Beloved Intercessor,
Loving greetings from Engeltal! The heavenly angels in the earth angels are very busy right now getting ready for Convention! The painting project that we started over a year ago on our house called Saint John’s is finally getting finished! We are so grateful for all who have come along side to help us in these last days before convention! Others will be coming over the next couple of weeks to lend their hands as well. We’ve had plenty of rain lately, so the grounds are lush and green. It’s so beautiful!
We hope that you will be joining us for the Global Outpouring Convention 2023 (July 4-7) in person, if possible! The rooms here in Engeltal are filling up. We have already run out of couples rooms, but we still have some space in the dormitories. You can click on this link to find out more details and register. There are plenty of motels, cabins, and bed and breakfast places in the area for you to stay as well. The Convention is being held in the Glory Tabernacle on top of the mountain, so if you stay outside of Engeltal, you won’t have to drive down our steep road! If it’s impossible for you to get here, you can participate via our YouTube channel or our Facebook page.
If you have been listening to our podcasts lately, you have been getting a preview of the messages that our speakers are going to be bringing. In case you haven’t been able to catch them, here are some links:
Episode 162: God Wants to Shatter Our Boxes with Etienne Blom
Episode 163: “Take Courage to Walk in Your Unique Destiny with God!” with Rona Spiropoulos
Episode 164: “How to Catch Up When You’re Spiritually Behind” with Pastor Tony Kemp
Claren McQueen‘s podcast will be up on Tuesday, so you can be looking for it. I can hardly wait for his message and all the others! We will send out an email to all those who are on the General Information email list. If you are not receiving those notifications, please email office@GlobalOutpouring.org and request to be added to that list.
Tribulations in the World: Most of us lean heavily on the promises in the Word of God, but there is one scriptural promise that might make us shudder a bit. When Jesus was giving His final instructions to His disciples in the “Upper Room Discourse” (John chapters 14 through 17), He gave us many encouraging words to live by. The last verse of chapter 16 explains that all of these wonderful things He had just said about abiding in Him, going to prepare a place for us, power of the Holy Spirit coming, etc., were to give us peace. But then He promises us suffering and tribulation!
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 KJV). Normally, you would think that He would say, “Don’t be afraid!” But He said to “be of good cheer!”
I like the way the Amplified translation puts it: “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world. [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]”
And the Passion Translation gives us another angle: “And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in Me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in Me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!”” John 16:33 TPT. When He lives inside of you, you must realize that the authority of His overcoming also abides in you!
The Book of Acts on Steroids: When the Lord gave us our new name, Global Outpouring, He spoke to me that the move of God that was coming in this great Outpouring would be like “the book of Acts on steroids!” And of course, when you hear that, you immediately think of all of the wonderful miracles that came with that first outpouring on the day of Pentecost. But it also included great persecution and great boldness that came upon the believers in that time. They were filled with Holy Spirit inspired courage!
The Greek word in this passage that is translated, “tribulation” is Thlipsis (Strong’s #2347).
Outline of Biblical Usage:
1 a pressing, pressing together, pressure
2 metaph. oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, strait
Strong’s Definitions: …. pressure (literally or figuratively):—afflicted(-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble
This same word is used in Romans 5:1-5. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” So we can see that God has a purpose and a process in our lives to develop His character in us, and it starts with pressure, trouble, persecution, anguish, etc.!
One Blow after Another: I’m aware of a number of saints who have been taking one hit after another after another as they have labored to remain faithful to the Lord, to His purposes for their life, and to their stand in the Word of God. It can seem very difficult to be of good cheer and not to lose heart when you’re under such a continuous attack. But the tribulation does a good work in us, forming the character of Christ in us as we press into the great grace that is available to us.
I am reminded of the testimony that Peter Snyder tells of a pastor in China who was in tribulation and suffering for preaching the Gospel. After enduring multiple imprisonments, abuse, and torture, at one point, while his captors were kicking him relentlessly, he began to laugh. They angrily shouted at him, “Why are you laughing?“
His reply while laughing was, “I don’t know. I’m just so happy!“
Beloved, there is great grace available to us so that no matter what is going on among the workers of iniquity, we can have peace, we can have joy, and we can have courage because we are surrounded by the Presence of God and His mighty holy angels. He won’t allow more than we can handle as we rest in Him. If we don’t rest in Him, it can seem unbearable, so take it all from His hand as a gift to make you strong.
While pondering about these friends who had been enduring so much, the Lord showed me a vision of a piece of iron being turned into a sword. That process requires the iron to be put in the fire, and then to be beaten relentlessly with a sledgehammer on an anvil. As the iron cools, it has to be put back into the fire to be heated again before it is beaten relentlessly again. This process is repeated until it finally has its shape, then it is plunged into a bath of oil to cool it and temper it to make it strong and flexible. Then it is put on the grinder and sparks will fly to give it a sharp edge to be prepared for battle.
I felt that the Lord was showing me what He is doing in His people to sharpen us so He can use us to do great damage to the darkness. Even as the book of Revelation pictures Jesus with a two-edged sword coming out of His mouth, He is teaching us to respond to the situations of life with His Word that has been sharpened in us by reason of use! He’s teaching us to respond with praise no matter what the situation looks like.
Praise Is a Weapon: Think about the history that is told in 2 Chronicles 20 when King Jehoshaphat received word that three armies were on their way to do battle with Judah to take possession of their land. He called the nation to prayer and fasting, and stood in the Temple to call out to the God of his fathers. When he declared his confidence and trust in our Father, the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the prophets to tell them not to be afraid or dismayed. He told them that the battle was not theirs, but His! He responds to our trust and needy cry!
Jehoshaphat received this encouragement with worship, and the Levites responded with praise! They set out the next day sending the singers ahead of the army declaring, “Praise and give thanks to Yehovah, for His lovingkindness, His faithful, steadfast love and devotion endures forever!” As they praised and declared their confidence in God, He ambushed the three armies and caused them to fight one another. They slaughtered each other completely, leaving Judah the spoils. Again they responded by going to the Temple with praise and thanksgiving to the God of their Salvation!
When You Are in the Fire: Whenever you find yourself being heated up in the fire, recognize that it’s to make you malleable and able to change in areas that had previously been hard and inflexible! Whenever you find yourself being battered by circumstances on every side, recognize that it is to shape you into an instrument that He can use! When you find yourself being plunged into a totally opposite environment, recognize that it is to temper you, to make you strong and flexible! Whenever you find yourself on the grinder with sparks flying, recognize that it is for the purpose of making you sharp! In each of these circumstances, as you anchor your soul in your Father’s love, see yourself in Psalm 149: “Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song! Praise him in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel rejoice in their Creator! Let the people of Zion delight in their king! Let them praise his name with dancing! Let them sing praises to him to the accompaniment of the tambourine and harp! For the LORD takes delight in his people; he exalts the oppressed by delivering them. Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication! Let them shout for joy upon their beds! May they praise God while they hold a two-edged sword in their hand, in order to take revenge on the nations, and punish foreigners. They bind their kings in chains, and their nobles in iron shackles, and execute the judgment to which their enemies have been sentenced. All his loyal followers will be vindicated. Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 149:1-9 NET)
Generation Awakening—Youth and Young Adults Retreat: If you are or know someone age 15-30 who is hungry for God, come to Engeltal August 9-12. This is a marvelous opportunity to connect, make new friends, have a spiritual reality check, recharge and reignite with truth before returning to school. The cost is $75 and you can bring a friend for $25. Check it out on our website and register.
School of the Supernatural—Translation by Faith, September 4-9, 2023: Bruce and Reshma Allen, and Michael and Gordana Van Vlymen will be with us once again to bring a very clear, scripture-based teaching about some of the supernatural signs, wonders, and miracles that we should be expecting as we yield ourselves fully to the Lord in loving obedience to Him. Come for this school and learn! The cost is $550, which includes tuition for six days of classes, seven nights’ accommodations, and all your meals. Registration is ready for you. Click here for more information.
We are deeply grateful to all who have heard and obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit to pray and help us pay our bills. We are still having to charge up the credit cards to make the repairs and renovations, but we continue to trust that the Lord will speak to His people and they will joyfully obey Him. Thank you for your prayers as we obey Him with hearts of love and courage!
Your handmaiden and servant,
Sharon and Philip