Inspirations by ACTS Foundation, Inc.

#779 / Going Nowhere, Hearing Little!

2011-07-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

#779 / Going Nowhere, Hearing Little!

July 27, 2011 / By Ralph E. McIntosh / ralph@actsfoundation.us

Mrs. Winchester, heiress of the Winchester rifle estate, built onto her house continually thinking she would never die as long as she kept building! Many of the stairs went nowhere, and doors had no purpose. How easy it is to set up residence in “Rutsville” and do the same thing every day. When we do this with our relationship with the Lord Jesus, we stop hearing what He wants us to hear and doing what He wants us to do. But, we may be comfortable with living that way.

I am sure Jesus doesn’t want us to always be comfortable! (Maybe that’s why some churches have worship for an hour and I have to stand the whole time.) Have you ever noticed that Jesus’ favorite place to pray was the Garden of Gethsemane? Do you think there were padded kneeling benches there? More likely there were rocks to sit on or pebbles to kneel on. Some of our prayer times need to be labor and the pebbles of purpose need to be under our knees. I am not talking of self-inflicted pain, but when observing problems around us we can turn to kneel before the throne of God to hear what God says is the solution.

I recently was able to share with someone that most churches recognize God the Father, God the Son, and refer to God the Holy Spirit. But if Jesus sent Him as a Gift and a Comforter, why do we not turn to Him and establish relationship with Him? How could we fear a Gift and a Comfort when it was sent to us in love?
Perhaps it is time to review which stairway we are on in our climb to knowing God better. He wants us ever-climbing and wants the top of every stairway to open into heaven! Meet Him where He is. RMc

* * *

Recommended reading: The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeshel. Recommended by beloved long-time ACTS team member, Mary Sauer. The author, a pastor, challenges every believer to cultivate the presence of God in their lives. An incredible book our team highly encourage you to read.

The Power Blessing

I bless you with a higher blessing

Than all the world can give!

I bless you with genetic stamping

That only God can live.

I cancel all the subtle cursing

Satan brought your way.

I now proclaim your faith is rising

To stop and slay dismay!

I call upon your conscience

speaking

To lead you in His Path

I place upon you Peace’ anointing

To walk in righteousness!

I place upon you His empowering.

To stop Distruct’s advance.

For yours is life to live like art,

And His, the power to give!

By Ralph E. McIntosh /January 1, 2011 / Clearwater Beach, FL

#775 Relationship through Revelation

2011-07-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

See Conference Notice for Hawaii at end of articles www.actsfoundation.org

#775 / Relationship through Revelation / June 29, 2011

By Susan G. McIntosh / susan@actsfoundation.com

When we no longer seek just the blessings and benefits of God but seek His Person, all Heaven breaks through into us. The very Spirit of Christ was placed in us when we gave our heart to Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s job is to reveal Him to us. The Spirit came to take the things of Jesus and show them to us (John 16:15). Where are those things of Jesus? In the Word and in the very Spirit of Christ that resides in us. When the Life of Christ comes alive in us by the Spirit, then Christ Himself, flowing through us, manifests the presence of God in our lives and others are drawn to Him. God’s Goodness and Blessing become our experience daily.

Recently Ralph and I were in a little convenience store in Richmond, Virginiaordering two hamburgers for our lunch. While waiting for our hamburgers to be cooked, we watched one person after another come to the check-out counter to buy cigarettes, beer, or lottery tickets and most of the time, all three. I was shocked at how much money was spent on these vices just while we were standing there waiting on our lunch order! What really saddened me was the fact that we were in a low income neighbourhood. Instead of buying food for their families, these adults were spending money and lots of it, on things no one could eat!
Earlier I was buying a bottle of water in another convenience store and the same thing was happening in that store. Later the manager told us that his store clears $60,000 a month just on the lottery sales! What really surprised me was one customer bought cigarettes, beer, and lottery tickets for 30 some dollars. She handed the man at the register $40 and only $10 of it went for fuel for her car. Considering the cost of gas per gallon is nearly $4 right now, that $10 was not going to take her far. The raw facts of society’s value system are really hard to see in action up close. How the devil blinds people! He is a thief.
I know Jesus is the answer to life and seeing this kind of activity confirms all the more to me that we as believers need to out telling people, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life...” God created every person for the purpose of relationship with Him. He is goodness and love personified. Adam and Eve were privileged to enjoy God walking with them every day in a Garden He created just for them. Jesus died on Calvaryto restore sweet communion with God for all of mankind. Yet, millions of people continue on spiritually blind, attempting to find satisfaction in life on their own. (A soul winning script is available to download and use today— www.revival.com– look at soul winning tools for script in different languages.)

It is only when revelation of God’s way and truth comes through the work of the Holy Spirit is the blindness removed. Paul said, “Christ in you, the HOPE of Glory” (Col. 1:27). We as believers carry the answer—the HOPE of God, His Glorious self, Christ Jesus, in our hearts. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to reveal God to us and teach us of this Christ who lives in us once we invite Him to be our Lord and Saviour. Without the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, the tendency is to try whatever comes along to satisfy the emptiness within us. We were created for God and to fellowship with Him. The Holy Spirit is the One who can make this happen. When a person invites Jesus to forgive their sins and come and live within them, Christ Jesus Himself moves in but it is the Holy Spirit would reveals Jesus to the believer. He is the Teacher, the Communicator, the very POWER of God’s Kingdom Life deposited in the believer. The devil robs us. God pours goodness and grace/favour into our lives abundantly!
I cannot comprehend God’s love for me, the finished work of Christ for me, nor do I have a passion for others to come to know Jesus without the Holy Spirit making these real in me. I know a lot of people raised in the church have not been introduced to the third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit of God. However, revelation is absolutely necessary for us to enter into the type of relationship with God that He intended His children to enjoy, Amen. Webster’s dictionary says the word reveal means to “unveil or make known through divine inspiration.” This is the work of the Holy Spirit of God and it available to each of us!
Join me in once again inviting the wonderful Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to each of us in a mighty way this week MORE of who God is, how His Word relates to everyday living, who this Jesus is that has come to dwell in our hearts through Salvation. The apostle Paul’s prayer is mine for us all this week, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph. 1:17).
Paul teaches that only when the Spirit is free to fill and lead us can we KNOW the HOPE of God’s calling on our lives. It is through His revelation n that the Word of God itself comes alive in us. It is through the Holy Spirit we are able to comprehend and receive the promises and provisions of God that are available for all of His Children. It is only through His Truth that joy and peace are ours to enjoy. When the Holy Spirit is at work in us we care about sharing Christ with the world around us. Full of HOPE, we can share the God of HOPE (Romans 15:13). It is the Holy Spirit who actives every aspect of the Kingdomof Godin and through us. Welcome, Holy Spirit. Be Yourself in us! Glory. SMc

#763 / Compassion and Authority

2011-04-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

When we travel and minister we have found that almost everyone has a problem they are facing. Our ministry would be short lived if we chose to judge their situations. However, if we follow Christ's example we approach every situation with compassion and authority. The Apostle Paul reminds the Galatians, “Brothers, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.”

The bottom line is that sin brings death and repentance is the only way to peace. How we bring someone to that point has to be a combination of compassion AND authority. If we only use compassion the danger is that we might excuse the fault and leave the person to continue where they are. On the other hand if we come only with authority, the danger is we could be legalistic, harsh and condemning. Even Jesus said, “I come not to judge.” He did come to expose sin with authority and to offer a compassionate solution! John 12: 47 & 48, “If any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world...the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

Occasionally we are faced with praying deliverance for a person under demonic stronghold. (Actually much of this is present in the church today.) In these cases the compassion is directed at the person and the authority is directed at the demonic presence. There is no need to shout or pray loudly! The name of Jesus is so powerful that at the name of Jesus all demonic forces must obey and get out of the person when told to. They may object and even say strange things like, “We aren't in here anymore.” But the final authority is with Jesus who cast out many demons and healed many who were ill because of their presence.

Remember, if someone has a continual characteristic that doesn't match the fruit of the Spirit, that “personality trait” is evidence of demonic oppression. See Galatians 5:13-26 If you would like to know more about this please let us know.

Isn't it wonderful to be reminded as we approach Easter that Christ's work, perfectly completed, at the cross and out of the tomb was done to free us from bondage to the world's system and raise us to walking in His compassion and authority.

We encourage you to join us in daily decreeing Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel 34:25-31, Psalm 91, Ephesians 3:14-21, and Romans 15:13 over every ACTS Foundation readership household. God is melting barriers and bringing families together in His love. He is filling His people with Hope, Peace, and Joy.

#698-- 2010-- King of Glory, Begin!

2010-01-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

By Susan G. McIntosh / susan@actsfoundation.com / January 13, 2010

For the last three or four mornings of 2009, the Lord woke me with Psalm 24 as the prayer focus. It is easy to rattle through a familiar passage like this chapter, especially if you have memorized it. The Holy Spirit led me to take one verse at a time and many of the key words I looked up in Strong's Concordance so as to better understand the original Hebrew meaning. I was so impressed with the reminder that God made the earth and all of us in it. He is strong and mighty, mighty in battle, and the Lord of hosts of angels. Iran's President Ahmadinejad has made it know that he would like to wipe Israel off the face of the earth and America as well. His speeches and threats are disconcerting. However, Psalm 24 corrects our vision! Our prayer times are transformed from begging this man is restrained to instead boldly declaring that the Lord God Almighty rules and reigns over Iran, Israel, and America! After all, our Heavenly Father is the one Who owns the earth and every person on it--The LORD STRONG and MIGHTY, the LORD, MIGHTY IN BATTLE, the LORD of HOSTS! The King of Glory!

Psalm 24's predominate theme is the King, His Glory, and His Kingdom—a 2010 theme I am hearing from that others also that God is putting in the hearts of many Christians worldwide. The first verse of chapter 24 in itself is an amazing comfort for those of us living in the US right now because our government in America is spending and borrowing money as though there were no payback coming. I would be truly worried if I did not have the comfort that America and every nation ultimately has to answer to its owner, GOD, the King of Glory.

Our part? We, as intercessors, have an incredible position in the spirit realm. We are at the gates of the cities in which we live. Our prayers keep the everlasting doors lifted up. I especially enjoyed discovering a clearer meaning of verse 2. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in His holy place? He that has clean hands and a pure heart...” Ascend here does not indicate that we have to struggle to make it up into the holy place with the Lord. One of the translations of the word ascend means “fetched up” or “promoted”. God puts us to this place. Yes, we need to keep clean and pure. Clean hands refers to the things we do and pure hearts refers to our thinking and meditating, our inner being. Cleaning house is not necessary if we keep a clean house. Clean our hands and hearts is not impossible if we choose to live clean. Discipleship requires discipline, Amen! We are human and do on occasion contaminate ourselves with the world even momentarily at times and God knows this. He has provided confession, repentance, and forgiveness – the redeeming steps of Kingdom grace. We can live in alignment.

The promise and reward for living in this hill of the Lord, this holy place with Him, close to His heart, and where the Kingdom action is launched is “we shall receiving blessing from the Lord and righteousness for the God of our salvation.” In this place, God continually downloads into us His blessing and His right-ness, His righteousness. Heavenly Hosts surround Him. At the sign of trouble we can catch eyes with Him and breath a prayer. Picture Him smiling at you, turning just a little, putting His fingers to His lips and whistling for assistance. Wham, thousands of angels show up to receive a Kingdom assignment from Him--the Strong and Mighty One! Then, off they go to carry out His desires. Now I understand better what it must have been like for the shepherds, “and suddenly there was with the angel a Heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth [in your town, your nation and mine], Peace, Good Will toward men.” We ask, “Who is this King of Glory” with whom we are privilege to stand? “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. [So,] lift up your heads, O, you gates and you lift up you every lasting doors! And the King of Glory shall come in [in 2010]. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts! He is the King of glory!” 2010, I believe, is the year when we are truly going to experience firsthand the King of Glory!

# 697 Happy New Ears!

2010-01-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

January 6, 2010

I would encourage you to ask the Lord to not only renew your mind
in 2010, but to give you new ears. Of course what I mean is to give you more intent hearing of good things and rejection of evil.

A few weeks ago when we were in Scotland, I asked the members of a church, to kneel in two rows from the front of the church to the back so Susan and I could walk between them and pray, pronounce, and proclaim that they would be cut off from anything spoken over them that was not of God and that was detrimental to their spiritual or emotional or physical well being.

I was amazed to see about seventy people immediately get up and kneel to be prayed for. This demonstrates to me how much we hear that is not of God which can cause us great pain and can even alter our life course from what God has planned. So, with me, let us covenant to hear from God and not from “man” –- To tune the hearing of our heart to the heart of God and not of man. To be like an infant looking into it’s father’s eyes and listening to every sound, watching every expression, memorizing his father’s voice. This way we will not be fooled by the “evil one” even if he tries to impersonate the Father. We also need to seek Godly council.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” That means that His sheep recognize, listen to, and obey the commands carried through His voice and words.

At first we may need to be taught to listen like Samuel, when a child in the Temple, had to be taught to listen…

(Living Bible) I Samuel 3:7 Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before. 8. So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli.``Yes?'' he asked. ``What do you need? ''Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. 9. So he said to Samuel, ``Go and lie down again, and if He calls again, say, `Yes, Lord, I'm listening.''' So Samuel went back to bed. 10. And the Lord came and called as before, ``Samuel! Samuel!'' And Samuel replied, ``Yes, I'm listening.''

Once we learn to hear with discernment, our faith will grow, our thoughts will change, our words will change, and our words will impact others for good-- not for evil! --Ralph McIntosh

#696 The Kingdom Within

2009-12-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

The ACTS Foundation Bulletin for
“Wednesday Women Warriors & Mighty Meditating Men”

The Kingdom Within in 2010!
#696 / by Susan G. McIntosh / susan@actsfoundation.com
December 30 , 2009

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As the Kingdom of God generation, we are called to communicate and demonstrate the Kingdom way of life. By all we are, do, and say, we are to preach, teach, and demonstrate the Gospel of the Kingdom of God until it has become a witness to such a degree that God can say at last, “My Church has done enough and the witness is sufficient.” It is then “the Spirit and the Bride will say, 'Come'” and Jesus will come for His Church. We, the Church, are His kings and priests (Revelation 1:6). We are new creations in Christ. The newness is manifested in the lives of those who listen to the Spirit and obey His voice and the Word. It is not “either/or”, it is “both/and” – listen, obey. Kingdom unfolds.

“Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, The Almighty” (Revelation 1:7-8). God is ever-present. He is Eternal-nowness personified. He has been Himself in the past, is so today, and forever will be. I think this is why I am dumbfounded when I hear some church leaders preach that miracles are not for now. God is for NOW and He is the miracle worker. He brings Kingdom wherever He is invited. Revelation from God never changes or ends.

“...it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep tings of God. For what man knows the things of a man,” save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-11). God has so much prepared for each of us for now. Yes, Heaven will be wonderful, but He, who never changes, has great things for us here, today! He is waiting to reveal much to us. To the extent that we are open to the Spirit of God, that this extent, we experience His Kingdom in our day to day living. Only the Spirit of God is going to tell us of the things of God, and no one else. If the things of God are expounded upon by human lips, they must come through revelation from the Holy Spirit in order to be Kingdom effective.

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 reminds us that it is the Spirit of God who freely reveals God to us. God says, Be still enough to know that I am God. George Frederic Handel cloistered himself away for three weeks when he wrote the beloved great musical work, “The Messiah,” and when he wrote, “The Hallelujah Chorus,” he commented that he felt as if he had seen the face of God. These musical works are full of exaltation of God because God revealed Himself to Handel.

I am excited about 2010 because I and many others feel assured that believers are going to experience the Kingdom of God in this coming year as never before, Amen! The choice is ours. Are we ready to embrace His Kingdom or are we content with life as we plan it? God put man in the Garden of Eden in order to walk with him and fellowship with him. We were made in His likeness, yet, we are not forced to fellowship with Him. We are given a choice. In 2010 I encourage you to choose to seek God as never before. Set aside time for Him each day. Invite God to reveal Himself to you. First off decide that you want to live His Kingdom on earth. Kingdom living may not always be convenient. He might rearrange your schedule. Be assured, the gifts He placed in you will be stirred up tremendously, for His glory. Kingdom means righteousness. Expect it. Yield to it!

In the Word of God the word mountain often symbolizes kingdom. When John spoke about a mountain in Revelation, the Jews knew immediately what he meant. The Jews no doubt surmised that Jesus meant, “Speak to this mountain kingdom, and it shall be removed.” They faced religious mountains and laws made to restrict them. Determine now that throughout this new year you will speak the mountain kingdom of this world to be removed and invite the Kingdom of God to rule and reign in its place--in you, your household, your family tree, your business or workplace, your community, and in your nation. We have been given authority to be kings and priests in the Kingdom of God. It is time we embraced our calling May we not waste another year. We are sons and daughters of the King. It is time we seek to really know the King so we can live in His Kingdom realm with Him to its fullest, here on earth!

Here is the key: Be led by the Spirit and you will experience sonship! (Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God!” If you are not sure how to hear from the Spirit of God, begin each day with an invitation, “Holy Spirit of God, I want to be led of You today. Help me to hear You, to understand You in the Word, and to live today as an heir to the King. Help me listen. Prompt me to obey. Father, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, in me today, as it is in Heaven! In Jesus' Name, Amen.” It is going to be an awesome year! Politicians, financial institutions, and newscasters might speak a scary future, but we are of another Kingdom! Romans 8:15-17 is the truth we as sons and daughters of the King can expect to experience. We are adopted. We are heirs. We are royalty. We can be overcomers. We can lives in His righteousness. Brothers and sisters, we have connections! May we really seek to know the King this new year. The Holy Spirit is our connection.

AS 2009 ENDS AND 2010 BEGINS...WE PRAY GOD'S BLESSINGS ON EACH OF YOU AND YOURS. THIS HAS BEEN AN AWESOME YEAR WITH MANY TOUCHED BY THE POWER OF GOD. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE HOSTED US AND PRAYED FOR US AND HELPED US ACCOMPLISH THINGS FOR THE KINGDOM IN 2009
RALPH AND SUSAN MCINTOSH

The Call

2009-12-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

# 694 The Call
by Timothy VanValin / tvanvalin@hotmail.com / December 17 , 2009

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19) This verse is one that everyone knows but hardly anyone does. Make disciples. Okay. Seems like pretty clear direction from Jesus. Come to think of it, it probably couldn’t be any clearer. So then why do some people do it and others do not? Why is it so incredibly appealing to the people who are doing it but about as appealing to those who aren’t as their next Rotary Club meeting? After Jesus ascended into heaven the disciples wasted zero time in making more disciples. What prompted them to step into the Call so quickly? I think we’ll come to find the answers to these questions are not grounded in obedience but rather in trust and intimacy.

In a favorite story, Aladdin stretched out his hand to Jasmine and invited her up onto the magic carpet and into a whole new world with four simple words, “Do you trust me?” It cuts to the heart of what would hold Jasmine back in her old predictable life. God does the same. He’s always speaking, always calling to His people. He’s always inviting them up and into the Call and the story He’s been telling since before time began. And so, with God’s part completed, His Call through Jesus ripping clearly through our muddled thought and stagnate state, the question becomes this--What will we do with it? What will we do with His Call? Will we step into the unknown with Him? Will we trade what we know for what He knows? The answer to these questions depends on who we know God to be. All the vigor with which we respond and follow or all the excuses with which we decline stems from this and only this. After all, we don’t follow or obey anyone we don’t know intimately or don’t trust completely.

...If our focus is on the senseless pain in this world we’ll surmise God has simply abandoned His creations. And if He’s abandoned us then we’ll side with the crowd that says God no longer speaks to His people; believing that the Holy Spirit has somehow been muzzled. And if we can’t hear His still small voice we can’t be told what to do. And if we can’t be told what to do, then the only heading we have is our own, born of our own emotional sway and desire and the deafening proof of God’s absent voice and intervention. And so we’ll just go about our lives, much the way pagans do, and hope things work out for the best.

...Today, our face-to-face encounters with God occur during our time with Him in the Scriptures. And so we must approach our time together with a desire for intimacy. We must always ask, “Papa, can we talk? I need and want to know you more deeply, more intimately, today. Reveal Your heart to me in what I’m reading so that I can know You better.” That’s the prayer God has been waiting for. After all, His desire for us is not simply more knowledge about Him, but more intimacy with Him. That is what he offered Isaiah and that is what He is offering us today; an intimacy with Him that manifests itself in our own transformation and His glory. When this happens, answering the Call becomes the greatest honor we could ever receive. T. Van Valin

(From the Editor: These are excerpts from an amazing article. Timothy is a nephew of ACTS Board member, Jewel Van Valin. He has recently joined our writing team. You can hear his heart. In the future we will try and post his complete articles on our web. Due to space, we have given you a sampling. The second part of the article is focused on Isaiah 6. Read it and see the prophet's heart preparation in an intimate, close encounter with God and the response of Isaiah to The Call, “Send me.” Ask the Lord God, as Timothy has, to give you a personal encounter with Him and He will empower and enable you to be His disciple and to go and make disciples of all nations. Glory! God touched Timothy. Now the outgrowth of his walk with God is circling the Globe by emails and the printed version. ACTS reaches 47 countries each week. Pray for Timothy and his family. Bless them. Respond to The Call of God in a deeper way than every before, Amen. He needs you!)

We speak a blessed Christmas season over you and your entire family tree. We pray that you will have a worshipful Christmas!

If it were possible, we would invite you all to dinner at our home…”Father's House”, but, instead
we trust God to fill your home, apartment, and for some, prison cell or hospital room, with
His glorious LIGHT.

2010 is going to be an exciting year in the Kingdom of God—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit! We need your prayers for us and our family tree. Be assured of our daily prayers for you and your family tree.

Blessings, Ralph & Susan McIntosh
on behalf of the ACTS Foundation Board and Team Members!

#695 One in Christ

2009-12-29T19:54:00.000-08:00

#695 “One in Christ” / by Ralph McIntosh / Ralph@actsfoundation.us / December 23, 2009

On Saturday November 28, it was a great privilege for Susan and me to walk with believers from Manchester Anglican Cathedral to Salford Cathedral (Catholic) near Manchester England. The procession was made up of about 350 to 400 believers in Christ from many cultures and denominations including Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Salvation Army, Pentecostal and more! There were awesome services on both ends of the march and there was singing and praising the Lord in the march itself.

The church leaders of each denomination wore their official attire and many of the marchers carried signs proclaiming “King of Kings,” “Word of God,” Light of the World”, etc. The banner at the front of the procession said, “One in Christ.” A number of national flags were carried too. The marchers passed out cards that also said, “One in Christ” and told the story of the event to people on the sidewalks. Each marcher had a sticker on the shirt that said, “One in Christ”.

Along the journey, which went right through a major shopping area, I was able to get one man to proclaim, “Here I am, Lord, use me!” I was also able to witness to a man begging after I gave him some change I had.

The peaceful march was an amazing show of faith to the community and was supported by attending mayors of both cities. We had wonderful police escorts who were very kind and professional.

There were a few people at the end of the march who protested but they were a minor voice compared to the unity shown by the majority of the people. I was thankful to see all the denominations worshiping together and proclaiming to the community their love for one another. It is so valuable to the Christian community to show the world that we serve one Lord!

Eph. 4:4. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.Have you reached out to someone of another denomination recently? Have you attended their church? Have you invited them over for dinner? What have you done to spread the love of Christ beyond your favorite, comfortable circle of friends? Maybe you could organize an event like this one in your area!

A blessed Christmas ...to you from the ACTS Team!
From: Ralph & Susan McIntosh
Jewel Van Valin
Leonard & Kristin Gumm
Jeff & Rosemary Harris
George & Julie Hobbs
Pitt and Joy Gills
Aaron and Michelle Abergas
Susan Black
Earl & Sharon Washburn
Instituto El Rey Staff & Students

Christmas is...

Christmas is when we remember,
Once each year in late December,
How a God, so far away,
Sent His Son to come our way.
Christmas is what was foretold,
By the prophets wise and old.
Christmas is God's perfect gift,
To mankind, their spirits lift.
Christmas is a happy time,
Jesus birthday, and a sign.
Christmas comes again each year,
With eternal, Godly, cheer.
Christmas is, for you and me,
A most perfect way to see...
Christmas as God's visual call,
"Come, behold Him, Lord of all!"
Let this Christmas touch your heart.
From the world, come apart.
Let this Christmas be a gift...
You give God...His Spirit lift!

--Ralph E. McIntosh
(c) Copyright 1999
www.actsfoundation.org

Shout to the Lord!

2008-09-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

September 24, 2008 #630 / By Susan McIntosh / susan@actsfoundation.com

Some of the new worship music, I have to say, is different! It is good, but, different! Some of it, however, especially to someone my age, seems a bit repetitive and for my lyric-loving mind, could use a bit more message. But, then, I look again at the continuous repeated refrains of passages like Psalm 119 and I have to rethink my views. Still getting accustomed to repeated refrains, God stretched me again! A few weeks ago in an Outpouring service a young worship leader encouraged us to SHOUT to the Lord. I managed to get through it graciously even though it was quite disconcerting. What caused me to enter in was the stirring of God’s Spirit in my heart. I was rather conservative in “shouting” but as I joined in, I forgot anyone else was there because I became keenly aware I had drawn near to God and He was drawing NEAR to me in an amazing nearness. It is experiences like this that is curtailing my quick to judge attitude when something is new. I have just become comfortable with clapping my hands in praise. The Word is full of examples of God’s people shouting to Him and clapping their hands in worship. How does God feel about us shouting? It must be important to Him because I heard a stirring sermon on it last week and the minister is a stately, respectable man of God. What is God doing to me?

It is hard enough to go through a private transformation in my heart. I gulped my way through in obedience. However, He has laid it on my heart to write to you about it and I know some of you are going to think I have really lost it now. I made a few attempts to write this article and finally erased it all except the first paragraph. Today, I knew if I was going to be able to cover the subject He would have to make it clear to me. As God would have it, Ralph was away on a mission today and our hostess was out so I found myself alone in this lovely home. The Holy Spirit said, “So, now you have no excuse. Walk around and shout to the Lord. No one is going to hear you but us (The Trinity).” “Weird,” I thought to myself. I have learned the voice of the Spirit, and, I am learning to obey His nudges with much reluctance. At last got up from my writing table and began walking around the house with, I admit, a little louder voice than usual, but, I would not call it shouting!

I did keep my eyes on the windows as I walked through the house calling out to the Lord because I felt extremely awkward and for sure I did not want anyone to hear me or see me. I admit also that it took me a few rounds through the family room, dining room, and living room before both my mind and reasoning were overruled and my spirit was caught up with a shouting praise and proclamation. Before I knew it, I began to sound more and more like a voice of triumph. It is difficult to put into words, but, an amazing knowing came into my heart that things were significantly changing in the situations of need that I had dared to shout out to the Lord. It was not a begging shout; I brought needs to Him with faith-filled words of expectancy.

Go ahead, I dare you, try it! Are there any spiritual Jericho walls that need to come down in your life or some stubborn spiritual strongholds in the lives of those for whom you pray? Trust me, it did become easier and easier for me the longer I persisted in obedience. You see once the Lord laid it on my heart to “shout to the Lord” I took time to do a word study through the Bible on the word “shout” and as I read one verse after another faith began to rise in my spirit that God was calling me to another realm with Him. You may recall Jericho walls were wide enough for chariots to be driven along the tops of them! Talk about a stronghold!!! Consistent obedience followed by shouts resulted in angels pushing those walls down. Excavators have discovered the walls were pushed down by a Supernatural force! We are “priests and kings” and, when this Truth finally penetrates our thinking, we WILL see a transformed Body of Christ! Then we WILL Rise up and Shine. We will see enemies defeated miraculously!

Today was the first time I have shouted in praise. I began with timid expressions of praise and then I elevated to true worship. In the atmosphere of worship there was a shift to a new freedom to shout for breakthrough and even that justice be done in some situations I was bringing to the King. The Children of Israel shouted and they saw God pursue their enemies Himself. Somehow in my spirit I had a confirmation that spiritual battles were being won as I shouted praise in faith for soon coming, radical breakthroughs—a good new job for one of our sons, justice in an unfair situation, favor for a political candidate, healing for two men who have brain injuries, etc. I was obedient. Shouting in prayer was different, but, so was the outcome. I could sense God observing me. I knew I had His ear. I was well aware I had captured His heart. My communion with Him soared.

WOW! Promise me, when the Spirit prompts you to, “Shout to the Lord” that you obey more quickly than I. Send your testimonies! It will be exciting to see what happens for you! If you still feel hesitant, read Mark 10 through a few times until you picture yourself shouting to Jesus. How desperate are you in your need? Shout, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” Shout it over and over! Trust me, He will show you His MERCY! He will step over close to you and touch you! SMc

The Eye of the Storm

2008-09-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

September 17, 2008 #629 / By Ralph E. McIntosh /ralph@actsfoundation.com

Hurricanes are common this time of year. Weather men tell us that the best way to determine the direction and strength of the storm is to fly through it from one side to the other, right through “the eye.”

Spiritual storms are not much different. The power of God is out front and the flurry of criticism is right behind. But there is peace in the center. Finding the direction of God is best found by flying through the middle, not by riding the tail of the skeptics who would try to analyze instead of visualize or experience. Long distance observation is faulty at best. Susan and I feel privileged to have experienced first-hand the current “storm” of Revival in Lakeland for over a month! For ten years we have been “reporting” on moves of God on several continents. I can tell you that, in spite of the recent sad events of Todd Bentley’s step-down, God has been in the Florida Outpouring and still is. The original hosts, Ignited Church and its pastors, are dedicated to humbly serving the thousands who are hungry for God. The hundreds and hundreds of pastors and believers who keep coming to partake are still humbly taking home a new Fire and a genuine desire to deliver the excitement and power of God to friends and fellowships back home. Some have made repeated trips back to the Outpouring. Churches have sent delegations.

We have met wonderful people from Finland, South Africa, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, England, Scotland and many more. At times we have participated in “hand-to-hand combat” with the enemy when he did not want victory to come to some who came seeking both physical and mental healing. And contrary to the mistaken notion that Satan can’t bother a Christian, we have personally ministered deliverance on about ten believers who manifested demonic oppression and have gone home free. God is still healing the sick and setting captives FREE.

Following one meeting we prayed for a family who sold their possessions, rented a car and drove from Georgia to get healing for the father, Mike. He had a bad back from a fall and lumps all over his head from a genetic malady. Mike said to us, “You don’t understand, I can’t go home without a healing!” Thank the Lord that with prayer, at 1:00 am after an evening meeting, God used us to bring healing to Mike and his family. He is working again and the lumps are gone and the family is now preparing to go out as missionaries!

The wonderful fact is that God’s move is never for one town or city. It may start in one place, but His is not a secret society! God so loved the world…John 3:16. God is pouring His Spirit out in many cities worldwide. Susan and I have been also blessed by the Outpouring in Hawaii and we recently heard testimony of what God is doing in Argentina and in England. Welcome His Outpouring in your city!

His Eye

Safe inside of His Storm’s Eye,
All His forces swirl, defy.
Nothing stands against His Hand.
As it moves across the land.

True deliverance is His plan.
Awesome freedom for each man.
Let His Spirit blow through you,
Clearing out the old for new.

© Ralph E. McIntosh
August 2008, Lakeland, Florida

A Call to Prayer

2008-09-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

September 10, 2008 #628 / By Susan McIntosh / susan@actsfoundation.com

ACTS Team Member, Mary Sauer, recently brought to our attention a recently launched corporate prayer for America which we feel should be passed on to 2 Chronicles 7:14 intercessors in all of the 39 WWW/MMM nations. Mary is a woman of prayer. She prays for all of us. She processes most of the Foundation’s correspondence and heads a growing prayer ministry for prisoners. We know Mary already has her alarm clock set to go off, alerting her to pause and intercede for America and for your nations. Bless you, Mary! As Mother Teresa was to orphans, you are a spiritual, interceding mother to thousands!
She has passed on a reminder to all of us that God responds to corporate prayer! “If My people pray…” You may remember reading that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped. There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.
WWW/MMM, this is a fantastic call! We invite all of you to organize a prayer army in your nation. You can start by phoning a few friends and family members. Encourage them to phone a few more people. You know how fast good news can travels! In the US others have already begun so I am joining them—it is just one minute each evening at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, 8 p.m. Central Time, 7 p.m. Mountain Time, and 6 p.m. Pacific Time. All of our nations need intercessory prayer. You might not be an orator, a journalist, a politician, or in the public eye. HOWEVER, you can step up, or kneel down, or sit down for one minute each evening and lift your family, your community, and your nation up to the Lord in prayer and be assured that those you have rallied to pray with you and thousands around the world are also “standing in the gap” before Father’s throne!
Can you imagine the JOY such prayer-of-agreement-from across-the-nations piercing through the Heavens straight to the heart of God! WOW! Just think, we WWW/MMM alone represent 39 countries! The prayer of agreement is POWERFUL! We can bellyache about world problems OR we can reach out and spiritually grasp hands with believers worldwide and move like a mighty Army of the Lord, preparing the Way of the Lord! It is exciting. You may be one of our readers who is in prison, YOU can be a HISTORY MAKER! Gather a band of prayer warriors and syncrize your watches. They might be in their cell and you in yours but in the Spiritual realm, you are marching through Heaven’s gates TOGETHER in AGREEMENT and my Bible tells me, God will respond gloriously! You might be elderly, be sitting in a wheelchair, be a missionary in an assignment hundreds of miles from your nation, be a renowned doctor, be a military or government man or woman, be a busy mom home-schooling, or be a student busy with college courses. We can make a huge difference. We can worry or try to ignore economical, political, personal, relationship, and welfare problems. But, we can also make a difference! We can be history makers.
Some of you may respond, “I wouldn’t know what to pray.” My first reply would be, “Ask the Lord to show you.” I stand by that, but, to prime the pump of interceding, History Makers, here is a sample of my own prayers: “Father, in faith, I grab hands with Believers around the world and gather with them here at Your Throne. We acknowledge You as our Father. Teach us how to hallow and honor You MORE in our daily lives. Corporately, in this minute of intercessory prayer, we acknowledge our need for a deeper dependency on You. Forgive us for grieving Your Holy Spirit. Forgive the many sins of our nations. Cleanse us, Lord. Convict us of sin. Transform our hearts as we wait expectantly in Your presence. We long to experience Your Kingdom in our own lives and in our nation. Teach us how to humble ourselves, pray, and seek Your face on behalf of our nation. Heal our land! Thy Kingdom COME. Thy Will be DONE in us as it is in Heaven. Hallelujah! We praise You together, in Jesus’ Name, Amen!”

Fault Lines

2008-09-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

September 3, 2008 #627 / By Ralph E. McIntosh / ralph@actsfoundation.com

I am from California. I was born there in 1946 to missionary parents who promptly took me to Mexico at a very young age. Mexico became my second home and Spanish, the language of my heart! Both California and Mexico have the dubious distinction of having earthquakes. I have experienced them in both places and they can be less than fun!

Fault Lines are cracks in the earth’s surface. It is along these cracks that the immense pressure of shifting layers of the earth can suddenly give way causing earthquakes when the friction can take no more stress.

I see the great moves of God as spiritual fault lines in our belief systems, but they are not faulty! They do cause us to be very uncomfortable with the shaking and the uncertainty about where things will settle! As I look at Scripture, Jesus was very comfortable with making the religious uncomfortable. Sometimes we need to be shaken off dead-center. We don’t need to be eccentric; we need to be God-centric! (Ezekiel 37 is a good picture of what “spiritual shaking” accomplishes.

Personally, I am more comfortable without shouting “Hallelujah” or jumping while loud music is played. However, when you hear the testimonies of redemption from the world’s system, it makes one want to yell and jump if you haven’t done so before. Besides it is Scriptural to “shout to the Lord” and to “leap for joy.”

I have been grieved to read some of the comments on the Internet written often by those who are trying to discredit what God has been doing. It is truly amazing. Obviously, every good fruitcake has some nuts in it! We met a few of them too! By far the majority people we met at the Outpouring were genuine believers wanting nothing but God’s perfect will for them and their families.

If only the critics would take the time to come and listen and worship alongside some real people, they would have less to criticize. I noticed something on the

Internet that amused me. The blogs and videos that were negative received more attention that the positive ones! What does this tell you about the hunger for God of even the Christian public?

Let’s all pray that we focus on Faith and not on frenzy!

Luke 18--Men ought always to pray and not to faint…Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican… The Pharisee represents the religious and “better than thou” while the publican cried out to the Lord from his acknowledged humility and genuine need.

Hearts-of-Faith

Hearts-of-Faith from miles apart,
Here, converge, to do their part.
Come to lift up Jesus’ name,
Then return--but not the same.

Drawn, we come with common cause,
Lifting hearts and faith’s applause,
Driven only by His love,
Looking to His face above.

We can never be the same.
We will always praise His Name.
Touched by Jesus’ mighty hand.
Now empowered for our lands.

Oh the Lord of every morning.
Oh His glory now surrounding.
Oh the mercy of His blessing.
Oh His awesome love abounding.

©Ralph E. McIntosh / 9/2/08 / Lakeland, Florida

Guilt by Association (Harry Potter Re-visited)

2008-09-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

August 20, 2008 #625 / By Ralph E. McIntosh / ralph@actsfoundation.com

At a recent meeting in Hawaii a father and son approached me asking if I was planning to write any more about my opinion on Harry Potter. They both have read the books and enjoyed them. I really had not planned to write more, but reconsidered and am adding some more thoughts to the article that I posted on the internet. http://www.actsfoundation.org/HarryPotter.asp I actually responded immediately with, “It is not much different than homosexuality which is also listed as an abomination. (Lev. 18:22)” I find it amazing that some Christians are still trying to justify associations with the demonic, and others are coming against the work of evangelists who preach that God is as He has always been…planning our good and our healing from all disease and evil! I think it is against all good reason to want to associate with the works of darkness that are well classified in Scripture. If we spent one tenth (perhaps a tithe) of our reading time in searching the Scripture on the difference between righteousness and evil, we would have no questions on what is good and what is bad association for us.

A couple of verses that say nothing directly about sorcery or witchcraft are, however, great guidelines for our thoughts and perhaps the most powerful directives against dabbling in the occult ( relating to, or dealing with secret supernatural influences, agencies, or phenomena ). They read like this…

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. NAS

In other words, what ever we plant in our brain we will reap. Would any of us want to reap the results of witchcraft?

Matthew 12:34-37 34. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak(or read), they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will condemned. KJV

Note also that on numerous occasions the occult is linked with whoredom, adultery, rebellion, etc. It is an association that is closely linked in Scripture and carries a load of guilt with it.

Lev. 20:6. And the soul that turns after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. 7. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. 8. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you.

Revelation 21:8 8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

ACTS 19:19. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Other Scripture to review: Revelation 22:15, 1 Samuel 15:23, 2 Kings 9:22, 2 Chronicles 33:1-6, Micah 5:12-13, Nahum 3:4-6, Galatians 5:19-21, Malachi 3:5-7, Acts 13:6-8

Our prayer is that none of the works of the enemy, especially witchcraft and related dark subjects, will hold any attraction for you or your family. If this has been a trap, take a clue from Scripture and gather the things together (books, DVD’s, computer games, and even clothing with skulls, serpents, etc.) and burn them. As Jesus said, “Repent. Go, and sin no more.” Be FREE! You will be surprised how Light will flood your soul and your home. RMc

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I Want More

2008-09-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

Lord, I Want More…

More than sight;

Give me insight.

More than education;

Help me have Your wisdom.

More than touch;

Help me feel.

More than a walk;

Help me finish the race.

More than rest;

Help me lean on You.

More than winning;

Help me be triumphant.

More than my world;

Help me see the nations!