153 (!) Sons of God Attend Charlotte Conference
Do not think it strange that I begin this Conference Report with a weather report. There is a purpose in it.
It had been exceedingly hot and dry in the Charlotte area for the several days preceding our Conference. The majority of attendees arrived on Thursday. While my crews toiled to get all the audio and video equipment unpacked, set up, and tested, the attendees were renewing old friendships and simultaneously commencing new friendships.
By the next morning, the temperature had dropped from the mid- to upper-90s in the previous days to an expected high on Friday of the low 70s. As the Conference began at 9 a.m., we were treated immediately to a heavy downpour, which later moderated, and it rained off and on all day. Spiritually, this was precisely on time. It signified to us a token of the latter-day rains which will eventuate and coalesce into a flood of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
This outpouring will be much greater than the outpouring on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), and much greater than the signs and wonders which accompanied the “Latter Rain Movement” which began in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada circa 1947-48. That was a small (but mighty) foretaste of what many of us expect to see in the near future, probably commencing during a Feast of Tabernacles.
We expect to see the first resurrection! …which is mistakenly taught as the “rapture of the church” by many of our fundamentalist and evangelical brethren. It is not. Rather, it will be the resurrection from the dead—not of all believers—but only of the overcomers, a first-fruits company, a small percentage of all believers from both the past and the present. These will be the manifested sons of God who will be raised or translated into incorruptible immortality and who will rule with our Head and King, Jesus the Christ, for the Millennial Age; i.e., the Tabernacles Age, and beyond.
I interrupt this narration to report this: As I compose this, I have been sitting here for perhaps a half-hour. I had returned from running a couple errands and as I parked my car, it seemed as though it was going to be a hot, bright and sunny afternoon. But as I finished composing the previous paragraph, I was suddenly startled by a very heavy downpour here at my office—wholly unexpected by me! The downpour has the same intensity that we saw at 9 a.m. at the commencement of the Conference. To me, it is a “God wink,” a confirmation from our Father of our understanding of the spiritual significance of what I have just reported.
Continuing my previous train of thought… It was several days after returning to my office before I took time to peruse the registration sheets and get an exact count of the number of attendees. It was 153! As many of my readers realize, this is one of the most significant (mostly hidden) numbers in all of Scripture. It signifies the sons of God, which prophetically, is associated with the overcomers!
Here are two (of many) marvelous passages concerning the sons of God.
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Knowing that the best path to the Father’s heart is by “sending Judah first,” we commenced the Conference with praise and worship. We all were so very blest by all the singers and musicians who volunteered their services! Many commented to me how astonishing it was to see so many who had never played or sang with one another before to come into such unity and beauty of sound! …And beauty of sight, also, as the singers and musicians were oft accompanied by those who praised Him with the flurrying of banners!
(Interruption #2) The downpour here has stopped as suddenly as it started. Thank you for Your confirmation, Father!
The feedback I have received both at the Conference and since has been overwhelmingly positive—not a negative word about anything or anybody who ministered at Charlotte. I will make only a brief comment or two out of all the wonderful teaching and teachers. Those on our monthly mailing list (postal) will receive the Order Form for all the audios and videos of the teachings recorded at the Conference. We are currently in post-production. Eventually, some of them will be posted here on our website.
Dr. Stephen Jones led off the teaching with the topic of “Shalom-Peace.” One dear friend of ours, Joe Speckhart (son of our beloved friend and brother, the late Dr. Vince Speckhart) had to cancel in the last week his plans to attend the Conference. Stephen’s second teaching, given Sunday afternoon, also had a one-word title: “Unity.”
As the Conference was drawing to a close Sunday afternoon, I happened to be out in the hall at the registration table, making some notes with my head down, simultaneously chatting with a friend when I suddenly noticed someone come up to the table. As my eyes looked up, there was Joe! As we hugged, he told me the Father had instructed him to make the trip and to deliver a one-word message…drum roll, please…the word: Peace!
My friends, I can assure you that although Joe and Stephen and I are all close friends, that none of us would pull some kind of shenanigans on you to falsely make it appear that the Lord is confirming His word when, in fact, it was collusion and deception. We don’t engage in that! Sincere seekers after Truth (Jesus Christ) realize that when we do seek Him, that He rewards all of us with these kinds of signs following almost too numerous to keep up! What a thrill that is! To realize He is there, watching, listening and then giving us signs to confirm!
With the last speaker-teacher now finished, I asked Joe to take the microphone and share with the Conferees the story of how the Lord gave him the word, “peace,” and led him to make the trip. Joe’s testimony will be available on the CD order form we send out in our July mailing. (All attendees will automatically receive that mailing with the Order Form.)
Our special guest “mystery speaker” on Saturday night gave a moving testimony of how the Father had awakened him and caused him to move “from a Saul to a Paul.”
As Stephen and I chatted on Sunday night—or maybe it was Monday morning before we checked out and headed home—Steve made the comment that “this was the best Conference ever!” We both laughed because we realize that he says that every Conference, and yet, we both agree that as wonderful as whatever the last one was, this one seemed even better—and we expect the Father will not let us down the next time either.
Speaking of which, I will post a separate blog soon with some details of the Fall Conference. With the contract now signed, we can let you know that you can mark your calendars and make plans to come to the gloriously-beautiful Chateau-on-the-Lake in Branson, Missouri, the weekend of October 25-27. We are so very pleased to be able once again to return to that lovely venue. Although we ended up with a standing-room-only situation in Charlotte, we are planning for possibly even more at the Chateau. Come, be among your brothers and sisters in the faith of Jesus Christ!
{Oh, Father, You are at it again! How so? With the words, “Jesus Christ!” I knew I had concluded the blog. I almost never check to get a word count on my documents. But something (some One) spurred me to do so on this blog. I had to look around the MS Word ribbon at the top to find out where to click to get the word count, and when I finally found it and clicked: Behold: 1440 words!
…not including, of course, this addendum inside the brackets. Knowing that zeroes can be ignored in Bible gematria, I am stunned to find Him again confirming because 144 is associated with three primary meanings: Lazarus, the first resurrection saints, the elect (sons of God). You can’t make this stuff up! Hallelu-Yah!}