Stone Speak A symposium on worship, arts and the prophetic,
here and across the pond...

I recently read an interview with author Anne Rice. Anne, known for her Vampire Chronicles series that have been immensely successful in both print and film, came to reaffirm her life to Christ in 2002. Since then, she has spoken a number of times regarding the trend of mediocrity that plagues Christian art. Read this excerpt.

My advice to anyone working with Christian material is, of course, Make it as good as you can make it. Being a Christian is no excuse for making mediocre or sentimental art. We don’t need another mediocre book on any subject. Mel Gibson’s audience revealed that people wanted high production values in a Christian film as well as immense faith and devotion reflected in the film.

We Catholics are blessed with a long vibrant artistic tradition. Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters are still influenced by a Puritan background that causes them to be suspicious of all art. I think we Catholics can offer a new approach, and some risk taking in novels and films.

Excellence has to be the standard. The greatest paintings we have of Christ are indeed great paintings. The greatest music- by Bach, Vivaldi, others- is indeed great music. We novelists must strive to write great novels. It’s insulting to Christians to offer them sentimental, shallow art and think they ought to go for it because it’s Christian. And I do think that is happening in some areas. We can’t let that happen. We need to offer Our Lord all that we can offer Him, and our art should be the very best we can do.

~Anne Rice. 

The preparation, the planning, the anticipation. And when the time came, my life was forever changed. I've heard hundreds of parents attempt to describe what happens in your heart, mind and soul when you see your child for the first time. In short, simple words fall short in communicating what I believe is to be a completely new emotion. As a child, I learned very quickly what it feels like to be happy, angry or sad, but 30 years later, I experienced an emotion that was completely foreign to my thought process. Quickly it consumed me and many things that seemed important before have grown dim in the light of this transformation. My dreams have changed, my goals have changed and my perception of life has changed as I made the journey from husband to father.

The birth of my daughter brought a completely new outlook on my relationship with the Lord and His heart towards His children. My experience as a father has increased my awareness of just how much the Lord loves us. When I spend time with my daughter, I love to just sit there and watch her as she plays. It actually brings me joy to see her sitting there figuring out how her hand can move and or how her voice can make different sounds. With every new discovery, I see her maturing and growing. My wife actually keeps a journal where she records every new thing that we see her do. We have hours of video footage and gigabytes of images that we share with everyone who will give us the time. (Yes, we became some of those parents) Nothing is too minor to document. We celebrate when she learns something new and it tears us up inside when we hear her cry. We want the very best for her and nothing less. This past Christmas was our first Christmas with her and instead of buying gifts for ourselves, we took more joy in showering her with gifts. Even though she is still a little young to understand the process, the pleasure that came from seeing her enjoying her new toys and wrapping paper was priceless. This new experience over the past year has caused me to focus my attention on the Lord with gratitude and thanksgiving. I see the love that God has for us in a whole new light. Instead of experiencing the love of a father from the perspective of a son, I am experiencing the love of a father as a father.

As worshipers of God, it's amazing to think that He loves and values us enough to call us His children. (1 John 3:1) Being a child of God is not something to be taken lightly. It's easy to understand the love that I have for my daughter and how deep that is. Trying to comprehend the love that comes from the Creator of that love is a whole different story. I can't even fathom the intensity of that type of love. I just think of how many pictures I take of my daughter and how much joy I had watching her during Christmas and wonder how much more the Lord enjoys every moment of our lives and how much it must break His heart when we hurt. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much (John 3:16, Psalms 103:13-18) and that He loves to give us gifts. (Matthew 7:11, James 1:17)

As we apply this whole concept of intense love to worship, it forces us to question whether it's even possible to return such a love back to God. The answer is that we don't have to. God simply requires us to receive His mercy and receive Jesus as our personal Savior. As we grow closer to the Lord, that love grows as well, automatically. We begin to experience life in a whole new light as we allow the Holy Spirit to come into our lives. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, the stronger our relationship is with the Lord. Now if you haven't made the connection yet, here's the breakdown. That intense love of the Father is passed down to us through Jesus Christ the Son. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us returns that love back to the Father. You see, it is the Holy Spirit in us that allows us love the Lord so deeply and it is God who has provided us with that love in the first place. It's amazing to think that the God of all the universe has included us in such an awesome process. The only way that I could ever thank Him enough is to surrender my entire life to Him in gratitude as an act of worship toward Him.

The 30 minutes that we get to spend together singing songs of praise to the Lord during the weekend is simply a time that we can all come to together and corporately thank God for His love that we experience every moment of our lives. It's a time of celebration. As we sing of His love, try inviting the Holy Spirit to flow through you as you take part in this ever flowing cycle of the Father's love.


Psalms 103:13-18
Psalms 139:13-14
Isaiah 64:8


Bobby Hardwick

This morning, I went about my routine of getting ready to go to work. After hitting the snooze button something like 4 times, I stumbled out of bed, gathered my clothes from the piles of laundry waiting to be put away, and made my way to warm the van up. As I stepped outside into the crisp zero degree weather, I managed to take in the unusually surreal morning atmosphere. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The landscape was covered with the 6 inches of snow that had fallen a couple of days before and even though the trees were covered with snow, they were still standing tall. The trees were probably what I noticed the most. They looked like they were standing at attention and waiting for direct orders from their commander. As I soaked in this somewhat unusual scene, I knew that if I paid attention, God was about to reveal something major to me.

After making my way to turn the van on, I went back inside to finish getting ready. I turned on the coffee pot and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, brush my hair, and put on the intoxicating aroma of patchouli. (By the way, this is the scent of choice in Heaven!) I poured my coffee into my travel mug and made my way outside to make the 25 minute drive to work. As I stepped outside, there were those trees again. They were still standing at attention awaiting their marching orders. Again, I knew that if I paid attention, God was about to reveal something major to me.

When I got into my van, I turned on my ipod to find something to listen to. Since I didn't have any new podcasts to listen to, I scrolled to the teachings playlist and turned on a message from Mark and Ryan Lawson. This is probably one of my favorite teachings that I have ever heard. No matter how many times I listen to it, I am always fired up to go out and see people saved, healed, and delivered.

This morning was no different. Only this time, I heard something that I hadn't heard yet. As I was listening to the message, I was thinking about those trees. I was about halfway though my drive when there it was. Revelation!

Mark Lawson said, "The church has enough information. It is time we get in formation!" That is exactly what those trees were saying to me. It is time to get in formation! The marching orders have been released. It is time to GO! In Matthew 10:7-8 Jesus said, "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give."

~Manifest Blessings~
Sam

November was unusually windy. Gusts were expected up to 70 miles an hour, not a typical thing you see in the heartland. As we begin this new decade of 2010, I have pondered God’s direction and influence over this season. I try not to miss the subtle breath of God’s voice as He speaks to me. Often I see in nature the change that He is bringing. This time is no different. While journaling November 20th of this past year, the Lord showed me a vision of eagles. In the vision, I saw someone trying to put an eagle in a box, a box too small for the enormous bird to possibly fit. The Lord spoke to me and said,
“The eagle has outgrown the box. It must be released to fly. It is time for eagles to migrate.” Days later, I had another vision of eagles. This time I saw a person, in a military blue jacket, being made ready for ceremony. Behind the blue coat was a gun salute, and eagles were released. The Lord again said,
“This is the season of eagle migration. Many are being suited for new authority this year. Rise above your circumstances and soar. Receive your new marching orders.”
I decided to research a bit on the migration of eagles only to discover that the National Weekend of Eagle Migration began November 20th! I knew God was revealing His direction for the coming season and the new decade we have entered.
Eagles are clearly a symbol of the prophetic, and God wants all who are called to this ministry to know that it is time to soar higher and receive their new assignment. There are many lessons to consider in a time of so much talk about “climate change.” So, here are a few things to consider as you ponder how to get out of the box of the last decade and into the winds of change this new season.

According to Webster, Migration refers to “directed, regular, or systematic movement of a group.”
The thing to remember here is that we must “keep in step with the Spirit.” This systematic, movement of the Spirit requires us to pay close attention to God’s voice. For those in the prophetic, seasonal change comes with us having expectation and partnering with God’s directional shift. We cannot get stuck in ruts, or settle for old forms and patterns. As seasons and times change, we must be sensitive to move with that change. The wind of the Spirit lifts us to new heights and shifts us in new directions, so we cannot get too settled in our ways.

Studies have shown that birds that miss the migration process find themselves displaced and looking for shelter. When we miss the course God has for us, we find ourselves disillusioned by our surroundings. As Graham Cooke says,
“When the opportunity of a lifetime comes, you must move within the lifetime of that opportunity.” Things can pass us by when we do not regularly and systematically wait on the Lord. To stay the course will mean getting before the Lord and abiding in Him. The Lord is our source for knowing where we are going and what we are to be doing. It is the difference in following our own instinct or His will. He alone gives us “wings like eagles to renew our strength” as we follow Him into new territory.

Migration in the Spirit means to embrace new surroundings and take new ground. This becomes particularly difficult if we are bogged down by the circumstances of life. As children of God, we can overcome our circumstances by getting a higher view. We need to trust in the Lord to show us a bigger picture. Many times our focus on the mundane problems of life is what keeps us grounded. Flying at new heights, and moving where God wants to take us, requires risk. This means we have to look with the eyes of our heart. Using your prophetic eyes will help you soar over the mountaintops of your daily concerns and get an eagle’s-eye-view of what is happening in the spirit. Somehow, a breath of fresh spiritual air tends to make the circumstances seem very small. As scripture says, “Look from heaven to earth.” A spiritual perspective changes everything.

Eagles migrate by means of a particular wind known as “thermal wind gradient”. In essence, this is a shift in elevation that establishes the velocity of a jet stream to carry the eagle faster than normal. When an eagle catches this wind, they can soar at amazing speeds. Thermals put eagles on a path that enable them to fly effortlessly, conserving energy. How do we catch this type of wind in the Spirit? We must put ourselves on the path the Lord has placed us. He is the one who elevates us to new heights, showing us a new zenith. When we operate in alignment with His direction and will, acceleration occurs without effort. If the course He has set for us is higher than we have been before, we must catch the updraft of His power in order to reach our destination. We cannot do this in our own strength, nor can we fly alone. Eagles migrate in flocks. Being connected to other eagles, those in the prophetic, brings accountability and confirmation of direction.

This year, as you seek God for the new current of change that is coming in your life, be prepared to move with the Spirit. This will come with a challenge to get the right preparation and training. Consider taking a class or attending a prophetic conference. If you find yourself frustrated about being grounded, ask the Lord to give you an aerial view for your life. The winds of change are here. It is time for the eagles to migrate.
May the Spirit carry you,
Rebecca Holihan



For information on conferences and prophetic classes visit our website:
www.daytonvineyard.com and look under prayer ministry for details.

Just for a moment, I want to encourage you to take a look back and try to remember your favorite corporate worship experience. What was is like? What made it so great? For me, there are so many moments where I knew that I was, without a shadow of a doubt, in the presence of the King. It caused me to question what it was about those moments that were so much different than the rest. Was is because God was not present during the other times? Absolutely not! “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20 NIV) Was it the band? Was it the worship leader? As I recount some of the times that I felt the presence of God the most, I am astonished how many times I use the words “I” or “me”. It has made me come to the reality and conclusion that the basis for which I was forming my opinion on whether or not the worship was good or bad was actually on whether I got anything out of it or not.

How many times have we come into a corporate worship setting with expectations for God to fulfill our needs? We make statements like, “I need a touch from God during worship today” or “worship was great because I could really feel His presence.” Yet, the purpose of gathering to worship God is not really about us and our feelings. It is about Him. I am so thankful that we serve a God who is gracious and compassionate enough to give us gifts of love, joy and mercy when we come to spend time glorifying Him. It’s very easy, though, to confuse the expectation of those gifts with our sacrifice of praise.

I was very encouraged by something I once heard Brian Doerkson say at a worship leader’s conference back in 2005. In reference to songwriting, he challenged writers to focus on the words “we” and “us” and stop using “I” and “me”. That forces the writer to think on a broader scale and what is going on when we come together as one voice and focus our attention on the Lord. The fruit of this is that we, as the congregation, glorify God on a scale of what He is doing in our church, in our city and in our nation instead of what He is doing in my life. After we re-direct our focus off of ourselves as individuals, our eyes are then opened to the greatness and grandness of the Lord. Our worship becomes much more focused on the attributes of God and less about what He is going to do for me that day.

Acts 2:1-4 says, "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance."

Can you imagine this scene? People saying, "Wow, what just happened? That was awesome! I want more of that!" Can you imagine the feelings behind the tongues of fire? The excitement of the people! The passion and drive they must have had to spread that fire to everyone! This is one video that I would love to watch.

I think about the wildfires in California. Once the first spark ignites, the fires burn out of control. As the fires spread, they literally take out hundreds of acres at a time. As they move through an area, they leave that place completely changed. In the same way, when the spark of revival ignites in a believer, there is no end to what can be accomplished.

All through the book of Acts it talks about the apostles constantly being touched by the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit touches them, they are given boldness to preach the good news of Jesus and to move in signs, wonders, and miracles. As the apostles stepped out in this boldness, many people were constantly being added to their numbers.

Is this still possible today? Yes, this is not only possible today, but it was a command of Jesus. In Mark 16:15-18, Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." As we see through the book of Acts, this is what the apostles did, and it became a revival that lasted an entire generation.

I believe that God is ready to release another revival that will last an entire generation. He is looking for people who will say, "Here I am Lord, use me!" He is desperate for people who are desperate for Him. In this place of desperation, God is going to spark the flame of revival, and we must be ready to carry that flame. 

Out of desperation, Acts 1:14 says that, the apostles were "of one mind continually devoting themselves to prayer." The fact that they were of one mind is important to note because it is showing the importance of being unified in vision. This unity of vision is important because one person can start a fire, but it takes a unison of people to spread the fire.

Before Jesus was taken back up into Heaven, He said that the apostles would be baptized with the Holy Spirit, receive power, and were to be His witnesses to the whole world. I believe that the prayers the apostles were devoting themselves to, were focused towards asking Jesus for direction, and for Him to fill them with the boldness and power that He spoke to them about. As the disciples began moving in unity with each other and devoting themselves to seeking God's will, they began moving in this power.

As the apostles began moving in this power and were continually seeking Him, God sparked the flame of revival and the early church was born. There were many signs, wonders, and miracles taking place at this time. I believe that this was due to the fact that in unity they were continuing to seek God's heart. This is what fueled the fire of a revival that lasted an entire generation.

In reflection of the first few years of this revival, and what they were doing to get to this point, Acts 2:42 says that the people "were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." This passage reveals four main points: 1) the apostles' teaching; 2) fellowship; 3) the breaking of bread; and 4) prayer. In my next four posts, I will be addressing these four points in more detail. I believe that these points are crucial to understand and to embrace in these days. I believe that God is going to spark the flame of revival and we need to be ready for this. Like Brian Johnson says, "We are a revival generation!"

New Years Eve, 2009, brought an interesting phenomenon as we ushered in cheers to 2010... A blue moon – the second full moon in the month. This is an unusual occurrence in the study of moon phases and cycles. Not only did we witness a second full moon in the month, but we also experienced a partial lunar eclipse on the same night! No matter what you believe about coincidences, signs, and wonders, this was an amazing astronomical combination of events. In fact, you will not see another blue moon on New Years Eve until 2030. Understanding that Genesis 1:14 states that the luminaries are in the sky for the purpose of “serving as signs for set times,” is key to understanding the prophetic relevance of this season. It is fascinating to ponder that what God has determined as a sign for this New Year, is something that seems to happen only “once in a blue moon.” So, let’s reflect on what might be said from a Biblical perspective of this concluding sign of the decade, and its concurrent effects on the prophetic season we are now in.

The Jewish calendar is organized around the moon cycle. The Jewish belief is that, based on Levitical law, the moon is the chosen measure for God’s calendar and time clock. “The LORD'S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations My appointed times are these...” Leviticus 23:2. Everything related to appointed times and festivals, under Jewish law, are associated with the moon. It is no wonder that eclipses, meteor showers, and other sky phenomena were considered as “take note” observations. Unlike western thinking, the Jewish culture saw all of God’s signs as purposeful for coming events and metaphorical illumination into our future. According to many rabbis, “Jewish time is basically lunar, linked to the moon's monthly rise and fall. Like the moon, we experience times of decline, even moments of obliterating darkness, only to rise again to luminescent fullness. We live our lives with the moon because we wish to harness the distinct qualities of lunar energy: its courage and creativity, its capacity for renaissance and rebirth.” One thing to reflect on when looking at the signs in the sky, is that God does everything with order and purpose. As Rabbi Arnie Gotfryd states,
”Abraham understood a most basic principle of human logic, that everything that happens, happens for a reason. The very fact that solar and lunar sizes and motions are coordinated is itself a something, albeit an abstract something, which requires an explanation. The sun and moon should be viewed as an orderly system with a suitable cause.”
When you consider the blue moon and the partial lunar eclipse of 2009, here are some “suitable causes” to consider when contemplating the prophetic beginnings of a new decade…

We know that the earth is covered with darkness and that darkness covers the people according to Isaiah 60. Yet as the darkness passes like an eclipse, God’s light will shine. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
Isaiah 60:1-3

In this season, God will show us that even though the darkness surrounds us, and many things in this world eclipse us, we will triumphantly shine because of His light. This year is a time of rising above the circumstances of darkness, to rise above evil, and reflect His light. We will become God’s luminaries in a dark world, if we will simply rise above the standard of the world. This will require us to set a standard of righteousness. In this time, we must choose light over the darkness that pervades the world. According to to Chassidic Masters,
“But not always are the advantages of good perceivable. There are times when ‘darkness covers the earth and a fog envelops the nations,’ when a world gone amok eclipses the vitality of good and the goodness of life. When ‘the way of the wicked prospers’ while the righteous suffer. When our sensitivity to the spiritual rewards of fulfilling the divine will is deadened. Such conditions serve to elevate our choice of good to a higher -- and freer -- level: no longer is our commitment to the Almighty advantageous in any perceivable way; no longer is it compelled by our reason and by our perception of reality. When we choose good under such conditions, it is a pure choice: beyond motive, beyond rationale, beyond anything save our blind faith in God and the fact that we have cast our lot with the fulfillment of His will.”
Just as the moon receives its light from the sun; we also have Jesus as our source for receiving light to reflect His glory in a dark world. We cannot do this in our own strength. As the moon has no real light of its own, we have no real light apart from God.
"For you light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness." Psalm 18:28
And...
"In Your light we see light." Psalm 36:9

A partial eclipse implies a short period of time. A blue moon implies an opportunity that doesn’t come often. When you decide the path you will be on this next season, do not hesitate to choose what may only come once in a lifetime. Carefully choose that which will produce fruitfulness. This is a season of opportunity that will require discernment and wisdom, taking the next step of faith while destiny is in front of you. This new season will come with a great outpouring of God’s spirit. Decide how you will eclipse the old of the last decade to receive the Lord’s good riches in this New Year. Make room for God’s goodness “according to His riches in glory.”
Phil. 4:19

This new decade is filled with shaking and shifting. Within a couple of years, astronomical events will accelerate. As in the natural, much shaking will occur in the spiritual dimension of our lives as well. It is imperative that we move with the Spirit to be established in God’s word, and prepare for the turbulent times ahead. We do not need to live in fear, but we do need to be sober about the future. As darkness eclipses the nations and the world around us, we must set a trajectory course that moves us in the opposite direction of world affairs and establish ourselves as the true luminaries of God’s kingdom.
As a prophetic people we are called to see as the tribe of Issachar...
“... Understanding the times and season and knowledge of what to do.”
1 Chronicles 12:32
As we crossover, eclipsing the old decade, let us seek with diligence the light of God’s presence, piercing the darkness, and being the change the world needs. We are living in an appointed time, which means we are living in the opportunity of a lifetime. Eclipse the old. This comes once in a blue moon.
Cheers,
Rebecca Holihan