Stockstill’s Dream: We Have a Window of Time for Repentance

Dear ‘Ovadyah,’
Before I posted this article, I had never even heard of Larry Stockstill. I posted this because I believe this truly is what the Lord is *trying* to tell many pastors and ‘Christians’ today. I heard something similar:
http://onecanhappen.com/2008/01/07/a-kindness-that-i-want-to-flow-from-my-body
“There is a kindness that I want to flow from My body. Let it saturate all those around you. Let it flow from your hearts. Let it fill you up. Let the Holy Spirit give you life. Let them be free—hate and anger no longer. Give your life to Me.
Do not hold grudges, My people. Get up and repent. The time is short. I will not hold back much longer the tide that is about to come.”
The time is short. We have this little window. What will we do? Will we keep on trying to do our own thing? Or will we learn to abide in Christ, loving our neighbors as much as we love ourselves—and the Lord, our God, with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength?
Will we finally get it together? Will we finally be an example to the nations? How will we do this? We need to take a careful look at what the Bible REALLY teaches and what the Holy Spirit is actually saying. It’s a wake-up call!
I don’t know Larry’s record, but it’s hard to make up a dream. You saw what you saw, and then you write it down. And Satan isn’t going to give us warnings that America will *soon* fall if we don’t repent.
And maybe this warning applies to Larry as well as most pastors, who’ve led the people astray in important areas.
I did look at your site, and agree with you on the damage caused by the unbiblically balanced, prosperity teaching’ that is commonly taught. And your criticism of the ‘proof text’ method of Biblical interpretation is a key element of why so many pastors believe and teach false doctrines:
http://225br.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/larry-stockstill-and-eisegesis
“One of the tools Prosperity Televangelist abuse to covet believers valuables is Scripture itself. They will constantly use the “proof text” method when interpreting Scripture. For example, televangelist will start with their own desires and then seek verses that appear to support their authority. A believer should instead research what Scripture says about a particular topic and adjust their lives to its authority and not force Scripture to submit to our authority.”
Hermeneutics is at the heart of the matter. You quote Grant Osbourne http://www.tiu.edu/divinity/people/osborne. I took one of his classes at Trinity, and watched him on campus: the only professing non-Calvinist, Arminian [God gave us a free will, and subsequently, personal responsibility] leaning theology professor that I was aware of. I don’t think it was easy for him. And I imagine that his method of interpretation had a lot to do with what he concluded, even if this meant he would be considered as somewhat of an outcast—a marked man.
In America, there is still a very strong pressure to conform and not rock the boat, which can come from teachers who are afraid that they have been wrong in some things they’ve taught and who actually pray (James-3 curse) those who teach the truth. For the fear of man is greater than the fear of God, which many have taught is not to be taught: the fear of God. Though they are afraid.
We must be holy. We must obey and follow the Word of God, not the other way around, pulling from it isolated texts that agree with what we want it to say.
We need to trust that what it really says is life and peace for us and all men and women. Life comes from Him. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. The gospel is good news! But what is the gospel? Him in us and we in Him. Right relationships. Beautiful hearts. Holy lives. Transformed temperaments. Us like Him.
ONE Can Happen — JESUS’ heart-cry for us in John 17!
May we be ONE!
By the way, I would like to add that in seminaries, there is an aspect of hermeneutics that is largely minimized. This aspect is the third person of the trinity, the HOLY Spirit, who Jesus said would lead us into all truth. Why don’t we rely more on Him? What are we scared of? God, Himself? Why don’t we want to draw near to Him to find out where we have been right and where we’ve fallen off of the straight path?
There is too much pride of man in seminaries, and not enough dependence and submission to and trust in the HOLY Spirit.
Freedom!!!
Jeff Fenske : )

And Shalom to you, Ovadyah!
Wow, I can relate:
“What if with all of the corruption in today’s priesthood and the go-along to get-along attitude a man would raise up and trash ‘God’s House’ and shouting ‘You’ve made my Father’s house a den of thieves!’ He wouldn’t be seen as Spirit Filled according to contemporary believers but divisive, Spiritless, unchristian, NEGATIVE, and most likely criminal (Luke 19:45-20:47).
How far are we to go-along in order to get-along?”
The main thing is to stay in the Spirit, walking in Love, forgiving everyone with all of our hearts. Then if we obediently step out and are still called ‘divisive,’ then so be it. We did the right thing.
But I learned the hard way. Many years ago, in a major situation I was in: when I finally realized why God couldn’t move at this church and the level of corruption that had occurred [and in this case it wasn’t so much corruption about money, but leadership hurting many people very seriously], I did the research to make sure, and even heard from God about the root cause of what was going on.
I started out by doing the right thing. I brought what I found out and what I believe God had told me to a key leader. But when an elder convinced him to not speak with me anymore about the problem and the solution to it, I became very disappointed and very FRUSTRATED, because I knew the potential of this place, and couldn’t figure out why these people wouldn’t do the right thing so real Christianity could happen.
It had actually become a lot like “Godfather, Part III;” though, there weren’t any bullets involved—people were taken out! And this ‘church’ still hasn’t recovered even to this day. It’s a sad story, but there are probably stories similar to this all across the land.
Fortunately, I was able to leave for a season, during which I saw God move significantly during what I consider what was the tail end of the holiness emphasis in the Vineyard movement, but that made me even more hungry to see the real thing happen where I had been—and more FRUSTRATED!
By the way, I was also able to see during that time a letter in which I was actually called ‘divisive’ by the church leader, which is one of the very words you use above. Though my heart was totally to see ONE happen: everyone getting right with each other and right with God so we could be happy as a body again—actually, far happier! And I had been relatively low key about my problem solving agenda.
There was a time after when I came back to this area, that I saw what I thought was the potential for change to finally happen. So I attended again. But this time I went way above and beyond what the Holy Spirit was leading me to do and said too many things to too many people to whom I shouldn’t have. And I ended up getting in big trouble…to which I eventually apologized, and I learned my lesson.
Now, years later, I focus on positive things I can do in other areas and let God deal with this situation, still hoping that change will come. I’ve really focused on forgiving everyone 100%, and I believe that if I would see some of these people right now I could warmly shake their hands and even give them a hug. This has already happened, in fact.
It hurts to be away. But I know that it’s better for me to give them space and not be pushy. Even though, I believe I was right throughout, it’s wrong for me to push my agenda onto them—even if it’s God’s agenda—unless the Holy Spirit actually was moving me to step out in a forceful way.
The Holy Spirit moved Jesus [Jesus did what He did, led by the Holy Spirit: http://onecanhappen.com/2007/12/12/a-call-to-intimacy-the-holy-spirit-in-john%E2%80%99s-gospel-epistles-by-jeff-fenske%5D to do this only once. And I don’t think He’s ever moved me to act in this way.
We have to be very careful. People are not the enemy. We need to love everyone. And there is a right way to bring about change. I’ve had a few key people help me to chill and forgive and not hold a grudge. And forgiving has been a theme of study for me for years. And God can give us love to accomplish the impossible. And then unity will come. At least it’s happening in my heart. And I know of others. Praise God, I think revival, Jesus’ prayer that we’d be ONE is right around the corner for some of us! Then it will spread like wildfire, once God shows up!!
Ovadyah, regarding your specific phrase:
“How far are we to go-along in order to get-along?”
“Go-along in order to get-along.”
This is one of the things I’ve seen keep real Christianity happen in a large group setting. Most ‘churches’ have a main leader, and then this leader has a support team who are basically ‘yes’-men. This happens over and over, and is not Biblical.
“Eph. 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be APOSTLES, some PROPHETS, some EVANGELISTS, and some PASTORS and TEACHERS, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the UNITY of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a PERFECT man, to the MEASURE AND THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may GROW UP IN ALL THINGS INTO HIM who is the head—Christ— 16 FROM WHOM the whole body, joined and KNIT TOGETHER by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Eph. 4:11-16 shows what the church is supposed to be, which is another way of saying that we’ll be one with each other in Christ (Jesus’ prayer for us in John 17). And it also states that to get there we need these five ministries in action. There is one of these ministries critically missing from probably almost every church in America: the prophet. And when it does exist, it’s probably a prophet leading, which also usually doesn’t work so well. Because most prophetic people are supposed to be part of a team, not the main leader of the team.
What we mostly have right now are strong personality type leaders leading churches, who are usually called pastors, or sometimes apostles. But where are the prophets? We can’t have unity without the prophets! A prophet who rubber stamps most everything the head pastor (apostle) does is not what I think God had in mind. Because churches are far from becoming what they’re called by God to be. And until that day comes, prophets should be busy giving balance and God’s perspective as to what is going on.
But for some reason, pastors think they can have a Biblical and successful-in-God’s-eyes church without having prophetic people also in leadership, or at least keenly listening to the prophetic people. They think they are complete ministers who don’t need the gift that prophets bring. But God doesn’t give any one single person all of the five-fold gifts so he can lead without the need for the other gifts.
I’ve found that most head pastors are weak in the gift of discernment of spirits, for example. They see the glass mostly full when the prophets see the demonic yuck that is making the glass mostly empty.
And they may not be the Biblically right-on teachers that they think they are either. Prophetic people are called by God to be able to see the holes, so they can be patched. That’s largely what this website is about.
But my main point about your “How far are we to go-along in order to get-along?” statement is this. This is what head pastors say to those of us who see a rat when the head pastor thinks it’s cheese: don’t rock the boat, just “go-along in order to get-along.” Even though, the churches are Titanics, about to hit an iceberg.
“Everything is fine.” “We can do it on our own.” “You can hang with us as long as you don’t say anything that would make attendees uncomfortable.”
So I just stay away until I can find a head pastor (apostle) who really wants Jesus to be the head—who realizes he’s incapable of leading us into being led by the Holy Spirit without the balance and insight that only prophetic people have.
We’re in a war. And our enemy is unseen. And most pastors don’t have the ability to see the enemy clearly enough. Which is kind of a gift in itself. So they don’t see much of the yuck. But this is also a major weakness. So pastors who think they can lead churches without prophets also leading are deceived into thinking they can succeed.
So in the meantime, I’m trying to focus on what I can do.
I’m no longer interested in working with a head pastor who doesn’t appreciate his need for the balance and insight that God gave to prophetic people. We can see things pastors can’t. We can even watch their backside, looking out for them in the Spirit—helping them avoid the pitfalls that they can’t see.
I will be so blessed when one day a head pastor won’t just say: just “go-along in order to get-along.” Or that they just ignore us all together, hoping and even praying (James-3 cursing) that we go away.
I will go away. But I’m hoping and praying that one day we’ll be one. And head pastors will appreciate us prophetic types, knowing they need us in order for Jesus to be the head of the church.
God didn’t call us to just get together and have meetings. He called us into Ephesians 4:11-16! And without the second ministry gift in verse 11 being recognized, verses 12-16 isn’t going to happen.
May “we may grow up in all things into him, who is THE HEAD, CHRIST; from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together….”
Jesus, the Creator of the Universe, is waiting for just one local body of believers somewhere to get Ephesians 4:11-16 happening. And then He’ll show up—and stay.
And after that, this will spread like wildfire to many communities. Then the prophetic people will be finally appreciated.
Until then, my goal is to continue what I can do; though, my heart will be sad until ONE happens.
May we not lose hope and patience during this dark chapter in the history of Christianity in America. Jesus is building His church. And we must be ONE with each other and ONE in Him.
Most head pastors aren’t even teaching that ONE is even supposed to happen—partly because I think they know they can’t lead the people into it.
But Jesus can and wants to when we do it His way—engaging the true prophetic people—those who are calling the church into holiness—not just fun and games, like so many so-called prophets are focused on.
I believe in manifestations of the Spirit. And these manifestations won’t be in suspect when the church gets holy, first.
Now, most churches in America are either spiritually mostly dead, or it’s a free for all, partysville, where demons are the source of the power more so than the Holy Spirit, Who is sitting this one out—until we get holy.
Freedom!!!
May ONE happen!
Ovadyah, those are some of my thoughts during these days when hardly any head pastors want to really hear the truth from God gifted, prophetic people.
May Ephesians 4:11-16 happen in America soon—during this little window that we still have.
Shalom!
Jeff Fenske : )