Title: Repentance and Revival.

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(Special
note - and alert: Along with the warnings that we now know
surfaced before the events of September 11, and have come to light
following those events, another series of warnings was issued throughout
the Islamic/Muslim community about NOT going to shopping center Malls on
October 31... We have heard nothing of this through the media, but
there is a small rumbling that should probably be heeded).
IN
THIS ISSUE:
In
1 Peter 2, and elsewhere, we are instructed to, "Submit yourselves
for the Lord's sake to every human institution." In other
words, we are to Honor Authority.
In
1 Timothy 2 we are instructed to pray, "For kings and all who are in
authority." Why? "In order that we may lead a
tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."
Throughout
the whole of Elohim's Word to us, however (Hebrews 11 & 12 for
instance) the body of Yahshua is clearly instructed that we
are to live as strangers in this world, because our true country is not of
this world, but is in heaven with Him.
In our
feature article we are going to speak about the realities
of repentance and revival, and in that article we are going to discover
once again the requirements needed
for a revival; especially
that true heartfelt, life changing repentance must
precede any revival. In
this editorial, however, I am being moved to speak out to the body of
Yahshua our Messiah about the matter of
Patriotism,
and call His body to reassess our allegiances today, because it is
growing increasingly clear that our spiritual attention is
intentionally being misdirected...
In
the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, a spirit of patriotism
has been churned up in every "Red-Blooded American" and in
every "Patriot" of every country - for whatever cause they might
serve - whether good or evil. What the Lord has been showing me though,
is that in this patriotic churning,
His body has nearly abandoned the spiritual gift of discernment
that His Qodesh Ruach (Holy Spirit)
has taken such tremendous pains to insert.
Patriotic
allegiance is not ungodly in itself, but has anybody noticed how the
flag of the United States is being revered across the land today?
Has anybody noticed how the symbol of the eagle, especially the series of
images depicting an eagle with a tear coming from its eye, is moving
people to tears as well? And
this particular moving has more to do with patriotic zeal than it does for
the 6,000 victims and families of the September 11 attacks.
Has
anybody noticed how some of our political and civic leaders - in many
countries, but especially in the United States, are being
worshipped and adored today?
Has
anybody recognized the fact that nearly every free nation in the world has
fallen in line behind the President of the United States, and that
we are currently experiencing as
near to a one world government directorship then any of us have ever
thought possible?
What
is happening, beloved? What is unfolding before our very eyes?
Are we even trying to discern these events, or are we so ensnared
by the anger and rage of the senseless, mindless and cowardly
acts of September 11, and the subsequent worldwide "war on terror", that
we are forgetting the upward call of God?
What do you suppose it will it take for the antichrist to receive a
worldwide 90% approval rating? Whatever those circumstances might
be, do you think that Satan is incapable of manipulating events to
position his man to receive those approval ratings - especially in light
of the fact that it is God's will for these things to happen?
And, when it does occur, what do you suppose our reaction will be - in
light of the way that the world has reacted to the events surrounding
September 11?
While
I want to believe that the
President of the United States is walking in a faith that serves the
Risen Messiah
today, I also believe that we must pray for this and every other
political leader's spiritual
and physical protection as we
have never prayed before. And yet, we must also be alert enough to know
that we can never revere or
worship any man! If nothing else, the immediate and all-encompassing rise in the
popularity of the President of the United States must open our eyes
radically and completely to the
possibility and probability of the antichrist's
not-to-distant rise, because this
President is a man who once was held in low regard by many
within the United States, but who now commands an approval rating in excess of 90%.
The antichrist will be much more magnetic, much more dynamic and much
more powerful in his enticements than anything we have seen thus far,
and we must maintain a high level of discernment in this area, lest we
become deceived. What we have witnessed in the past weeks is
unheard of, beloved, and this is a forewarning to us all.
Furthermore,
you can deny the facts as
you will, but it nevertheless remains
before us that the population of the United States is rapidly - and gladly
- surrendering many of its civil liberties in this war on terrorism.
Mark the day though, beloved,
because a National Identification Card is not far away! And it will
not be long afterward that the world will be taking notice of another Mark.
Line in line, row in row, one-by-one, civilization is changing right
before our eyes. Events Prophesied for thousands of years are taking
place on a daily basis now, but the nation and the world are so caught up
in "the spirit of patriotism" that we are not discerning
the signs.
Solomon's
prayer at the dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 6) is the prayer that
we must offer unto our Messiah today,
and in that prayer we must seek for our heavenly Father to open the eyes
and heart of this nation and this world to the fullness of our sins, and
to bring us to a full repentance from those sins - and back into
fellowship with Him through His Son, our Messiah, Yahshua.
Be
on guard though, beloved, because that which is false and deceptive is
growing in its guile, and today many
are being deceived!

2.
FEATURE ARTICLE: Repentance and
Revival.
Throughout
the years that I have attempted to walk with our loving Messiah, I
have learned that true revival is impossible without repentance. In
the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the people of
the world in the United States, many "church" and civic leaders
from around the globe are proclaiming that a revival is now taking place; proclaiming
that people are turning to God once again in search of
peace and fulfillment. Nowhere are these proclamations being made
with greater fanfare than within
the boundaries of the United States itself.
Sadly,
the same religious organizations that have failed to serve the body of
Messiah faithfully and obediently over
the past century, are at the forefront of the gristmill that is
absorbing the influx of those who might be seeking God.
In following their own deceptions, however,
these false religious institutions are misleading the masses once
again, and are failing in presenting
the full Gospel of salvation through Yahshua Machiah
(Jesus Christ). The message
being heard today from nearly every pulpit worldwide is totally void of
any teaching of repentance from
sin, and the notion of
faithful obedience to Yahshua (Discipleship) is loathe to their ears.
(A
perfect example of the white-washing that is happening was evidenced
during the "National Day of Mourning" that took place at the
"Nations Church" in Washington, D.C., and the speaker was none
other than Billy Graham... In what was unquestionably his largest
audience ever, and perhaps his last audience as well, the Reverend Billy
Graham FAILED miserably in presenting the Gospel of Yahshua our Messiah,
and never once did he speak
of repentance from sin). I was sick for days after watching this
pathetic performance by the leading 'christian
evangelist' of our age, and knew with certainty that the war
confronting us had very little to do with terrorism. This is a spiritual
battle confronting us, beloved, and we must acknowledge and accept this
truth, and we must react accordingly!
In
numerous places within The Letters we discuss at length the requirements
and outcome of a true revival. Two
prime examples can be found at: http://www.lettersoffaith.com/choice11.htm#repentance
and http://www.lettersoffaith.com/church4.htm#revival.
In light of the whole of Scripture though,
it must be noted that what is being mistaken in our world
today as a revival, is no more than humanity writhing in pain and shock,
seeking an explanation as to why their lives have been so terribly
upset - today. Basically,
humanity wants God to tell them why He has allowed these things to take
place. Once the smooth
talking salve of the false church has worn off
though, these aching
souls will once again find
themselves writhing in the
quagmire of religious politic and rhetoric,
and will realize that the
answers they seek simply do not exist
within the
false "christian church". They will be
no closer to discovering the
spiritual knowledge they
seek, but in the
process will have been disillusioned enough
to turn a deaf ear to the Children of Yahshua who would
dare speak out with the
truth of Messiah in
the future.
Nearly
every reader board I see as I
drive around this part of the United States, has the message, "God bless
America!" pasted on it. I think it would be wonderful if
someone would at least make the
message read, "God, Please
Bless America!" We
brazenly make it appear as if we somehow warrant His blessings, when we
should be presenting a very humble plea instead ...
And yet, as I ponder the realities of events in our world
today, I am moved to note that both of these approaches are incorrect,
because the message that needs to IMPACT every heart - TODAY - is,
"God, please forgive us." And with that request, we must
truly change our hearts!
The
truth that
is not being heard in
the halls of the false religious institutions today,
is that it is our own sin that has brought about all of the
evil in the world (right from the
beginning) and this truth stands in absolute
disagreement with the preconceived notions
of the people, and the false
ointment of 'revival' and positive
thinking that emanates
from those religious
halls. Positive thinking
simply isn't going to get it done, folks, and the cathedral's that have
been built around this sort of satanic mentality must come down!
Repent
from what? Oh, please! Fornication and Abortion. Adultery
and divorce. Homosexuality. Idolatry and spiritualism /
sorcery. Drugs and pornography. Physical and mental abuse,
including incest. Murder and theft. Lying, cheating,
envying... Need we go on?
The
children of the world have been turned away from Elohim (God) both at home
and in the schools, and have been taught everything they need to know
about sex (and abortion) instead. Six year old children are huffing?
Eight year old infants are mainstreaming into marijuana and even harder
drugs? Ten year old children are having sex - and receiving
abortions? Are we insane? And we not only teach these things
in our schools, we endorse them by our inaction. Furthermore,
we permit these things on our televisions and at the movies? We
permeate our lives with everything that debases morality, and we still
think that we can insist upon God's
blessing? Oh God, please
forgive us! We must Repent!
Furthermore,
we must acknowledge that sex and abortion are walking
hand-in-hand today. We are nearing the fifty million mark in
abortions in the United States alone, and
the blood is crying out from the ground! God hears, beloved...
He hears! Repent!
And
the issue of sex and abortion does not stop at the elementary school level
either. We are a world obsessed with sex, and the
obsession continues on through the teen years and right into the marriage
bedroom. Our sexual
behavior, including adultery and
divorce are an epidemic that is knowingly and voluntarily contracted, and
it mocks nearly every command
that GOD has ever issued. And this very mocking rages within the
halls of the false church as well, because adultery and divorce happen
with the same frequency within those halls, as is seen in the outside
world. GOD will not be mocked though, brethren, and we must
repent!
The
Governor of the State of California, with the full support of the State
House and Senate, as the duly elected official of the people of that
State, just this week signed into law another ruling that extends "family" status to every homosexual couple
within the state. Whether the State
- and that means the people -
choose to accept the truth or not is really mute at this point, but the
fact is, GOD does not sanction your actions, and He is about to
show you exactly how HE feels. And this call for repentance is
world-wide, because the plague of homosexuality cries out
against every moral, wholesome and
chaste fiber of faithfulness and obedience to God. And
we must Repent!
Furthermore,
it is time that we recognize the fact that throughout
the world,
humanity idolizes nearly everything today.
We idolize money, our
homes, our cars and our
clothing and jewelry. We place people on a throne just
because they can catch, throw, hit, kick or
slap a football, baseball, basketball, soccer ball
or hockey puck, or because
they excel at any other athletic endeavor... We adore every
actor or actress, singer or musician that tromps their way onto our
television, movie house screen or across the airwaves of the radio
- regardless of their moral character - and we pay substantial
amounts of money to either attend their appearances or purchase their
offerings. In return,
these idols not only earn
incomes that dwarf reality, they
laughingly mock Godly moral standards at every opportunity - and we
tolerate it. This idolatry goes so far that in the
boxing realm there is a convicted rapist (multiple suspicions as well)
that is free to ravage society - and we pay him an obscene amount of money for
doing so!
At
the same time, the television and print media are now replete with
spiritualism and sorcery, and we silently
sit through these attacks on our spiritual well-being
as well. Everywhere we turn, tarot card readers and
'seers' are literally in our face. They could not afford to do what
they do if we did not pay them to do so. And,
if that were not enough, we endorse the spiritualist
/ sorcery ticket every
October 31, as we "celebrate"
a halloween tradition that is wholly and entirely rooted in sorcery,
witchcraft, black-magic and every dark
spiritualist
and cultic manipulation imaginable...
And we do all of this in the name of fun, and all for a piece
of candy. Repent!
Children
are involved in drugs, pornography and prostitution. CHILDREN!
And we do nothing? If the elected officials - local, city, state and
federal - do not act immediately to shut down the drug, pornography and
prostitution traffic that is rampant in this world, then we the people must elect
officials who will. And we must support those faithful officials
with our every ounce of strength. PERIOD! The fervor that is
being mustered in the war on terror is the same mind-set that we the
people of Yahshua must have in this war on drugs, pornography and
prostitution, and it
is the same mind-set that we must have in regard to
this war on sin in general.
Repent!
Physical
and mental abuse, including incest,
are prevalent throughout society, just as are murder, thievery, lying,
cheating, envying and everything else
that violates God's commands... We
must repent of these deeds as a
people under God, brethren, or else the wrath of God will be the terror that befalls
this world!
And this - SOON!
The false
revival that we are seeing
will end rapidly
enough. Sadly though, in
the mind of humanity, Messiah Yahshua and His True Children
will end up being the source of humanity's grief,
pain, anguish and anger,
because the false teachers, prophets, evangelists and self-appointed
apostles of the religious society will be unable to offer any
substance (meat) to them at all. And in their meatless, tasteless,
substance-less offerings, these false practitioners will have nearly
driven another entire generation of seekers away from the truth and
love of the Only Messiah.
The result
of these things will be that the
faithful in Messiah will become the targets of ridicule and hatred,
because they will stand firm in teaching repentance from dead works.
The true children of Yahshua, His True Body, will be seen as zealots
whose sole desire is to interfere with the fun-loving, judge-me-not,
positive thinking, there is no such thing as absolute truth, world,
and their call for obedience and discipleship will be mocked.
Hated? Yes! Ridiculed? Absolutely! Loved by Elohim? Eternally!
And
the end of all of these things is what, beloved? Lest we forget:
The
end is the greatest revival ever known. The great harvest looms
before us as never before. The fields are truly ripe for harvest.
And the message that will ultimately prevail is: REPENT! Repent from
dead works and return to ELOHIM (GOD)!
Return to Yahshua in obedience and truth... Turn away from sin.
Turn away from fornication,
abortion, adultery and
divorce. Turn away from homosexuality, idolatry
and the evils of spiritualism and
sorcery. Turn away too
from drugs, pornography and prostitution,
as well as every sort of abuse and incest. And turn
away from murder, theft,
lying, cheating and envying...
We must also turn away from the false religious institutions, and return
to the fullness of the Word of Elohim. Let the buildings fall in
disrepair, but let us lift up that Building which glorifies the
Messiah, the Building of our Body, the true house of the Church...
Return
to Yahshua our Messiah in faithful
obedience... He
will forgive, if we will only Repent!
3.
A Dream from Michael and Christine, dated October 13, 2001.
I awoke at 12:30 AM.
I didn't understand why I was
awake, but I felt unnaturally refreshed.
As with any
other time that I am awakened
and feeling refreshed, I knew
that our Lord wanted to talk to me.
I sat in the dark for awhile and
listened. I heard,
"Wait!"
I actually
started feeling myself getting tired (around 1:30
AM) and placed my head
down to sleep. I again heard,
"Wait!"
At 2:00 AM
my husband woke up and said, "I
had an incredible dream, a nightmare".
I asked him to tell me
about it:
In
the dream Michael saw
us in our house. Men with
white chemical warfare suits and
masks came up to our house to gather our
household together. The men were from the American
government (military) and they were being told
to take us all out of our homes because of the
danger that existed outside.
We were all being
rounded up and sent to a "safe" place. Michael, the
kids and I got on the bus
(reluctantly).
We were driven to Tennessee.
Michael saw that we were being taken to the Blue Ridge
Mountains.
When
we got off the bus we were instructed
to go into a prayer room.
There was a very popular
preacher in this room (which was actually a
warehouse) his name was "Pastor Price".
All of the Christians were
being put into this warehouse as a safe
haven, and we were gathering to pray
for our leaders and nation.
Everyone in the warehouse (except Michael
and me) was
at peace and joyous as they went
into the room to pray. Michael and I
went into the building with the
others, and our children were by our
side.
They closed the doors on 200 of us. We
heard the number, 200.
Then Michael went to the back of the
warehouse and looked out the back door (like a
bulk head door) and he saw a huge tank with guns
coming toward the building. Michael and I both looked
at one another and we both
heard our Lord's voice in our head at the same instant. Our
Lord told us to run for the mountains and don't look
back. We both ran out of the building and headed
toward the mountains where there was a place already
prepared for us.
This was extremely emotional for
Michael. He told me that he would
take a bullet in his head for me and the kids.
He would NEVER leave his children!
But in this dream he did. We both did. Why were we
TOLD to run and never look back?
We both felt strengthened by this
dream, but also very desperate to
understand. Michael looked me
in the eye and he said
"Christine, only a select few know what is
really going on! Everyone is being
deceived. We know what we are meant to do".
I asked him what?
He said that we were responsible for
killing our enemies. We were told
that we will be like "snipers" and
will destroy them. Even though there are only a
few of us, we will destroy armies. Survival and
guerilla warfare is what we will do. Only 2 out of
200 were not deceived. They
were awake and they all knew
what was happening
to them - and to all of the earth.
Michael said this is all going to
happen very soon. I asked him what
season was it? Did we have winter clothes
on? He said "No, it was nice out, short
sleeves". I praised our
Yahshua for not letting our flight
take place in winter.
Also, they were going to gas the
warehouse. It was a
gas chamber and everyone thought they were going in
for prayer. Everyone who
remained in the gas chamber was killed.
I can not explain the feeling we both
had, even though we initially knew
we should grieve our children - we also
knew, without a doubt, to
leave and run to the mountains. He
spoke very loudly and clearly in our
heads. We know now what it is we are meant to do,
and we are awaiting
His instructions.....
Also, it is important to note: The
military did not know why they were
taking us to the warehouse. They literally
thought they were doing GOOD. They had no idea.
These are good men and women...but, they have
no idea what they will be doing.
This
dream and partial interpretation end here...
----------------------
In
subsequent letters and conversations with Michael and Christine, l was
moved to reassure them that their children have always been in our Lord's
hands, and that when He does issue His call to arms, He will continue to
provide for us all - releasing His army to concentrate fully on the task at
hand. The children will be well with Him! Additionally, our
conversations have turned somewhat to understanding guerilla warfare
tactics; a not all too unfamiliar
topic.
Nevertheless,
we now submit this dream to you for consideration. If you are moved to
understand the implications and nuances of this vision, please share your
interpretation with us. The body of Messiah is awakening with much
insight and soon His power will be revealed within us. Our
wholehearted prayer is that we would be prepared; spiritually and mentally,
for the challenges ahead.
Jennifer
and Doug are praying for the Lord to allow them to have children.
Sandee
is requesting prayer for her children and grandchild.
Charlie
and I are praying for the Body of Yahshua...
And,
we request your prayers for this ministry, that everything we say and do
will be to the glory of our loving, merciful, gracious and all-powerful
Savior, Redeemer, Lord and King - Yahshua...
-------
October
20, 2001 - Post Falls, Idaho
On
November 22, 2001, the people of the United States will celebrate their
annual Day of Thanksgiving. In earnest preparation for a sincere day
of worldwide Thanksgiving though, I would like to propose that we set-aside Saturday, November
17, 2001 as a day of prayer and fasting -
in repentance... Unlike other days of prayer though, I am
suggesting that we literally sit with
ashes on our heads, wearing the most humble clothing we possess (I don't
know where to purchase sackcloth today) in a fervent, sincere and obedient appeal to our Heavenly
Father for
His forgiveness for our personal sins - and for the sins
of our people and our world.
I
realize that we cannot literally block the highways and byways of the world without being thrown into jail, so what I have in mind is
something a bit less radical. For instance, here in the Post Falls /
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho area, we have a park called
Tubbs Hill. I will be at the ball
fields that are north of the entrance to Tubbs Hill on Saturday,
November 17, 2001, from sunrise to sunset - praying for the Lord's
forgiveness of my sins and the sins of the
people of this nation. And, I will be inviting brothers and
sisters in this area to join me throughout the day.
I am
praying that many others will be moved to do the same in their local
area - and together, we can unite as a Body and appeal to our Most Gracious
Father in heaven to forgive us personally, and to forgive our nation as
well.
Now
listen... Unless the Lord manifests Himself through His servants
in a miraculous and entirely spectacular spiritual manner, this is not
a call for ANYONE to accommodate and lead an organized prayer session.
The Qodesh Ruach (Holy Spirit) will lead the body of Yahshua in prayer.
Instead, this is a call to assemble in prayer with a sincere,
humble, repentant heart; following the leading of the Qodesh Ruach - and not
the leading of men. Furthermore, I will even go so far as to say that
unless there is a magnificent manifestation brought about by the Qodesh
Ruach in any one person, and somebody still attempts to take
control of any prayer area, that the Body assembled rebuke that individual,
and silence the spirit of conceit and control. Humility and repentance
is the prayer call of the day, and no individual can be allowed to
dominate or interfere with the moving of Elohim's Qodesh Ruach...
What
we do need from you though, are the
names of accessible locations
near the central hubs of your area, where the Body can accomplish this
prayerful assembly without the hassle of permits and licenses.
In
order to accommodate the listing of prayer locations, I will produce an
alphabetical state and country directory at The Letters
web site, in which the brethren can easily look up a prayer site that is
available near them. And, if any want to post the location
for a site in their area, they need only write me an E-mail with the
Country, State or Province and City name, along with the name of the Public
Location that is accessible for a gathering. I will update the
directory from these letters. (Sorry, but
I just don't possess the technology to permit on-site updates)...
The
mailing list for the A Matter of Faith Newsletter is not huge, beloved, but
if this proposal moves you in any way, and the Qodesh Ruach (Holy Spirit)
touches your heart to celebrate a day of prayer and fasting for your country
and our world, then I am asking that you do three things:
First,
consider posting a location near your home where you and other brethren near
you can assemble for this day of prayer.
Please check the list first though, to see if a site has already been posted
for your area. I am only one person, and the email could become
intense - Praise!!!
Second,
forward this proposal to as many people as you can - and ask them to forward
it to as many others as possible. Together, our small mailing list can touch millions of
households in a small period of time.
United in prayer, perhaps we can appeal to our loving Lord for the
forgiveness we need, and for the revival that we truly desire.
Third,
pray for this endeavor. We can accomplish nothing without the
prayerful support of the Body of Yahshua.
Finally,
along with a listing of prayer site locations, the directory page will
offer whatever thoughts our Lord places in my heart between now and November
17, that might be significant to this endeavor.
May
Yahshua be glorified through the humility and prayers of His children.
I
remain your faithful servant in Messiah,
larry
vosen
If you have any questions about the
Bible, Elohim (God), Yahshua
Mashiach (Jesus Christ), Qodesh
Ruach (the Holy Spirit), the
Gospel, Faith or any pressing
spiritual matter, please feel free to contact me. While I may not
possess the answers personally, I
know Who Does! Every effort will be made to answer your questions in a
timely and Scripturally supported
manner.
Do you have a prayer request?
Please share your needs with us... We will post your needs in our
"Prayer Request" sections, so that we can approach the
Throne of God in a united front on your behalf.
Or, please feel free to mail your
thoughts, requests or
support to:
Larry Vosen
2600 E. Seltice Way, #203
Post Falls, ID 83854

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Copyright
© 2001 Larry Vosen.
All rights reserved.
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Thank You, and may Elohim bless you
and your ministry - for the praise of His glory and your eternal joy!
Copyright © 2000-2001, Post Falls, ID.