Jeremiah 23:28 - 32 (NKJV) 28 “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD. 29 “Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who steal My words every one from his neighbor. 31Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’ 32Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the LORD, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,” says the LORD.
Brothers and sisters, please bear with me in this careful introduction. I like many of you attended the Revival Conference with members of my family that included a son and two daughters, a son-in-law, and a niece, and the latest edition to the family, of 1 year and 3 months who spent more time than mom and dad wanted him to, out in the foyer. I was impressed with the humility and sincerity of the speakers and the moderators. I rejoiced in the hungry and thirsty expressions of repentance by those attending. As one of the post by one of the moderators crsschk stated, I basked in the unity of believers sitting at the feet of Jesus Christ from all the different doctrinal backgrounds and ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well. And although I have never posted on SI, I have been reading from and downloading from this site now for over 2 years. I have read many of the threads on various subjects. I have been in ministry for a number of years now and in a denomination that has long ago left me and my church among others in our denomination. What was birthed in a sincere desire to return to Biblical holiness, and let the New Testament be the only rule for government and discipline brought about a very powerful ingathering of souls for several decades, but wolves entered among the sheep, heresies crept in, emphasis upon gifts (just as dear Keith Daniel has often preached as well as the late dear Leonard Ravenhill also) led to the loss of the fruits of the Spirit, and the power with God and man fell by the wayside. There were no doubt many things that were promised to God in covenant that were not necessary, but then it was not as much the “things” as the love for Christ that prompted such covenants that kept the church for a good while victorious, just as those covenants made by Israel.
Along the way there has been great prophetic preaching, and no doubt God has given revelations and insights to men. Unfortunately, along with those revelations there have been many spurious “insights”,”revelations”, and “prophetic words”. The “prosperity” gospel is just one of many. On the other hand, there does not have to be a revelation to thoroughly refute that and many other spurious and heretical doctrines, but the simple, clearly, and contextually preached Word of God.
The refreshing thing in the Revival Conference was the fact that even though there were fresh insights from the Word of God, almost every one of the speakers spoke with very a very clear exposition of the Word of God. Their messages from the Word of God served to us what was clearly implied in the very texts they chose to exposit. And there is no doubt that their messages hit the target.
And there is no doubt that the last night of the conference, Brother Keith Daniel, as he so often does, used almost nothing but the Word of God, making his exposition from the Word of God, by the Word of God, the most offensive to some who prefer more milk and less meat, and smooth things to clearly enunciating the sins of this hour.
That brings me around to the caution that I felt compelled to add to this thread that has been expressed by Jim, among others. Our Brother Conlin expressed his desire that this message be disseminated quickly and widely among the churches, “to the returning Bride”, “God still loves you” among the rest. He stated that it was while he was still in Ohio that his concern came to him about the “angry watchmen” which is not a phrase I find anywhere in the scriptures. My dear brothers and sisters, an exposition from the Song of Solomon with very few supporting scriptures and very little supporting evidence other than a dream, regardless of how much we may respect the integrity and sincerity and love for the body of Christ, right on the heels of a move of God and the overwhelmingly unified consensus among the other speakers at the Conference calling for brokenness and repentance and contrition, with an abundance of scriptural support for such a call, I find somewhat disturbing. And what I also found disturbing was the fact that many of those who have written in this thread said that they had to hear the message again to see if they understood exactly what he was saying.
1 Corinthians 14:8 (NKJV) 8For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
The third thing I found very disturbing about this message is the fact that a general accusation of the sort made in this message, leaves a whole host of good men of God under the smear of such an accusation without any proof whatsoever of the charges against them.
The fourth thing that disturbs me is instead of bringing clarity and giving more impetus to the good work begun in Ohio, this message that he wants distributed far and wide could bring a cloud, and that cloud unfortunately, as was expressed by one of the writers on this forum, instead of inspiring more seeking of God and rejoicing in the fact that there has been raised up such a remnant to seek him, could dampen that fervor, like David’s crying over Absalom.
I agree that the Word clearly teaches,
James 1:20 (NKJV) 20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
But that does not in any way diminish the need for deep soul searching repentance and healthy fear of the Judgment Seat of Christ by a church that has been fed too much already of “God loves you”, which is so abundantly obvious by the cross. To the sincerely hungry heart like that of the Syro-Phonecian woman “every bitter thing is sweet” (see Proverbs 27:7).
The fifth thing that disturbs me is the timing of this message, for all the reasons stated above.
I certainly have not added my voice to this forum to offend in any way and realize that I have never written before and may be misunderstood, but I felt compelled to express a sincere caution regarding dissemination of this message far and wide because there is very much area for confusion at a time when we need clarity.
