During my time at the revival at Brownsville, it was not uncommon to find me out at a remote part of Pensacola Beach with a longboard, looking to catch a few waves between school and services. If you live on the West Coast, I know the Gulf isn’t Mavericks. On a good day, you might ride a 3- to 4-foot wave. 

This is why I eagerly anticipated the storm season. Any time a tropical storm would move into the Gulf, you knew that the waves were bound to pick up. I became a part-time meteorologist, following the surf reports and weather conditions looking for those windows when the larger swells would start to move in and the waves would be the greatest. 

I had no control over the weather. I had no ability to produce a wave. The only thing I could control was where I would be when the waves came in. I had to be properly positioned.

As we fully enter into 2014, I truly believe with everything that is within me that we are entering a season for a great outpouring of God’s Spirit. This is a time for “breakout.”   

I am hearing from many across the nation who are beginning to sense that the fresh winds of revival are already blowing. I am certain that God is ready to visit His church with many Pentecostal “suddenlies.”

Friends, are you properly positioned for what God is about to do?

As a student of revival, I have observed how the length and magnitude of these waves of outpouring are dependent on how we position ourselves in advance. It is my prayer that houses of worship will be prepared to host these moves of the Spirit longer than a weekend or just a few weeks. Even more, I’m praying that churches would be positioned to let these moves spill out of the four walls and cultivate a true awakening within their communities.

There are a few things that I learned from those days of riding waves in the Gulf that I believe can help position anyone to catch the next wave of revival:

1.  You have to embrace simplicity.

There is a simplicity to surfing. It’s just you and the board at the mercy of the waves. Likewise, there is a simplicity to the Spirit. 

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God” (Matt. 5:3). Those who have embraced poverty of spirit are those who have let go of everything in order to obtain the one thing that matters most. Revival starts when we simply humble ourselves, return to Him and recognize that Christ isn’t just a good option—He is our only option. 

Leonard Ravenhill often said, “We don’t have revival because we are content to live without it.”

It’s time to become discontent. Let us loose ourselves of everything that hinders or obstructs and return to God. Embrace the simplicity of coming bare before the Lord and resting upon the mercy of His waves. God promises if we would simply humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, He will hear from heaven and heal our land.

2. You always start the same.

Surfing always begins with the exact same starting position. You have to learn to lay prostrate on the board. Revival begins with a similar starting position as well.

I am unaware of a sovereign move of God that wasn’t preceded by prayer. The Welsh Revival began when a group of young people gathered in a chapel to pray. The Azusa Street Revival was born out of a prayer meeting in a little house on Bonnie Brae Street. The Brownsville Revival came on the heels of three years of prayer.

We talk about the need for prayer, we preach about the power of prayer, we celebrate the virtue of prayer, but yet we don’t pray. If we truly believe that prayer works, why do we pray so little?

There is no other way to begin to properly position yourself than to lay prostrate before the Lord and seek His face.

3. You kneel before you stand.

As important as it is to learn to lay on the board, you have to learn to kneel on it as well. Kneeling before God is equally important.

God didn’t just say, “Humble yourself, pray, and seek My face.” He also commanded His people to “turn from their wicked ways.” Revival and repentance always work together. 

One of the inherent dangers in the distorted grace message is the redefining and removal of repentance. Repentance is a prerequisite for revival. Without it, revival is impossible, and without its continued presence, revival cannot be sustained.

4. You have to anticipate the wave.

Surfing requires expectancy. You have to see the wave coming and begin to move with it before it arrives. 

Yes, God is always moving. Yes, the Spirit is always being poured out. However, there are seasons when God moves sovereignly in an even greater way. America experienced such moves in the First and Second Great Awakening. Our nation desperately needs a third. 

Whether or not this next move of God rises to that level or not may depend on how we choose to anticipate and move with Him.

Consider how most people attend church on Sunday with an expectation to hear a sermon about God. Few come with an expectancy to actually meet God. Imagine the shift that would take place in your church if the majority came this weekend with a genuine expectancy to experience God rather than a service. 

The greatest move of God this world has ever seen is not behind us—it is ahead of us!  There truly is a wave coming. Don’t be content to sit on the beach and watch others enter in. Push out into the deep with eager anticipation. Surf’s up!

Daniel K. Norris is an evangelist who works alongside Steve Hill bringing the message of revival and repentance to the nations. Together, they co-host a broadcast called From the Frontlines. Norris also hosts the Collision Youth Conference that is broadcast all over the world. He can be contacted at danielknorris.com.

Word of Faith preacher Charles Capps has gone home to be with the Lord. Capps passed away on Feb. 23. He was 80.

Capps was a retired farmer, land developer and Bible teacher who traveled extensively throughout the United States and several foreign countries sharing the truths of God’s Word. He taught Bible seminars for more than 35 years, emphasizing the authority of the believer, faith and the power of words.

Capps and his wife, Peggy, had roots in the rich farmland of Lonoke County, Ark. Having been raised by parents who were farmers, Charles Capps began farming cotton, soybeans and rice immediately after graduating from high school and marrying in 1951.

Three-and-a-half months older than Capps, Peggy had to sign as the adult on his behalf when he wanted to take flying lessons at the age of 17. They joined an organization known as the Flying Farmers and gained experience going to “fly-ins” and national meetings across the United States.

Neither knew that this skill of flying would be such an asset later, when Capps began teaching personal evangelism in the 1960s. He spoke on the subject of soul-winning in churches not only in the U.S., but also flew his twin engine Piper Comanche to the Bahamas to teach students of Youth With a Mission how to share Christ with others.

After reading a book by Kenneth E. Hagin entitled Authority of the Believer, Capps and Peggy’s life took on a new dimension of travel and ministry as he became known for his teaching gift and insight on the subjects of faith and confession.

Invitations to minister to the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International began to pour in, eventually leading to the publication of Capps’ teachings in book form. The Tongue a Creative Force and God’s Creative Power Will Work for You became best-sellers after Buddy Harrison, Hagin’s son-in-law, launched his publishing company with these two classics. These two books have sold millions—the God’s Creative Power series has sold more than 5 million copies—and are still much in demand today.

Capps had daily national radio broadcast and a weekly television broadcast aired over several networks, satellite and the Internet called Concepts of Faith.

Capps is survived by his wife, Peggy, and daughters, Annette and Beverly.

It seems I’ve been misunderstood my whole life. I was an extremely shy kid, but some thought I was just a snob. Fast forward a few years, and I embraced blue hair, black clothing—and more misunderstanding. As a prophetic voice, I’m attacked, maligned and otherwise misunderstood on a weekly basis.

Whether you’re operating in full-time ministry or full-time motherhood, maybe you can relate. Nobody likes to be misunderstood. Indeed, it can be downright discouraging to be doing your utmost for His highest and have your own family, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ judge your message and your motives.

So, what causes these misunderstandings and what can we do to help avoid them—or clear them up after they occur? There are at least four reasons for potentially messy misunderstandings we need to understand before we can move on to how to handle ourselves when we are misunderstood.

1. Simple miscommunications. Even the simplest miscommunications can be frustrating—and cause good friends to get into bad arguments.

Here’s a practical example. You and your friend agreed to meet at a local restaurant at lunchtime, but nobody agreed what “lunchtime” was beforehand. So you showed up at 1 p.m., and your friend was waiting there for 30 minutes, seething mad that you’re late. Or you asked your spouse to pick up your daughter but forgot it was their late night at work, so you got a call from the daycare manager asking where you were—and got a $15 late charge fee on top of it!

These types of miscommunications are easily avoided by saying what you mean and meaning what you say—and if there is any question, ask questions. This may sound simple, but it can save you a lot of trouble. Good communication skills are priceless because miscommunication leads to misunderstanding, which leads to misbehavior.

Along those same lines, if we are talking about spiritual things to someone who has their mind on natural things, we are often going to be misunderstood. Jesus warned the disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” (Matt. 16:6). The disciples thought He was talking about bread, but He was talking about the Pharisees’ nasty religious spirit. They misunderstood His point.

2. Hidden motives. Sometimes we are misunderstood by people who have hidden motives that cloud their ability to understand what we are doing or saying. Often someone operating in pride will accuse someone else of being conceited or exclusive. Someone with a Jezebel spirit will accuse another of being controlling. People can project on you what’s in their own heart.

Saul, for example, could not understand that David was trying to honor him. He viewed David as an enemy set on taking the kingdom because his own heart was angry and vengeful. He could not trust that David’s heart was pure. When Saul observed men defecting to David, he blamed David rather than considering how his own actions were causing the exodus (1 Sam. 22).

3. The blind spot. Sometimes we feel misunderstood when, in reality, others understand us better than we think they do. I call this a blind spot. It’s something we don’t see in ourselves but others do. Remember the rich young ruler who thought his heart was so pure toward God? When Jesus told him to sell everything he had, give it to the poor and follow Him, the young man went away sad because he had great possessions. His love for money ultimately won his affection (Matt. 19:16-22).

4. Maybe it’s just a feeling. We have to remember that being misunderstood is a feeling. We “feeeeel misunderstood.” But we may not be misunderstood at all. We could just feel that way because we don’t get the response out of the person that we wanted.

Sometimes we need to accept misunderstandings and just let it be if we are going to move forward in relationships. If it’s a trivial issue, we need to just let it pass. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t cause us pain.

There’s a few different ways to handle real misunderstanding. In part 1 of this series, we’re going to tackle the first two: 1) get your mind off your self and 2) just keep speaking the truth.

Get Over Your “Self”

The “misunderstood syndrome,” as I call it, taps into self. It’s our “self” that needs to feel understood. It’s our “self” that feels rejected. It’s our “self” that feels lonely. It’s our “self” that gets depressed and wants to have a pity party. We need to get our minds off our self and on somebody else, helping others who are in much worse spots than we are. It’s amazing how the burdens lift when you get your mind off yourself. And while you are helping someone else, God will help you.

Ultimately, when people misunderstand us, they are not trying to hurt us, so we shouldn’t get angry, resentful, bitter or unforgiving about it. Maybe they just can’t understand because they haven’t been in that place. But Jesus has.

Jesus was misunderstood—and it didn’t seem to bother His soul one bit. The Israelites were expecting a Messiah who would lead a natural army. Most people didn’t understand who Jesus really was or what His mission was. Even those closest to Him—His family and His friends—did not understand Him. His family thought He was off His rocker. (See Mark 3:20-21.) Before the cross, He was an embarrassment to His brethren. He was even accused of being demon-possessed. (See Matthew 12:22-30.)

Keep Speaking the Truth

How did Jesus respond to all of this? He just spoke the truth in love and kept on going. He persevered on His mission. He didn’t even take a timeout to go up to the mountain and pray all night. He just kept right on doing what He was called to do. His “nevertheless” attitude sought the will of God. Ultimately, millions would understand Him, but still many more do not.

Oh, but that’s Jesus, you say? He wasn’t the only one in the Bible who was misunderstood. In part 2 of this series, we’ll look at how some others handled misunderstandings. Until then, remember that Jesus understands you perfectly (Heb. 4:15). His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless (Ps. 147:5). He is able immediately to run to the cry of those who are suffering. (Heb. 2:18).

These are Scriptures that will help you stay steady in the midst of the pain of misunderstanding and the persecution that sometimes goes along with it. Pray this: “Lord, I thank You that You understand me. I will not let my life be ruled by feelings. My happiness does not depend on other people understanding me. I am free from the misunderstood syndrome.” Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel and The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website at www.jenniferleclaire.org.

When it comes to spiritual warfare strategies, there’s a time to shout and a time to stay silent. Discerning the difference can deliver your enemy into your hands—or deliver you out of the hand of your enemy.

Although there are spiritual laws and kingdom principles, you have to discern what law is operating and what principle to apply. Unfortunately, we often shout when we should keep our mouth tightly shut up, and we often keep silent when we should be shouting His praises.

If you shout when you should remain silent, you could find yourself fighting in the power of your own flesh—which won’t take you far in spiritual warfare because our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. If you remain silent when you should shout, you could be neglecting those supernatural weapons that will cut your enemy to bits.

Hold Your Peace

When Moses delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, he came to the Red Sea. You know the story. The Red Sea was in front of him, and Pharaoh’s army was behind him. The Israelites had no place to run and no place to hide—and they were afraid. The Bible says the Israelites cried out to the Lord and complained to Moses that he led them out into the wilderness to die (Ex. 14:10-12).

Moses reassured them, encouraging them not to be afraid but to stand still and, well, shut up: “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (vv. 13-14, NKJV). The Message translation puts it this way: “God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!” (v. 14, MSG).

Holding your peace in spiritual battle is one key to flowing in power. Complaining about your situation only opens the door for another attack because you can’t hold up your shield of faith and speak words of death (complaints) at the same time. Moreover, sometimes the battle is not yours to fight. Sometimes the battle really is the Lord’s. So all of your binding and rebuking in Jesus’ name is only stirring up devils that weren’t bothering you before you started provoking them with your blind buffeting.

Shout the Walls Down

God delivered the Israelites out of the hand of Pharaoh’s army, but only after they stopped complaining and kept their mouths shut. God gave Joshua a different strategy. Rather than staying silent, his battle plan was to make as much noise as humanly possible:

“And the Lord said to Joshua: ‘See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat” (Josh. 6:2-5, NKJV).

The result? The walls of Jericho fell down, and Joshua and his men took the city. But they had to shout as loud as they could. The Bible calls it a “great shout.” I don’t know how God used a shout to tear down walls any more than I understand how He parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could pass through. But what I do know is this: We have the victory in Christ, but manifesting that victory largely lies in our obedience.

For example, when we practice sin, we are in disobedience and we open the door for the enemy to wreak havoc in our lives. When, on the other hand, we practice obedience, we open the door for God’s power to flow through us to overcome every obstacle. Complaining when God tells us to stand and, having done all, to stand (Eph. 6:13) won’t deliver us out of the hand of the enemy. Likewise, staying silent when God is telling us to shout won’t bring us the victory either. Obedience is a monumental key to seeing victory.

So, before you charge into battle, get your spiritual warfare strategy from God. That may mean staying silent. It may mean shouting. It may mean something else. Spiritual warfare is not like making cookies with a cutter. Again, although there are spiritual laws and kingdom principles, you have to discern what law is operating and what principle to apply. So follow the Holy Spirit, and you’ll see the victory every time. Amen.

You can download a sample chapter of Jennifer’s new book, The Making of a Prophet, by clicking here.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel and The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website at www.jenniferleclaire.org.

Bob Jones has gone home to be with the Lord after more than four decades of prophetic ministry. Spiritual leaders from various camps in the body of Christ are mourning his loss and praying for his family. Here are a few of the early reactions to Jones’ passing:

“I am deeply indebted to Bob Jones for how the Lord used him in my early ministry. I loved him more than he ever knew and often told my friends stories about him,” says Mike Bickle, director of International House of Prayer in Kansas City. “I am very sad for Bonnie and his son, Wayne, and for so many of us to hear of his departure, but I am so happy for him. I remember Bob as a man who loved people deeply and served them tirelessly for so many years. Bob was well-known for his remarkable love for Jesus and His Word—he devoured the Bible for 40 years.”

“Bob passed away at 6:22 this morning, peacefully and smiling,” says Rick Joyner, founder and executive director of MorningStar Ministries. “Bob was known around the world for his prophetic gift, but he was also the greatest lover of God and people that I ever knew. It seems fitting that he would pass on a day that celebrates love.”

“Our wonderful friend and prophet Bob Jones went home to be with Jesus today, his first love, on Valentines a Day,” tweeted Bill Johnson, founder of Bethel Church.

‘Bob Jones said, ‘I don’t see anything prophetically after 94’. So either Jesus is returning then or I’m going home then.’ Rest in Peace Bob,” tweeted Robby Dawkins of Vineyard Church of Aurora, Ill.

“Just heard that the prophetic voice of Bob Jones is for heavens ears only. That man prophesied to me in my 20’s that I would sing,” tweeted singer Rita Springer.

“Just heard that Bob Jones passed into glory today. He was a grandfather prophet to me, the movement and many. He will be missed,” said Matt Lockett, director of Bound4LIFE. ‏

Click here to read more about the life and legacy of Bob Jones.

Bob Jones, who operated in prophetic ministry for more than four decades, has gone home to be with the Lord. 

“Bob passed away at 6:22 this morning, peacefully and smiling,” says Rick Joyner, founder and executive director of MorningStar Ministries. “Bob was known around the world for his prophetic gift, but he was also the greatest lover of God and people that I ever knew. It seems fitting that he would pass on a day that celebrates love.”

According to Jones’ website, when he was only 7 years old and walking on a dirt road in Arkansas, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him on a white horse and blew a double silver trumpet in his face. 

“[Gabriel] then threw an old bull skin mantle at Bob’s feet. Although fearful at the time he ran, however, many years later he returned to pick up that old mantle which is that of a Seer Prophet. Bob Jones is known as a contemporary prophet with a great love for the Lord Jesus and His truth. His prophecies have spanned over four decades as the Lord has enabled him to foretell earthquakes, tidal waves, comets, and weather patterns. Like Daniel who functioned at an incredible level, Bob has often told leaders their dreams and experiences, as well as the interpretation,” his bio reads.

“After his death experience in 1975,” the bio continues, “God sent him back to minister to church leadership and reach the multitudes with His love, truth and equipping the saints with understanding of the spiritual gifts. God promised Bob that he would see the beginning of one billion souls coming into the kingdom in one great wave of the end time harvest. Bob moves with a clear revelatory gifting, accompanied by gifts of healing and miracles.”

Jones is survived by his wife, Bonnie.

Click here to read tributes from Mike Bickle, Bill Johnson, Rick Joyner and others.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds in our minds. But the weapons of Satan are carnal, mighty in our flesh for the erecting of strongholds in our minds—and we’re the ones arming him.

Jesus “disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” (Col. 2:15). Many who oppose spiritual warfare practices point to that Scripture and say we don’t have to fight because the devil is already defeated. Yes, the devil is already defeated, but Paul nevertheless told Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12) and told the Ephesians we “wrestle against … principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

If Jesus disarmed principalities and powers, why are we still wrestling them? We still wrestle, in part, because we are arming the enemy with the words of our mouth, handing him our God-given authority to use against us. Satan has no authority over us unless we give it to him, just like the serpent had no authority in the garden until Adam gave it to him.

Speaking Supernatural Words

As I was meditating on 2 Corinthians 10:4, I got a revelation about our words as weapons. This is not a positive confession revelation, although I believe in confessing what the Word of God says rather than confessing negative thoughts and feelings—and that’s totally scriptural. No, this is not a new twist on a good confession. This is a spiritual warfare strategy that will send the devil fleeing as we submit our words to God and resist the temptation to allow our mouths to issue weapons Satan uses against us.

When discussing the whole armor of God, Paul instructs us to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). When we speak the Word of God out of our mouths, it serves as a weapon that cuts through every evil plot of the enemy. No devil in hell can come against the Word of God because it’s not carnal but mighty—supernatural—in God.

When we find ourselves in the midst of the battle, though, we too often make one of these three common mistakes: (1) We fail to wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; (2) we speak the enemy’s fearful lies out of our mouths; or (3) we are double-minded, speaking the Word of God one moment and the enemy’s fear-laced lies the next. The only sure way enforce Jesus’ victory in our lives is to consistently wield the sword of the Spirit.

Let’s look at each option and how it works. First, when we wield the sword of the Spirit,we are packing a powerful weapon. The writer of Hebrews says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

The sword of the Spirit is sharper than any natural sword. It has supernatural power, but we have to speak out the living power it contains with our tongues. Inspired by the life-giving Holy Spirit, the wisest man on the earth once wrote, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21).

Whose Side Are Your Words On?

Our words are weapons. When we speak God’s Word out of our mouth, it casts out death and opens the door to life in our situations. When we make the mistake of speaking the enemy’s fearful lies out of our mouth—which may sound like worry, doubt, unbelief or something other than the pure truth—we are allowing the enemy to use our own words as weapons against us.

Again, the devil’s weapons are carnal in the sense that he works through our carnal nature to oppress us by successfully tempting us to speak death with our powerful tongues. We essentially arm the enemy with weapons of death and give him some ammunition to oppress us when we speak words that are out of alignment with God’s truth.

When we are double-minded, speaking the Word of God one moment and the enemy’s fearful lies the next, we allow the enemy to take ground in our lives. Have you ever felt like you were taking one step forward and two steps back? This is often the result of double-mindedness. We speak life out of our mouths, penetrating the enemy’s plans with the sword of the Spirit in the morning, but as soon as we see a circumstance that doesn’t go our way, we once again arm the enemy with carnal weapons through our words.

The Bible says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). If you are feeling unstable, like the enemy is tossing you around a wrestling ring and about to capture you in a figure 4, it may be because you are not speaking words of faith and life—you may be arming the enemy with words of fear, doubt, unbelief and death.

Here’s the revelation in summary: Your words are weapons in spiritual warfare. When you speak the Word of God, you are wielding a sword that will cut the enemy’s evil plans to bits. It may take more than one swing, but if you keep swinging your supernatural sword, you will see natural results. When you speak out words based on thoughts and fears the enemy sows in your soul, you are essentially arming the enemy with carnal words that breed death. You give life to what you speak. Will you give life to God’s plan or to the enemy’s plan? It’s up to you.

You can download a sample chapter of Jennifer’s new book, The Making of a Prophet, by clicking here.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel and The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website at www.jenniferleclaire.org.

Doctors want to put a premature end to their unborn baby’s life, but one Australian couple refuses to take this hypocritical action just because their bundle of joy has two faces—and two brains. That Australian couple, Renee Young and Simon Howie, are my pro-life heroes this week.

The parents were admittedly shocked when an ultrasound revealed their twin baby girls were actually one baby with two faces and two brains. A 3-D ultrasound shows the baby has only two legs, two arms and one body.

Who wouldn’t be shocked and upset? That’s a natural reaction. But when doctors called for an abortion “because it would be looked upon by the public as a freak,” the couple stood on the side of life—and love—saying they would give birth to their baby and surround it with “people who love it.”

No baby has ever survived this condition, known as craniofacial hyperhidrosis or diprosopus (only 35 cases of the rare form of conjoined twins have ever been recorded), but this brave couple is nevertheless choosing life.

There was no mention of God in their story, yet A Current Affair titled its segment “Miracle Baby.” And when asked if they had a religious or moral objection to abortion, Howie said his objection was moral. But I, for one, am convinced God is in this mix!

“It’d be the same as being a child with autism or Down syndrome,” Howie told A Current Affair. “I don’t believe in terminating the baby if it’s healthy and growing fine, and everything is going to plan.”

Doctors told the couple their baby would be a “freak,” but the couple’s sense of right and wrong is guiding them to choose life—even if the baby’s life turns out to be short. And who knows? Maybe it really will be a miracle baby. Is anything too hard for God? No, God can do a miracle in the womb. Why not give Him a chance? Can you imagine the impact a miracle of that magnitude could have on the pro-abortion movement that likes to terminate if babies are defected (or even an undesired sex)?

“If I only get two days with the baby, I only get two days with the baby,” Young, now 19 weeks pregnant, told A Current Affair. “At least I have some time with it. That’s just the time we actually get to spend with the baby and its brothers and sisters get to meet their little brother or sister.”

It appears that the parents are neither on-fire Christians nor married, but they are still choosing life in an era that is largely focused on death. (Some commenters, for example, have even suggested euthanizing the baby as soon as it is born.) This couple is showing a dark world that you don’t have to be a Bible-toting, churchgoing, pro-life-sign-carrying Christian to celebrate life. You just have to respect the sanctity of life.

I am not sure why God allows these sorts of trials, but we know that if God doesn’t perform a miracle, the baby girl will go on to be with the Lord. We know that these parents are expressing love and the will of God despite no mention of His name. We know that God is getting glory out of this story as the parents choose to go against traditional medical advice for the sake of life and love.

And I believe that some scared, pregnant mother somewhere may just hear this story and decide to keep their perfectly healthy baby. I believe this couple’s story will give courage and inspiration to young women who are considering an abortion. I believe God will work the story of the so-called “miracle baby” out in conformity to the purpose of His will (Phil. 2:13). Even Howie said he had “hope and a little faith.” Ms. Young and Mr. Howie, God bless you!

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at jennifer.leclaire@charismamedia.com or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

After a boating accident in late January, Pastor Bayless Conley remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit.

Conley is pastor of Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, Calif., and a speaker known for applying the Bible to everyday life through his television program, Answers With Bayless Conley. The broadcast reaches into more than 200 nations in the world.

“The injuries sustained to his neck and throat areas are beginning to heal,” his ministry has said in a statement. “The doctors are pleased with how he is progressing and expect a full recovery.

“Currently he remains in ICU. Please continue to hold Pastor Bayless up in prayer, believing for a rapid healing process. The Conley family is doing well and continues to be full of faith. They thank you for all of the love and support!”

Bayless grew up in Southern California, where, during his teenage years, he became involved in a lifestyle of drug and alcohol abuse. After years of searching for truth and a number of near-death experiences, he found answers and freedom in Jesus when a 12-year-old boy shared God’s message of hope with him in a park one day. Bayless’ background and story have enabled him to reach a diverse audience globally.

Bayless and his wife, Janet, are the parents of three grown children and enthusiastic grandparents to grandsons Asher and Sawyer. Together they lead Cottonwood Church in Orange County, Calif., and passionately pursue life, God and family.

Bayless’ ministry representatives also said the church and all of its ministry activities  continue to move forward like normal. The church’s leadership team is managing its day-to-day operational affairs.

“Again, the Conley family thanks you for your continued prayers,” the statement concludes.

There are two sides to prophecy: the one who delivers the word and the one who receives it. Last week we talked about receiving personal prophecies that just don’t make any sense at all to the natural mind—or even necessarily bear witness with your spirit. Indeed, some prophetic promises are so exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ask or think that it’s tempting to dismiss them without even praying it through.

Now, let’s flip things around. Have you ever delivered a prophecy that someone flat-out refused to receive even though you were convinced it was from God? The prophecy was pure. It didn’t breed fear, seek to control or violate Scripture. The prophecy exalted Jesus and was delivered in a spirit of humility. Nevertheless, it wasn’t received—and maybe you were even harshly criticized or labeled a false prophet for delivering it.

I’ll repeat what I said last week: I believe in judging prophecy before receiving it as Holy Spirit-inspired truth, but as I explain in my book Did the Spirit of God Say That? judging prophecy isn’t always an exact since. That means you could be delivering a perfectly accurate prophetic word that’s perfectly passed over as false. What’s a prophet to do?

Don’t Get a Rejection Complex

Don’t take the rejection personally. If you are delivering a true word from the Lord, the people aren’t rejecting you. They are rejecting the word of the Lord. That was the case with Samuel. Consider Samuel’s prophetic reputation: “So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord” (1 Sam. 3:19-20).

Nevertheless, Saul did not receive Samuel’s prophetic word. Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey’” (1 Sam. 15:1-3).

Again, Saul did not receive Samuel’s prophetic word. Not because it was false. Not because it bred fear. Not because it was seeking to control. But because Saul was self-willed. Saul fulfilled part of the prophecy. He waged war against the Amalekites, but he did not utterly destroy everything. Saul “spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all ­that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed” (v. 9). 

Rejecting the Word of the Lord

Not only that, Saul actually set up a monument for himself before declaring he had performed the commandment of the Lord. Samuel rebuked him, noting, “You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel” (v. 26).

Now, let’s be clear. I’m not giving you license to rebuke people who don’t receive the prophetic words you deliver. I am demonstrating that it wasn’t the prophet Samuel that Saul rejected—it was the word of the Lord. And there’s always a price to pay for rejecting the word of the Lord, when you know that you know that you know that God has give you a prophetic word for someone—and you know, too, that He wants you to actually deliver it, speak it forth boldly with humility, not fearing the consequences, not fearing rejection.

And if the person rejects the word—or rejects you—don’t respond in kind. Instead, go into intercession for them. This is the spirit of a true prophet: “Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul” (v. 34-35). True prophets have a mercy gift and are intercessors. When folks reject the prophetic word you deliver, remember Samuel. Amen.

You can download a sample chapter of Jennifer’s new book, The Making of a Prophet, by clicking here.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel and The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website at www.jenniferleclaire.org.