Below is the text of a ‘prophecy’ I circulated to friends, and some of their responses.

Any comments?

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These days most pastors will have someone come to them with something like the following… What wisdom do you have in response?

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

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[From a Pentecostal pastor-friend]:

I have just received this word for Australia from one of our good friends in the USA.

Steve and Mary Lindow are a mature apostolic / prophetic couple based in Denver, Colorado. They are trustworthy and seasoned in the prophetic.

I commend this word to your attention.

Blessings

[Name withheld]

The International Prophetic Mentoring Council – Powered by InJesus

THROUGH AUSTRALIA I WILL SEED THE NEW SOIL OF GLOBAL HARVEST MARY LINDOW Jul 20, 2004

DEAR SERVANTS OF THE KING,

FOR MONTHS NOW THE LORD HAS BEEN SPEAKING TO ME ABOUT THE PROPHETICALLY CHARGED AND WELL TILLED UP “HEART SOIL” OF AUSTRALIA. TODAY, THE SOUND OF WHAT THE LORD SPOKE INTO MY SPIRIT.A KLAXON .THE SOUND OF A LOUD BLAST OF WARNING. “MOVE OUT OF THE WAY” WAS IMPRESSED INTO THE PICTURE OF WHAT THE LORD HAS BEEN SPEAKING. I LITERALLY HEARD THE SOUND OF THE KLAXON IN MY EARS. HERE IS WHAT THE LORD HAS BEEN SAYING IN REGARDS TO AUSTRALIA.

In His Shadow, Mary Lindow

OH AUSTRALIA! LAND OF THOSE ONCE SHAMED AND SENT INTO EXILE. Peoples of all races now surrounding coastal regions. I have seen your struggles and achievements. I have watched with a focused and unrelenting eye as you have grown and have matured into a nation with a unique voice.a unique sound. A sound now being heard as a blast of warning saying… “Prepare you the way of the Lord make My paths straight!”

AND SO OUT OF YOU SHALL COME A FIERY AND PASSIONATE MOVE OF APOSTOLIC RELEASE, WHICH WILL EXPOSE FALSE MOVEMENTS AND FALSE DOCTRINES NOW MASQUERADING AS THE NEW WAVE.

MELBOURNE, CANBERRA, PERTH, AND YES EVEN REMOTE ALICE SPRINGS WILL SEE MANIFESTATIONS OF GLORY AND SIGNS AND WONDERS that will silence your accusers and bring about national waves of repentance for the sake of unity. The rains will begin to pour forth in the natural as waves of rain from the heavens are released in the supernatural upon you.

I WILL DRIVE THE PROUD AND SCHEMING FAR FROM MY PLANS FOR YOU AUSTRALIA, and those who would merchandise My anointing will be exposed for thieves in My holy place of Divine Purpose. I give them yet a little time to repent and to turn to a new way, a new wine skin of purpose.

JUST AS YOUR FLAG DISPLAYS MY GLORY IN THE SOUTHERN CROSS SO SHALL I DISPLAY THE GLORY OF THE CROSS IN WAVES OF SALVATIONS AND REPENTANCE. Out of you Australia will I Send those of every race and ethnic origin into the nations who once exiled you.

YOU ARE MY FAITH SEEDS FOR THE NEXT HARVEST FIELD AROUND THE GLOBE.

AS THE OLYMPICS BEGIN TO PROCEED, I WILL CAUSE AUSTRALIA TO SHINE LIKE A BEACON THROUGH IT’S GIFTED ATHLETES. There will be a glory resting on them, which I will use to draw attention to your country.

AMONG YOUR PEOPLES ARE THOSE WHO HAVE WEPT IN BROKENNESS AND INTERCESSION FOR THE PROMISE OF BLESSING I would soon give to them, even when the land still remained destitute and proud.

WATCH NOW AS I REDEEM THE LAND. YOUR DRY DESERT PLACES WILL SEE RAIN AND WATER LIKE NEVER BEFORE RECORDED IN YOUR HISTORY.

BEHOLD! YOUR DESERT PLACES SHALL BLOOM AND FLOWERS AND PLANTS WILL SPRING UP FROM SEEDS THAT LAY DORMANT FOR DECADES. So shall it be in the spirit. You will see those assumed finished, weakened and buried; now spring up into the destiny of My Glory.

PEOPLE FROM ALL NATIONS WILL FLOCK TO YOU TO TASTE THE SWEET AND UNEMBELLISHED GLORY THAT I WILL ALLOW TO REST UPON YOU IF YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS AND PLANS OFF OF IT. All glory will be Mine says the Lord.

PREPARE, MAKE READY, GUARD YOUR BORDERS IN PRAYER and pray for those Joseph types of men among you to know that this is the season for extravagant giving, loving, and living.

OPEN WIDE YOUR ARMS AS A CHILD DOES TO IT’S FATHER. I AM ABOUT TO PLACE A GIFT OF MY DIVINE GLORY IN YOUR MIDST! It flows from the place of your brokenness and intercession now well heard in the heavenlies.

AUSTRALIA, SOUTHERN LAND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD IS COMING TO REST UPON YOU.

PREPARE, PREPARE, ENLARGE YOUR PLACES OF PRAYER, stretch your tent pegs, prepare the new wine skin, and I will bring the sweet overflow of new wine into your places of worship, your marketplaces, and your schools.

THERE WILL BE SUCH POWERFUL VISITATIONS THAT EVEN BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENTAL SESSIONS WILL BE OVERWHELMED AND SEEMINGLY MOMENTARILY SUSPENDED AS I DIVINELY CONVENE AND REIGN. Soccer matches and Cricket games will be postponed due to massive visits of my convicting power to save and redeem.

PREPARE.MAKE THE PATH STRAIGHT FOR THE SEASON OF DIVINE FAVOR IS UPON YOU.

Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! Copyright  © 2004 ” THE MESSENGER ” ~ Mary Lindow http://www.marylindow.homestead.com

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And some reactions:

For your interest. A few comments, all from good friends of mine, regarding that prophecy email sent yesterday. Some people are a bit more skeptical than me it seems.

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Hmmm … interesting. A lot of it is rather vague … though we’ll see what happens at the Olympics, in the desert, and at the cricket. And if the author has got it wrong, do we get to stone them??!! 😉

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Howdy Fellas,

Well well well, bring on the Olympics I say as out currently discredited drug cheating olympic team will become a beacon of light. What about australia being a land of indigenous peoples? And yes, the nations may flock to us, but will our government let them in? I may yet find some good reason to move to Alice Springs, and what the heck is a “Klaxon”?

Enough of my prophetic bashing, what do you guys think? I’m immediately suspicious of these people as I have no knowledge of where they’re from or who they are. Also the language that has been used seems to be very ‘prophetic’ which automatically seems to mean that I don’t understand most of it. Haven’t found anything immediately unbiblical, but then there doesn’t seem to be anything immediately biblical either except for some of the mysterious language.

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The e-mailed prophecy sounds like a bunch of shit, no offence or nothing. God speaks to me sometimes, but never in a full friggin 8 paragraph prophecy. I prefer trees.

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Hi Gents,

After the little speech that Don did on Sunday about God choosing to communicate in the common language my initial thoughts were, “Wow I need to re-read that a few times – cause I don’t quite understand it too well – too much high and confoluted?? language.” I wonder if in the biblical day, you could ask the angel that was telling you a message, whether he could repeat it and speak a little slower.

Seriously though, there are a few things to look out for in this prophecy, which is great, because we can test it. After re-reading it a few times, I have the following to say.

The rain levels so far this year have been the worst in several decades, so for us to have record rain fall we should see it rain pretty much for the rest of the year.

They missed off Sydney! Melbourne really is the most live-able city! And I’m sure Perth got on the list because they won the My Restaurant Rules competition.

I find it hard to believe that God would ever say “IF YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS AND PLANS OFF OF IT”, but then stranger things have happened – like donkeys speaking! “OFF OF IT” just sounds so weird and not “God like” at all!

We play AFL, and not much soccer. It seemed that the person saying these things didn’t really know much about our country at all.

Sorry about the rant. I’ll re-read a few more times and see if God is saying something. I hate being so cynical all the time – I’ll be working hard to be less so, and more questioning!

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Then I responded:

Hi friends,

Interesting – yes I expect varied reactions to something like this.

Here are a couple of other comments – by Victorian Baptist pastors:

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Rowland, two comments 1. Most of us have heard such promises of great impending blessing either for a local area or a national level, and still wait in hope. And yet… 2. Why are these ‘prophetic words’ always couched in language that is so hard to understand? What does it actually mean to ‘guard your borders in prayer and pray for those Joseph types of men among you..’ ? In short, without sitting down with the ‘bringer of the word’ and the Word itself, it is hard to know what to think. My ‘wisdom in response’ would be Matt 24:42. Blessings and Shalom .

To which another responded:

Maybe the language used is similar to the “dark speech” Jesus used when telling parables (See Matthew 13). Hidden from those who would not understand and revealed to those who would seek out the meaning in order to know more of what Jesus meant with a heart to obey it.

This prophetic word certainly accords with other “Words” given for Australia in recent times.

The book by John Loren Sandford “Elijah among us: understanding and responding to God’s prophets today” (Grand Rapids, MI: Chosen Books, 2002)

is well worth a read on this.

A few other points about prophecy today: * God speaks through the personality and past experience of the bringer of the word. This is also evident when we examine the style of prophetic biblical books. Divine inspiration does not always (or often?) equate to divine dictation. I can tell when I prophecy which words are mine and which are the Lord’s. But I know the message is still his, because it’s often things I’ve never thought of nor could I have known. * God is quite capable of, and at liberty to, speak poetically. * The language does get your attention! * If you aren’t sure, don’t reject it, don’t risk speaking against God, wait and see (Acts 5:38,39)

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

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Keep stirring folks! There were pro and con reactions to biblical prophets too!!!!

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

http://jmm.org.au/ (now 13,000 articles)

http://articlesandreviews.blogspot.com/