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"Atheist Has Conversion Experience, Becomes
a Believer During the UK Reality TV Series The Monastery"
May 9, 2005
Five men, including an atheist in
the adult entertainment trade, who participated in the UK Television reality series
The Monastery have had significant experiences that seem to have transformed
their lives.
 According
to the report in the London Telegraph, the five lent themselves to an experiment
in "spiritual makeover," living with Catholic monks in Worth Abbey, West Sussex,
for 40 days and 40 nights. The program, which aired on the BBC this month, was designed
to reveal whether or not the monastic tradition still has relevance in the modern
world.
The participants faced the challenge of communal living, and followed a strict regimen
of prayer and work. At the end of the time, confessed Atheist Tony Burke became
a Believer after what he described as a "religious experience" . . .
by Aimee Herd, Davin Dahlgren reporting
: May 9, 2005 : London Telegraph
Read Full Story . . .
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/
articles/display_art.html?ID=673
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May 9, 2005
"Present
Day Signs and Wonders"
by Paul Keith Davis
White Dove Ministries
www.WhiteDoveMinistries.org
 A.
W. Tozer said it best in the title of his classic book, The Pursuit of God.
The ultimate adventure for this generation is the pursuit of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There can be no greater endeavor than to know Him as personally as He may be known.
The Scripture promises, if we draw near to Him . . . He will draw near to us.
That is the "one thing" that characterized King David's life and the hungry heart
he possessed. David loved the Lord's presence more that anything else; for that
the Lord loved and trusted him. Devotion to be identified as God's "friend" is our
most noble pilgrimage. (See John 15:15)
Even so, we are also given clear and concise biblical affirmations of the functioning
of His victorious Church. There is a mandate placed upon the latter-day Church to
gather the harvest and awaken a misguided generation to its righteous destiny.
To accomplish this, we must be endowed with Heaven's virtue and empowered with the
overcoming victory of the Lord's redemptive work. There is a clear revelation of
Jesus Christ and His word that is validated with biblical confirmations. The Lord's
example and demonstration of mighty works are necessary for this inevitable responsibility
and, as He promised, even greater works. (See John 14:12)
The gospel of the Kingdom is the power of God leading to salvation. This gospel
does not merely consist in words but also in God's sovereign power. The ministry
of signs and wonders does not diminish the supernatural nature of God's written
word; it only confirms it.
God's revealed word is plainly established by the Holy Spirit's endorsement. He
demonstrates approval or affirmation through signs, wonders, and manifestations
of the Spirit.
According to the writer of Hebrews, the Lord's Spirit works with His people by,
" . . . testifying
with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the
Holy Spirit according to His own will." Hebrews 2:4 NASB
God's power and witness is fundamentally
necessary for us to accomplish Heaven's blueprint. We simply do not possess the
ability within ourselves to accomplish God's ultimate plan. We need God and the
embodiment of His Spirit that provides power.
Even so, as wonderful and necessary as incredible displays of the Spirit are, we
cannot allow that to supersede our quest to know Him as the Living Word.
A Word of Wisdom
John G. Lake was a man used powerfully as a missionary to South Africa and healing
evangelist throughout America. History now documents wonderful miracles and spiritual
wonders that the Lord achieved through this humble servant. Nevertheless, in 1925
he discerned that his generation "missed the mark" by being more captured by the
phenomena of God than the Person. The same was true in the days of Moses when he
said,
"You have
seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and
all his servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those
great signs and wonders. Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know,
nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear." Deuteronomy 29:2-4 NASB
Consequently, there must be a balance
in our personal endeavor to know the Lord and our mandate to win this generation
through the Spirit's demonstration of power. Through fellowship with Him our spiritual
senses become keenly sensitive to His voice and the message being confirmed through
signs and wonders. These prerogatives must be maintained in the proper biblical
order.
The Original Model
The ministry of the early church was profound on many levels. By natural standards,
the credentials of the individuals utilized were not impressive. For the most part,
their personal abilities left them unqualified for their pioneering assignment.
Even so, they received an impartation from God that validated their mission and
facilitated the revelation of God's Kingdom. They believed God and trusted not in
their own strength, but in His.
The Bible plainly outlines the many signs and miraculous wonders that accompanied
the early Church in their task. The Scripture tells us that reverential awe fell
upon many as miraculous wonders took place. People were added to the Church daily
and God's name was notably glorified.
These are the same results we need today. Our task is no less important nor difficult
than the one given to the early Apostolic Church. In fact, in many ways ours is
even more intense. Therefore, we need all that the early church had and in multiplied
fashion.
The early disciples preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and ministered to people's
spirit, soul, and body. They did not "shrink from declaring the whole purpose of
God."
Furthermore, in the midst of persecution and an unbelieving generation, their message
was confirmed with the Holy Spirit's power imparted to them on the Day of Pentecost.
It was their prayer that the Lord would,
" . . . grant
to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching
out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of
Your holy Servant Jesus." Acts 4:29,30 NKJV
God's power is a witness to the gospel.
That is why the early Church passionately prayed to be empowered with signs and
wonders as an instrument to convey the good news of the Kingdom and win the lost.
A 20th Century Token
In each expression of spiritual outpouring throughout church history, God's Presence
was authenticated with various expressions of His Spirit. During the early 20th
century, Maria Woodworth-Etter's ministry was characterized by wonderful manifestations
of spiritual signs and miraculous wonders like the early apostolic believers.
Marvelous displays of healing and deliverance were prevalent in her meetings. Additionally,
it was not uncommon for many people to "fall under the power" and remain in that
condition for many days. The Bible promised to "bear witness" to the Kingdom message
with divers and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. (See Hebrews 2:4)
Oftentimes doctors would examine the people while in this condition to determine
their heart rate and other vital statistics. In each case it was reported that every
individual was in a perfectly healthy state. They were overshadowed with God's Spirit
and prostrate before God without food, water, or movement. It was reported that,
in some cases, people remained in this condition for as long as seven days. This
was confirmed by both the secular and Christian media.
Tremendous testimonies of healing, deliverance, and divine commissions were reported
following the encounters. It was well documented that, while experiencing these
signs and wonders, many people would be commissioned to foreign lands and come out
of the experience able to fluently speak the language of the nation to which they
were sent.
Furthermore, many accounts report
the spirit of conviction that accompanied these manifestations to such an extent
that the most hardened characters melted into weeping repentance.
This was a token of the heritage of God's people and the empowerment of His presence
essential in the fulfillment of our latter-day mandate.
A Present Sign and Wonder
There presently exists an elevated atmosphere of anticipation and encouragement
for this generation to experience profound expressions of God's power. We are promised
a visitation of God's presence to awaken the Church to her end-time responsibility
and influence. We are now beginning to see more evidence of this in the Western
Church.
This past February David and Donna Kelly hosted a conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Wanda and I joined Rick Joyner, James Goll, and Patricia King as the speakers. In
it the Lord granted a wonderful affirmation. It was indeed a sign and a wonder that
has generated fruitful results and mobilized faith in countless believers.
The theme of the conference was "Engaging Heaven." It has been the quest of many
individuals and fellowships to be awakened with acute spiritual eyes and ears that
provide hearts of understanding and cooperation with Heaven. God's strategic plan
is unfolding at an escalated pace. During the conference, the Lord's Spirit provided
specific endorsement to the importance of this theme and its current relevance.
According to Proverbs 29:18, where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained
and perish. This Hebrew phrase conveys the necessity for the spirit of revelation
to exist in God's people for there to be advancement. The word used for "vision"
implies "open vision" communicating God's heart and strategic design. Revelation
provides spiritual eyes that see and ears that hear, thereby facilitating hearts
with comprehension.
On the first evening of the conference, the host pastors, along with numerous other
workers, friends, and technicians visibly saw and spoke with an individual that
they have known for years. This brother is an itinerant minister from Nashville
who had planned to attend the conference. Several people spoke with him on the opening
evening of the conference. Most said that his short response was merely a word of
blessing. The interesting thing is, though this conference was in Cincinnati, Ohio,
this brother was in Nashville, TN, at the time these appearances occurred.
An Extraordinary Appearance
Weeks before the conference, the Kelly's leadership team and intercessory base felt
compelled to initiate a 40-day fast leading up to the conference. There seemed to
be a weightiness associated with Heaven's mandate for the gathering.
The Holy Spirit encouraged them by releasing a prophetic word expressing His desire
to deeply impact the attendees and the region's spiritual atmosphere. Current prophetic
messages of hope and destiny provide encouragement to leadership and the Lord's
body. The battles have been long and wearisome. The Lord is granting wonderful tokens
of confidence to position us for our spiritual release.
The decreed fast ended on February 16 and the conference began on Thursday, February
17. During the opening evening, someone with the identical appearance of the brother
from Nashville was clearly seen in the balcony. The host pastors acknowledged his
presence during the opening session prompting others in the balcony to embrace and
greet him. The people at the registration desk had actually assisted him with his
name badge and conference information.
The following morning, February 18, this brother came to the meetings but disclosed
that he had departed Nashville at 2 AM in order to arrive in time for the morning
session. Naturally, the Kelly's attempted to correct that and acknowledged that
he was actually in the service the previous evening. He had been publicly acknowledged
and greeted by many friends.
Surprised at their insistence, he adamantly denied being in the service the previous
evening. He had actually been in a fellowship gathering in Nashville with other
believers until 11 PM. This fact has been confirmed and documented by witnesses.
It was then that the Kelly's realized that something extraordinary had occurred.
A Heavenly messenger had been sent as a sign and witness to the truth imparted from
God's word.
Fruitful Results
Naturally, these unusual signs and wonders do not occur needlessly. There must be
some fruit or affirmation that is generated that advances God's kingdom. The Lord
very often allows manifestations of His Spirit with signs and wonders as:
1. A witness to the messages presented and their present emphasis
2. An encouragement to the faith of His people
3. Mobilization of His body into His plan and into their destiny
4. Spiritual Awakening to the lost and lukewarm
That is the fruit of the sign and wonder from Cincinnati.
Numerous witnesses have been interviewed on tape verifying their encounter with
the messenger from God who took on the appearance of this brother as an affirmation
of the spiritual realities being imparted during the conference. There has been
a great surge of faith birthed in God's people as a result of this sign.
(More information and documentation on this occurrence can be obtained from David
and Donna Kelly -- www.passionandfire.org)
Entertaining Angels
This was quite an unusual occurrence, but one that has been extensively scrutinized
and validated. The Bible provides the only source of genuine affirmation of such
an encounter. The Scripture admonishes us to,
"Let love of the
brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this
some have entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:1,2 NASB
The Bible records countless instances
of angelic appearances that marked seasons of transition and advancement. This is
especially true in the early Apostolic Church. There is an essential cooperation
between Heaven and earth.
We discover in the Gospel of Luke the Lord Jesus walking along the road to Emmaus
in "another form." The two disciples did not recognize Him until He came into their
home and broke bread before them. (See Luke 24)
We also notice in the book of Acts the supernatural deliverance of Peter from jail.
As he came to the home of the disciples, the young girl who opened the door was
startled to see what she perceived was Peter. Upon reporting this to the other disciples
they responded that it must have been his angel. This clearly implies that there
must have been spiritual messengers working with them who took the form and appearance
of the disciples.
This gospel of the Kingdom was first declared by the Lord and evidenced by the Holy
Spirit and endorsed by God. He showed His approval of the gospel of power through
signs and wonders and miraculous manifestations of the heavenly realm. Angelic appearances
and supernatural signs awaken people from apathy and lethargy and reignite hearts
that have grown cold or lukewarm to this reality.
God's Motivation
It is not our intent to overly emphasize signs and wonders but the messages they
convey. There must also be a genuine fruitfulness that comes from the manifestation
of the Spirit.
To more fully understand our mission and function on earth, we must also comprehend
God's motivation. Our Heavenly Father's desire is to display His glory and bring
to His Son the full measure of His reward. This is accomplished through the preaching
of His word and the testimony of His power.
When our motivations are firmly planted in the Lord's heart, then we are biblically
justified when we long to see manifestations of His Spirit that glorify His name
and convey salvation to the lost. The book of Acts alone records as many as 17 instances
of conversions birthed out of supernatural encounters.
Ultimately, our highest purpose in existence is to delight in God and display the
essence of who He is to a needy generation. We simply cannot accomplish this mandate
in our own strength. We need His empowering Presence and the vindication of His
Spirit.
by Paul Keith Davis
White Dove Ministries
www.WhiteDoveMinistries.org
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Paul Keith Davis' Upcoming Itinerary:
May 12-15 2005
"Run to The Battle"
with Bobby Conner, Hosted by Tom Zawacki
Desert Rock Fellowship, 1916 Jadwin Ave, Richland, WA
Contact: Tri-Cities Vineyard
(509) 582-9923 or tricitiesvineyard.org
May 25-29, 2005
Redmond, OR Conference
Will begin at New Life Bible Church in Harrisburg with Pastors Brad and Jennifer
Nueshwander and will conclude at Amazing Grace
Bible Fellowship.
Contact: Amazing Grace Ministries
(541) 548-1772
For more information, email agbf@agbf.org
June 2-4, 2005
WATER-FALLS 2005 - "Spirit Water for the Dehydrated"
with Bobby Conner, Larry Randolph, and Paulette Polo; Hosted by Mantle of Power
Ministries
Harvest Training Center, 69 Myrtle Street, Cranford, NJ 07016
(732) 283-5440
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"Paul
Keith's glimpses into the treasure rooms of Heaven are fascinating and powerful
. . . " - John Paul Jackson
"Your
heart will be captured and inspired by the revelatory dimensions of this
marvelous and exciting book . . . " - Bobby Conner
"We
are also pleased to announce that the book the Lord commissioned us to write is
now complete and available. We sincerely pray the Lord will use it to open fresh
dimensions of His Presence and power to the hungry and desperate believer. He
promised to satisfy those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and intimacy
with Him. As important as winning the lost and healing the sick clearly is,
there is an even greater mandate being imparted to this generation. That is to
know Him as intimately and personally as He may be known and live in that place
of fellowship. How can we fully be His representation on the earth if we are not
intimately acquainted with Him and His heart for our generation?" - Paul
Keith Davis 
"God
is about to raise the bar on revelatory ministry. Just as He did by making sure
that none of Samuel's words went unfulfilled, an acceleration in the prophetic
community is about to occur. 
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