Last week we began to discuss how making the path clear is important for motivating those who have been mobilized. In Proverbs 4:18-19 we are told, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” So, if we are on the path of the righteous or the right path, the path itself should be getting increasingly clear.

     I once watched the local news for thirty days straight to see if there was any good news. There was none reported. Of course, there was some good news, but just not newsworthy by present network standards. I turned on the news as I sat down to write this and was quickly overwhelmed by the problems and crises that came cascading down at me from the television set. It’s easy to understand why some are saying we’re in “the great time of trouble” now. How much worse could it get?

     We have only superficially covered the judgment of God, but it is one of the two basic foundations of spiritual authority. The other is righteousness, as we are told: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne” (see Psalm 89:14). Therefore, as we grow in His authority we should also grow in our knowledge and obedience to them.

Recently, Reverend Bonnke very graciously took time to answer some of our questions. His frankness, clarity of vision, and heart for the lost are evident in his thoughtful answers.   1. In the light of church history, from the book of Acts to the present, how would you describe and compare the revival taking place in Africa?

     Many of the mistakes that have devalued the spiritual currency of prophetic ministry have come from the failure to distinguish between the calling and the commissioning. As we see in the Book of Acts, Paul was called as an apostle many years before he was commissioned to that ministry. Estimates of how long it was between Paul’s calling and his commissioning range between eight and fourteen years.

         Last week we covered the twenty-four elders around the Lord’s throne in Revelation 4 and what they represent. The twenty-four elders are mentioned four more times in Revelation, and each time they fall on their faces to worship the Lord. This is a crucial picture of godly authority—they are worshippers. The greatest prophetic model of the Messiah in the Old Testament is King David, also one of the greatest worshippers in Scripture. Being devoted to worship is fundamental to those who would walk in godly authority.

One of the great prophetic challenges in Scripture is Isaiah 6:1-3:

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

Detrich Bonhoeffer is one of my favorite authors. He was a true prophetic voice during the first part of this century. He stood against the greatest darkness of his time without compromise, and died because of it in a Nazi concentration camp. In one of his books, Life Together, he made a bold and shocking remark, stating simply: "God hates the visionary." The translation of this from the German language that he wrote in may be a little stronger than he intended, but there is some truth to this that we should understand.