"The BATTLE PLAN" - Andrew Strom
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-by Andrew Strom.
We know from God's dealings with men down the ages that there
is a time to 'wait' and a time to GO. There is a time to sit still
before the Lord and a time for MOBILISATION. Many of us have
been sensing a "change of seasons" for some time. We are
entering a battle-zone for the hearts and minds of the church and
the world. Our footsteps hasten to the sound of war.
I think we know each other well enough by now to speak
plainly and honestly about the days that lie ahead. I have been
running this List for years and I am well aware of the kinds of
people who are on here. Many are the kind that I have the most
affinity with in the world. -The kind who cry and anguish over the
state of today's church, and who find it almost unbearable trying
to fit in with today's "Christianity as usual". The kind who believe
in a different type of Body than any they have ever seen - but who
know not where to find it. -The kind who wander like strangers and
pilgrims in the earth, waiting, waiting, waiting for the 'Real thing'
to be birthed. -The kind who pray with groanings and tears for the
Bride to AWAKEN and put on strength, that the world may
KNOW the glory of God.
We have many 'cave-dwellers' and wilderness-dwellers on this
List. We have many "underground prophets". We have many
people who go to church - and even lead in the church - and
yet their heart is always yearning for the missing glory - a glory
they have never yet seen.
So are we in the hour of mobilisation? Are we in the days of
the "Gideon's 300" and of David's 'mighty men' fighting out
of the cave of Adullam? Is this indeed the hour for war?
Before the 'John the Baptist' Conference my answer probably
would have been "no". But after what I saw and sensed over the
weekend I have to tell you that my answer has become "yes".
"Behold, I will do a NEW THING; Now it shall SPRING FORTH.
Shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the WILDERNESS,
and RIVERS IN THE DESERT" (Isaiah 43:19).
After much prayer and pondering, I believe that our response to
this should be two-fold. And it should be very simple:
(1) We need to connect with each other regionally so that we
can pray and fellowship and RAISE OUR VOICE AS ONE in all
parts of this nation.
(2) It is the 'WORD' that will do the work, and all we have to
do is get that word heard LOUDLY - first by the church and then
by the world. Everything else will follow. (What do I mean by the
'word'? -Further explanation is below):
When I was at the Conference, God led me to lay out FOUR
BASIC ESSENTIALS that we need to stand for:
We stand for:
(1) Repentance
(2) The WHOLE Gospel
(3) A return to "BOOK-OF-ACTS" type Christianity
(4) We will gladly GIVE OUR LIVES for these things.
-This is what the 'word' is all about. It is primarily a word of
REPENTANCE and RESTORATION aimed at the church. These
are the four things that we need to agree on before we can move
forward. At the Conference, everyone was almost unanimous in
agreeing to these four things.
So am I talking about a "MOVEMENT" here? Yes I am. You
need to know, and be in no doubt at all, that what I am talking
about in this email is a nationwide MOVEMENT. You can call
it whatever you like. The 'John the Baptist' movement? -Whatever.
None of that really matters. What matters is that it is all about
getting the 'WORD' to the church and letting that word bring
real transformation and change.
We are not talking about starting a 'denomination' or a church. We
are not talking about some new "system". We are talking about
(1) Simply bringing like-minded people together, and (2) Bringing
the WORD to the CHURCH. (-Largely a word of REPENTANCE).
So what do we do in practical terms?
(1) As I said, I need to find a way of connecting the people on this
List who live in the same region. (-Obviously only those who want
to participate will be put in touch with each other). I am working on
this, and I will let you know.
(2) We need to have groups formed in the cities of America and
we need to hold a "JOHN THE BAPTIST" CONFERENCE in
these places. What this does is gather many of the like-minded
people from that region, thus enabling us all to connect. There
is no unity or strength in being completely 'scattered' everywhere
like we are now. That is not God's idea of "Body". Too many of
us are alone and vulnerable and "unconnected". The Conferences
are one-off events, but the groups that are formed will continue
to meet and pray together, and to represent this 'word' in their city.
(3) These groups must never meet on Sunday morning. They
are not a "church". But they certainly are a gathering-place.
I believe many of these meetings will be PRAYER-oriented with
'open-mic' sharing times, etc. -Truly open for the Holy Spirit to
move. We will need godly co-ordinators in each place to help
run these meetings, and also to set up the Conferences.
What is a "Conference"? It is simply a gathering of people
for ministry and preaching. Nothing more than that. Remember,
it is the local people who will be continuing this whole thing
after the Conference is over. They are the ones who will be
RAISING THEIR VOICE in their area. The Conference is just a
simple way of getting everything jump-started. (-Maybe once a year?)
The end result will be regional 'John-the-Baptist' type fellowships
all over the nation. -All preaching and impacting the CHURCH
where they are.
I have already spoken to James Smith and David Kirkwood
about all this. Both of these men carry a message that I believe
is essential to such a movement in this hour. David carries a
word on the Poor and our use of Money that is just pivotal and
urgent in the West right now, and James carries a word on
'Revolution' in the church. My own specialist area is probably
the "WHOLE GOSPEL" - teaching people how to walk in
"Romans 8" Christianity - how to truly experience 'FULL
SALVATION'. -You would be surprised at the impact of a
message like that, even at this Conference. -So that is my
main contribution.
As I said, some of the preaching at this recent Conference was
at a different level from anything I have been involved with before.
And I guess it has to be, if we are going to see anything like a
real 'breakthrough' in this nation.
All three of us have agreed to hold further "John-the-Baptist"
Conferences around America - to see these regional fellowships
raised up all over.
Friends, the above is a simple outline of the only Battle Plan
that I feel God has given me. It is not complicated. But it does
serve to GATHER THE PEOPLE and to GET THE WORD OUT.
And that is all I believe it is meant to do.
Please take this to God in prayer and see if He would have you
become a part of it. Personally I am suddenly very excited about
what God wants to do this year. It feels like the right time to me.
And so many at the Conference were saying the same. (-Which
caught me by surprise).
This has to be a year when a "clear trumpet sound" goes forth.
The church must be called to Repentance. The days are short.
So are we truly willing to 'set the trumpet to our mouth'?
Obviously there will be further talk about all this over the next few
weeks. Please keep the whole thing bathed in prayer, my friends?
God bless you all.
Kindest regards in Christ,
Andrew Strom.