortable during the entire trip but she proceeded to carry the dream.

DO NOT ABORT YOUR DREAMS WHEN IT GETS UNCOMFORTABLE.

Deal with the inconvenience and LOOK FORWARD TO BIRTHING YOUR DREAMS. We know there is a baby inside a pregnant woman. We don’t say there is a promise inside the womb. There is a seed, a life inside it. It is the same with your dreams. YOUR DREAMS CARRY LIFE, A SEED THAT WILL PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT IN DUE SEASON.

WE HAVE TO LABOR BEFORE WE CAN BREAKTHROUGH.
Mary’s time to labor came at a very inconvenient time in a place where there was no room for her to properly deliver her baby, BUT IT WAS GOD’S PERFECT APPOINTED TIME.

To LABOR is to TRAVAIL, STRUGGLE, STRIVE, TO SWEAT. Spend time in PRAYER to PREPARE YOURSELF FOR IT.

Breakthrough is messy, but that’s not the dream. The baby is the dream, the treasure. THE MESS COMES BEFORE THE DREAM.

If you want to see the dream come, you got to BREAKTHROUGH.

NURTURE THE DREAM.
God trusted Mary and Joseph to raise His Son. Your dream will need a lot of your time and attention, but in time, your dream will be imprinted with your life.

GIVE YOUR DREAM, YOUR VISION BACK TO GOD.
Remit it to Him. RELEASE IT AND GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTS AND YOUR CONTROL OVER IT TO GOD. The dream and life we have in us has a PURPOSE and DESTINY FAR MORE BIGGER THAN US. Release your children and bless them. Know that GOD IS AT WORK IN THEIR LIVES.

To move from having dreams to really living those dreams starts with INTIMACY. BELIEVE. That’s where life is conceived. Then we SURRENDER TO HIM. Choose to believe Him who is the Giver of life, share your life with Him and see a fruitful and fulfilling life in Him.

Signs/Omens/Dreams

There was a dream of flying high on a broom stick and witnessing people practicing witchcraft right before my eyes.

Afterwards I flew on my own and landed on earth to fulfill my carnal desires.

There was a vision of a 16,000 peso check and a hidden 500 peso bill in my wallet.

Another vision was of a stairway to the skies leading to a grand gate or door in the heavens that looked like this.

When I dream of snakes, see them in pictures or on TV, it is always a warning from God.