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GOD’S CALL

to the

MAORI

& the Prophecies of Mighty Revival

-Andrew Strom

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CONTENTS

Chapter One – God’s Call to the Maori

Chapter Two – Prophecies Over New Zealand

Chapter Three – What is True Revival?

Chapter Four – The Early Ratana Revival

Chapter Five – God’s Pioneers

References and Quotations

CHAPTER ONE

GOD’S CALL TO THE MAORI

I write this as a white “pakeha” New Zealander. I write it because I feel there is a need for the Maori people to know the special calling that is over their people. In my years of travel to many nations I have never come across prophecies over any people-group that are more compelling than the calling and the prophecies over the Maori. I believe they need to hear this.

Since 1993 I have been involved in Christian publishing – firstly in New Zealand and then internationally. It all began with a little newsletter known as the New Zealand Revival Bulletin. Little did I know when I took it onto the Internet in 1996 that this newsletter would one day take my family and I around the globe.

In the 1990s we published a number of prophecies of mighty Revival coming to New Zealand. And one thing that was often very noticeable was the vital role to be played by Maori in such a Revival. The prophetic words were quite clear about this.

But to be honest, if we look around us with our natural eyes today, we would be hard pressed to give credence to such prophecies. For where are the Maori evangelists of a generation ago? Where are God’s “mighty men of valour” today? Isn’t it true that the modern church seems to be LOSING ground in New Zealand – not gaining it? And amongst the Maori, is there any sense of Christianity advancing – or rather does it seem to be in decline? One thing that is very clear is that we need a mighty move of God’s Spirit in this nation now more than ever.

For seven years God had us traveling to other countries, ministering, writing and preaching. But then in 2010-2011, He very clearly directed us home downunder again. And interestingly, we found that God had been speaking to prophetic and praying people here in NZ even louder and more urgently about Maori and about Revival. That was when I decided to gather together these different prophetic words and write this book.

I need to take a moment at this point to clearly state the kind of call that is going forth to the Maori people in this hour. Above everything it is a call to STAND and take their place in all that God is wanting them to do and be. For if the Maori do not arise and heed this call, it is possible that the nation as a whole may not come into its promises. That is how important this is.

Jesus clearly said that “Many that are first shall be last, and many that are last shall be first.” The fact is, these prophecies almost seem to tip the “usual” social order on its head. Maori have become so used to thinking of themselves as the lowest and the last. But in the kingdom of God they are called to be pioneers.

The prophecies clearly call the Maori to be spiritual warriors and prophets and evangelists to the nations – to STAND when nobody else will stand. To FIGHT when nobody else will fight. To gain territory from the devil who is destroying this generation unlike any that have gone before.

The call is very real, as you will see from the prophecies and visions below – which have come forth for decades now from leaders and prophetic ministries around the globe. I hope these words will witness with you as much as they do with me-

TO THE MAORI PEOPLE - 20/6/2005

-Lila Diprose.

The Maori people, My people of the land of New Zealand, will take up My banner in the days to come.

My Maori people will have an authority to destroy the works of the enemy, says the Lord. I will give them a great measure of my power to pull down strongholds in this Nation.

My Maori people have a special part to play. They will be forerunners, running ahead to destroy the devil's works so that when the Elijah army comes there will be a path already made to prepare the way.

My Maori people will see into the spiritual realm in a mighty way. I will give them special eyes to see into the heavens, they will be my spiritual warriors. Warriors, whom I will give weapons of warfare like never before.

They have an insight into this land that even the white people do not know because of their roots.

My Maori people have had much persecution through the church, but I am watching over them and I love them, says the Lord. I will avenge those that have ravaged and rejected them, says the Lord.

They will walk a path when my Spirit comes, that the soles of their feet will burn a fire where they tread.

My Maori people, do not be discouraged for your loved ones, because I am going to bring a mighty move of salvation on their lives. I will take care of them. All you need to do is keep your eyes on me, keep your hearts close to me. Do not stray away from me, and I will do the rest, says the Lord.

I am a Strong and Powerful Almighty God and I will release my power to whom I choose and my Maori people are the ones that will have the spiritual ability and insight to carry it, says the Lord.

PROPHETIC WORD FOR NEW ZEALAND - August 2004

-From the Inuit of the Arctic Circle.

Out of the ground of New Zealand I am releasing favour and wisdom to bring restoration to the land. This is a new hour for New Zealand. Arise you peoples of New Zealand.

To the Maori people – Your time of waiting and depending on others to do it for you must end. For your Lord is upon you. You must arise for what the Lord has imparted in your hearts – the Lord has entrusted you to move like no other.

As you begin your warfare I will release heaven to begin a new flow in the Spirit all over the world. The only voice that can release this new flow is the Maori peoples.

You are in a critical hour Maori people. There is a great authority within you that no one else has in this world. An authority that will release heaven and cast down the enemy. As you declare the Lordship of Jesus Christ heaven will release a measure that this world cannot contain.

I am raising up new leaders that will conquer this land. You are in an hour of opportunity. Do not think that this window will stay open. I have given you fathers that will raise you up. If you have spiritual ears - you must hear.

AUTHOR AGAIN: In recent years I have become more and more distressed at the direction of a number of international ‘prophetic’ ministries – especially those from America. However in the early days I believe they released a number of prophecies and visions that were truly accurate from the Lord. Below are some extracts from a 1991 word by Rick Joyner which was published in the international Morningstar Journal-

A WORD FOR NEW ZEALAND - 1991

-by Rick Joyner.

Your name is prophetic - there is a NEW ZEAL that will arise from the church in New Zealand. This zeal for the Lord and His purposes will help to bring conviction upon the world-wide body of Christ for her Laodicean spirit of lukewarm-ness. Just as the call to the Laodicean church was to "be zealous therefore and repent," your zeal will help to show the way for the church to repent.

The bride of Christ will be without spot or wrinkle. That she is without spot speaks of her purity, having been cleansed from sin. That she is without wrinkle speaks of her perpetual youthfulness. The Lord is restoring this new zeal to His church so that she might be restored to her youth and to her first love, which is the essence of true zeal.

Christchurch, New Zealand is literally "the uttermost part of the earth”… Though you may be the city that was furthest from the beginning of the church age, you are the closest to the last great move of the Holy Spirit - you will see the beginning of the movement that will close the church age.

One who has all authority in heaven and earth is on your side; that One now gives you the authority to take back from the enemy all that he has stolen from you, and to spoil his camp to release all that he has held captive in your land. The enemy does not have the power to stop you; your faith and endurance alone will determine the degree of your victory - do not stop until your victory is complete.

It is time for you to cast down your fears and pick up your swords. Do not dwell any longer on your insecurity and feelings of unworthiness - dwell on the Son and His greatness which can be revealed through you. He delights in using the weak, the foolish and the small to confound the strong, the wise in this world and the big. Do not look at your weakness or your small size; look at the Lord and His greatness that He will demonstrate through you. You now have the authority to tear down the strongholds of the enemy and to make New Zealand a fortress of righteousness.

The native people in your land are called by the Lord as a people of dignity and honor. The enemy has made many inroads into their culture, but as deep as he has sunk his roots into them, that is how deeply the Lord can fill them with Himself. Esteem them, honor them and do them justice because the Lord has called them. The saints who arise from the native peoples of New Zealand will be pillars in the church and will stand straight and tall when others would fall.

A WORD FOR THE PEOPLE CALLED MAORI – 1997

-Extracts by A. Watts.

As for My people called Maori, a people of the canoe – I led them…I brought them to this land as part of a plan… I led them to this land but the land is not their destination – I am their destination. This land is not their dwelling place – I am their habitation. In Me alone, will they find life, provision and protection…

They are a people of the canoe. This land is not their resting place forever. This land is only a stopover in the journey of this people with Me. Here they have no lasting habitation. For this land is not a land to settle in. This land will be shaken. What seems strong will yet be swept away. What seems mighty will crumble. Even upon the mountains, great fire will come forth. The power from below will be released upon the earth. The earth will tremble and groan for many days. In a time of darkness and shaking, and renting of the earth, will I send My people out from this land.

The people of the canoe will again journey with Me. I am their waka. I am the One who will carry them forth. The nations of the earth wait for them. Mighty are the words of the Ever Living God. Carriers of My word and of My very presence will be scattered amongst the nations of the world like Israel before them. I will scatter them city by city and nation by nation. This people will be in the vanguard of My exceeding great army that I will release in this hour. This scattering is not for evil or for judgement. This dispersion is for the sake of the gospel.

The people of the canoe will come out of the darkness as lights burning with holy fire.

This time, people of the canoe, your journeying will be far beyond your natural limitations. For as My glory will encircle the globe, so it is that I will have My witnesses in every nation, in every gathering place. And you are My vessels. I will prepare you as a vessel. I will appoint My servants to work upon the vessel and make it sustainable…

In order that you might be a vessel of My glory, I will send you men of character, men who carry My authority. It is they who will be the skilful builders according to My plan. They will hammer, they will cut, and they will chisel and shape. You will be the fitting vessels of My glory. When the preparation is complete, then it will be that you are launched… with awesome authority they shall be launched upon the deep...

Their vessels will carry with them great nets. Great nets will be in the bow to cast first to one side and then to the next. These are not large nets, they are truly great in magnitude. For you are My harvesters of the sea, you people of the canoe. It is not by your strength that these great nets will be cast. It is the Lord who strengthens your arms to cast the great net into the sea. Nor is it your wisdom as to where the net should be cast. It is My wisdom that will see the great nets return to you full. You are My harvesters, you see. To be a harvester in this time, you must learn to journey with Me. I will fill these nets in foreign parts, not in your coastal waters.

To dark and desperate people My light will come. My light shines through faith, it burns through hope and it resides through love. The strength to cast the net is love. The strength to steer the waka is faith. The vision to launch out upon the deep is hope.

So it shall be that the days of the end will be greater than the former. So it shall be that the people of the canoe will journey. So it shall be as the last catch is taken and the harvest of the sea is completed that I Myself will take you in My canoe to the land of eternal promise in which there is no night…

I am the Great Captain of the fleet. I am the Warrior who knows no defeat. I am the Harvester of souls. I am the Way. I am the Ark. In Me you will go out. In Me you will reap. And to me you all will gather. I am the Great Gatherer. None shall be lost who have been appointed to Me. I am the Gatherer. I am the Sustainer. I am your living hope and I draw you to Myself, you people of the canoe.

AUTHOR AGAIN: As you can see, God’s promises over the Maori people are indeed incredible. In fact, I have never seen such words given over any other people. However, it is important to remember that this is not some “casual” thing where people can simply sit back and wait for it to happen. There is a definite urgency involved. As the 2004 prophecy from the Inuit exhorted the Maori: “You are in an hour of opportunity. Do not think that this window will stay open… If you have spiritual ears - you must hear.”

There is a definite “call” going forth here. The hour is late. The time of ‘emergency’ is upon us. This is not a “casual” thing. It is a call to action – to arms and to war. And only if enough Maori warriors respond is it likely that we will see God’s promises fulfilled in this land. So much relies on their response. My brothers, will you STAND?

CHAPTER TWO

REVIVAL AMIDST GREAT SHAKING

In the years 1605-1606 the Portuguese explorer Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros led a famous expedition searching for the “Great South Land” (or lands) of the Pacific. From his vantage point in Vanuatu on the day of Pentecost in 1606 the Captain made the following proclamation over all the undiscovered lands to his South:

“Let the heavens, the earth, the waters with all their creatures and all those present witness that I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros… in the name of Jesus Christ... hoist this emblem of the Holy Cross on which His person was crucified and whereon He gave His life for the ransom and remedy of all the human race... on this Day of Pentecost, 14 May 1606… I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of Jesus… Which from now on shall be called the Southern land of the Holy Ghost… and this always and forever... and to the end that to all natives, in all the said lands, the holy and sacred evangel may be preached zealously and openly.”

Interestingly this same region, encompassing Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands has received a large number of prophecies of a “great end-time Revival” from well-known ministries over the years.

Before his death in 1947 it is reported that the famous Pentecostal preacher Smith Wigglesworth prophesied to David du Plessis that “The last great outpouring of the Holy Spirit before Jesus comes would be in Australia, New Zealand, and the islands.” It has likewise been reported that in 1975 the well-known Charismatic teacher Derek Prince prophesied that Australia and New Zealand would be used by God at the turn of the 21st century to lead a great Christian revival that would spread throughout the whole world, ushering in the return of Christ. It has been reported that Loren Cunningham (founder of YWAM) and other leaders have also made similar statements – particularly about New Zealand being a springboard to the nations for Revival.

However, a number of these ‘Revival’ prophecies also have a dark undercurrent running through them.

In 1982 the well-known English preacher David Pawson was invited to speak in New Zealand. He was mostly known as a Bible teacher, so people were rather surprised when he said he had a prophecy for the nation. The first part of it went like this:

“God wants New Zealand back.

He wants New Zealand back as

a nation that will be a model to the nations

of a people who are living under the government of GOD.

God intends New Zealand to be one of those nations

where he demonstrates his Kingdom.

God wants New Zealand back…

New Zealand is a nation that could be brought

under the government of God

and be a light to the nations.”

The second part of Pawson’s prophecy was simply this:

“God wants to bring revival to New Zealand for the first time. God will bring revival through ECONOMIC RUIN.”

David Pawson took this message of “Revival through economic ruin” around New Zealand. It was not always well received. But when visiting Dunedin he was handed a vision of a “Commando Army” that was a confirmation of his own message. This ‘Commando Army’ prophecy by Ron McKenzie is regarded as one of the most powerful words to ever come out of New Zealand. Here it is below-

THE COMMANDO ARMY

-by Ron McKenzie.

We are nearing a time of great spiritual battle. At present God is preparing a Commando Army which can fight and win under tough conditions with few resources. Then He will drop a bomb which will almost destroy the enemy army and will shatter the conventional forces in God's army.

He will then send in the Commando Army which, because of its training, has been unharmed by the bomb. It will defeat the shattered enemy army. It will treat the injured, and reorganize, re-equip and rejuvenate the shattered forces of God's conventional army. The result will be a mighty victory for God.

The Commando Army is a small group in the church which God is calling into strict discipleship. They will reject the things of the world and live solely on what God provides. Their joy in poverty will be a witness to the world. They will be MIGHTY WARRIORS IN PRAYER. They will experience the POWER OF GOD, being able to minister to all people in all situations. Their sole motivation will be the love of Christ.

When this Army is ready God will drop the bomb on New Zealand. It will be an economic depression on a scale which New Zealand has not seen before. It will make the depression of the 1930's look mild. God will shake the nation. It will have two effects.

Firstly - it will shatter the church. The church has become a peacetime army unaware that an intense battle is raging. The people have been blinded by wealth and have become so satiated that they have sunk into apathy. They have taken a worldly attitude into the church and run it like a business, paying their fees and letting the minister do the work. They have become so worldly that they no longer provide a witness to the world. Under economic depression these people will be totally shattered. They found their security in wealth and now they will have none. They found their happiness in material goods and now they will have none. They run the church with money so it will grind to a halt. It will be a judgment on the church. The world forces will also be shattered. Satan has used the lure of money and material wealth to hold the people outside the church captive and the crash will mean that his hold is broken. Thus, we will have a situation where the church is ready for renewal and the nation is ready for revival.

At this point God will send in His Commando Army. Because its members have learned to live without the things of the world they will not be touched by the depression. They will minister to the church and preach to the nation. The people of the church will be shattered out of their complacency. They will see that their old lives lacked meaning and purpose. They will be looking desperately for something else which is meaningful and fulfilling, and the lifestyle of God's special forces will be an attractive alternative. There will be a great renewal in the church, as people repent and turn back to God. Many will be ministered to and discover a wonderful new life in the Spirit through Christ. Thus God's glory will return to the church.

At the same time the Commando Army will go throughout the nation preaching the gospel. The people will be looking for a new meaning to life and will be ready to receive the gospel. Thus as a result of a great move of the Spirit many people will be added to the church.

The depression will not come for a short while. There are a number of reasons for this:

1. God has only just begun to prepare His Commando Army. They still have a lot of training to do.

2. These events will come when people are not expecting them. At the moment everyone is talking about depression. But things will improve, giving people a new hope, then just when the trouble appears to be past the crash will come.

3. These events will be a judgment on both the church and the nation, and when God judges He always warns first. And before the crash can come, God must warn the church and the nation.

Although these events are a little way away they are inevitable. At present God is calling up His Commando Army, but He is only calling for volunteers. Thus it is a time of decision. If we join it will be costly but it will save much heartbreak later. If we choose to join we must become WARRIORS OF GOD. We must become POWERFUL IN PRAYER. We must learn to MOVE IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT, we must lay aside all the things of the world which would encumber us. We must learn to live solely for the LOVE OF GOD. It will be costly, but Oh.. how great is the prize...

A Nation brought back to God..!!

[Source: – Used by permission].

FURTHER PROPHECIES

Lila Diprose is a prophetic intercessor from Wellington who has been given a large number of dreams and visions for New Zealand. She has prophesied a great Revival, but also a time of severe shaking – financially, spiritually, in natural disasters and other kinds of turmoil. This seems to be a very common thread running through the New Zealand prophecies. Below is Lila’s word predicting a great Revival ahead for this nation-

POUR OUT MY SPIRIT

-Lila Diprose.

I am the Lord who will pour out my Spirit on the Nation of New Zealand. I will pour out my Spirit beyond any man's measure. When I pour out my Spirit, no man will stand in the way of what I will do.

When I pour out my Spirit there will be a mighty fear of my Holiness, says the Lord. My people who have stayed close to me will ride with the move of my Spirit, but those who have not will fight with it.

When my Spirit comes it will move quickly throughout your land, the Nations will hear about it. It will burn quick from the south to the north, from the east to the west.

It will be a move that will show that I am the Lord God Almighty. I am the God of the Most High, and I am Alive and that there is no other God like me. I urge and encourage my people to stay close to me, do not let the things of this world take you away from me.

I have not forgotten New Zealand. I was birthed in this land and New Zealand used to feed me with its sweet smelling incense in my Throne room, but now it has thrown me out like a rejected baby, left hungry and forgotten, but because I am merciful, forgiving, and loving, full of grace, I will bring New Zealand back to me showing that I am Almighty God who created heaven and earth, says the Lord.

Malachi 3:1-3

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," says the Lord of hosts.

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when he appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.

“He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.”

In the first chapter of this book we saw Lila Diprose’s word “To the Maori People” in which she wrote: “My Maori people have a special part to play. They will be forerunners, running ahead to destroy the devil's works so that when the Elijah army comes there will be a path already made to prepare the way.”

This concept of an ‘Elijah army’ preaching repentance and working mighty miracles in the name of Jesus in these last days has been prophesied around the world. In the above word, Lila is referring to this in a specifically “New Zealand” context – saying that the Maori ‘forerunners’ must come first. Below is her main prophecy about the ‘Elijah army’ that is to follow after-

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF ELIJAH

-Lila Diprose.

I will call an army of Elijahs who will carry a mantle and go before to prepare the way. It will not be easy for the army. Be on guard for the enemy will come, bringing persecution and accusation against you. They will be the enemy from within. But if you stand strong with me, I will guide and protect you This army I will raise up, they will follow me, they will be like Elijah. I will give them my Spirit of a double portion, says the Lord.

My army will contain people who will look insignificant, who will be people who will seem they have nothing to offer, in the eyes of the church and the world. But they will be the ones I will raise up, they are the ones whose voice will be heard, they will be the ones who carry that mantle. They are the ones who truly love my truth and have sought my face.

The time will come when I will raise them up quickly, so quickly, even the body of Christ will be shocked for what I will say to them through my army, says the Lord.

I will fill my army with a Spirit beyond their own ability, it will come through my sovereign and supernatural power, says the Lord.

This army will come to my church to bring warning, they will come to bring repentance and correction. They will come to prepare my body, the church for my coming.

I am coming, says the Lord God Almighty Most High.

Lila Diprose has also received many words of judgment and natural disasters coming to New Zealand – seemingly around the same timeframe as the Revival. But these prophecies are not just for New Zealand. For there is a time of great darkness, shaking and turmoil coming soon upon the entire globe. In fact, quite likely it has already begun.

One of Lila’s most sobering words in this regard is entitled ‘The Coming Disaster’. Extracts from it are below-

THE COMING DISASTER – 23/8/2005

-Extracts by Lila Diprose.

The word of the Lord came to me:

There has never been in history a time to come as this. The time that is coming is going to bring much disaster, much pain, and much famine. It is going to shake the world, and all the world will know that I am the Great I Am.

Many people will go astray. Many people, My people will lose their way, and have their faith shaken. More diseases and famine will come upon the world. Many, many people will lose their homes and land. Many will suffer.

Suffering will increase like never before… You must tell my people that they are to stay close to Me… If they, My people, do not, and I say do not come back to Me, then they will suffer in what is about to come…

This theme of crisis and disaster accompanying a time of real Revival is confirmed by Len Buttner, a South African preacher now living in New Zealand. Please note that all these prophecies were given long before the recent financial crisis, or the severe earthquakes in Christchurch, etc. Len Buttner’s 2005 prophecy for New Zealand is below-

PROPHETIC WORD - 2005

-Extracts by Len Buttner.

Recently when we traveled overseas I received this impression about the challenges and changes we would see and experience in the nation of New Zealand. At times when I feel the burden to pray for the country, I’m conscious of the fact that we are living in a time of uncertainty and opportunity. The first impression I had was that there was going to be a great shaking in the nation, both physically and spiritually. The nation would experience a huge earthquake and, as this shock was being realized, this would open the nation to the glory to come upon the nation.

The scripture in Haggai 2:7-9 came to me: “And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts.”

God is dealing with evil in the nation. The ruling authorities would be purged by fire, the leaders of the nation would experience the wrath of God and wickedness will be overthrown.

I felt inspired as in Joel 1:14 ~ “Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.”

Prepare the remnant ~ who are called by My Name ~ to be ready, to do great exploits for Me; for greater works will they do in My name!

As the nation of New Zealand will be used in the South Pacific region to do great signs and wonders, they will be used like a great threshing instrument to fulfill My purposes in many of the nations.

For My Spirit will be poured out on this nation, as the glory of the Lord will come from the east, and His voice will be heard like many waters. The country of the Long White Cloud will be a forerunner in the things of the Spirit of God. The voice of the prophets of this nation will be heard; they will have eyes to see like an eagle, and will proclaim My Will, with an authority that comes from My Spirit.

They will be ambassadors for Me with a message of love, mercy and grace, and divine healing and signs and wonders will follow these ambassadors to the ends of the earth. Many will come to see that God is doing in this place. The Lord of Hosts will arise with healing in His wings!

AUTHOR AGAIN: I hope you can see the similar threads running through a lot of these prophecies over New Zealand. It truly is remarkable the consistency of a lot of the words spoken over this land – even decades apart. And in my view, recent events only confirm that these things must be taken seriously and acted upon. The hour truly is late, and I have to conclude that the very period spoken about in a lot of these prophecies may already be upon us. Surely now is a day for RESPONSE and for ACTION.

Not long ago, the ‘Trumpet Call’ prophetic newsletter which has been published in New Zealand for many years put together a kind-of ‘Summary’ of many of the prophecies that have been spoken over this nation down the years. Below are major extracts from this summary-

WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO THE NATION?

-Extracts by A. Watts.

Through revelation:

- To everyone in the land - Repent! God has appointed an hour for the turning of the whole nation and it is now here! The land of New Zealand will become the land of New Zeal for the Lord.

- About the land - it shall be shaken. Blood cries out from the land…

- To the Maori - You are My people, you belong to Me. Apostolic ministries came from the other side of the world to redeem a special people for the Lord. A new harvest will come in. Then waka will journey to the nations.

- ANZAC 1917 - the gospel returns from the "ends of the earth" to Jerusalem for a final harvest in Israel.

- There is no future in money - there is future in community, community combined with discipleship.

- There is a leader-shift coming.

- To the Government - Moses and Aaron are coming with a message. Josephs and Daniels will arise.

- The hands of mercy and judgement are being offered at the same time, to turn away from the hand of mercy is to receive swiftly the hand of judgement.

- The church must awaken from slumber and become an End Time Army. No more passivity, timidity, immobility, indifference and lukewarmness.

Through Scripture:

-Hebrews 12:25-29 - Everything that can be shaken shall be shaken.

-Jeremiah 17 and Ezekiel 6 - The high places will be removed (denominational barriers to Kingdom living)…

-Ezekiel 7:5-7 - Disaster after disaster: earthquake, eruption, tsunami/flood…

-Jeremiah 19:3-13 - Destruction of the Lord's failed vessel (the Potter's jar).

-Isaiah 60 - Arise and shine, a glorious church arising in the End Time darkness that attracts sons (the next generation of believers) to come from afar.

-Jeremiah 23:9-40 and Ezekiel 13 - woe to false prophets, judgements upon false prophetic ministries.

-Jeremiah 23:1-8 and Ezekiel 34 - woe to false shepherds, judgements upon false pastoral ministries.

-Acts - A return to apostolic teams, fortresses of praise…

-Jonah - the church is asleep during the wild storms raging in the world.

AUTHOR AGAIN: One thing that is very clear about the Revival that is prophesied for New Zealand and around the world is that it is a Revival of HOLINESS. As we have seen, again and again the prophecies speak of repentance, righteousness and the overthrowing of darkness. The ministries that are about to arise in this hour are ‘John the Baptist’ type ministries, going forth in the “spirit and power of Elijah” to bring great conviction and repentance to God’s wayward people and to call the nations to their knees before a Holy God.

CHAPTER THREE

REAL REVIVAL – WHAT IS IT?

Over the last 20 years or so, there has been a corruption in the way the word “Revival” has been used, and I think it has lost a great deal of its meaning. Today – especially in Charismatic or Pentecostal circles – ‘Revival’ has come to mean a time of great hype and excitement, where “manifestations” are at the centre and people rush forward for prayer so they can fall down, shake, jerk and laugh – until the next meeting where they come back and do it all over again.

History shows over and over that any movement centred on experiences or “manifestations” is unbalanced and dangerous – often tending toward increasing deception. I am a Spirit-filled, tongues-speaking Christian myself, and strongly believe in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But I have to say that a lot of the bizarre and unbiblical stuff that we see in these meetings seems far more like the ‘New Age’ than biblical Christianity. Are we not warned loudly in Scripture that the last days will be a time of great deception? What do we think the phrase “seducing spirits” is referring to?

A lot of this stuff is clearly dangerous – and it certainly bears no relation to biblical or historic Revival. One of the greatest differences is that true Revival has always centred on “Repentance”. It is conviction of sin, agonizing prayer and piercing preaching of righteousness that have been the real hallmarks of Revival down the centuries. And naturally, the New Testament is also full of these things. Of course, it is full of true healings and miracles too.

So what happens when the true presence of the living God falls in a meeting? Well, the prophet Isaiah tells us exactly what this holy throneroom presence is like: "I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up… And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory." (Is 6:1-5, KJV).

It is this awesome sense of God’s holy presence that saturates every real Revival and makes men fall on their faces and repent. Today we have a very frothy, shallow concept of what “Revival” is – but the real thing has always been an invasion of this unspeakable holiness of Almighty God. And it has always led to the cry, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.” All the way down through the centuries, true Revival has been a flood of purity, holiness and repentance aimed at cleaning out the church and restoring her to all that she is meant to be in the earth.

As the famous Revivalist and missionary Jonathan Goforth stated: "We cannot emphasise too strongly our conviction that all hindrance in the church is due to sin." And Frank Bartleman of the Azusa Street Revival wrote: “The depth of revival will be determined exactly by the depth of the spirit of repentance.” Jonathan Edwards of the First Great Awakening in America was renowned for his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." It is recorded that as he preached it, “the assembly appeared bowed with an awful conviction of their sin and danger. There was such a breathing of distress and weeping that the preacher was obliged to speak to the people and desire silence that he might be heard.” Many were seen holding themselves up against pillars and the sides of the pews, as though they already felt themselves sliding into hell.

Another leader in that Awakening was Gilbert Tennant. It was said of his preaching that "he seemed to have no regard to please the eyes of his hearers with agreeable gestures, not their ears with delivery, nor their fancy with language; but to aim directly at their hearts and consciences, to lay open their ruinous delusions, show them their numerous secret, hypocritical shifts in religion and drive them out of every deceitful refuge... His preaching was frequently both terrible and searching." The results of this kind of preaching were often very powerful. As one pastor observed: "Great numbers cried aloud in the anguish of their souls. Several stout men fell as though a cannon had been discharged and a ball made its way through their hearts."

This has almost always been the character of true Revival preaching, from the Book of Acts right down to the present. On the day of Pentecost it was Peter accusing the Jews to their face of ‘crucifying the Messiah’ that caused them to be ‘cut to the heart’ and to cry out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:36-37). And the Bible states that 3000 people were converted that day after hearing this one Spirit-fired sermon. Later in Acts we read of Paul's fearless preaching to governor Felix: "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, FELIX TREMBLED..." (Acts 24:25).

That’s right – true Revival preaching is the preaching of “Sin, righteousness and judgment”! (Jn 16:8). Nothing less will do. It is bold preaching, courageous preaching, daring preaching. And our generation has heard almost nothing like it. Such was the preaching of the Finneys, the Whitefields and the Wesleys of old. And such preaching must be heard again in our day.

True Revival is the mighty presence of a holy God sweeping in. As Amy Carmichael said of the1905-6 Revival in India:

"Soon the whole upper half of the church was on its face on the floor, crying to God, each boy and girl, man and woman oblivious of all others. The sound was like the sound of waves or strong wind in the trees... The hurricane of prayer continued for over four hours."

“DEATH” BEFORE RESURRECTION

True Revival brings God's children to their knees. But after this deep cleansing, many Revivals have resulted in such overwhelming joy, praise and jubilation in those newly forgiven, that bystanders have often been astonished at the shouts of glory to God, the unrestrained worship and singing, etc. It is important to remember however, that such "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" is only truly possible amongst those who have come to this place by way of brokenness and deep repentance. There must always be ‘death’ before there can be ‘resurrection’.

If we see a movement today that does not involve the strong preaching of the ‘Cross’ - or conviction of sin – or the holiness of the Lord – then we know that that movement is not true Revival.

We need to seek God desperately for another Great Awakening – another real Revival in our day! We need the “John-the-Baptist” preachers back again. We need the Goforths and Wesleys of our time. Will you agonize and wrestle with God in prayer for such an outpouring, my friend? Will another wave of truth and cleansing sweep this generation before it is too late? Perhaps God is calling YOU to be just such a preacher. Pray and agonize before the Lord. Rend the heavens for God to come down. Only another heaven-sent Revival of this type will answer the church’s desperate need in this hour.

PRINCIPLES OF REVIVAL PREACHING

As the Gospel of John tells us, Jesus specifically stated that the Holy Spirit would CONVICT of these three things – "Sin, righteousness and judgment" (Jn 16:8). Which is why we must preach them! The whole purpose of the old Revivalists was to unleash this convicting power of the Holy Spirit upon their hearers. They aimed to thoroughly awaken the consciences of the people. Welsh Revivalist Humphrey Jones once urged a young preacher: "...to preach with severity and conviction; aiming continually at the conscience; charging the people with their sins to their very face; having no regard for men's good or bad opinions; and avoiding the exhibition of self during the delivery of your sermon." Now THAT is Revival preaching!

As Martin Luther said: "I was born to fight devils and factions. It is my business to remove obstructions, to cut down thorns, to fill up quagmires, and to open and make straight paths. But if I must have some failing let me rather speak the truth with too great severity than once to act the hypocrite and conceal the truth." And the well-known Revivalist Charles Finney said of one typical meeting: "The Spirit of God came upon me with such power that it was like opening a battery upon them. For more than an hour, and perhaps for an hour and a half, the word of God came through me to them in a manner that I could see was carrying all before it. It was a fire and a hammer breaking the rock, and as a sword that was piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. I saw that a general conviction was spreading over the whole congregation. Many of them could not hold up their heads."

Jonathan Edwards noted that the two outstanding features of genuine Revival were great conviction followed by great praise and rejoicing. And one eyewitness wrote of the martyr Savonarola's preaching that it caused "such terror and alarm, such sobbing and tears that people passed through the streets without speaking, more dead than alive"! Some modern Christians, totally unused to this kind of preaching, might say that such an emphasis on "sin, righteousness and judgment" is way over the top. However, in circumstances such as those found in today's church, this kind of preaching is EXACTLY what is needed. We need the “John the Baptists” back again!

The old Revivalists were so full of God's presence, so saturated with His glory, so endued with power from on high, that Revival literally followed them wherever they went. They would never have dared to preach the way they did without this anointing (for 'the letter kills but the Spirit gives life'). But how exactly did they obtain such a mighty anointing? Well, as most of the old records show, it was largely through agonizing, prevailing PRAYER that they had broken through into this place of real "Revival" power in their ministry.

REVIVAL PRAYING

Charles Finney said, "... unless I had the spirit of prayer I could do nothing. If I lost the spirit of grace and supplication even for a day or an hour I found myself unable to preach with power and efficiency, or to win souls by personal conversation." Frank Bartleman wrote: "At night I could scarcely sleep for the spirit of prayer... Prayer literally consumed me." And D.M. McIntyre stated: "Before the great revival in Gallneukirchen broke out, Martin Boos spent hours and days and often nights in lonely agonies of intercession. Afterwards, when he preached, his words were as flame, and the hearts of the people as grass."

This was urgent, anointed, Spirit-fired praying, led and inspired by God. The old Revivalists used to speak of the spirit of prayer being "outpoured" upon them. They spoke of weeping, agonizing, pleading, wrestling, 'travailing' in prayer. The whole reason that these Revival preachers were so saturated with the glory and the presence of God was because they had truly broken through, right into His very throneroom in prayer, and had spent much time communing with Him there.

In the coming Revival, as with all Revivals, God will no doubt raise up particular intercessors who will 'specialize' in prayer. But really, such praying is for everyone. It was Matthew Henry who said, "When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is set them a-praying." And Leonard Ravenhill wrote that "the man who can get believers to praying would, under God, usher in the greatest revival that the world has ever known."

God will often gather His people together (at least in twos and threes, and often more) to pray down a Revival – just like Pentecost itself. As A.T. Pierson wrote, "From the day of Pentecost, there has been not one great spiritual awakening in any land which has not begun in a union of prayer, though only among two or three; no such outward, upward movement has continued after such prayer meetings declined." As John Wesley said: "Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down."

THE PLACE OF MIRACLES

Of course, we don’t only want to see God move in power through the preaching alone. The Bible tells us that signs and miracles are to follow the true preaching of the word. And this is exactly what we must expect in the coming Revival also.

Years ago Smith Wigglesworth prophesied something that I believe is very important-

"There will be evidence in the churches of something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit. When the word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest move of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed, the world has ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and Welsh revivals of former years...."

I cannot help thinking that this is a crucial key to the great Revival that is coming. We cannot just have an emphasis on the ‘word’ (ie. powerful preaching). We must have an emphasis on the Spirit also. It must be the “word and the Spirit joined.”

This is one of the most important keys to seeing mighty Revival come in these last days, I believe. It must be a move of repentance and holiness – but also a move of healings and miracles as well.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE EARLY RATANA REVIVAL

A lot of people today have never heard of one of the most powerful Christian Revivals that has ever taken place in the Southern Hemisphere. That is because it occurred largely within the confines of Maoridom – in the early part of the 20th Century.

On the 8th of November 1918, Wiremu Ratana, a Maori farmer in a tiny out-of-the-way place not far from Wanganui, had a vision and received a divine commissioning from God. Ratana was already a strong believer in Christianity and the Bible, but this experience was to turn his life – and Maoridom itself – upside down in the years ahead.

As he stood on his Verandah that day he saw an unusual cloud formation hovering over the sea – seemingly heading directly toward him. As it came close, out of this 'fiery' cloud he heard a voice declare: “I have traveled around the world to find the people upon whom I can stand upright... Repent! Cleanse yourself and your family as white as snow... Ratana, I appoint you as the mouthpiece of God for the Multitudes of this land. Unite the Maori people, turning them to Jehovah of Hosts, for this is His compassion to you all.” Ratana understood that God had chosen the Maori people to be His “footstool” in the earth – which implied a place of importance – but also a place of real “humility”.

From that time onward Ratana began to see great miracles of healing as he prayed for the sick. Word began to spread and soon multitudes were arriving from all over the country to be prayed for by the humble farmer in this tiny remote place.

God had given Ratana a very important message for his people. As the official website of the Ratana church in NZ says, “His mission was to unite the Maori people, turning them from their old beliefs in evil spirits; tohungaism, black magic and jealously leading them back to the one true God.”

(-.nz).

Ratana said that God had directed him: “Go forth, spread the Good News among your Maori people, heal them of their infirmities in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the faithful angels. This day you shall be called Mouthpiece, and the people who follow you will be known as Remnants.”

This reference to the “faithful angels” was to cause great controversy in the years ahead, but in the early days almost all Christian denominations welcomed Ratana and the work he was doing – turning the Maori people away from superstition and evil spirits toward the one true God. This was truly an indigenous Maori movement – involving Maori at every level.

Many of the Maori “Tohunga” acted as 'witch-doctors' amongst the people, binding them in superstition and fear. Ratana challenged these Tohunga head-on, with supernatural authority, and there was a great turning-away from the old gods and the paganism of former times. Thousands of Maori repented of such practices, gathering around Ratana's ministry, and there was a mighty Revival.

Astounding miracles occurred all the time and soon an entire room was filled with crutches, braces, wheelchairs and suchlike that were no longer needed by the sick who had been healed. This was not limited just to Maori – but to many Pakeha (white) people also.

As one Maori writer noted, “Ratana was able to inspire the Maori people with his faith healing miracles and deep religious belief in Christianity, the inspiration of his divinely given healing powers. This practice convinced Maori that their old pagan ways in Tohungaism was a sin in the eyes of God. The Maori people were encouraged to stay away from those old practices and to worship the one true God of heaven and earth. Some Maori who were not convinced with Ratana’s Christian teachings began stepping back into their old practices in Tohungaism and Makutu.”

(Te Rongo Pai Hou A, T.W.Ratana Mangai: 1930-40).

There are reports of “power encounters” where certain Tohunga arrived to publicly challenge Ratana and his message. The miracles that Ratana performed crushed the curses that the Tohunga delivered and many Tohunga were reportedly converted. It is even said that some Tohunga actually died trying to bring curses against Ratana. Their powers were no match for the might of the one supreme God.

As another Maori writer noted in 1925, “T.W. Ratana Mangai saved thousands of lives by his campaign against Tohungaism in various parts of New Zealand. Maori remained very near to the spirit world and were strongly affected by spiritual forces good and bad. These spiritual forces were believed by some Maori to be the spirits of their ancestors and friends. Ratana announced his message to the Maori people to unite as one under the mantle of Ihoa o nga Mano, (Jehovah of the Multitudes)... He set out to demonstrate faith in the one true God could do more good than any potent spells of the greatest Tohunga...” (Editor WM, Te Tai; 1925: pg 2).

Even overseas newspapers in England and the USA were publishing articles about Ratana and his ministry. He began to conduct long tours around New Zealand, healing the sick and preaching the message God had given him. Overseas trips were also being planned. The number of Maori who gathered to his message soon numbered in the tens of thousands. It was one of the greatest Revivals the Southern Hemisphere had ever known.

For a long time the various churches supported Ratana and his work, but the controversy over his references, not just to the Trinity, but also to the “faithful angels” eventually came to a head and caused a separation to occur. As the official Ratana website notes, “as time went on some of the mainstream churches began to turn against him. These clergymen did not favour the teachings or the inclusion of the Faithful Angels (Anahera Pono) and in later years the inclusion of the Mouthpiece (Mangai) into the prayers of the Remnants (Morehu) into the divine hierarchy, and his referral to God as Jehovah. It was claimed that this amounted to “Polytheism” (Worship of more than one God) and therefore, was wrong from a Christian viewpoint.”

(WM Te Tai, Otago Witness, August 4th 1925: pg 26).

Is it possible that there was some misunderstanding of Ratana's teaching in these areas? Certainly they only seemed to become more of a problem as the years wore on – and it appears likely these themes had not been strong enough in the earliest days to cause a rift. But more and more, they became a cause for departure.

However, as one of the early writers pointed out: “Rejection of Demi-Gods Right through his Ministry: T.W. Ratana always rejected the evils of the old ways of Tohungaism and the practice of Maori bowing down before the Maori Gods. In all his works he exhorted the people to denounce these practices. Maori people had to turn their hearts and minds back to the faith in believing in Jehovah of Hosts. Mr Ratana traveled out on many occasions to deal with destroying the evils of the Tohunga of old who had created fear among the people, which they imposed curses upon houses, marae, cemeteries and many other places. They also cast evil spells upon people causing them great pain and sickness, which sometimes resulted in death. Many people handed various kinds of artefacts that were infected by curses over to T.W Ratana Mangai so he might cast out those evil spells that were placed upon them by the tohunga.” (Akoranga, Anaru; 231997: pg 45).

There are a number of people today who believe that it was only the first 3 – 5 years of Ratana's ministry that were a pure and powerful Revival. And sadly there is some cause to believe this.

In 1925 Ratana made a trip to the USA during which he was invited into the 'holy of holies' inside the main Mormon temple – which few outsiders had ever seen. On his return to NZ, Ratana then took to himself a “second wife” - much younger than his existing one – even though the New Testament clearly instructed that he must be "a man of one wife" (Titus 1:6, 1 Tim 3:2, 1 Tim 3:12). Her name was Iriaka and he was to have two additional children with her.

Of course this alienated many Christians even more – even some who were very close to Ratana. A lot of people began to notice that after 1924 there seemed to be a lot less healings occurring in his ministry. Some even said that God's “anointing” had lifted off him. But in fact there were always healings going on. Its just that after 1924 they seemed to be a lot less frequent.

Ratana also became more and more involved with politics and with Treaty of Waitangi issues after 1924. It seemed that the days of his “spiritual Revival” were over.

The controversy caused by some of Ratana's teachings also seemed to be getting worse. At one stage he announced that instead of referring to Jesus Christ by his actual name, his followers were to simply call Him the “Son”. Of course this ended up discouraging people from using the name of Jesus, and led to all kinds of distortions. And the controversy surrounding the “faithful angels” also seemed to be heating up. It is clear that some of Ratana's followers were tipping into outright “praying to angels” and even 'worship of angels' – even though the Bible warns us very clearly against these kinds of practices.

The Scripture clearly states that to deceive people “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14) and instructs us to “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels” (Col 2:18).

There is no “praying to angels” and definitely no 'worship of angels' in the Bible. In fact, quite the opposite! (See Rev 19:10, etc.)

Right in the midst of all this drama, the Ratana church was officially formed, and registered as a nationwide movement in July 1925. But sadly there was to be another body blow to the fledgling movement just a couple of years later. Under the strain of it all, Ratana had begun to drink heavily again – a habit of former years. After one of these binges he was convicted of drunk driving and the judge refused to grant him name suppression. The shockwave that resulted caused Ratana to step down from leadership, but he was reinstated after a humbling public apology because there was simply no-one else qualified to lead the new movement.

RATANA'S LATTER YEARS

Despite all the turmoil, the Ratana movement had a good deal of success with its political aspirations, and Ratana deserves a huge amount of credit for bringing the Treaty of Waitangi back to the forefront of race relations in this country. There had been prophecies before Ratana came of a great Maori leader who would carry the Bible in one hand and the Treaty of Waitangi in the other. Clearly this was the man. For many years Ratana candidates were the politicians that had the best chance of election in each of the four Maori seats in the New Zealand parliament. The movement wielded a great deal of power in Maori politics – and still does to this day.

But the big question is whether the SPIRITUAL health of the people was prospering quite so much – especially as the century wore on.

By 1939, just as the nations were about to be plunged into a Second World War, it was clear that Ratana's health was beginning to fail him. As he grew weaker, secretaries were stationed at his bedside to record any significant utterances he might give before his death. The statements and prayers that he made near the end were something of a surprise to many:

“Oh, Jehovah, the Father. Oh, Lord Jesus Christ. The tree whose seeds I planted in the four corners of the land has grown. Come now, and rule over all the people... Unburden me of all my sins, wrongdoings and ills... I bend to the will of the one Jehovah and his Son, Jesus Christ... I write my name to this as my final message to the upcoming generation and to the great body of faithful followers of God, Te Morehu. This is what I have chosen as the foundation of conversion to the Christian faith, that they may receive God's blessings through the love of the Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Ratana then recited the Lord's Prayer. He died several days later, on 18 September 1939 at the age of 66 years.

In the weeks and months that followed, there was heated debate in the movement about the meaning of Ratana's final statement – his “Christian kaupapa” as it became known. Had they misunderstood his theology and the place of the Lord Jesus Christ at the centre of everything he believed? Should they be using the name of Jesus after all, just as Ratana had done in his final kaupapa?

Ratana's most widely recognized biographer is undoubtably Keith Newman, author of the book 'Ratana The Prophet'. Speaking of this period, he wrote: “Much of the dissent centred around the covenant signed only days before his death, which appeared to be in the form of a repentance and a desire for the church to return to using the name of Jesus Christ. Shortly after the death of the prophet, Tokouru [Ratana's son] and Tirikatene [his right-hand man] engaged in long debates with the people about the theology of the church... Along with many others, including Ratana's daughter Maata and his sister Te Raupo, they believed Ratana had always acted, preached and healed in the name of Jesus.” (pg 237).

Sadly, it appears that little change – if any – resulted from this. The name of Jesus Christ came to be used less and less in the movement. The “faithful angels” got more and more undue attention. And Ratana himself came to be praised in hymns and prayers as God's mangai (mouth-piece) on earth. There is no question, from all that I have read of him, that Ratana would be rolling in his grave if he knew the extent of this idolatry. His life was utterly devoted to the Father and to the Lord Jesus Christ. He would never give worship to another. I believe he would be utterly shocked and grieved to see what is being done spiritually in his name today.

As the century progressed, there were those in the Ratana leadership who quietly tried to bring Christ and the Bible back into the centre – usually with very limited success. The saddest statement of all was made by Ratana's own daughter Te Reo in 1984: “She explained that the Holy Spirit had given her father a job to do – to clear the minds of the Maori people of all the ancient powers. 'But I see them all coming back now, as my father said they would. He said the morehu would, like the Israelites, turn to idolatry.'” (pg 242).

THE “NEW GENERATION” PROPHECIES

During the 1930s Ratana made a number of prophetic statements about a “new generation” that would one day arise “pure and free” with a new 'anointing' from God. It is difficult to understand exactly what he was referring to, but certain circles in the Ratana church take these prophecies very seriously – and remain on the lookout for this 'new generation' rising.

In January 1937, Ratana spoke of a generation that would come sometime after the war: “The Spirit of anointing will go forth to search and to seek out the residue of mankind more pure than the snow... living upon the principles of purity. My greatest desire is for all of us to witness that day.” (p 239).

My own view of these prophecies is that they seem to be speaking of a return to a “spiritual” purity, similar to what happened in the early days of Ratana's ministry. The references to the “anointing” of the Spirit also puts us in mind of that early Ratana period when so many miracles were done and so many demons cast out by the power of the Spirit of God.

If there are two things that the Ratana movement has focused on since the death of its founder, they are Politics and the Treaty of Waitangi. And there has been a good deal of success in these areas.

But one thing that is blindingly obvious today, is that the Maori people are in desperate need of a 'SPIRITUAL' Awakening, not a mere physical or political one. I have no problem supporting the Treaty or many of the claims that are made. But one thing is clear. You can get all the land back that you like, but if the people are bound in SPIRITUAL chains of darkness, sin and oppression, then you will still never be free. Ratana and other leaders in earlier times saw this very clearly.

If there is to be any kind of “new generation” Revival today, then just like the early days it has to involve a crushing of the dark chains that keep people spiritually bound – and a renouncing of every stronghold, every superstition, and every lie that binds.

It must be a move of repentance, righteousness and spiritual purity. It must involve the true and pure anointing of the Holy Spirit and a return to the Bible. It must involve the giving up of every tradition, idol and superstition that opposes the Truth. And above all, it must have the authority of the name of Jesus Christ – just as we are told that Ratana himself, from the earliest times, “always acted, preached and healed in the name of Jesus.”

It must be a movement that keeps only the “purest” things from Ratana's early Revivals, and discards the rest. Only then do I have any hope that a “new generation” of purity and anointing can truly arise from the midst. A “new” generation surely means exactly that - “new”. New in every way. Nothing less will do.

“PC” GONE MAD

Today, one of the most serious problems we face in seeing such a Revival amongst Maori is the rampant Political Correctness that has taken over the landscape. What seems to have occurred is that both politically-correct Maori and politically-correct Pakeha intellectuals have decided on the romantic notion that the Maori must be returned to their old paganism, their old superstitions and their old gods. The new chains are not enough. The old chains must be found and dug up. As I said before, Ratana must be rolling in his grave.

To intellectuals, of course, who often profess to be agnostic or atheistic in their beliefs, no possible harm can come of this. It is all a big game of “wink, wink”. These liberal academics pretend to give dignity to the ancient gods and superstitions, because that is the “politically correct” thing to do. It is all about “tolerance” and “relativism” and other wonderful terms that they learn about in University. Of course, no-one gives the slightest thought to the fact that they are ladling ever-more heavy chains of darkness onto a people that were struggling to escape the darkness already.

Has anybody ever given a thought to the fact that the very worst statistics in New Zealand for poverty and child abuse and gang involvement and imprisonment and drug addiction basically belong to the Maori people? And has anyone noticed that many of these things are being passed down from generation to generation? The grandfather is an alcoholic, the father is an alcoholic, the son is an alcoholic. The grandmother was sexually abused, the mother was sexually abused, the daughter is sexually abused.

I need to tell you, these are classic hallmarks of spiritual “chains” remaining unbroken and being passed down the generations. An absolute classic case of spiritual oppression – in other words, “generational chains” of darkness being handed down. Nothing could be clearer. The Bible describes it as the “iniquity of the fathers” being carried down to the “third and fourth” generation.

Ratana and other leaders understood that these spiritual “chains” must be broken. How? By the classic means that have always worked – found in the Bible. By anointed preaching, heartfelt repentance, “deliverance” from evil spirits, and the powerful work of God's Holy Spirit deep in peoples' hearts. If we went around the world today, we could find literally hundreds of thousands of people who have had these exact same “chains” broken off their lives and off their families by these very same means. It is the power of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

But here is what a lot of these “politically-correct” academics are doing: Instead of 'reducing' the chains, they are vastly adding to them and twisting them in ever-more convoluted bindings around the people. It is not spiritually “neutral” or 'harmless' to send people back into superstition. It is a form of bondage. Superstition involves fear. Fear of spirits, fear of curses, fear of witchcraft. It binds – it does not set free. It adds to the darkness and adds to the chains.

There is nothing “harmless” about returning people to paganism. Many cultures in the world have spent hundreds of years breaking free from it. Utu is not harmless, evil spirits are not harmless, fear is not harmless, black magic is not harmless, ancestor worship is not harmless, curses are not harmless, idolatry is not harmless, revenge is not harmless. All of this is spiritual darkness and spiritual bondage, and it increases the chains instead of lessening them. That is why Ratana spent his entire ministry trying to break people free.

What a lot of these liberals are doing in returning the Maori to their “old paganism” is trapping them and enmeshing them deeper and deeper in spiritual bondage. They will struggle and struggle ever more to break out. History is very clear on this point. It is truly beyond dispute. This “politically correct” spirituality has made things unbelievably worse.

THE SOLUTION

What we need today is an army of Gospel preachers who are not afraid of the darkness and not afraid of the “politically correct”. We need an army whose anointing is so strong and whose 'word' is so piercing that it breaks every stronghold and sets the captives free. We need an army that knows how to use all the authority of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to crush the chains of bondage and to destroy the hold of sin and darkness over the people – to bring them into God's glorious light. And God-willing, this is the very army that I believe we are about to see arise in this land.

CHAPTER FIVE

GOD'S PIONEERS

I believe there is much to be learned from the example of Maori involvement in both the First and Second World Wars. For many this has taken on something of a “legendary” status – and deservedly so.

For a large part of the First World War (1914 - 1918), the Maori were specifically exempted from having to go and fight. They did not need to at all. They were “exempt.” And yet hundreds upon hundreds chose to leave their families, their jobs and their communities to go all the way to the other side of the world – many to lay down their lives there. For most of the war there was no “conscription” of Maori. These were truly volunteers. They had chosen selflessly to risk their own lives – for king and for country. And they became known as the Maori 'Pioneer Battalion'.

They were the first NZ troops to arrive on the deadly Somme battleground in France – where they dug the famous trench known as 'Turk Lane'. A total of 2,227 Maori and 458 Pacific Islanders served with the Pioneer Battalion in the First World War. 336 of them were killed and 734 were wounded.

THE MAORI BATTALION

Even more famous are the exploits of the Maori Battalion in the Second World War. This was a fighting unit that became renowned for its daring, its courage, and its sheer ferocity in battle. On one famous occasion in Crete they launched a bayonet charge after the enemy had snuck up on their position. The Maori reaction was to perform a haka then rush at the enemy with bayonets drawn and war cries piercing the air. The charge was so devastating that for the loss of only four dead and ten wounded, the Maori eliminated about 100 Germans and put the rest to panicked flight. This was to become the typical Maori pattern of fighting for much of the war. It was these fearless bayonet charges that led the famous German commander Erwin Rommel to complain that the Maori were 'scalp hunters' – to his great cost. Their deeds of daring and courage often caused real panic and fear amongst the enemy.

Of the 3600 soldiers who saw action with the Maori Battalion in the Second World War, 649 were killed and 1712 were wounded. The NZ Commander Bernard Freyberg wrote that no infantry battalion in his force “had a more distinguished record, or saw more fighting, or alas, had such heavy casualties as the Maori Battalion.” (Oxford, pg 311).

WARRIORS & PIONEERS

In both World Wars (particularly the second), the hallmarks of Maori warfare were on display for all to see. These included: Reckless courage, aggressive daring, determination, ferocity and fearlessness. As “pioneers” they were not afraid to go first – before all others - into difficult and dangerous situations. As “volunteers” they were ready and willing to put their own lives at risk even though they didn't 'have' to. And as “warriors” they were completely prepared to show utter bravery, determination and ferocity in the face of battle.

These are the exact same hallmarks that are needed in the “spiritual war” that is raging today if we are going to see the Maori released from their chains of darkness and become all that God calls them to be.

We need a new generation of Maori warriors in this hour – who are not afraid to take the battle to the enemy with utter recklessness and daring. We need an army of courageous “Gideons” and “Davids” to rout the enemy from his strongholds and to set the captives free.

The Maori “volunteers” must rise again. This is no war for “conscripts”. They must pick up their spiritual swords, and take up the mantle of authority and truth which have always been available – but have been allowed to fall to the ground.

This is the day for another “Pioneer Battalion” - a Pioneer Battalion that will fight for the lives of their fellow man. And who will not be afraid to lay down their own lives in so doing. A battalion whose hallmark is “boldness” and whose sword is “Truth”- to fight in a spiritual war that has already claimed the lives of many – but which God is calling them to win – a war for the lives and souls of their very own people. That is the battalion that is needed today.

THE SONS OF THUNDER

Years ago I heard about a series of visions received by an American pastor that deeply resonated with me. He entitled these visions “The Sons of Thunder”.

Now it is important to note that there have been many groups around the world that have wanted to call themselves the Sons of Thunder. It is just the same for other titles such as “apostle” or 'prophet'. People can call themselves whatever they like. But we are waiting for the real thing.

In 1997, right out of the blue, God reminded me again of these visions. At the time I was in touch with a bunch of ex-gang members (Mongrel Mob, Black Power, etc.) in New Zealand who had become Christians. I believe God spoke to me and said, “These are the Sons of Thunder.” It seemed pretty strong and I was pretty surprised! So here below is a summary of the Sons of Thunder visions by the pastor who originally received them:

THE SONS OF THUNDER - A SYNOPSIS OF DREAMS

-by James Ryle.

The following insight occurred to me in August 1990 as a result of three dreams. In the first dream I saw a flatbed trailer with a curtain behind it. This trailer was parked at a fairground, as if a concert was about to happen. There were two guitars on the mobile stage. The color of these guitars was the most vivid, electric blue that one could imagine.

What impressed me most was that the guitars were not painted, but stained. It had obviously taken time to make them blue. The curtain was the same color as the guitars. Two men walked from behind the curtain with sheet music in their hands. They were very excited, and could hardly wait to play this music. One said to the other, "Wait till they hear this. Its going to be just like when the Beatles played their

music!" In the dream I also became excited. I turned to see the crowd that was gathering at the stage and the scene changed before my eyes.

The audience became a vast body of water, like a lake, and as the musicians played the new song I saw fishing lines cast out into the water. The dream ended. My waking thoughts were that God is about to release a new kind of song in the streets. It will bring a revelation of the truth and it will usher people into His presence. The anointing of the Lord will be with musicians who have spent time in God's presence "behind the curtain" receiving a deep love for the lost. The lyrics of their songs will be as "fishing lines" cast into the hearts of men and women needing Christ.

In the second dream, I was on the stage in a large church. There was an equipment room on the right side of the stage. It had microphones, cables, amplifiers and other kinds of things that collect in closets. In one corner of the room I saw a power amplifier covered with dust. The cord was wrapped about it, and it had not been used for a long time. When I looked closer I saw written on the front, "The Beatles Power

Amp." I knew in that moment that this box was the source of their sound and their power. I knew that anyone could plug into this box and, in effect, have what the Beatles had - an incredible ability to mobilize masses of people to a single thing. As I stood there holding the Beatles power amplifier, I asked aloud this question, "What is this doing here in the Church's equipment room?"

Suddenly I was out of the equipment room and standing behind the pulpit at this church, still holding the amp. The enormous church, throughout the main floor and all about the balcony, was packed with people from every nation. A very beautiful woman, radiant with a glow of glory, stood in the middle of the church and began singing a song from the Lord. A light shone upon her and her voice filled the auditorium. All she sang was: "In the name of Jesus Christ the Lord we say unto you, be saved." She sang it over and over. She would turn to her right and sing, then turn to her left and sing; then she would turn behind her and before her and sing the same thing. As I watched her sing, it was like a wind blowing on a wheat field. The people began to swoon in the presence of God and then collapse in their seats -- converted to Christ! God's power was moving through the music. The dream ended.

My thoughts upon waking were clear. There is going to be a new sound and distinctive anointing from the Lord upon music that will turn the heads and capture the hearts of men and women for Jesus. The reason the Beatles power Amp was in the Church's equipment room is because God meant for it to be a part of the church's equipment in reaching the lost

for Christ. Music does not belong to the world, but to the Church. Music does not belong to the Devil, but to Christ. Satan has indeed stolen the hearts of musicians and their gift of music to use for his own evil purposes. The Church in many cases has unwittingly surrendered this to the devil without any fight at all. Music was given to worship the Lord

but Satan has turned it for self-worship, which is the reason people tend to worship musicians. But true worship and true music belong to Jesus Christ. They are given to His church to serve Him with.

I truly believe the anointing the Lord will release on music is going to sweep the world in a manner like the Beatles did when they first performed. But instead of drawing attention to themselves (like the Beatles did), the anointed musicians of the Lord will draw attention to Christ alone and give Him all the glory.

In the third dream I was again in the large church where I had seen the amplifier. This time the church was empty except for one man. He was up on stage playing a keyboard and singing to the Lord. It was a beautiful song, and he was crying because of the tender exchange taking place between he and Jesus. He was writing the song right there, spont-aneously making it up as he went. I was greatly moved by this song and the man's pure worship. I had a camera with me and decided to take a picture of this to remember it. I took two Polaroid pictures that came out immediately. When I looked at these pictures I was stunned because both of them were glowing with a golden light. I looked up and then I could see it on the man. The entire platform around him was also glowing like gold. I knew that this was the anointing of God. I showed the man, but it startled him... He looked at the pictures for a second, putting his hands in his pockets he shrugged his shoulders and kicked the ground shyly. "Gosh, I didn't know you were here, I'm so embarrassed," was all he could say. "You don't have to apologize for the anointing," I replied.

The dream changed. I still had the two photographs of the anointed worshiper in one hand, and in the other I held a parchment. I looked at the scroll and saw it was a letter written by an unknown soldier in the Salvation Army. It said, "The Lord will release into the streets an army of worshiping warriors known as the Sons of Thunder. They will bring forth a witness of worship and praise for the Lord Jesus Christ that will bring many people to God."

The dream changed once more. I was floating over a wide and long highway that headed in one direction. All lanes were completely grid-locked, jam packed with motorcycle gang members, revving their engines and stirring up dust. It was a graphic picture of lost humanity. Then I saw a group

of bikers moving in single file along the service road. They were headed for a field in the distance where there was a monolithic stone. This stone, I knew in the dream, represent-ed the power of Christ and would empower those who touched it to go back to the highway and turn masses of lost people back to God. I looked closer at these motorcyclists as

they sped toward the Stone, and saw on their jackets the words "Sons of Thunder."

As the Sons of Thunder approached the Stone to touch it, a barricade of law officers stood arm to arm in riot gear, opposing the motorcyclists - assuming they were intent on defacing the Stone.

At that moment, I took the parchment in my hand and folded it like a paper airplane. I then placed the photographs inside it and tossed it to sail over the heads of the officers. I knew that if the pictures and the promise were to touch the Stone, then the power would be released upon the Sons of Thunder. When the paper was one foot away from the monument,

just before actually touching the Stone, my dream ended. I believe this portrays the role of intercessory prayer in helping the Church get past the barricades of legalism, and open the gifts of God for reaching the lost with the message of Christ...

Now, I extend to you a prayer that God will capture your heart and bring you into full devotion to Christ Jesus. That your passion for music will be equaled by your love for the lost. I pray that you will receive an anointing from God to minister with artistic creativity that is so compelling in its quality, and in its message - that thousands of unbelievers who are lost in darkness will see the light and turn to Jesus to be cleansed and born again!"

AUTHOR AGAIN: I guess one of the reasons that the above visions witnessed with me so strongly was that I am a musician and song-writer myself. But why would God associate these visions about “music” with ex-gang members on motorcycles? And what is the connection with Maori? Well – I certainly do not have a full understanding. But as we all know, the Maori definitely have a gift and renown for music. Could it be that God may be calling some of today's “outcasts” to be used by His Spirit in this way?

The fact that these visions referred to the “streets” and spoke of the early Salvation Army – which was a movement that truly reached out to the poor, the needy and the “down-and-outs” – these all seemed like significant factors to me. In fact, the part in the dream that seemed to sum the whole thing up was the “parchment” written by an unknown soldier of the early Salvation Army. It said, "The Lord will release into the streets an army of worshiping warriors known as the Sons of Thunder. They will bring forth a witness of worship and praise for the Lord Jesus Christ that will bring many people to God." Amen! May it truly come to pass in this nation.

PRIDE – THE GREATEST TRAP

There is always a danger involved when you are calling a certain people-group to a high calling in God. Some may begin to think that this is some “special elite” thing. But that is not the way God works. He always works through the humble and the lowly of heart. It is when we get puffed up that God stops being able to use us. Pride truly does come before a fall. It is the greatest danger – and something to be guarded against at all costs.

I find it very significant that Ratana believed God had chosen the Maori people to be His “footstool” in the earth. When you think about the meaning of this word 'footstool' you can see that it is a place of significance – but also a place of deep humility – for this is literally the place where God places His feet. It is not a “high and lofty” position, but rather a place of bending low so that you can be (as it were) a “footstool” for the King of Kings. A place of honour and humility at the same time.

Remember, God chose to work through the children of Israel when they were literally “slaves” in Egypt. They were the most downtrodden and lowly of people. God actually loves to do this. He loves to use the meek, the poor and the down-trodden to humble the great and the mighty. It is part of His glory.

And thus, the most dangerous thing you can do if you want to be used by God is to “puff yourself up” in any way. A lot of people disqualify themselves by thinking of themselves “more highly than they ought.” God simply cannot use people like that. He “rejects the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Some preachers who start well end up falling to the temptations of money, women, power-trips, spiritual deception, etc. But the root is often “pride”. They get 'puffed

up' in some way, and become blind to the traps that the devil is setting for them.

So God is not calling the Maori to a place of “pride” here. This is not some 'elite, puffed up' thing. It is a place of taking responsibility – of doing the hard yards. Often being a “forerunner” can be a lot tougher than it sounds. Certainly it is a place of blessing – and an exciting thing to be a part of. But being in the 'vanguard' often means that you have to take the hits and expose yourself to danger. It is a high calling, but by no means a 'prideful' calling. In fact, it is the very opposite. Pride is the deadly trap that can ruin everything. An attitude of meekness and humility is essential at all times.

A TIME OF TRAINING

It is interesting to note in the prophecies that we included in the first chapter, that they speak of a time of preparation and training for those who want to be part of this move. It doesn't just come “automatically”. There is a process to go through. Some of this training will come directly from God. Some of it will come from the “coaches” that God raises up to coach the team (so to speak). As with most endeavours in life, such training and preparation is essential. You don't just roll up to an important Rugby game and play. The players must go through training and coaching first. Otherwise it will be a disaster.

A reminder of what the prophecies say-

“I have given you fathers that will raise you up. If you have spiritual ears - you must hear.”

“In order that you might be a vessel of My glory, I will send you men of character, men who carry My authority. It is they who will be the skilful builders according to My plan. They will hammer, they will cut, and they will chisel and shape. You will be the fitting vessels of My glory. When the preparation is complete, then it will be that you are launched.”

THE EVANGELISTS ARE COMING!

In the early 1990s we lost three of our most prominent Maori evangelists – the most well known of whom was Muri Thompson. A lot of people will tell you that these men have never been replaced. It is like a generation of preachers passed on, but nobody arose to take their place.

I believe the Revival we are about to see will be very much a movement of “evangelists”. Prophets too – but overall a massive new move of anointed evangelism. The gospel will be truly “restored” and preached like it is meant to be preached. It will be the return of the Maori evangelists! (But this time with greater anointing).

Theirs will be a gospel that convicts deeply of “sin, righteousness and judgment.” It will be a gospel of the cross – preached in resurrection power – the “power of God unto salvation.” And it will be followed by mighty demonstrations of healing and miracles.

In Bible days we see that the apostles never just led people in a “little prayer” for salvation, but rather led them into deep repentance, full-immersion baptism in water, and then the filling of the Holy Spirit. All of these things were expected to happen IMMEDIATELY. Repentance is so critical. And water-baptism is the “death” of your old self. And the filling of the Holy Spirit is the only way you can get the power of God truly flowing in your life. For how else can we get power over sin and over all the weapons of the enemy?

If we truly want to see a “Book of Acts” Revival in our day, then we had better preach a 'Book of Acts' gospel – with mighty signs following – by the power of the Spirit of God.

And people had better have a “Book of Acts” salvation experience also!

THE ELIJAH ARMY

One thing that is vitally important to realize is that this call is not just going out to Maori. As I'm sure you remember, according to the visions and prophecies at the start of this book, there is not just a “forerunner army” to be raised up in these last days, but also an 'Elijah army'.

I believe this is a “remnant” army from all nations, prepared and trained for years in the “wilderness” by God, awaiting this time. Like John the Baptist, they have been in the 'desert' places until the hour of their “showing forth”. This is to be an 'international' army of every race and colour. And I believe we will see many of them emerge in the exact same period as the 'forerunners'. For they are to follow hard on their heels. An apostolic army of God, “preparing the way of the Lord.”

CALLED TO BE 'FORERUNNERS'

As I said at the beginning of this book, there is no doubt in my mind that God has set aside a special calling for Maori in these last days. And if they do not come into it, then it is very possible that our nation may not come into its promises either. Maori people - the church awaits your response.

As we have seen in this chapter, in many ways it is like being called to the 'vanguard' of an army. You are called to be among the front-runners – the “spearhead” - a task that only God Himself can equip you for. You are called to danger, to battle, and to the laying down of all.

Above everything this is a call to STAND and take the place that only you can take. Nobody else can fill your role. Only you can take responsibility for what God is calling you to do. Will you STAND or will you not? The decision is up to you.

The Bible tells us in 2nd Timothy that “You therefore must endure HARDSHIP as a good soldier of Jesus Christ,” for “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of THIS LIFE.” And Hebrews 12 likewise exhorts the true soldier of Christ - “Let us lay aside every weight, and the SIN which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

It is so often sin and worldly compromise that drag people back from fulfilling the call of God on their life. Don't let this be you. Determine in your heart today that you are going to STAND UP and shake off everything that would hinder you from “running the race”. Stand up and be the warrior for Christ that you were always meant to be.

We are entering a time when truly “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.” It is a time when those who have always thought of themselves as the 'back' of the queue will be called to lead from the front. A time when the downtrodden, the despised and the outcast will be called to make up the very “vanguard”. A forerunner army is arising and neither darkness nor devils nor the distractions of this world will keep it from fulfilling its call.

However, it is important to remember that the prophecies also speak of a limited “window of time” to enter into these promises. As the 2004 word to the Maori from the Inuit people stated: “You are in an hour of opportunity. Do not think that this window will stay open.” What an awful thing if the 'window' passes by and the “called ones” do not enter in.

In the old days the military used to advertise on their posters, “Your Country Needs You.”

Today there is a similar call going forth. And if the Maori do not heed it, I don't know that anyone else can take their place. The prophecies seem very clear. There simply does not seem to be any alternative.

So to the Maori people I declare, “the Lord has need of thee”. This is one of the most important calls that I have ever seen over any group in the earth. Maori people, will you STAND?

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QUOTES AND REFERENCES

The Pioneer Battalion. 'The Maori Pioneer Battalion of the First World War' by Christopher Pugsley, pg 81.

The Maori Battalion. 'The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History,' edited by Ian McGibbon, pg 309 – 311.

'Ratana the Prophet,' Penguin Group, 2009, by Keith Newman.

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