BeLOnGings

The song “Why Would We Not Sing?” posted on the last blog was written long before the ‘novel‘ virus, but has proven to be quite prophetic given the restrictions now being imposed on church’s worship.

Similarly the words I penned several months ago have also proven to have become increasingly prophetic,

“When wrong is called right and right is called wrong

When the court is corrupt, true religion gone home

When wisdom is drowned by the noise of the throng

There will never stop singing this beautiful song……

All will be well.“

I am going to share one response to “Why Would We Not Sing?” and it’s accompanying ‘novel‘ video and then explain why.

“Hey Paul. I just saw on the news that there’s a manhunt underway in Donegal for what they’re calling the Rosguill Flasher! They say he’s Spanish because he goes by the name Seenyour Bum. His wife was heard singing and dancing in a hulah skirt nearby. Her name is said to be Grassy Ass. They said they looked like two agged flower children doing an impression of Sunny and Cher. But sure why would they not sing! Powerful stuff! I won’t shop you. Sure they’d never believe it was a wee prod from East Belfast anyway. Might prejudice your green card. You might get deported by them Trumpians before you even get to vote! The Free P’s won’t listen to you nigh about the end is nigh!“

Now some of my American readers might be a bit taken aback by such earthy and unPC humor! (Some of it might go completely over your head!) However believe me, the writer is a living Celtic saint!

Come to think of it most of the living Celtic saints I know are endowed with this oft overlooked key in my estimation as to “How The Irish Saved Civilization” during ‘The Dark Ages’

…..their sense of humor,

…..particularly their ability to laugh at themselves.…….not to take themselves too seriously!

Might that be called humility?

In Ps.45:7 it is said of Jesus, “God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.”

This is not limited to the Irish saints. When I get together and with my closest committed companions in the US, like St. Brian, St Bill, St Mike, St.Robin and St.Gil, there is much laughter as well as some tears as things are shared authentically and felt deeply.

Honesty, Humility and Humor seem to me to be a Holy Trinity!

Currently we are once again experiencing an assault aimed at destroying the Judeo – Christian foundation of Western civilization. Our confident hope however is that by the grace of God we will emerge from this current Dark Age into a new ‘Kingdom Age’ for “the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it”……and All Will Be Well.

……..and maybe God in that process might just use again “a wild Celt”…. who is able to make people laugh

…….and is able to laugh at himself?😊

……..and is not embedded in the establishment (but in the blog).

P.S. A few of us will be gathering to worship and celebrate ‘the feast of Trumpets’ tomorrow (Sunday) at Lisnabreeny Ring Rath at 2.00 pm. You would be welcome to join us. (To car park. From Four Winds roundabout along Ballymaconaghy Road. Left at Covenanter bookshop T junction. Left at Farmview Meats along Lisnabreeny Road. Destination 1 mile on left.)

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rm.11:33)

Just a few minutes after posting the last blog I got the following graciously clarifying message.

The amazing thing is that it came from my friend Eugene who I consider both a Saint and  Bishop! 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rm.11:33)

Eugene wrote:

This might throw some light on the psalm numbering mistake!

For those who read translations of the psalms based on the Septuagint version (Vulgate and most Catholic translations) rather than on the Hebrew (most non-Catholic translations), discrepancy in the enumeration of the psalms is immediately evident. Translations following the Hebrew enumeration are frequently one number ahead of those following the Septuagint, e.g., Ps 22 in the Septuagint and Catholic translations is numbered in the Hebrew and non – Catholic translations is Ps. 23. The discreptancy is due to the division into two by the Septuagint of certain psalms which in the Hebrew and non-Catholic translations remain as one psalm, and to the division into two in the Hebrew of other psalms which remain as one in the Septuagint.

Septuagint 1-8 9 10-112 113 114-115 116-145 146-147 148-150

Hebrew 1-8 9-10 11-113 114-115 116 117-146 147 148-150

Maybe the Bishop was “right” after all, in an odd RC kind of way!

After posting last Wednesday’s blog, Dad gave an amazing ‘sign following’ – quite literally, in a sign

Hilary and I “had  a notion” as the song says, to visit her birth city of Londonderry or Derry.

Last week we had been in the town of Hilary’s teen years, Downpatrick. Rocky (pictured above at the Giant’s ring near Belfast) had taken us together with his best friend Paul McAree to visit for the first time ever, the Catholic Cathedral. 

Although Hilary lived beside the Anglican Cathedral in historic Downpatrick and played in the grounds (in fact literally on the gravestone of the Irish Trinity of saints, Patrick, Bridget and Columba) she had never crossed the street to enter the Catholic counterpart…….until last week that is, when Paul whose family also hailed from the town introduced us to life on “the other side of the tracks.”

It was a fairly traumatic initiation as we needed to “use the bog” as we say in Ireland. When the janitor of the Cathedral discovered we had rushed into the Restroom, she almost had a Covid apoplectic fit, God love her! 

Fresh from this memorable cross community experience in Down  I “had a notion” again, to cross the tracks in the Maiden City.

On discovering that the Anglican Catherdral was still under Covid lockdown, I climbed the *green hill” not far away, but “outside a city wall “ as Derry’s famous hymn writer wrote, to visit St Eugene’s Catholic Cathedral, which was open. (The virus is obviously a bigot and is attacking Protestants more ferociously than Catholics😊)

As I passed through the Cathedral gates, I looked up, and there on the sign at the entrance was the very scripture I had blogged about that morning!

“I rejoiced when I heard them say let us go to God’s house.”

Then I noticed the error on the sign, made many years ago, as if writ for me on that day!!!

You can see the scripture reference was mistakenly inscribed, not as Psalm 122, but Psalm 121!

I remembered as a teenager chucking at my spiritual mentor’s  expression of reassurance when someone made a mistake, “Sure it could happen to a bishop! “ Now here at the Cathedral, “the seat of the bishop”, the Bishop’s mistake (after all that’s who the buck stops with) was plain for all the world to see.

As I entered the sanctuary the janitorial ladies were as busy in Derry as in Down!….frantically sanctifying with spray and cloth, door knobs and railings.

I took a photo of the beautiful stain glass window at the front of the Cathedral and noticed the stain of the intruder in the foreground…..fear written across his forehead…..an insurgency into the very heart of the faith community! 

I looked up the Psalm that should have been 122 but was mistakenly 121. Of course it was no ‘mistake’ at all in God’s economy. 

“I lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?”

This verse references the pagan hilltop shrines and asks the question of the people of Israel, 

“Who is it you are trusting in for help? Are you looking to something or someone other than the living God for your salvation?”

This week we have lived amidst the stunning majesty and beauty of the Rosguill Peninsula.In the middle of last night I was lead to go outside and look up, beyond the hills of Derry and Donegal to the heavens. Freed from the glare of the city the vast array of heavenly lights now visible to my naked eye was breathtaking! 

Like the prophet’s servant of old, Father reminded me that this was the heavenly host, ‘without number’ that was arrayed on behalf of his believing saints in the midst of these dark times.
From the whole of creation the answer booms forth…….

“Our help comes from the Lord……the Maker of heaven and earth.”

I realized that human ‘mistake’ made years ago was ‘meant’ to be,

…..for such a time as this.

What a beautiful highlighting by our Father of the message of reassurance in last week’s Ps. 122 blog……”You Can’t Get It Wrong.” ……for He incorporates our errors into His foolproof redemptive plan.

……and He is also not as concerned as we often are about ‘getting it right’ (and not wrong!). If we do something simply because we just ‘had a notion’ it’s not so much about what we are doing, but about who we are doing it with. 

In other words are we living in constant companionship with our Father? 

………living life, looking for Him, listening to Him, and learning from Him, how to truly love, as His children

I trust today’s title has caught your attention, if last week’s didn’t!

This should have been Part 4, but last week I mistakenly titled the blog once again Part 2, if it were possible to make a mistake. Of course from our point of view we make mistakes all the time, but from God’s point of view there are no mistakes, only poor choices that he can use to train us through, and incorporate into his foolproof plan of redemption.

The classic acknowledgement of this in scripture is when Joseph reassures his brothers who tried to put their cocky young brother in his place and fear they are about to get their comeuppance. “Don’t be afraid. You purposed it for evil, but God meant it for good….”

So when I realized that last week I had typed and published another Part 2 instead of Part 3 Father reminded me that 122 was the number of our flight last week to Ireland and then linked this with Psalm 122. This is one of the Psalms of Ascent recited by the children of Israel three times each year on their way up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts.

I wrote a song based on Psalm 122 many years ago that has never been recorded …..until now that is. This morning seemed to be the God ordained time and setting, to record it at, “Studio One Take!“

We literally do these recordings once, unrehearsed, and then notice any “signs following”. This time we sang the song against the backdrop of Mulroy Bay with the never ending artistry of Dad’s shifting shadows and shafting sunlight bringing the beautifully distinctive Donegal landscape alive!

The bridge of the song references Luke chapter 21 which speaks of ‘signs in the sun’ and of seeing ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud.’

In the original language the word translated cloud could also be translated crowd, as in the cloud which is a crowd of witnesses in Hebrews. In other words Christ’s appearing will be in his saints!

Then Hilary appeared to join me in the last choruses where we play on the word ‘peace’ changing it to ‘piece’ – for as ‘living stones, built together’ in the New Jerusalem this is how we can encourage one another for what already is and is shortly to be fully manifested, – ‘Christ in YOU the hope of glory!’

Then as we sang the final chorus together to YOU, did you notice the dark clouds gave way to a glorious brightness?!

We could not have choreographed this ahead of time, but it obviously was orchestrated by our Father, who works all things together according to the purpose of his will : – )

“So what” you might ask, for the third time, “has this got to do with the book Father Elijah?”

Well a few days ago I mentioned the book to our daughter in law. She said with a shudder. “Oh yes! I read that book many years ago.” It was the shudder that got my attention, and without even asking, I knew why.

At the end of the book as a world in turmoil continues to move in an alarmingly totalitarian direction, the final scene depicts Elijah and a fellow priest coming up over the brow of a hill to view the city of Jerusalem. The final page is then a transcription of Revelation chapter 11, which describes ‘the two witnesses’ and the drama of their death and resurrection on the streets of “the great city”

To present a young girl with such a frighteningly unresolved depiction of the end times is bound to leave her with a shudder!

Paul writes to the Thessalonians regarding the coming of ‘the day of the Lord’, “Now beloved brothers and sisters concerning the question of God’s precise times and specific seasons, you don’t need me to write anything to you.” (1Thess. 5:1 TPT)

I know this could not have been said of me, as it was of the Thessalonians, at the time of writing Come Lord Jesus. However over the last 25 years Abba has been filling in some blanks in my understanding.

One of the things I have been learning is that with a Hebrew mindset the prophecy in the book of Revelation is better understood as historical rather than futuristic and allegorical or spiritual rather than literal.

I have also been learning how an understanding of the whole of scripture rather than just certain New Testament passages is required to understand ‘the end times’ especially the prophetic nature of the law and in particular ‘the feasts’. We are now near the end of the story anticipating the fulfillment of the final and most joyous of the feasts – Tabernacles or “Ingathering”

So my blog title ‘mistake’ was ‘meant’ so that I could explain why we do not need to ‘shudder’ at the things that are transpiring in these days but rather rejoice!

“ I rejoiced with those who said
Let us go to the house of God
Our feet are standing in your gates
O Jerusalem”

Our primary focus should be, in faith not fear

……on God’s gates more  than Bill Gates😊

…..on OUR resurrection more than the US election 😀

For we are, even now, standing on the threshold!

P.S. As another witness we just got word that our daughter Laurie and family who returned a year ago from New York to heal at The Big Green House will, the day after we return, cross the threshold of their next home, which just happens to be …..number 122😊

P.P.S. The cottage where we would normally stay Is at the end of this lane, a few miles from ‘Studio One Take’. I suppose Ps.122 is where we are no matter where we are, or how we read it😊

Having just set foot again on Irish sod, and with our other foot planted firmly on American dirt, it seems like an appropriate time to publish this blog…..  

As I woke a few mornings ago, I believe Father spoke to me,

“As was Paisley, so is Trump.”

He pointed out to me similarities between the two men. 

• Both where ‘Wild Celts’ of Scottish origin. Like Braveheart, neither could be accused of a lack of courage.
• Neither were career politicians. Paisley was initially a clergyman, Trump a businessman.
• Both could be described as ‘bombastic’
• Both have an abrasive ‘public’ persona, reportedly quite different to their kindlier private treatment of individuals. 
• Both provoke a very strong reaction either ‘for’ or ‘against’.  

Last week I mentioned the ‘miracle’ we experienced in Community of the King where, when the world’s press were putting out headlines about death and destruction in Northern Ireland, heaven’s press were focused on a different story as we experienced the Lord changing hearts, healing relationships and mending a divided community. Come Lord Jesus was an expression of this action of the Holy Spirit.

After 35 years of the ‘Troubles’ another miracle took place on the political front. The way I recall hearing it was that, one evening Ian Paisley came down from a prayer time in his bedroom and announced to Eileen his wife. “God says there is ONE MORE THING I have to do……we need to leave a legacy of peace for our children'”

In a totally unforeseen move he extended a hand of friendship to the leading Republican politician, Martin McGuinness. and as they say ‘the rest is history’ as the ‘chuckle brothers’ oversaw an end to the long years of VIOLENCE.  

In Matt, 24: we read, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

In Genesis 6:12 we read about the days of Noah, “Now the earth was CORRUPT in God’s sight and full of VIOLENCE”

This is once again the violent and corrupt world we find ourselves living in today.

Because God promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood I. like many, believe we are to expect a flood of the Holy Spirit resulting in a great harvest being gathered, in the midst of the darkness, as illustrated in the ‘Come Lord Jesus” painting by Colin Davidson  

“So what has this to do with the book Father Elijah?” you might ask again.

The pinnacle of Elijah’s prophetic ministry could well be seen as the dramatic confrontation with the prophets of Baal at Mt Carmel. Then after God coaches him through his post ministry blues at Horeb, he says,

“Oh, and by the way Elijah……. ONE MORE THING’

He then tells Elijah to anoint Jehu as king.

Jacque Ellul writes brilliantly in his book, “The Politics of God and the Politics of Man” about how a clearly imperfect man called Jehu, is the one God selects, as an instrument of judgment, on a system that is CORRUPT

I believe God was showing me last night that so with Donald Trump at a time in his life when he could retire to a place of peace and safety to enjoy his great wealth, he has been called knowingly or unknowingly as was Ian Paisley to do……

ONE MORE THING.

P.S. I suppose it was inevitable that after last week’s blog one of you would have sent me the recording of Days of Elijah, by Robin Mark! The other “One More Thing’ however Elijah was given to do, was to anoint Elisha as prophet. These are the days we are entering. Remember the (16) miracles of Elisha were double that of Elijah (8) !!

Father Elijah‘s real name is appropriately David. King David was a type of Christ and of the Overcomers.

As the story unfolds David is faced yet again with the grief of losing a person he loves deeply, in a life already filled with the multiple losses of every loving and stable person he has ever known.

The death of his pregnant young wife in a bomb blast in Jerusalem is the final crushing event that precipitates his transition from a secular Jew, rapidly climbing the ladder of academic and political success, to a life of religious devotion.

He is surprised when summoned from his simple monastic life on Mt Carmel to go to Rome where he is commissioned by the Pope to bring the challenge of the gospel to the ‘Antichrist’ figure, a task he feels deeply inadequate for.

Though salted by life, there is still fire to face, and his saintly spiritual director points out to him, that at times he will experience ‘consolations’ but at other times it will simply be ‘by faith’

As I revisited Come Lord Jesus, I was deeply moved as I joined again with that community of life, worshipping together in spirit and in truth. 

The next morning someone else who had watched texted

….I saw faces that were new to me. I saw faces that I knew but younger and I saw faces of those who have departed……but what I actually saw – was eternity!

……departed ones like Paul Cupples whose story I told, of dying in total weakness but bravely, a few months ago, and my mum who oft quoted,

“THIS TOO WILL PASS.”

I lay in bed that night considering the snippet of a verse in the passage from 1 Peter 1:6, about how though now,

“.…for a little while, if necessary.”

……you suffer griefs in various trials 

“….for a little while, if necessary.”

Imagine that! Whatever it is we are suffering, in the light of our eternal destiny, it can be viewed simply as,

‘a slight inconvenience’

I pondered the discovery I made that afternoon.

………that I have mistakenly booked and paid for not one but two trips to Ireland next week!

‘a slight inconvenience’

and then a few hours later the discovery

……….that our drains were backed up and sewage was flooding our basement 

‘a slight inconvenience‘

Both were resolved the following day!

…..THESE TWO DID PASS!!

This is the truth called PERSPECTIVE, that sets us free.

The greatest grief in this life is that of loosing loved ones, which in turn prepares us for the loosing of our own life!

My mum gave up her spirit just after I had finished singing to her,

“Good shepherd may I sing thy praise

Within thy house forever.”

In the above still I captured from the recording of 31 years ago, my mum is singing, “Sing a new song to the Lord”

This exhortation comes to us from those now part of that choir above, where unending worship rings…..through all eternity. 

If I read the book for only one line, it was when a weary and discouraged Father Elijah asked the godly Don Mateo,

“A message? From whom?

From our King. He wants me to tell you this.  

‘By day and by night my gaze is fixed upon you. I see how much  you suffer for me.'”

May we beyond ‘consolations’ find our consolation in fixing our eyes, on the one whose gaze is continually fixed on us…. from all eternity, 

“…..who has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Pt. 1:3)

When I awoke in the middle of last night, I knew it was time to get up and to write a “Father Elijah” blog.

A number of months ago, a friend from Florida sent me a cryptic email asking. “Do you think we are living in the days of Father Elijah?” I happened to know what she was talking about, because 20 years ago someone had gifted me that beautifully written novel by Michael O’Brien, as we were leaving Australia.

Her question sparked my interest, so I took the book down from the shelf, dusted it off and began to read once again, the story long forgotten.

I started into the book and just a few days later, after 20 years silence, I got another email ‘out of the blue’ from ‘Down Under’ – mentioning the giver of the gift! 

After all these years, I knew I was on track now reading it again.

The book is subtitled ‘An Apocalypse’ and sure enough as I began to read, it depicted a world very similar to the world we find ourselves in today, a world in turmoil, with the specter of increasing global tyranny and MEN increasingly looking to MAN for salvation.

(In my last two blogs I have given two clear depictions of this, first in the  interview between Joseph Mercola and Patrick Wood about Technocracy and then in the Plandemic documentary at plandemicseries.com )

Here’s another short example from my favorite Irish engineer of how science is being manipulated by politicians and media to ‘socially engineer’! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3OibcindQ&t=30s

Father Elijah, the main character in the book, finds that within ‘the priesthood’ (in the Catholic church) those who are spiritually alive and aware and faithful to traditional faith are increasingly the minority.

The role he fills in the novel is the papal emissary to the “Antichrist” figure who is being touted as the world’s savior.

………31 years ago on the campus of Queen’s University, Belfast was the premier of a celebration in music, drama and narration that I wrote, called Come Lord Jesus. It was an exhortation to prepare for ‘The coming of the Lord’ based around the well known song, Lord Jesus We Enthrone You.

The musical was presented by our fellowship, ‘Community of the King.‘ God had miraculously raised up this community of Catholics and Protestants, covenanted together in love, as a ‘sign of contradiction’ in the midst of the deadly Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ demonstrating the unity and hope that is possible in Christ.

I knew there had been a recording made of the presentation, but somehow it had been ‘buried’ for many years. Then just this morning one of our friends in Ireland sent an email with the simple word “Wonderful!” and a link to the musical.

After all these years, it was posted on YouTube – just a few days ago!!!

“So how does this connect with the book?” You might ask.

As I recalled that first presentation of Come Lord Jesus, urging people to prepare for Jesus return, I vividly remembered at the end of the presentation a priest in Capuchin robes being brought up to be introduced to me.

“This is Father Raniero Cantalamessa” my friend said. “He happens to be in Belfast today on business and so I thought to bring him to the Come Lord Jesus.”

I was shocked and delighted, for I had just been reading the writings of this ‘spiritual giant’.

‘The Preacher to the Papal Household’, provides meditations to the Pope and other high ranking officials each Friday during Lent and Advent. He is “the only person allowed to preach to the Pope.”

Fr. Cantalamessa has been “The Pope’s Preacher” for the last three popes, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and now Pope Francis. 

I will always remember our brief exchange, as this papal emissary told me encouragingly that he had just witnessed in Come Lord Jesus one of the best presentations of the gospel he had ever encountered!

The fact that I should be reminded of this incident just the morning after writing during the night about another, albeit fictional, apocalyptical papal emissary in the Father Elijah storyline, was to me, another ‘sign following’ that we are indeed

……living in ‘the last time’.

I would invite you to participate in Come Lord Jesus Part 1.

In the next blog I will continue with Part 2. Although you can of course now skip straight to it on YouTube : – )

I quite often at the last minute will be lead to switch my blog message. This is another example of the verse I have often quoted, “Be very careful then how you live…… not as unwise but as wise making the most of every opportunity……..for the days are evil.” (Eph.5:15)

In scripture the word ‘live’ and ‘walk ‘and by extension ‘run’…..are synonymous, for we move forward in life one step at a time.

Last night Father had me make one of those last minute switches changing where I set my foot, so as to speak, with this blog. He reminded me of my morning run along the windy, circuitous, narrow, hilly paths in our local wood.

I have over the years learned where to place my feet along this path so as not to trip, but this morning I noticed that because of the heavy rains this summer, many roots that had not been visible before, were now poking up above ground…… so I had to be extra careful!

“I AM exposing the roots” Dad whispered.

Then as I turned around to run home, the second part came.

“Justice is coming.”

When I got home I discovered there had just been released the second movie by the makers of probably the most viewed and most banned documentary of all time. PLANDEMIC II INDOCTORNATION. I would encourage you to watch with an open mind and judge for yourself. Click here.

Homepage

I then began reflecting on certain developments in the past week or two within the US Department of Justice. An FBI lawyer has pled guilty over falsifying a document completely reversing it’s meaning by adding the simple word, ‘not‘. This single step will likely lead to further steps uncovering a treasonous plot to remove a duly elected President.

The Mainstream Media who for four years focused incessantly on what have now proven to be groundless accusations against the President of Russian and Ukrainian collusion….barely mention this piece of substantial news that is true and not spurious propaganda.

Attorney General Barr’s solid Christlike character is illustrated in this humorous review of the recent hearing by Larry Adler.

The name of the FBI lawyer who plead guilty was Clinesmith, or might that be C lying-smith?

God has set his Barr as the standard of justice.

Just a few days ago someone from the political right was also indicted illustrating the impartial nature of the justice that is coming. Bannon happened to be the name of the person the Ban was put on.

Barr’s first name, William means ‘will helmet’ In 1 These. 5:8 is we are told to put on “the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

Who writes this stuff? The answer is in Romans 15:13.

“May THE GOD OF HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Inspired by the early Methodist’s greeting to one another, “Do I meet you praying?’ ……..I received this poem while cycling down a country lane this morning, as I was reveling in the old hymn, Loved with everlasting love, lead by grace that love to know…….. to encourage one another in that aspiration toward uninterrupted communion with the Divine.

Do I meet you smiling?

If not

Then stop

And tell;

“Yes! All is well

In heaven and in hell,

For He in heaven abiding

Is now in you residing

And over all presiding.

And all that blocked the flow

Of joy to earth below

Was in the Lamb residing,

Who cancelled debt outstanding

To make earth, heaven’s landing

……..In your heart,

……..And in mine.”

To not smile?…..but to whine?

It’s very simply……….asinine!

You’re reading my mail again…

Subject: August 16th — Daily Devotional by Watchman Nee

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. John 12.24.

Here the Lord Jesus reveals the principle of fruit bearing: the grain of wheat which is sown must first die before it will bear much fruit. Hence death is the indispensable process for fruit bearing. The fact of the matter is, death is the only way to bear fruit. How we ask the Lord for greater power that we may bear more fruit; but the Lord tells us that we need to die, that we must have the experience of the cross if we desire the power of the Holy Spirit. Frequently in our attempt to achieve Pentecost we bypass Calvary, not realizing that without our being crucified and thus losing all belonging to the natural, the Holy Spirit cannot work with us to gain many people. Here is the spiritual principle: die, and then bear fruit.