Six-Week Course - Discovering Prophetic Revelation and Deep Secrets in God's Word

 

I am teaching a six-week course for Eagles International Training Institute. 

Wednesday evenings: May 1st to June 5th @ 7 PM (Cst)

This course is designed to train you to find revelation and secrets in the Word. We will study several different angles as we search God's Word for secrets and revelation.

God shares His secrets with:

1.   Those who fear Him - Ps. 25:14   The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.   Job 29:4  

This is one of the key verses in the Bible on the fear of the Lord. Walking in the fear of the Lord means personal relationship, confidential intimacy, and true fellowship. The fear of God is not about being afraid of Him, or staying further away from Him…it involves knowing Him, worshiping Him and obeying Him. His secrets are with the righteous, as with his dearest friend. It is an honor to be trusted with a secret. As we fear the Lord, we move into deep inner secrets of God’s covenant relationship.

 

2.   The righteous - Prov. 3:32   For the forward (wicked) is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the (uncompromisingly) righteous. (Amp)

      …the Lord hates people who do evil, but he takes righteous people into his confidence. (Good News Trans.)

      Jesus also said: Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. (Matt. 5:8)

      God is holy, and those who want to come near to Him and learn His secrets must be holy. (Psalm 24:3-5 – Who can ascend…stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…)

 

3.   His prophets - Dan. 2:19   Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a night vision... Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

   The Lord actually revealed a secret to King Nebuchadnezzar, but he was too wicked to understand the secret. It was the prophet Daniel who had to interpret the secret for him (Dan. 2:8). Daniel also said that the Lord reveals deep and secret things to those who have understanding (Dan. 2:21)

 

 

In short, the Lord reveals His secrets to righteous prophetic worshipers

If you need further information - here is the link: https://form.jotform.com/eiti_courses/sopaa-admission

So...You Want to Drop out of School and Become a Professional Musician

 I recently wrote to a 17-year-old who was contemplating dropping out of high school to move to another country and become a professional musician/singer. The parents asked for my advice.

1. it is super important to finish high school. That should be priority number one for every teenager. I can remember wanting to earn my own money and get away from the constraints of my parents. BUT... I cannot stress enough the importance of finishing this number one step. The way we finish something carries over to our next step in life. If you drop out of high school now, you will set yourself up for dropping out of the next project you start. Of course, some people don't finish high school and they go on to have very successful careers. That number is tiny compared to the number of high school dropouts who fail. If you want to succeed in music, you will give yourself a much better chance if you finish high school. Here are a couple of statistics to consider:

 

A high school dropout will earn $200,000 less than a high school graduate over his lifetime. And almost a million dollars less than a college graduate

 

90% of all artists in all artistic fields will fail - even the very talented ones. It takes a lot more than talent to succeed. You will need a plan for the great possibility that you will spend many months/years not working in the music business.

 

There are no shortcuts to success. Quitting high school at this time in your life is like taking a shortcut to achieve your goals. It is a very unwise step. I understand it...but 

 

2. It is very important to have music lessons at this stage in your life. Once again, it is possible to succeed without lessons, but the music industry is brutal and unforgiving when it comes to talent and ability. It is possible to be very talented, but that will never be enough to succeed in the music business. It takes years of practice and lessons to prepare for this challenging career. When competing for the few jobs that are available in music, you will find hundreds who are as good as you are...or even better. If you don't have training in music theory and discipline, it will be impossible to succeed. Let me say again - it takes way more than talent to succeed in this business. If you don't figure that out, you are doomed for failure.

 

Once again, it is possible to reach your goals without music lessons, but that will require a LOT of lucky breaks and opportunities. It is very risky to put your future into the hands of luck. Of all the millions who make it in professional artistic fields, only a handful will have succeeded without training and a massive amount of hard work. That is another reason to finish high school. The hard work and slogging through things you don't enjoy will set you up for the hard work of any music career. it is not all stage work and happy audiences. The work required is daunting. Sarah, you must prepare yourself for disappointments, mistakes, struggles, and failures. 

 

3. Your faith. This, of course, is the main point, but I am not assuming that you want to devote your musical career to Christian music exclusively.  Your destiny is in the hands of the Lord. He is the one who formed you and knows you to the core of your being. He knows the days he has prepared for you and the best path for your life. No matter what area of music you want to pursue, He must be your motivation and guide.

 

The Christian music industry is no less competitive and challenging. There are people "out there" who will think nothing of using and abusing you in every way possible. This is not a scare tactic - unfortunately, it is the reality of this situation. Just because someone says they are a Christian, doesn't mean that you will be treated fairly and honorably. it is a complicated and perilous world in the music industry...even the Christian music industry.

 

It is so important that you build up your faith in the Lord, that you know how to run to Him in the good days and the bad days. He will be your anchor for your whole life. You must know how to hear his voice and follow the path He has prepared for you. You need to be very sure that the Lord is directing

 

 

What you can do to prepare for your music future

 

1. Get lessons - as many as you can. Make yourself more usable by becoming a multi-instrumentalist. Learn a wide variety of styles of music. Get voice lessons. Many professional singers these days take lessons - even the very best ones.

 

2. Go on YouTube or similar platforms and look at the very best musicians. Study them and find out what makes them great. Learn from watching and listening.

 

3. Form a band and see if your music is received and loved by people. You can hone your skills by making yourself available on weekends to perform in cafes or in churches. You will quickly see if your abilities pass the test. Do people want what you have got? If not, it would be crazy to drop out of school for nothing. If people do love your music, this will be a good way to build your music base and learn what it takes to be a professional.

 

4. If you want to study in America, there are some great schools but you will need to do your homework. Look into the schools carefully. You will be giving them a LOT of money, but the rewards of studying music at the university level will set you up for life. This is another reason for you to finish high school. No university will take you without completing high school.

 

Statistics show that graduates from US universities who have a BA in Music will make over $60,000 per year (on average). This is not huge...but it is a good start. But...the average salary of a professional musician is less than $50,000 per year.

 

5. Save up some money and make a demo tape. P. K. Farstad has a great recording studio in his home in Kristiansand. If you have a demo tape, you will be able to send it to some places and see if there are openings for your talents. You will have to prepare to be rejected and ignored...but this is a good early step. You need to know realistically if you have what it takes to succeed in this industry. 

 

These days, you can get your music onto the Web on a great variety of platforms. The costs are small to produce a video on your computer. Once your music is out there, you will be able to see if there is a demand for your style and songs. There are lots of venues online - and streaming platforms. Utilize these now and see if you have a realistic path to being a professional.

 

If you do end up with fans - watch out for them - take a genuine interest in them - communicate with them.

 

6. Enter a local talent competition and experience what it is like to be judged by professionals. You must get a realistic assessment of your present skills. You will know what you need to do to step up to the next level of music.

 

7. Spend a lot of time praying about your next move. The Lord will be faithful - He will show you the path to take. He WANTS you to succeed. He is for you and not against you. He is the One who gave you these talents. Now surrender them to Him to use in the best way possible.

 

 

You have a LOT of work to do BEFORE you quit high school. As I said above, talent, alone, is most often not enough to succeed. For every successful musician or singer, there are probably 50 or more who are just as talented but who don't have what it takes to succeed in this very competitive industry. Our path to success is never linear or easy. 

 

Many things are needed

 

• Faith

• Character

• Hustle and hard work

• Patience

• Belief in yourself

• Connections with the right people

• Know what makes you different from everyone else

• Never stop learning

• Be authentic - don't try to copy anyone else

• Time management

• Be a leader AND a team player

• Study the current trends in music and find out where you fit and who your audience is

• Recognize that your family and friends are your best support - don't reject them for being honest with you

• Humility - As a singer or musician, we can easily become proud. This is one of the greatest "turn-offs" when meeting or working with talented people. Practice humility on the inside - the way you think about yourself. Practice lifting others and honoring other people. Go and sing for old people...Go and sing for children - people who cannot give you anything. You must be in this to be a giver - not a taker. 

You will learn so much humility from your failures and problems in life - when you treat them correctly you will grow in strength and humility.

• Practice...practice...practice

 

 

Proverbs 3:5-10

5 Trust in the Lord completely,

and do not rely on your own opinions.

With all your heart rely on him to guide you,

and he will lead you in every decision you make.

6 Become intimate with him in whatever you do,

and he will lead you wherever you go.

7 Don’t think for a moment that you know it all,

for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion

and avoid everything that’s wrong.

8 Then you will find the healing refreshment

your body and spirit long for.

9 Glorify God with all your wealth,

honoring him with your firstfruits,

with every increase that comes to you.

10 Then every dimension of your life will overflow with blessings

from an uncontainable source of inner joy!

 

 

NEW RELEASE: PROPHETIC WORSHIP

I am excited to tell you about the new release of my book, PROPHETIC WORSHIP.

This book was the first on the subject of prophetic worship...worship that prioritizes God's presence and His interaction with us in worship.

Head on over to my ministry page to get your copy of this updated and expanded version of:

PROPHETIC WORSHIP - my ministry page

Link to the bookstore

Hymns Aren't Necessarily Better

My:
 friend, Tom Krauter is a wonderful teacher on the subject of worship.

I really enjoyed this short message on the subject of hymns vs contemporary songs

Tom Krauter

Feel free to leave a comment below

Richard Oddie - It Is Well With My Soul

In these troubled times of the Coronavirus, I offer this latest recording from my friend Richard Oddie - The famous hymn: "It Is Well With My Soul." You will love this arrangement of guitar and violin. Richard is a multi-instrumentalist, worship leader, artist, wonderful photographer, and graphic designer. He is a long-time friend from New Zealand who now lives in Australia. Everything he does is marked by excellence, and this recording is no different. Thank you, Richard and violinist Payam Nekouei for this fabulous music. Such comfort.

Also - Thank you Allan Mackenzie for the absolutely beautiful video - always perfect! CLICK ON THIS LINK:

Guitar and Violin: It Is Well With My Soul

More about this hymn and the composer: Horatio Spafford

Pathways

Psalm 16:6 (The Passion Translation)

Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.
I’m overwhelmed by the privileges that come with following you,
for you have given me the best!

Hosea 14:9 (NLT)

Let those who are wise understand these things.

Let those who are discerning listen carefully.

The paths of the LORD are true and right,

and righteous people live by walking in them.

But sinners stumble and fall along the way.

The Lord obviously wants us to pay careful attention to the paths

He has laid out for us to walk in. 

Paths are supposed to be traveled on a regular basis or else they become overgrown and useless. We may stop a while and enjoy God’s bountiful creation, but as a general rule we need to keep moving. Each of God’s pathways include multitudes of lessons that are uncovered like beautiful vistas around every twist and turn of our walk. Don’t allow the paths of God to become overgrown and impassable due to neglect of spiritual exercise. 

Ps. 16:11

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

It is impossible to travel our life-paths too quickly. They may be uneven and narrow. One should travel carefully and deliberately – making way for others who may pass in the other direction. As we pass strangers, a measure of communication, eye contact and polite greeting is definitely in order. As you walk on your spiritual pathways, enjoy each of the God-lovers who pass by. You never know what treasures God may bring your way. Don’t rush through the lessons of life. Pay attention to the details and rhythms of gracearound every corner. I love this passage from The Message Bible – 

Matthew 11:28-30

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Psalm 32:8

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

I will advise you and watch over you

The Lord as our lives under control. I am determined to keep my eyes on Him. As we move forward...there is abundance:

Psalm 65:11 (NLT)

You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;

even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

God's 10 pathways in the Bible that have a name...
The Path Of...

1.  Psalm 16:11 The path of life. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

2.  Psalm 23:3 The paths of righteousness. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (NKJV)

3.  Psalm 119:35 The path of Your commands. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness (delight – NKJV) is found. (NLT)

4.   Psalm 139:24 The path of everlasting life. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (NLT

5.   Proverbs 15:19 The path of the upright. A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright (faithful) is an open highway. (NLT)

  

6.   Proverbs 15:24 The life-path of the wise.The way of life winds upward for the wise, that he may turn away from hell below. (NKJV)

The path of life leads upward for the wise; they leave the grave behind. (NLT)

7.   Isaiah 40:14 The path of justice.With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?

Proverbs 4:18 The (path) way of the righteous (just) is like the first gleam of dawn,
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

8.  Luke 1:79 The path of peace.To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (NKJV)

And he will illuminate the path that leads to the way of peace.” (TPT)

9.   John 13:17 The path of blessing. You know these things -- now do them! That is the path of blessing. (NLT)

10. 2Timothy 2:18 The path of Truth. They have left the path of truth, preaching the lie that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; and they have undermined the faith of some. (NLT) 

Does God Answer Prayer?

It is sad that many people feel the Lord is not answering their prayers. I totally understand their position - suffering is not fair - but we need to know that suffering is definitely not a reflection of God's grace. Every human suffers - but why? This is a difficult issue theologically...consider these things:

1. God didn't initiate suffering in the world - Mankind chose to go this way and walk through the ages without God. Every degree of suffering is the consequence of humanity's choice to turn away from God. The only other choice from the Garden of Eden was to allow satan's laws to be perpetrated upon the earth. 

2. Because of satan's plan, everyone is subject to sickness, death, tragedy etc. Being a Believer doesn't change the fact the world is under satan's curse.

3. No suffering in life is fair - God didn't promise to be fair - He promised to be JUST. Justice may not look like what we want - it may look like He is doing nothing, but we need to trust His ultimate plan and infinite wisdom.

4. When we pray for God to lift the sufferings we face, we are asking Him to intervene with His wisdom and power into our circumstances. We are not asking to have our way - we are asking for His will to be done.

Sometimes it is His will to heal and change our problem immediately, but many times He sees a greater plan. It seems inconceivable to us that a kind and gracious Father would allow His children to suffer - even as we cry out for His help,  but He sees beyond the suffering and has plans that we don't understand. It is not a copout to say this. It is truth. God has not ordered our suffering - He uses the pains and horrors of our lives to shape our souls - but He didn't plan the suffering to hurt us - satan did that, and mankind chose satan over God. God simply uses our pain to change, direct and draw us to Himself. He has many ways and uses for  pain...it is ALWAYS about Him longing for relationship with us and He has our very best at heart even when the utter waste of suffering stares us in the face day after day.

5. Do you remember the story in the Bible about Jesus and the disciples in the boat? There was a big storm and Jesus spoke to the storm and the waves. He told the wind and waves to be still. In another story when they were also in a boat during a storm, He didn't calm the storm...He told Peter to walk on the waves. In one instance Jesus took the storm away...in another instance He wanted His disciples to be increased in faith by walking in the storm. In one instance he calms our storm...in other instances He keeps us in the storm and helps us to walk through it - He has deeper things to teach us. He has a higher perspective that often make no sense to us. It feels as though He has not heard our prayers - that is not the case, He is the Shepherd who walks with us through every valley and shadow of death.

6.  Answered prayer doesn't mean that we get everything we pray for. Think about all the suffering in the world...if all it took to stop every suffering was to ask God to stop it, then all suffering would be over just because WE prayed. That is not how God conquers satan's kingdom. Adam started this...the last Adam (JESUS) is the only one who can, and has, conquered satan's kingdom. It has taken all these thousands of years to bring an end to what Adam and satan started because God is not a magic wand who simply does our bidding. He is working on the hearts of men - He wants His kingdom and the laws of heaven to flow through people who make a free choice to follow Him no matter what happens. He doesn't want spoiled children to follow Him just because they get their way...He wants soft and tender-hearted children who have chosen to follow Him despite the sorrows and battles they face. 

The way God overcomes suffering is two-fold:

a) the power of the resurrected Christ can stop every sickness and suffering in an instant. It was conquered on Calvary - completely - totally - instantly.

b) He can strengthen His Bride in the midst of suffering - purifying their hearts and softening their souls to such a degree that the power of suffering is no longer the issue...His power working through His people is the greater thing. His grace flows through them to a suffering world - even as their own pain rages on. His joy illuminates every darkness - even when they feel as though they sit in deep darkness themselves. His wisdom and grace flows from their lips - even when they cannot find wisdom and grace for themselves. His strength lifts their heads as they stare down the devils plots - even when they feel weak and powerless. 

Paul, the Apostle suffered greatly - He asked God to take away his suffering - but this was Paul's conclusion:

2Corinthians 12:9-10

9 But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. 10 So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment—when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ—I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power.

Even death itself cannot turn my heart away from my choice to follow Him. Even death itself cannot rob me of the knowledge that I am completely in His hand.

7. So...we are all in God's hands - He hears our prayers and answers them. But...He may not answer them in the way that we want and in the time frame we desire. For some reason that baffles us when God chooses to answer in a different way than what we have asked for. God is interested and involved in the magnificent process of our lives. He is more interested in who we are at the core than giving us everything we want. What He is doing is so much greater than we can see as we stand in the midst of our trouble. He must see that there is a jewel inside our hearts that can be mined through the process of suffering. I know that may seem like a bummer. Unfortunately it is not our choice any more.

8. Suffering of every sort is a bitch...but we must hold on - the reward is ten trillion times greater than anything that satan can throw at us. Read this slowly and meditate on every verse. I am giving it to you in a modern translation and then an older translation that you might recognize. This was written to Christians who were being persecuted and put to death because of their commitment to Jesus - they suffered greatly, and this is paul's answer to their suffering - it is my answer to suffering - it doesn't take the pain away...but it shows where we are seated today and always:

Romans 8:35-39

35 Who could ever separate us from the endless love of God’s Anointed One? Absolutely no one! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish his love toward us. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between us and heaven’s love. What about persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats? No, for they are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love, 36 even though it is written:

All day long we face death threats for your sake, God.

We are considered to be nothing more than sheep to be slaughtered!

37 Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!

38 So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. 39 There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!

Romans 8:35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.