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Vol. 41, No. 4
2010
A Call For Leaders
Will You Answer?
Pinecrest Bible Training Center
The Banner
Dear Banner Readers,
This cover of this Banner features some well-known Christian leaders, who, despite
human shortcomings and failures, allowed God to use them to shape the Christian faith
as we know it today. Of course, we could have included thousands of other faces, not to
mention those who have loved and served God without recognition. We also certainly
don’t want to neglect to mention Jesus Christ, who is our ultimate example.
In the church today, and even in the social and political realms, we see a cry for
leaders. People are turning to celebrities, charismatic orators and the media for answers.
But my question is, where are the real leaders the Lord has for today? Where are the
men and women who will align their lives to the standard of God’s Word and who will
declare His truth to our generation?
The title of this Banner reads, “A Call for Leaders—Will You Answer?” My prayer is that
we will allow God to mold and shape us into the men and women He has called us to
be to impact the world for His glory and kingdom.
May God bless you,
Pinecrest
Bible Training Center
Salisbury Center, NY
(315) 429-8521
[email protected]
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Great Things Ahead
by George Warnock
12
The Secret of His Abiding Presence
by Don Nori
17
The Voice of One Crying
Prophetic Words at Pinecrest
18
The Manifest Presence of God:
Face to Face
by Walter Beuttler
22
Trusting God During Turbulent
Transitions
by J. Lee Grady
24
Christ in You is the Light of Influence
by Kelley Varner
26
Editor
Jack Picataggi
The Day of Delay
by Rod Levey
30
Words That Inspire: On Leadership
Publication Manager
Francis Roche
POSTMASTER: Forward all changes of address and notices of undeliverable copies to:
www.pinecrest.org
The Banner is published
quarterly by:
Pinecrest Publications
P.O. Box 320
Salisbury Center, NY
13454-9998
All issues of The Banner are
sent to you on a free-will offering basis. Suggested donation
for The Banner is $20 per year.
All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are from the
New King James Version.
Where the meaning of the
text is not altered in any way,
the archaic forms have been
updated to current usage.
Graphic Designer
Evie Kowalewski
Photograph of Corrie Ten Boom used with permission of the Baker Publishing Group. Photograph of Billy Graham
supplied by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. All other pictures used are public domain.
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Contents
A Call For Leaders
by Jack Picataggi
Copyright © 2010
All rights reserved.
1) Billy Graham: Worldwide evangelist who has preached
the gospel to more people than anyone in history 2) Amy
Carmichael: Missionary to India 3) Paul: New Testament
author and apostle 4) George Whitfield: Pioneering evangelist
who helped spread the Great Awakening in Great Britain and
America 5) Harriet Tubman: “Conductor” of the Underground
Railroad who led many slaves to freedom 6) Esther: Saved
Jews from annihilation 7) William Wilberforce: Abolitionist,
politician and author 8) Hudson Taylor: Founder of the China
Inland Mission 9) Martin Luther: Leader of the Protestant
Reformation 10) Moses: Biblical leader of the Hebrew exodus
from Egypt 11) William Seymour: Leader of the Azusa Street
Revival 12) Corrie Ten Boom: Christian Holocaust survivor who helped Jews escape from the Nazis 13) Johannes
Gutenberg: Inventor of the printing press who printed the first
Bible 14) George Muller: Cared for over 10,000 orphans in his
lifetime 15) John Wesley: Founder of the Methodist movement
16) Rees Howells: Intercessor, missionary and founder of The
Bible College of Wales 17) Jonathan Edwards: Preacher,
theologian and missionary who helped shape the Great Awakening in America 18) Charles Finney: Called “The Father of
Modern Revivalism” 19) William and Catherine Booth: Founders of The Salvation Army 20) George Washington Carver:
Christian scientist, botanist, educator and inventor 21) John
Wycliffe: Preacher, writer and Bible translator 22) Gladys
Aylward: Missionary to China
Vol. 41, No. 4
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Third-class postage paid at
Salisbury Center, NY
Jack & Joanne Picataggi
On the Cover
The Vo
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www.pinecrest.org
The Banner, P.O. Box 320
Salisbury Center, NY
13454-9998, USA
A limited number of previous editions of The Banner are available
upon request for $2.50 shipping and handling.
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Where are the leaders of today?
A Call for
Leaders
by Jack Picataggi
You may ask yourself, what kind of
question is that? By all appearances,
the church is flooded with leaders.
We have self-proclaimed apostles
and prophets by the bushel, certainly
enough to start at least 15 new church
movements.
I am reminded, though, of the days
when the Israelites clamored for a
king so they could be like the nations
around them. God answered their
demands with Saul, a man attractive
to the desires of the people. When
Saul failed in his call, God sent
Samuel to anoint the next king. As
Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel,
God’s approval rested not on the older
brothers, who in outward appearance
fulfilled every requirement for royalty,
but on David, a man whose heart was
right before Him.
In our day, I fear we have, like the
Israelites, too often succumbed to the
temptations of our appearance-based
culture and have looked to leaders
who satisfy our craving for celebrity
rather than the heart of God. How did
we get here?
We have apostles whose primary
qualification for the ministry is not
the Bible or the call of God, but
administrative skills.
We have prophets who predict
something new thing each year, and
we aren’t supposed to notice that their
words don’t come to pass.1
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We have churches which attract
droves of people but whose pastors
dare not mention sin or the cross—
churches that are more seeker-friendly
than God-friendly.
We have men and women who rely
on the guidance of angelic beings over
the Holy Spirit, who promises to lead
and guide us into all truth.2
We have present-day money
changers who offer God’s blessings
in return for money or prophecies for
calling a 900-number.
We have ignored the Bible’s
command that Christian ministers
be the husband of one wife and have
their house in order before taking on
the house of God.3 Instead, we have
averted our eyes when our leaders
discard their spouses to get new
ones, then elevate their new partner’s
spiritual ministry to the same platform,
all while hardly missing a beat in their
itinerary.
We have sacrificed a call for the
character of Christ in the lives of our
leaders and satisfied ourselves with
gifts and charisma.
What a mess we have made! What
in the world are we teaching the young
Christians who are watching, not to
mention the unsaved who turn away
from the church in disgust? When
did we reach the point where many of
our church leaders have essentially
become Christian superstars who use
5
the altar as a stage and who call for
offerings over repentance?
We can point our fingers at ministers
Justweletdon’t
meagree
know
what
with—and
who may
in fact be misrepresenting God—but
youtheand
Jack feel
unfortunate truth is that the church
has promoted
them and given them
would
be appropriate
a spotlight. The blame lies not only
with :)
those of us who
for with
thisthem,
textbutbox
have not held our leaders to a higher
standard.
The Scriptures tell us that the whole
earth is groaning for the manifestation
of the sons of God, but if we are
honest, what we see going on can’t be
what the earth is groaning for. It might
honestly be said that while the earth is
groaning at what it sees, it is a groan
of disappointment.
I ask you: where are the leaders
the Lord has for today? Where are
the men and women of God who
will restore character to the pulpit
and represent God with integrity?
Where are those who, like Phinehas
and Jehu, will not tolerate evil and
corruption, and like Jesus, will chase
the money changers from the holy
temple of God?4
Now, to qualify what I am saying, I
believe there are many good, clean,
honest ministers of the gospel who are
giving their all for God. But I believe
God still has more in His heart for His
church. Not only is the earth groaning,
but I also feel within myself a groaning
for the full manifestation of the sons
of God, and that I myself might be
counted among those sons.5
We may read the Bible’s criteria
6
for godly leadership and despair of
ever qualifying. Or, we might smugly
acquit ourselves from the failures of
other men. But Scripture tells us that
all have fallen and come short of the
glory of God.6 We all are cut from
the same cloth, a filthy rag, and we
all can only truly qualify by the blood
of Jesus changing us from that filthy
rag into those clothed in fine linen,
which speaks to us of putting on His
righteousness.7
Our human qualifications for
leadership have failed in many ways.
Men are saved and are shortly after
catapulted to high-profile leadership
roles. We choose leaders according to
natural ability and even high spiritual
gifting, yet we shy away from weighing
integrity issues too deeply. Far too
often, we feel the call to ministry,
so we launch forward and make our
way—inviting the Lord to come along,
we build varying-sized ministries, yet
what we do not realize is that almost
from the start we have not allowed
ourselves the time to be placed in His
hand, where He can re-form us and
change us into the image of His Son,
not leaving one stone unturned nor
one flaw undone.
Then the inevitable happens: in a
weak moment, men fall because of
weak foundations, and as a result,
we lower the Bible’s standard to fit our
condition. In the end we have what you
see going on throughout the church
world, yet we wonder how we got here.
What happened is that we bypassed
the time of testing and trying that truly
qualifies us for what the Lord has for
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We have to be changed
by the Holy Spirit and learn
to be obedient to the will of
the Father, then tested, tried
and proven, just as Jesus
was, before we qualify for His
purpose in our lives.
us. The value of preparation always
outweighs the ministry.
God has a better way. Jesus tells
us that if we desire to be great
among men we will have to become
a servant.8 He also tells us that we
are to pick up our cross and follow
Him.9 John the Baptist left the religious
system of his day and put himself
directly into the hands of God and was
prepared for a whole new order. That
order was Jesus.
In my First Principles class, I tell the
students that at the age of 30, Jesus
was finally released to start His public
ministry. Here we have the perfect
Son of God not being released until
such an age. Why not? I believe that,
though sinless and obedient to His
Father’s will, Jesus had to be tested
and proven, through time, to qualify for
what He was called to do.10
Now, we are not called to die for
the sins of the world; nonetheless, we
have to be changed by the Holy Spirit
and learn to be obedient to the will
of the Father, then tested, tried and
proven, just as Jesus was, before we
qualify for His purpose in our lives.
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Second Chronicles 16:9 says that
“the eyes of the LORD run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to show
Himself strong in the behalf of them
whose heart is perfect toward Him
(KJV).” God will raise up leaders in the
earth whose hearts are perfect toward
Him. Let us pray that God will give
us leaders who will truly be righteous
men and women of God and through
whom we can see His glory and be
led to Him.
One final question: will you go
through God’s preparation and
testing? Are you preparing your life
to be an answer to our world? We have
seen what man’s way produces; let us
draw near to God and give ourselves
afresh to Him and see what He can
do. Let us be answers to the call for
leaders after God’s heart.
References
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
John 16:13; I Kings 13
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1 Timothy 3:1-5; I Timothy 5:8
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Numbers 25:1-13; 2 Kings 9-10; Matthew 21:11-13
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Romans 8:19-23
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Romans 3:23
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Isaiah 64:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21, Revelation 19:8
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Matthew 20:26; Mark 10:45
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Luke 9:23
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Hebrews 2:17-18
1
2
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Truly the Lord hath prepared great and mighty things
for His people: things which eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man
(1 Corinthians 2:9, KJV). If God’s true children would only
believe this one Scripture with all their hearts, how greatly
it would help to release the riches of heaven, and unlock
Great Things
Ahead
We k n o w, o f c o u r s e , t h a t
Christians everywhere loudly
profess to believe this, as well as
the rest of the Bible; but in actuality
they do not believe it. Yes, they will
acknowledge that God has some
great and mighty things prepared
for us when we get to heaven, but
Paul declares in the following verse
that these unseen, unheard-of, and
unthought-of things are “revealed…
by the Spirit,” and not by way of
rapture or death.1
Let us, therefore, give all diligence
to enter into the realm of the Spirit,
which constitutes the real heritage
of the saints. Truly the heritage is
ours for the possessing. And if no
man from the ascension of Christ
until now has entered into it, it still
does not make any difference. The
fact remains, it is ours for conquest
if we can believe for it and receive
it. The universal church has rejected
the possibility of possessing it;
by George H. Warnock
Excerpted from The Feast of Tabernacles
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the flood gates of glory!
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that is true, but the history of the
church is by no means the pattern
of spiritual attainment. Paul did
not fully apprehend it either; that is
true. But he beheld the glory of it,
nevertheless, like Moses who stood
on Mount Nebo and viewed the
Promised Land. And furthermore, he
pressed forward with all diligence by
the Spirit “if by any means” he could
apprehend it, and confessed that he
had not done so.2
Thank God, however, for the
assurance that some are going to
possess the land! God is not going
to close this dispensation until
some really enter in and possess
their heritage in Christ Jesus.
Paul declared, “Seeing therefore
it remaineth that some must enter
therein (Hebrews 4:6).” The first
generation that came out of Egypt
by Moses failed to enter in because
of unbelief, and God decreed that
they should die in the wilderness.
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However, He had already sworn
that Abraham’s seed would possess
the land, and therefore He raised up
a new generation who should go in
and possess what their fathers saw
but refused to appropriate. And they
did. God’s purposes cannot miscarry.
He will have a people who shall
believe their God and possess their
possessions.
The early generation
of Spirit-filled people
at the turn of the
century took their
journey from the
blighting wilderness
of denominationalism
and encamped at
their Kadesh-Barnea
on the very doorstep
of Canaan-but they
too failed to enter in
because of unbelief.
Some saw the vision;
the majority did not,
and they perished in
the wilderness. True,
there were a few Calebs and
Joshuas who rested in the promises
of God and continued to look
forward to better things-and God
will certainly vindicate His Word and
His oath, and cause them to possess
the land with the new generation
that God is now raising up. But as a
whole, the people who God chose
from amongst the denomination and
called apart into a new fellowship
in the Spirit and baptized with the
Holy Ghost-they failed to enter into
the land, denounced those who
exhorted the people to do so-and
turned back into the wilderness like
their predecessors in Israel.
In this great hour God Himself
As surely, therefore, as God’s
Word is true and His oath is
immutable- so surely is the Lord
now raising up a new generation
who shall be empowered to take
the Promised Land
of spiritual power and
authority and enter
into the realm of the
Spirit of God. “Some
must enter therein...”
If this new generation
withdraws from the
promises in the face
of violent opposition,
it too will perish in
the wilderness, and
God will wait for still
another generation
to take the land.
Because “some must
enter therein…” His
Word has declared it,
and it must come to
pass. We feel confident, however,
that this time God’s people will
not fail; that in this great hour God
Himself will intervene in wonderful
sovereignty on behalf of those
who see the vision, and will take
them through to complete and
glorious victory. We cannot help
but believe that this new generation
will, by God’s grace, cross over the
Jordan and possess the kingdom
prepared for the “little flock” from the
foundation of the world.
who see the vision, and will
God’s purposes
cannot miscarry.
He will have a
people who shall
believe their God
and possess their
possessions.
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will intervene in wonderful
sovereignty on behalf of those
take them through to complete
and glorious victory.
The powers of heaven are being
shaken, according to the prophetic
word. Great and momentous spiritual
battles are being fought and won in
heavenly places. Spiritual hosts of
wickedness are beginning to feel the
impact of the saints who are pressing
in by the Spirit and beginning to
possess their possessions in “the
heavenlies.” And above all, the
saints of God are receiving gifts of
the Spirit, the gifts are developing
into ministries of the Spirit-and
these ministries constitute God’s
only method “for the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ; till
we all come into the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fullness
of Christ (Ephesians 4:1213).”
Thank God for that
inborn confidence and
assurance in the hearts
of His people that the
“hour has come” for the
unveiling of the sons of
God; that the eternal
purposes of God in the
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church are about to be revealed;
that we stand now on the brink
of Jordan prepared and ready to
follow the priests of the Lord and
the ark of the covenant into a new
experience in Christ; down into death
and humiliation and abasement in
Jordan, but up on the other side
into life and victory and authority
in Canaan. Let us constantly bear
in mind the rules and principles of
Christian warfare; namely, that we
conquer by yielding, we receive
by giving, we overcome by being
defeated, and we live by dying.
There is no other way except the
way of the cross.
References
1
2
1 Corinthians 2:10
Philippians 3:12-13
George Warnock’s books
include The Feast of Tabernacles
and Seven Lamps of Fire, as
well as other devotional writings. Warnock and his wife,
Ruth, have been blessed with
four daughters, three sons and
17 grandchildren. They reside in
Carnbrook, Canada.
11
T
The Secret of His
Abiding Presence
by Don Nori
12
The Banner
he early morning haze rose
lazily over the cornfields as
Cathy and I walked back
toward our home. The first rays of
the sun warmed our backs, chasing
away the chill of the dawn.
“When are Grammy and Granddad
going to be here? I’ve been waiting
for them all morning.”
The Saturday morning ritual was
about to begin. The smell of sizzling
bacon would reach five tiny noses
as they slept. Soon, starving boys
would run down the stairs and into
the kitchen, wiping their eyes and
yawning like they needed more
sleep. They probably did.
With a big sigh, he walked back to
the window. “I think I’ll just wait here
until they come.”
Cathy organized the labor force
as they appeared in front of the
stove, hoping for something to
munch on. One started with the
bagels and English muffins. Two
set the table. The last two emptied
the refrigerator of everything that
could possibly be consumed at
breakfast. Eggs, pancakes, French
toast—the Saturday morning feast
was truly a sight to behold. The
noise and laughter was always
a great start for the day. As the
years passed, it would become a
wonderful memory.
As we returned to the house on
this particular Saturday morning, we
noticed a small face pressed against
the picture window of the living room.
His big brown Italian eyes seemed to
take up most of his face. But today
those eyes were moist with tears.
As we walked through the door, he
jumped into his mother’s arms with
a predictable question.
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“Donald, they are probably still in
bed. I don’t think they are going to
be here until lunchtime.”
We laughed. “Tell you what,
Donald, come with me to the kitchen
and you can break all the eggs for
breakfast,” his mother said.
A smile streaked across his face.
Mom knew that no little boy would
be able to resist the chance to break
eggs.
Soon the tumult of breakfast was
over and the kitchen, now a wasted,
howling wilderness after five boys
were finished, was abandoned for
baseball, bikes and tree houses.
Except for Donald.
He dutifully returned to his post
at the living room window, waiting
for Grammy and Granddad. He
sat there for three hours, jumping
every time a car drove past the land.
But as Mom had predicted, they
arrived just before noon. It is hard
to describe the scene of dirty little
boys running and shouting for joy
with the arrival of their grandparents.
Hugs, kisses, smiles and laughter
made an unforgettable, albeit noisy,
welcoming committee.
The afternoon went by quickly
with stories and games and a nap
13
So here is a secret. If you only want a visitation, then plan for a
visitation. But if you hunger for the permanent restoration of God’s
Manifest Presence among His people, plan for Him to stay. Prepare
for Him. Expect Him. Welcome Him. Yield to Him. Continuously make
room in your heart for Him. He will come. He will come to stay.
for Granddad. Although they had to
give up their playroom while he slept,
the boys were happy to do it for their
best friend. But it was a little harder
for the boys when their playroomturned-bedroom had to be vacated
far earlier than they expected.
“Mom, but it’s so early.”
“It’s just for the weekend. You can
survive for a few nights.”
“A few nights! They’re staying a few
nights? I don’t want to give up the
playroom for a few nights!”
“Yes, you all knew they were
staying until Monday. It will be fine.
Think of all the fun you are having.”
Somehow, the fun they were
missing was beginning to outweigh
the fun they were having. But the
playroom was not all that caused
problems. Sunday morning had
to be very quiet until Grammy and
Granddad got up. Lunch was at a
restaurant instead of their favorite
hamburger shop. They all had to
go to a concert in the afternoon,
and they still could not get into their
playroom. Life had quickly become
so frustrating, and all because their
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favorite people had come to visit.
Sunday evening, as we sat in
the living room with my parents, I
saw a small face pressed against
the picture window. Donald was
looking in the window with his
large brown eyes filled with tears. I
excused myself and walked out to
the porch.
Donald threw his arms around me
and asked a predictable question.
“When are Grammy and Granddad
leaving?”
It is a good thing that Grammy and
Granddad came to visit and not to
stay. This happy household would
certainly have turned into a most
unhappy place to live.
justify the fact that the Presence of
God does not abide among us.
So here is a secret. If you only
want a visitation, then plan for a
visitation. But if you hunger for the
permanent restoration of God’s
Manifest Presence among His
people, plan for Him to stay. Prepare
for Him. Expect Him. Welcome Him.
Yield to Him. Continuously make
References
John 14:2-3
Matthew 1:23
Excerpted from Secrets of the Most Holy
Place, Vol. 2, by Don Nori, © 2004. Used
by permission of Destiny Image Publishers,
167 Walnut Bottom Road, Shippensburg,
PA 17257.
Don Nori has authored eight books. He has worked in
the publishing industry and traveled internationally for
more than 20 years, working with people of all races and
nationalities. Don and his wife, Cathy, live at the foot of
the Appalachian mountains in Pennsylvania where they
have raised their five sons.
Secrets of the Most Holy Place: Volume Two
by Don Nori
“Prophetic parable matures into prophetic reality as
His presence draws us into the realm of ‘all God.’
Here, what we believe becomes what we experience
and what we know becomes flesh in mere mortal
man.
A visitation from the Lord is just like
this weekend with the grandparents.
We never plan for a visitation from
God to turn into anything permanent.
That’s probably whey visitation is just
that—a visitation. It’s easy to say that
He comes for a season and then, for
whatever sovereign reason deep in
God’s heart, He leaves. But God
never intended to visit us. He has
always planned to stay. It is only our
man-made doctrines of visitation that
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room in your heart for Him. He will
come. He will come to stay.
When we leave Egypt, we leave the bondage we
hate, but when we leave the wilderness, we must
leave the sin we crave. But He will not condemn
what He has redeemed. His Blood covers us until
His Power delivers us.
This book is not for the casual reader. It is for those
who hunger, not for education, but for reality; not
for religion, but for Him.”
To purchase, please visit destinyimage.com
www.pinecrest.org
15
2010
Pinecrest Conferences
Youth Week (ages 14-20)
July 18-24
Summer Conference
August 6-8
Ladies’ Retreat
October 7-10
Week of Prayer
January 4-7, 2011
The Voice of
One Crying...
prophetic words at pinecrest
This word was given by Christy Molina in Chapel on January ��, ����, shortly after
the earthquake in Haiti.
A Call for Ambassadors
Challenge (ages 14-20)
February 24-27, 2011
For more information about our conferences,
please visit us online at www.pinecrest.org
For reservations, contact
Guest Relations at 315-429-8521 or [email protected]
CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE
“Study to show
yourself approved
unto God, a workman that needs
not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the
word of truth.”
II Timothy 2:15
16
Pinecrest Bible Training Center’s Correspondence School
of the Bible was established to allow those who are not
able to enroll in Pinecrest’s on-campus programs the
opportunity to study the Bible from their homes.
These courses are designed to draw you closer to our
Lord Jesus Christ and to come into a fuller understanding of His purpose for your life.
We invite you to set aside time to seek the Lord and to
study His Word. If your heart’s cry is to meet God and
to know Him in a greater way, consider enrolling in our
correspondence program!
For more information, please contact the Admissions Office at
315-429-8521 or [email protected]
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This morning we have been talking about the nations being shaken, and I
really feel in my heart that we are the ones who need to be shaken, and that
the Lord is shaking us—He is getting our attention.
I don’t believe it is because there is the threat of an earthquake in New
York or even in our homes in the United States, but I think we need to be
prepared. We need to wake up and realize that God is preparing us to go
and be ambassadors—to go and heal the brokenhearted and uphold these
churches.
God is preparing us. We heard Bill Welker speak last week on the “The Elijah
Company,” and God is calling us. How many of us stood up and said, “Yes,
Lord, we want to prepare the way for Your coming?”
The Lord wants to shake us and say, “Get ready.”
There’s no time. There’s not enough time; we need to be ready now. We
need to wake up and be shaken and let the Holy Spirit break us and prepare
us to go. We don’t know where we’re going to be called, or when, but with
all that is happening in the nations—political and physical crises, we need to
be ready.
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17
The Manifest
Presence of God:
Face to Face
(Part 4 in a 9-Part Series)
by Walter Beuttler
“And Moses said to the Lord....Now therefore, I
pray You, if I have found grace in Your sight, show
me now Your way, that I may know You, that I may
find grace in Your sight: and consider that this nation
is Your people.
“And He said, My presence shall go with you, and
I will give you rest.
“And he said unto Him, If Your presence go
not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein
shall it be known here that I and Your people
have found grace in Your sight? is it not in that
You go with us? so shall we be separated, I and
Your people, from all the people that are upon
the face of the earth (Exodus 33:12-16, KJV).”
In this passage, Moses said, “So shall we be
separated.” The idea being that the distinguishing
mark between the Lord’s people and other
nations was to be the presence of God. So also
today, the presence of God should distinguish His
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people from all others. Moses knew
this people and was reluctant to
lead them into the Promised Land,
as they were a stubborn and
rebellious nation. Therefore he
asked, “Show me now Your way,
that I may know You.” We can
learn to know God through His
ways-what He does and how He
accomplishes it. Moses understood
that, as we watch God at work, we
learn something about His character
and His nature.
The Lord’s ways differ from ours.
Some time ago, Hattie Hammond
told me something that I will never
forget. She had been in a large
convention. A young man spoke
and she said she had never heard
anything worse than the way that
young fellow harangued the people.
Yet when he finished, the power of
God fell and the people stood and
worshipped as the Lord poured
His Spirit out upon them. She was
surprised and questioned the Lord,
“How can You bless a harangue like
we just heard?
Then the Lord explained that
He was not blessing one word of
what the man had said, but He was
pouring the “Spirit of rejoicing” upon
His people to help them forget what
had been said.
I thought, the next time I rejoice
for the Lord’s blessing after I speak,
I will consider that maybe He is just
using His eraser. A word such as this
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teaches us something about God.
There is such a thing as “the
personal knowledge of a personal
God.” We can come to know Him,
and begin to understand His ways
through the manifestation of His
presence as He makes Himself
known to us.
Moses asked that he might come
to personally know the Lord. He was
not speaking about an intellectual
knowledge of God. We do need
to know and be informed, but
Moses sought to have a personal
acquaintance with a personal God,
through a personal experience.
My daughter had many books
about Queen Elizabeth and sought
to learn all she could about her.
One year, I was able to take her
with me to France. We stopped
in London on our way to Paris.
Because she was so fond of the
Queen, I took her to Buckingham
Palace to see the royal guard.
She said, “Daddy, do you think we
will see the Queen?” She was very
disappointed when I told her it was
not possible. The Queen was there,
but because of a lack of relationship,
we were unable to personally meet
her. Although my daughter could
share all kinds of things about the
Queen, she still did not know her.
But the Lord is available, and He
19
desires us to experientially know
Him.
“And the LORD spoke to Moses
face to face, as a man speaks to his
friend (Exodus 33:11a, KJV).”
Moses had a personal relationship
with the Lord, and the Lord was
available to him. Here is a man so
intimate with God that we are told
that God spoke with him “face to
face.” This means directly, not in a
roundabout way through a vision,
dream, or a prophet. Yet though
Moses knew the Lord personally,
he still prayed, “Show me now Your
way, that I may know You.” In other
words, Moses desired to know the
Lord even better.
In a morning chapel service, I
spoke to the students about seeking
God. Afterwards, I was challenged
by someone who said, “Why do you
exhort these students to seek God
when they have already found Him?”
This person did not understand
the personal knowledge of God.
My answer to him was that the
students need to know the Lord
even more. There is no limit to the
disclosure of God to our hearts.
There were three areas in which
Moses had a special knowledge
of the Lord. First, he had an
intimate relationship with the Lord.
20
“And there arose not a prophet
since in Israel like to Moses,
whom the LORD knew face to face
(Deuteronomy 34:10, KJV).”
Second, he experienced intimate
communion with the Lord.
“And the LORD spoke to Moses
face to face, as a man speaks to his
friend (Exodus 33:11a, KJV).”
Third, he had an intimate privilege.
“With him will I speak mouth
to mouth, even apparently, and
not in dark speeches; and the
similitude of the LORD shall he
behold: wherefore then were you not
afraid to speak against My servant
Moses (Numbers 12:8, KJV)?”
Notice that the Lord is very
concerned about how we talk about
those who are His personal friends.
Concerning this privilege, the
Lord said, “and the similitude of
the Lord shall he behold.” In my
study, I use different translations to
gain understanding, as they throw
different rays of light on a particular
subject.
The jewels of the kings and queens
of England are kept in the Tower
of London. Among them is a huge
diamond that I have carefully looked
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In the days of Israel, the Lord was more interested in
their knowing Him than in all their sacrifices and gifts. In
Jeremiah 24:7, we have a pertinent statement: “And I will
give them a heart to know Me.”
at. From one view, it appears to have
a yellow sparkle. From a different
angle, it is green. From another, it
is red or blue. There are different
colors, but it is the same diamond.
These translations are to me as this
diamond.
In the King James Version the
term “the similitude of the Lord” is
used. In another version, “the form of
the Lord shall he behold.” A different
translation reads, “the shape of the
Lord shall he behold.” Even though
God is a Spirit and does not have
a material body, He has a localized
appearance. The Lord gave Moses
the privilege to behold this similitude,
likeness, shape and form of God.
Jesus prayed, “And this is life
eternal, that they might know You
the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom You have sent (John 17:3,
KJV).” He desired His disciples to
know God.
“For I desired mercy, and not
sacrifice; and the knowledge of God
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more than burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6,
KJV).”
In the days of Israel, the Lord
was more interested in their knowing
Him than in all their sacrifices and
gifts. In Jeremiah 24:7, we have
a pertinent statement: “And I will
give them a heart to know Me.”
In the final analysis, the true
knowledge of God is a matter of
the heart. This involves an inner
capacity and capability to enter into
a personal relationship with God.
This is my prayer for all of us:
Lord, give us a heart, the capacity
and the capability, to know You in
personal experience.
Walter Beuttler
was a Bible
school teacher
who traveled the
world ministering
the Word of God
for over forty
years.
21
such times right now because of the
economic downturn. Some are facing job
loss, financial hardships, foreclosures or
unusual spiritual challenges. Churches
are finding it hard to navigate change.
More people than ever are in a season of
transition because old business models
don’t work and ministry paradigms are
shifting.
Some of us find ourselves digging
our fingernails into the armrest while
the plane bounces all over the stormy
sky. And when we look out the window
we see nothing but darkness.
Trusting God During
Turbulent Transitions
by J. Lee Grady
In this stormy economic season,
trust the Lord to transport you to the
other side.
I despise airplane turbulence. Even
though I enjoy high-speed roller
coasters, there is something about
hurling through stormy skies in a
commercial jetliner at 37,000 feet
that turns my knuckles white. This is
why I always ask for a window seat.
Whenever we hit rough air and the
seatbelt sign flashes on, I feel safer if
I can look outside.
But that didn’t help me last week
when I was flying into Canada. I
was not aware that rough weather
was raging below and that parts of
Vancouver were flooding. All I knew
was that our journey through Canadian
airspace reminded me of Doctor
Doom’s Fearfall—a theme park ride
I have enjoyed many times with my
daughters. (That ride lasts only a few
seconds, and it is firmly bolted to the
ground. The turbulence over British
22
Columbia lasted half an hour.)
It was 11 p.m., and I couldn’t see
anything outside my window except
horizontal rain. I kept reminding myself
that the pilot was using radar and
other high-tech instruments to avoid
crashing into the side of a mountain.
But my knuckles did not believe this. I
clutched the armrest, prayed and—for
a few seconds—wondered how my
wife would plan my funeral.
Of course the plane did not break
apart in midair. When we descended
below the cloud cover, and the lights
of the city became visible, all my
color returned. I breathed a prayer
of thanksgiving when I heard the
familiar sound of wheels touching the
runway.
You may not share my fear of
turbulence, but all of us have walked
through scary times in life when we
couldn’t see the path in front of us.
Many people I know are going through
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I have found my comfort in the
words David penned after he escaped
from Saul’s pursuits. He wrote in
Psalm 18:4, 6: “The cords of death
encompassed me, and the torrents
of ungodliness terrified me.…In my
distress I called upon the LORD, and
cried to my God for help; He heard
my voice out of His temple, and my
cry for help before Him came into His
ears (NASB).”
In describing God’s just-in-thenick-of-time rescue, David borrowed
vivid imagery from the day when
God opened the Red Sea to deliver
His children from Egypt. “The LORD
also thundered in the heavens, and
the Most High uttered His voice….
Then the channels of water appeared,
and the foundations
of the world were laid
bare.…He sent from on
high, He took me; He
drew me out of many
waters.…He brought me
forth also into a broad
place; He rescued me,
because He delighted
in me (Psalm 18:13, 15,
16, 19, NASB).”
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David’s transition was not easy. In
the most difficult moment he noted that
God had “made darkness His hiding
place (v. 11).” We must remember that
darkness is not a sign that God is not
with us. It became stormy just before
the Red Sea split open. Yet God was
working behind the scenes, even when
the clouds were black and the wind
was violent.
If you are in the midst of a turbulent
transition, hold tightly to this promise.
You can trust Him. In yet a little while
He will intervene. Don’t focus on your
job crisis, the bad economic news,
your lack of options or the bumpiness
of the ride. When His lightning flashes,
He will split the obstacles in front of
you and make a dry roadbed in the
midst of the sea. He can make a way
where there is no way.
Ask the Lord to transport you.
Eventually you will hear the sound
of wheels touching down on the wet
runway. Although you are helpless to
make this transition on your own, your
Deliverer will safely carry you from
your present crisis into a broad place
of future fruitfulness.
From Fire In My Bones online, November,
2009. © 2009 Strang Communications; all
rights reserved. Used with permission.
J. Lee Grady is a contributing editor for
Charisma and was the magazine’s editor
for 11 years. Also an author, Lee’s book,
10 Lies the Church Tells Women, published
in 2000, opened a unique door for him
to preach internationally. He has since
traveled to 12 nations, challenging the
church to release women in ministry and to
end abuse and gender discrimination. He
and his wife live in Atlanta and have four
daughters.
23
Christ in You is the
Light of Influence
by Kelley Varner
“Ye are the LIGHT of the world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be
hid. Neither do men light a candle,
and put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick; and it giveth LIGHT unto
all that are in the house. Let your
LIGHT so shine before men, that
they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven
(Matthew 4:14-16, KJV, emphasis
added throughout).”
The Christ within is a River and
a Rock. He is also the Light that
shines forth, influencing every
one and every thing in our lives.
Synonyms for “influence” are:
authority, pressure, sway, weight,
effect, inspiration, impact and
encouragement.
24
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it
is veiled to those who are perishing.
The god of this age has blinded the
minds of unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the LIGHT of the gospel
of the glory of CHRIST, who is the
image of God (2 Corinthians 4:3-4,
NIV).”
Jesus Himself is the Light of the
world.1 Jesus is God,2 and God is
light; in Him is no darkness at all.3
Whose lives-in your family, your
neighborhood, or your church-have
you impacted for Christ? What dark
corner have you enlightened? What
is the measure your influence?
Roman prison, but his
natural bonds were no
limitation to his worldwide
spiritual influence. He
boldly admonished us
all to be blameless and
harmless, the sons of God,
without rebuke, in the midst
of a crooked and perverse
nation, among whom (we)
SHINE AS LIGHTS in the world. The
dark cave of Adullam did not hinder
the power of the Song of the Lord
within David. Running for his life from
angry King Saul, his influence never
waned as he continued to sing:
“The LORD is my LIGHT and
my salvation; whom shall I fear?...
(Psalm 27:1, KJV).”
The City that John saw in Revelation
21 was the Lamb’s wife. The endtime church has global influence, for
the nations shall walk in the “light”
of it!”5
The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great LIGHT: they that
dwell in the land of the shadow of
death, upon them hath the LIGHT
shined (Isaiah 9:2, KJV).”
Footnotes
John 8:12
John 1:1
3
1 John 1:5
4
Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5
5
Revelation 21:24
6
Proverbs 20:27; John 1:9
7
1 Peter 2:9
1
2
More of Dr. Varner’s teachings are
available on his website,
www.kelleyvarner.org.
Kelley Varner was a pastor to pastors and a mentor to leading
ministries in America and other nations. His degrees included a
B.S. in Guidance and Counseling, a Th.B. in Theology, M.Div.
and Ph.D. degrees and an honorary doctorate. Dr. Varner
founded Praise Tabernacle of Richlands, NC, and during his
lifetime, he wrote and distributed over 50 books and booklets
internationally. He travelled throughout the United States and
the nations.
We are His followers and disciples.
We, too, are light in the Lord, and
are to walk or live as sons of light,
sons of the day.4 So James calls our
heavenly Father “the Father of lights”
(James 1:17).
The Apostle Paul sat in a darkened
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Do you know God? Has He lit
your candle?6 Has He brought you
out of darkness and death into His
marvelous light?7 Whose lives—in
your family, your neighborhood, or
your church—have you impacted for
Christ? What dark corner have you
enlightened? What is the measure
of your influence?
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25
How are we going to conduct
ourselves while we wait for Him to
show up? Do we become casual
and lazy? Do we work something
up in our own strength? Do we
compromise and take something
close enough? These are very
legitimate questions we have to ask
ourselves.
The Day of
Delay
by Rod Levey
Sometimes we don’t know what to do in the delay. You’re waiting
for a loved one and they’re held over at a connecting airport because
of bad weather. Supper is on the table and you’re waiting for your
husband to get home from work. He should have been home 45
minutes ago but he’s caught in traffic. Let’s turn it up a notch. You
need a miracle and it’s not happening. Your church’s finances are on
tilt, you need a job, a healing, etc. We can go on and on. The bottom
line is we need Jesus to show up on the scene and we need Him to
arrive now—or preferably yesterday.
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Abraham was promised by God
that he would be the father of a
multitude. Abraham and his wife
Sarah were both well-along in age;
I think it would be safe to say past
childbearing years. They devised
a plan because they couldn’t wait
for God to move. They chose to
do things their way. We all know
that Abraham went into his wife’s
maidservant and she conceived
and birthed a son by the name of
Ishmael. Ishmael was blessed of
God and became a great nation;
however, he wasn’t God’s original
plan. What Abraham and Sarah had
done in their own timing and in their
own strength became more than
they bargained for.1 This is definitely
building on a wrong foundation. If
we do these things, the end result
is normally a nightmare.
If God isn’t moving, or isn’t
moving fast enough, do you
manipulate things or take things
into your own hands to produce
something that looks like His
creation on the outside but was
never of His genesis?
Saul was set in as king because
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the elders of Israel wanted a king like
all the other nations.2 After Saul was
anointed as king, Samuel gave him
direction to go down to Gilgal and
wait for his arrival.3 Upon his arrival,
Samuel was going to tell Saul what
he should do.
Saul waited the appointed days in
Gilgal and Samuel didn’t show up;
therefore, King Saul took things into
his own hands.4 He felt compelled—
or we could say, he forced himself—
to present a burnt offering, the very
thing that Samuel was supposed to
do. Samuel arrived and appeared to
be a bit perturbed and asked Saul
what he had done. Here are Saul’s
reasons, or what are really excuses,
why he did what he did: 5
1. He saw the people were
scattered from him
2. Samuel didn’t come within the
appointed days (he did finally arrive
on the scheduled day)
3. The Philistines were gathered
for war against Israel
Things didn’t look too good in the
natural.
We, as leaders in the community
of the King, should realize that God
will delay His coming to see if we
will trust and obey Him, or if we
will instead work something up that
appears to be very spiritual in the
delay. He’s looking for those who
will obey Him and wait for Him, no
matter what it looks like or what is
surrounding them.6
27
When God delays, do you get moved by what you
see or don’t see around you in the natural? Can you hold
your position and not be moved to enter into spiritual
activities that you shouldn’t? God is looking for those
who can keep their head in the midst of pressure and
His delaying.
When God delays, do you get
moved by what you see or don’t
see around you in the natural?
Can you hold your position
and not be moved to enter into
spiritual activities that you
shouldn’t? God is looking for
those who can keep their head
in the midst of pressure and His
delaying.
In the parable of the ten virgins,
they all slumbered and slept as
they awaited the bridegroom. They
nodded off.7 This particular setting
doesn’t depict them in a place of rest,
which would be good, but rather a
state of idleness and laziness. They
enjoyed the life of ease. They kind
of got caught off-guard when the
call came that the bridegroom was
coming. The foolish virgins certainly
had not made purchases while
they had the time and opportunity.
They were lacking the oil which
was necessary.8 I’m sure they were
wishing they would have done things
differently after they showed up late
and the door was shut.
As Jesus delays His return,
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are you in a place of passivity
or activity? Oil (the Holy Spirit)
increases in our lives as we
actively surrender to the Lord and
walk in obedience to His will. This
is a costly affair in which we can
pay now or pay later.
After Moses, who is a type of
Christ, spent time with God up
on the mountain receiving the
Ten Commandments, he came
back down only to find that the
congregation got a little antsy.
Moses was taking too long. In
the postponement they started to
partake of, or join in, some activity
that was impure. They were playing
with fire. God’s Word says that
the Israelite children sat down to
eat and drink and rose up to play.
This playing was a form of spiritual
fornication. The children of God
were now flirting with, or making
sport with, another god (spirit).
God’s children were in a state of
defenselessness. Their spiritual
discernment was void. They entered
into a state of looseness. They
had abandoned themselves to the
experience at hand. They had cast
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off all restraint. I’m sure there was
great excitement and stimulation as
they “worshiped.”9
There is much available in these
days to dabble in while we wait for
our Lord’s return. Ezekiel speaks
of a people set apart to God who
will teach between the holy and the
unholy and will cause the people of
God to discern between the unclean
and the clean.10 This is relevant for
us in our day.
What are you joining in? What will
you join yourself to, or allow to be
joined to you? We all so desperately
want God to move in our midst. We
all desire something fresh in God.
I’m afraid we will jump on board with
just about anything that makes itself
available if we aren’t careful and in
an attitude of testing the spirits.
First, let me say there are genuine
moves of the Spirit in the church
today. But there are also manmade moves that elevate angels,
manifestations and men above
Christ. My question is this: are the
children of God sitting down to eat
and drink of the flesh and blood of
Christ,11 which would mean walking
in the way of the cross displayed
by crucifying their flesh, or are they
sitting down to fulfill the lusts of
their flesh and of their idolatrous
spirits with something termed “this
is God?”
As the Lord delays His return,
many are running after the
experience of some god or spirit.
Others are running after the
experiences of God instead of the
God of the experience. What will
our choice be?
My hope and prayer is that we will
not compromise in the flesh or the
spiritual in the day of delay.
Footnotes
Genesis 15-17
1 Samuel 8:4-5
3
1 Samuel 10:1-8
4
1 Samuel 13:8-9
5
1 Samuel 13:11-12
6
Judges 7:4
7
Matthew 25:5
8
Matthew 25:8-9
9
Exodus 32:1, 6, 25
10
Ezekiel 44:15, 23
11
John 6:53-56
1
2
Rod Levey and his wife, Wendy, are Pinecrest faculty
members and live at Pinecrest with their two teenage
children. Rod directs the Pinecrest Ministerial Fellowship
and is a prophetic teacher who desires to strengthen and
equip the body of Christ.
www.pinecrest.org
29
Words That
Inspire On Leadership
PINECREST CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE
P.O. BOX 320, SALISBURY CENTER, NY 13454
1-800-579-5973
Store Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 1-5 p.m.
Order online: www.pinecrest.org
The Feast of Tabernacles: $5.00
“Spirit filled souls are ablaze for God. They love with a love that glows. They serve with a
faith that kindles. They serve with a devotion that consumes. They hate sin with fierceness
that burns. They rejoice with a joy that radiates. Love is perfected in the fire of God.”
-Samuel Chadwick
“Give me one hundred
preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not
whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone
will shake the gates of hell
and set up the kingdom of
heaven upon earth.”
-John Wesley
George H. Warnock
This book is a study of the three annual feasts in Israel and
their fulfillment in the church.
Seven Lamps of Fire: $5.00
George H. Warnock
“As I read and reread the seven letters to the seven churches,
I cannot help but know that here in the free world at least,
our Lord is calling His church to repentance- and for the
same reasons He called five of the seven churches of Asia to
repentance.” -George H. Warnock
“We need a baptism of clear seeing.
We desperately need seers who can
see through the mist-Christian leaders with prophetic vision. Unless they
come soon it will be too late for this
generation. And if they do come we
will no doubt crucify a few of them in
the name of our worldly orthodoxy.”
-A.W.Tozier
The Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character: $9.00
John Stott
The beatitudes reveal to us eight qualities that bring God’s
blessing: meekness and mercy, poorness in spirit and purity of
heart, mourning and hunger, peacemaking and persecution. As
we study these qualities and integrate them into our lives, we will
receive the blessing Jesus promised His followers then and now.
Jesus Christ: Teacher, Servant & Savior: $9.00
John Stott
This study guide is designed to help you explore the Christ of
the New Testament. You will discover Him as the proper object
of worship, witness and hope. He is the incomparable Christ.
“What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not
new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy
Ghost can use-men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost
does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come
on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men, men of
prayer.” -E.M. Bounds
“Give me the love that leads the way, the faith that nothing can dismay, the hope
no disappointments tire, the passion that will burn like fire; Let me not sink to be a
clod: Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.” -Amy Carmichael
30
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Walter Beuttler Notes
Complete Set in Binder: $60.00
These notes are intended to be “seed for the sower, and bread to
the eater (Isaiah 55:10),” and not a dry analytical commentary.
Also available by individual section: $15 each
Section I - Pentateuch, Old Testament, Typology
Section II - Job, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets
Section III - New Testament, Ministry
Section IV - Spiritual Life
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31
PINECREST
Bible Training Center
Before Moses led the Israelites out of bondage, he turned aside to meet
God at the burning bush.
Before John the Baptist declared God’s heart to a generation that had not
heard His word for 400
years, he went out into the
wilderness to listen to God.
There is a call today
for leaders after
God’s heart.
Will you respond?
Pinecrest is a school to come apart to be with God—
…to learn His voice, study His Word, and seek His heart
…to allow Him to transform you in His presence
…to build a life foundation for ministry to God and to others
…to prepare your life as an answer to the call for leaders after God’s heart
Programs
Biblical Studies (Two Years)
Advanced Biblical Studies (Three Years)
Short-Term Certificate I & II (4 months each)
School Within a School: Worship, Prayer &
Intercession, Biblical Studies, Missions & Outreach,
Prophecy, Youth Ministry
www.pinecrest.org • [email protected]
P.O. Box 320
Salisbury Center, NY 13454