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St. Louis Conference Report

Over 200 people attended the Tabernacles conference in St. Louis last week end. The last official count that I heard was 207. This included many friends from Canada and Holland, as well as Hawaii. It is always a pleasure to see friends from afar that we do not often see, but of course there is never enough time to visit with all of them.

The teachings were recorded by Thom Mills and will be made available later. Bob Dorn was the only "special" unadvertised speaker. He taught on the meanings of the various names of God and their significance. Great job!

I gave a teaching on The Law of Victim's Rights, showing examples from Scripture that the victim always has the right to forgive--even in the case of capital crimes. Doing justice is not a duty but only a right. A biblical judge has the duty to render an impartial and just sentence in every case, but the victim does not have the duty to carry out the sentence. The judge's sentence only establishes the right of the victim. The victim may demand all of it, part of it, or none of it at his discretion.

In a case of restitution, he can forgive part of the debt owed to him. In a case of kidnapping, as with Joseph (Genesis 37:27), the victim can forgive the crime, even though it called for the death penalty (Deuteronomy 24:7). In case of adultery, Hosea chose to forgive his wife and actually redeem her from slavery, though adultery called for the death penalty (Deuteronomy 22:22).

The same can be seen in the New Testament, when Joseph was told that Mary was pregnant out of wedlock (Matthew 1:19). In fact, in that case, Joseph intended only to put her away because he was "a just man." After the angel informed him of the miraculous conception, he married her, but when he had to travel out of town to Bethlehem, he took her with him so that the zealous, duty-bound neighbors would not stone her.

Even murder can be forgiven, as we read in Jesus' words on the cross and again in the story of Stephen's stoning (Acts 7:60). Either the victim himself or his legal guardian retains the right to forgive, even though the judge does not have that right.

Another example, which I did not mention in my teaching at the Conference, is found in Exodus 22:22-24.

²² You shall not afflict [oppress] any widow or orphan. ²³ If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; ²⁴ and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

In this case, God will take up the case if the widow or orphan appeals to the divine court. The point of this example is to show that such an appeal is optional, not automatic.

David was abandoned by his parents when he became an outlaw running from King Saul (Psalm 27:10). This made him an orphan in the sight of God, and so David tells us that God took up his case. Saul was eventually killed, and his children were made "fatherless" according to the law. This law could have prophetic significance for Church denominations today, so the "Davids" should be careful how they press charges against the Church.

The Law of Victims' Rights is the reason that the divine law has a mercy factor built into it. This mercy factor has not been understood by the majority of people, including Christians. Christians think that one must put away the law in order to bring mercy, grace, and forgiveness. In fact, I believe that this misunderstanding was the main reason why the Church rejected the divine law. It was because they thought the law was merciless and graceless and that the New Covenant had to be lawless in order to bring forgiveness to the world.

This was a great misunderstanding, but as we rebuild the wall of the New Jerusalem, that particular "stone" is a vital part of the wall. The wall is the law, the moral boundary that protects the New Jerusalem from thieves and murderers. It does not allow the lawless ones to enter. When God allowed the wall of the old Jerusalem to be destroyed, it was to signify that "the law is no more" (Lamentations 2:8 and 9). The people had become lawless, so God judged them by destroying the wall that pictured the moral boundary of the law.

So even as Operation Jericho destroyed the wall of Jericho last year (September 11-17, 2011), so also did we do a prophetic work to repair the breaches in the wall of the New Jerusalem in 2012. This took 52 days from July 22 to September 12. The revelation of this final "stone" in the wall (the Law of Victims' Rights) came as we were driving north to Bemidji, Minnesota to complete this work.

At the St. Louis conference, this law also became part of the flow of revelation. Many people were given insights and input into the flow of revelation over the week end. Every revelation was important in some way. The culmination of the week end came after the conference had officially closed about 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. About 122 of us were led to walk about four blocks down the street to the Federal Reserve Building. Scripture was read regarding the overthrow of the Babylonian system. Prayer was offered to set the people free. And finally, the weird creatures on the side of the building were baptized with water from the Mississippi River, "The River of the Holy Spirit."

It ended with a great shout ("Ho!" from Isaiah 55:1). Those who participated had been anointed toward the end of the meeting at the hotel. Hence, they were consecrated to do this work. We did not go the Fed building to vent anger or to curse. We went as victims who had the right of forgiveness to offer the baptism of the Holy Spirit to all those Fed employees who have the desire to "come to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). In essence, we were extending God's invitation to them from Isaiah 55:2-7

² Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. ³ Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David. . . ⁶ Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

In the end, it was Brother Vinnie's word on Saturday night which told me what I needed to hear in regard to the coming "rain." He said that the gifts of the Spirit seen in the past have been good, but they were not often accompanied by Love. What is coming is "a baptism of love." When I heard that, I knew that was God's voice revealing the core of the outpouring of the Spirit that lies ahead.

The prophetic word was spoken on April 12, 2009 on the last day of the Passover conference in Manassas, Virginia, that we were entering into a time of Elisha. While that was true, it is equally true that there is a close connection between Elijah and Elisha. Elisha got the double portion (2 Kings 2:9). Hence, Elijah performed eight miracles, while Elisha performed sixteen.

Since 2009 we have seen the first eight miracle-signs occur. While they have been "Elisha" signs, the first eight only duplicated what Elijah had already done. Hence, we have been in a time of Elijah for 3-1/2 years. James 5:17 says the time was "three years and six months." This time ends on Friday, October 12, 2012. At that time, I anticipate that we will cross a very important threshold, and the double portion should begin to manifest. If not immediately, then we should see it shortly unless there is more to this than I am seeing.

The feast of Tabernacles this year (October 1-8) served as a time of prayer for rain, even as Elijah did in his pattern (1 Kings 18:43). We received the revelation on the evening of the seventh day of Tabernacles through brother Vinnie. The next morning Larren provided us with prophetic music ministry, and the core revelation came through the song, "If My People," taken from 2 Chronicles 7:13 and 14.

¹³ If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, ¹⁴ and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

We have now gone through the Elijah drought of three years and six months. We then prayed for rain and even baptized the Federal Reserve Bank. We have done all that we could do, according to the revelation that we had. Now we await God's action.