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ACTS MODEL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
Are hard times coming? Are hard times already here? How would God have Christians prepare for such a time as this?
Matthew
24:22 says: "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would
have been saved; Proverbs 22:3
warns: "A prudent [man] fore seeth the evil, and hideth
himself: Matthew 13 gives us a good example of this normalcy bias in that time, and in the church today. In the parable of the sower. Jesus said: 9" He who has ears, let him hear." 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12"For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13"Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In verse 12 Jesus said: "For whoever has, to him shall more be given."・ In context with the parable of the sower, Jesus reiterates vs. 11 in vs. 12, saying something like this: Since it has been granted to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to you shall more of the mysteries of the kingdom be given, and you shall have an abundance of knowledge of these mysteries.
On the other hand, anyone who does not have knowledge of the mysteries, even what he has heard, (vs. 19a) shall be taken away from him because he does not understand. This gives the evil one opportunity to come and snatch away what has been sown in his heart (vs. 19b). Doesn't this sound like what we are seeing today? The vast majority cannot see end-time prophecy being fulfilled before their eyes. They hear it in the news and see it on the streets, yet they cannot hear or discern the truth. So, what understanding they do have will be (is already?) taken away from them. I am reminded of a deer caught in the headlights of a car careening towards them. They "see the light" but are blinded to the truth ... impact is immanent. The Bible says there will be a great falling away in the end-times, and verse 21 may give us a clue as to why. Are we seeing the judgment spoken of in 1 Peter 4? Do you "see"? Do you "hear"? Are you preparing yourself and your loved ones ... spiritually and physically? Are you praying earnestly for those who do not? Do not underestimate the possibility of these things happening in your near future. Maybe this year, maybe next year, no one knows ... but soon. Remember, when Israel became a nation again, prophecy says the time thereafter is one generation. The theologian, Chuck Missler, says a Bible generation is 70 years. Well, Israel became a nation again in 1948, so that suggests all this can happen by, or before 2018 ... if time is cut short. The beautiful hope we have is in Jesus! He has told us he would shorten those days for us or no life would be saved (Mark 13:20), and he has promised we are not destined for his wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes 5:9). Think on that!
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ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THE COMING DISASTERS?Waiting for the Lord's timing is quite a discipline and calls for steadfastness of faith. What a wonderful gift from the Lord that He would give us such times to mature us in Him all the more. No matter what minute, hour or day or circumstance ... our desire is to be exactly where the Lord tells me to be. We pray that He will keep us obedient, and we pray that for the body of Christ. Even if the Lord has given you visions and has spoken to you of disaster coming upon cities (and rural) areas. And even if the Lord has given you visions and has spoken to you of a day when He will command you to flee. Each step must be in obedience to Him. In our flesh, we could easily try to protect ourselves and leave the city for a "safe" place before the Lord tells us to leave, but what a ridiculous scenario that would be! The only protected place is to be in the center of the will of the Lord. We do believe the Lord is having some people leave certain areas and go to other areas, but for some, He will give that command at a later date. The reason we are not in community yet is because the timing for us is not right ... yet! The Lord sends us to preach the Gospel, and we pray that none of you abandon that in anticipation of needing to go to a safe place. Each person has to do what the Lord tells them to do, obedience is everything. He may tell someone to remain and preach the Gospel, even at the cost of their life. Paul could attest to that. We are not to fear. We are to trust in the Lord. Some of those who have gone to remote areas and are preparing to get off the grid before the grid goes off, are not where God was going to send them, and they didn't leave when God wanted them to. Spiritual preparation preempts physical preparation. So such fear/anxiety driven preparation will actually prove to be a disaster for some. This does mean that we must believe Abba still speaks to His children today, and we must know His voice, and we must be obedient to do what He directs us to do. We heard the testimony of a friend who was working in one of those towers in NY. The Lord told him to quite his lucrative job and go home. The office staff berated him, told him he was a fool. But two days later (on 911) they were all dead, and he was home safe and sound. being in the center of God's will is the safest place on earth. We think this Acts model also includes the house church fellowship (with no overhead, no salaries, no order of service, and no hierarchy ... just community fellowship. 1 Corinthians 14: 26-40 lets us see inside a church service up close and personal. We do not speak against "church" buildings (keeping in mind that the church is made up of Christians, not a building) and all that, but we do warn that perhaps thousands of "churches" will unfortunately have to close in the next few years due to lack of funds in these financially difficult times. Hopefully that will encourage those congregations to go back to the Acts Model for the house church and Christian community. ArkHaven will not be an isolationist or hidden paramilitary armed camp. Our protection will be divine or none at all. We are separatists (separated from the world and off the world's grid) but not isolationists who think they can hide from a perceived enemy. If we are not going to where the needy are and ministering Jesus Christ to them, we are not laying down our lives to serve and witness; we are not living the Acts model.An armed camp invites a challenge from the government or from militant bands (remember Waco). The Bible makes it clear that God allows self defense, and at least in northwest Arkansas most rural people have Deer guns, and Deer are plentiful here. Most people, who were kind and law abiding before they became desperate, will welcome the opportunity to do the right thing. And as you know, the Bible is replete with testimonies of Divine protection and provision. And so is history. Here are some examples: John Brenz, friend of Martin Luther, remembered this verse from 1 Kings while hiding from the Spanish Cavalry. Emperor Charles V repeatedly tried to assassinate him, and on one occasion Brenz barely heard of the plot in time to grab a loaf of bread and duck into his neighbor's hayloft. There he hid fourteen days. The bread was quickly gone, but the Lord sent a hen who showed up and laid an egg each day for fourteen days. In this way Brenz was kept alive. On the fifteenth day the chicken didn't come, and the reformer wondered what he would do. But from the street below came the cries, "The cavalrymen are gone at last." In a similar way, a dog provided for the needs of another reformer, John Craig, who was arrested during the Inquisition. On the eve of his scheduled execution, Craig escaped, but while fleeing through the Italian backcountry, he ran out of food and money. Suddenly a dog approached him, a purse in its mouth. Craig tried to drive the animal away; but the dog persisted in bringing the purse to Craig. In it was enough money to take him to freedom. Robert Bruce of Scotland was running for his life, fleeing persecutors. He ducked into a small cave, and a spider immediately appeared and spun a web over the opening. Bruce's pursuers fanned across the landscape, knowing he was near. Two of them approached the cave, and one of the men started to go in. The other one stopped him, saying, "He could never have gotten in there without breaking that spider's web." Bruce breathed this prayer, "O God, I thank Thee that in the tiny bowels of a spider you can place for me a shelter." Ravens, chickens, dogs, spiders, and creatures great and small -- as Jesus once said of a donkey, the Master has need of them. The militant armed camp mentality does not have any Bible support at all, but reasonable self defense does. Anxiety and fear are not of God, but operating out of the fruit of the Spirit and the Beatitudes is. We put more emphasis on growing food than on storing or stockpiling huge stashes of food, water and supplies.
Notice that two swords among 12 men was considered enough. Remember, this is a defensive number. Survivalists (as a general rule) horde food and supplies and arm themselves to protect their stuff. In contrast, Survivors are able to peacefully bring themselves and others through good and bad times by growing and making everything they need on their own property. They know how to be totally self sufficient while at the same time be totally dependent on God to lead and protect them. |
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We love the word of God, and will be prepared reach out into the
surrounding community to serve. In Community life each family should
feel the freedom to attend the church of their choice, but we
believe that having corporate prayer is a way of life.
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WHAT WE NEED TO PREPARE, AND WHYIn my lifetime, America has gone through a depression and several wars. In early American history three wars were fought on this continent. And even as you read this message, millions of Christians in China and other nations are under terrible tribulation, persecution, and martyrdom this very day. In my lifetime at least fifty million Christians have been martyred. Compare that to the holocaust where Hitler killed six million Jews. To say another war or depression can't happen in America is not being realistic. But to say we should prepare for such an eventuality ... as best we can ... is realistic. Consider this scenario. Let’s say that the foolishness of the world system causes a major depression that the Antichrist can take advantage of. But let’s say God complicates Satan’s plans and makes the depression much worse by bringing on several “natural disasters.” Look at the damage Katrina and Mt. St. Helen did to our economy. Continued...
Finding Solutions Starts With Understanding the ProblemThe subject and question here is; how should we prepare physically and spiritually for the times we are in. But how we discern the times is based upon our worldview and, for Christians, that is always based on our eschatological views. So, our understanding and decisions on how to prepare for our future is solely dependent upon our eschatological world view. Therefore, the value of our supposed solutions is dependant upon the accuracy of our eschatological views ... our worldview. I advise all of us to study them all and be able to answer those who are critical of your views. The Lord has brought me into a lot of repentance over the decades because I want to know the Truth (Jesus) more than my need to be "right" in my own eyes.
See my articles where I define and
describe all the schools of eschatology at http://arkhaven.org/apostolic_reformation_deception.htm
Premillennialists
(whether pre, mid, or post tribulation) believe that Jesus will
return at the end of the 7 years of Tribulation, just before the
millennium (1,000 years of peace) begins. So from
the Premillennial perspective it is clear to me that the Beast
System must have a One World currency, or medium of exchange, in
place before the One World Government and and the Anitchrist can
come into view/power. To do this they will have to bankrupt most
nations and make their currencies worthless … so that they can
replace it with some interim currencies, and eventually an
international, One Word currency that will probably be digital ...
similar to using a debit card ... no paper or coin money.
Many world leaders (like Bush Sr.) are
advocating a One World government, religion and monitory system …
under a One World president … a miracle working, charismatic and
spiritual leader. He will seem like, and be received as, the Messiah
of every religion on earth. He will bring (force) unity under all
these categories.
That means --to me-- that this system
will allow a nation to go without an interim currency for a short
time in order to create panic and anarchy just long enough to make
everyone willing to accept anything to get back to some
semblance of normal life again. We have seen that trend start
when 911 happened and rights were taken from us to hopefully prevent
another 911. We are willing to give up rights for the good of
the nation.
How long will this chaotic period last?
Who knows?
Perhaps for a minimum of 10 days and a
maximum of maybe 3 or 6 months. I would like your input on that.
But how long can you last without
WalMart and the utilities? How many will volunteer to go to FEMA
camps for food and shelter ... to survive? What will life in the big
cities be like (riots? anarchy?) Are you prepared for such an
eventuality?
But this chaotic period will end after a
relatively short time, and the economy will recover miraculously.
How can this possibly happen? I wrote an
article a few years ago that has been read by thousands that gives a
history and scenario. You can see it at http://arkhaven.org/conspiracy.htm
The Sign of The Beast and Survival
Most pre tribulation rapture saints are
just sure they will be out of here before the dollar crashes and the
Antichrist comes on the scene. But what if they are wrong and
have to face going without money, utilities, and food for an
extended period of time? A depression and the death of the
dollar can happen before the 7 year tribulation starts. After
all, we had our first in the 30, and all kinds of disasters before
and after. Why can't more come before the Rapture? How
many could potentially die because of lack of wisdom? Is it not the
better part of wisdom to not assume they have all end-time Bible
prophecy figured out and take the risk of letting time prove them
wrong. Is it not better to prepare and not need what they prepared
for than to not prepare and DESPERATELY need it? Many doctrines (eschatologies)
are going to be tested in this prophetic time, and that is a large
part of why the church may well have to go through this time of
testing and purification.
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A Biblical Life Style May Be The Answer
I
advocate a time tested lifestyle that the Amish and Mennonites have
lived for 500 years, a self sufficient community of like-minded
brethren living the agrarian life style … living off the grid. This
lifestyle will make it possible for you to support your community of
believers and those saints who refuse to take the sign of the beast
but did not prepare physically for spiritually for such a time.
I anticipate that most non-Christians, and many of those who think
they are Christians, will go with the very convenient, lucrative,
popular ... sign of the beast ... currency system and never show up at
your community ... or heaven.
CLICK HERE TO SEE A REAL ESTATE LISTING OF LAND IN NORTH WEST ARKANSASIf God is calling you to move to North West Arkansas to prepare for the times we are in, see this listing of properties that are well suited for your needs. If you want to make a Discovery Trip to NW ARK, we will be glad to be your native guide, and even take you to our church in the community we want to move into.
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME TO THIS WEBSITE IN 2010?In 2010 this website had 25,0430 unique visitors and 37,432 visitors in all (12,000 who came back several times), from over 150 nations, who read 80,692 pages. Of those 37,432 about 10% of them spent from 15 minutes to over an hour on this website. That amounts to 3,700 who took the time to study the articles and listen to the audio files there. This particular page has been up for 5 years.
In 1974 I received my life mission from the LordI believe the Holy Spirit told me to call the church to be prepared physically, mentally, and spiritually for what will transpire in these end times. Without proper spiritual preparation and maturity we will not be prepared for anything life throws at us, much less the events Bible prophecy says are coming, and in fact, are already here. The spiritually mature will be led of the Holy Spirit as to where they are to be and how they are to prepare. The safest place in the world is in the center of God’s will for your life. At that time He told me I was to prepare His people for a coming financial depression. This anticipated depression is in all probability going to happen BEFORE the tribulation period begins. There are those who say we are not only in a depression right now, but that we are plummeting downhill towards much worse social, economic, political and spiritual time until we slide into the Tribulation and the time of the Second Coming . Again, keep in mind that our nation has suffered three wars on this continent, as well as a depression, a dust bowl, 9/11, and Katrina. To say any of these historical disasters won't or can't happen again in America is foolishness. God is not calling all Christians into this kind of a ministry (see David Wilkerson's books on this subject), but God is telling all of us to prepare as He would have us prepare (physically, mentally, and spiritually) for the coming economic meltdown. A time will come in our beloved America when some will be called to the high calling of martyrdom, and others to the terrible task of surviving so as to minister to those Christians who were absolutely sure such things could not happen to Christians in America, and to the lost who were also put to sleep by the system keepers. To the point: we all must know what is coming down and how God would have each of us be prepared for that time. Obedience entails knowing His voice, and then obeying His instructions. Again, the safest place on earth is in the center of God's will.
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In 1990 the Lord told me to study church historyThe extensive studies I made over a two and a half year period gave me a lot more perspective into the mission of preparing His people. There I saw the Acts model for Christian community and how it helped early Christians cope with severe persecution, tribulation, and martyrdom through the first three centuries. (I should add that when anyone studies church history that extensively, that person’s understanding will then go beyond the boundaries of any given denomination or doctrinal group. And the more anyone learns, the more they become humbled by the magnitude of how much knowledge they don’t and can’t know.)
SCRIPTURE SUPPORT FOR THESE ARTICLES
"A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty." Proverbs 27:12
"When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves." Proverbs 28:12
"Because you have kept my word in quiet
strength,
“But realize this, that in the last days
"The prudent see danger and take refuge,
As fish are caught in a cruel net, as birds are taken in a snare,
"When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do" —Psalms 11:3
6
For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when
thou mayest be found:
7
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble;
8
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:
And
through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Psalms 91
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The Acts Model church
The Acts (of the Holy Spirit) is God's model for His church in every generation and culture (because neither God nor His Bible ever changes). The Apostles simply practiced the life style and doctrine that Jesus taught them. This model goes beyond the community concept found in chapters 2 and 3, the model includes the entire book of Acts. The book of Acts is more than a history lesson or doctrinal teaching, it is a Holy Spirit inspired life style. Restoring that which the Apostles established will require a restoration process of repentance and reformation. For all that Martin Luther restored and reformed, he did not bring this reformation ... this Apostolic life style called "The Way" throughout the book of Acts. This Christian life style MUST work in every culture and century to be valid. Since these are of the Holy Spirit and since the Holy Spirit is with (in) each of us today, we can accept this Christian model (lifestyle) as being applicable in our (any) culture today. The reason we do not get First Century results today is because we do not practice First Century Christianity. The Reformation and Restoration process will not be complete until we see Him face to face. I recommend the book "Pagan Christianity" by By Frank Viola and George Barna. This book shows us, vividly and painfully, how far we have drifted from the First Century (Acts model) church. Howard Snyder, Professor of History and Theology of Mission, Asbury Theological Seminary, author of "The Problem of Wineskins" and "The Community of the King," said this about this book:
I have to warn that Barna holds to the Historist Eschatology and is heavily involved in the Emergent Church movement. The interesting thing about Historists is ... as the name implies, they really know their church history. In short, they believe that (much more than premillennialists believe) that almost all Bible prophecy has been fulfilled and that the antichrist is in the past. They (and the Preterists) call us (premillennialists) Futurests because we believe the antichrist is coming in the future. I wrote about these eschatologies at http://arkhaven.org/eschatology.htm if you want to understand this complex subject a little better. But back to the book. History wise, it is an excellent book. When he gets into theology ... watch out. But I have read a lot of church history, so I know his history lessons are solid. By Christian community we really mean a Christian life style designed after the Acts model and the historic first, second and third century model for the church. The following passages from Acts 2 indicate that these believers were hearing from the Spirit of God, and were in unity as to what to do.
We should not assume that all these first century Christians sold everything they had, or that they gave all the money for whatever they sold, to the Apostles. They continued to live in their own houses (whether owned or rented) and b eing the heads of their households. The statement in Acts 2 that they held all things in common (common purse) was not a doctrine, it was what they were led to do at that time. We do not advocate the common purse practice for our pending community. It simply does not work today in our society (as you will see in a few paragraphs down). This was not socialism as some charge. They were free to participate or NOT participate (freedom of choice), whereas in a Socialist state you have no such freedom of choice, you are FORCED under penalty of law to participate.In Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira's sin was lying about what they did, not over what they did.
Many prophetic people have moved into NW ARK because the Holy Spirit has shown them that this area is especially protected. There have been numerous confirmations – Corry ten Boom giving one of them. In 1984 I met a man who was one of those with her when she had an open vision while in the Eureka Springs area. When she saw five rings of angles on the entire horizon with swords in hand, she exclaimed, “My God!!! This is a divinely protected place.” When I drove into this area for the first time, the Lord told me that this is “A green island of survival.” Read more about this at http://arkhaven.org/the_arkhaven_story.htm . We want to go into community because it is the best answer to all that ails the church and the world. Community is the New Testament way to live...the scripture says that we will be known by our love for each other. Some charge that this is a socialist principle, not realizing they just said they do not believe the Bible and miss the message God is giving us in Acts 5. As a living example, the Amish think of themselves as a community of believers. They own their own farms, but they work together to meet all the needs within the community, so between them all, they are almost totally self sufficient. Despite their success for centuries, the problem is, their doctrinal stance limits their ability to reach outside their community to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of others. They miss the Acts 2: 47 model of “praising God and having favor with all the people, And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Years ago most farming communities looked after each other much like the Amish do. This quote came to me in an email from a trusted friend on my forum:
The English colony at Jamestown, Virginia learned this lesson the hard way 400 years ago. One of the most important lessons of economics, which helped to set the course of America, was demonstrated in that colony. For the first two years, the colonists had a communal garden, and in those first two years, 50 percent of the colonists died each winter from starvation. The third year, they decided to give a plot of ground to every person, and let them each eat what they grew personally. No one ever starved at Jamestown again. Socialism doesn’t work because Socialists don’t work. And as Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”
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Andrew Strom Quote From His 9/10/2010 Newsletterchurch. There was no such thing as 'cathedrals' or church buildings for centuries. She fed the widows, she clothed the orphans, she preached a pure gospel to the poor. She did miracles in the open air. This is the glorious church that Jesus is wanting to display again before the end. This is His beautiful Bride - in all her fullness. And my friends, we simply cannot afford to settle for less. What got me thinking again along these lines was this earthquake in the city of Christchurch. A lot of the old cathedrals and church buildings there have been seriously damaged. Maybe it is time to leave them behind. Maybe it is time for Christ's glorious church to come forth again - outside the walls that are blocking us from the very world we are called to reach."
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We Recommend This Audio/Video For a Deeper Study of Acts 2
Not Socialism or a communeTo the point, the Acts model we see in chapters 2 and 3 is not Socialistic or a commune, it is as Jesus said in Matthew 25: 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Here is the whole quote:
So, the Acts model is to minister to Jesus by ministering to the needs of the brethren so we can be counted amongst the sheep rather than the goats.
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There is no social, economic, political or government solutionIn my opinion we are in the last days prophesied in the Bible. The Antichrist, the Beast System, and the One World Government WILL arise, and it will NOT be DEFEATABLE until God defeats it at the battle of Armageddon so the notions expressed in the below letter for activist political and armed resistance planning and organization will only walk into the enemies plans. Therefore we are in a time when this entire end-time scenario is being staged, and there are no social, economic, political or government solutions. Realizing we are undoubtedly coming into the worst economic depression in history, I also hope to become totally self sufficient so we can go off the grid before the grid goes off, but not just for the selfish, self preservation purpose of surviving. We intend to minister to our own community members, and be able to go into local towns and minister to others, even if our lives are at risk … as were the first, second, and third century Christians. I am willing to live or die for my Jesus. Accomplishing these two goals will have us prepared for any other eventualities that are seen by so many (tribulation, all kinds of disasters, antichrist, etc). Yes, we are preparing but not in fear (Join our forum by this name). That is what the Apostles did. They were involved in Kingdom of God matters only. Jesus said, “Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s,” and so we abide by the laws of the land. I used to be an activist, but God took me out of all that and showed me the only solution is Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
The article below is one perspective of a group of believers who wish to live in a Christian environment, and what they are doing to be prepared: http://www.futurequake.com/FQ_PastShows.htm 7 - 11 Sep 09 7 - 11 Sep 09 The Latest Techniques And Initiatives By Christians To "Get Out of Babylon" Show Audio File & Press Release of Show Description Keith Humphrey, Frank Janoski, Paul Smith, Robert Rudnick, "Christian Exodus" Web Site: www.ChristianExodus.com
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Non-Christian Community ConceptsBy nature I am a quiet spoken diplomat, but when it comes to gathering in the core group of our community, I need to not only really be understood, but I need to clearly understand those that write to me. This year, a lady in NY City called me, and I had to tell her she is a New Ager and is not saved. But she is not the first one. I see no comparison what-so-ever between First century Christians and the Branch Davidian mentality. Many people think they were Christians but if one studies their leader and doctrine you will see they were a demonic, sexually perverted, heretical cult living in a heavily armed fortress. Their well publicized prophecy that they would be attacked by government forces some day, and might have to fight to the death to defend themselves from persecution became a self-fulfilling prophecy (Yes, it is also true that the Government attack on them was unwarranted and illegal). In contrast, the Mennonite’s pacifist prophecy over themselves has preserved them for all these centuries.
Why the Mennonites Have succeededThe Mennonites success in Community living comes from their emphasis on the Beatitudes, so I am studying Matthew 5 again. That is the mindset that works for them. I have never been a Mennonite and have no interest in becoming one (most of them are pacifists and Post Millennial), but they do have this (just a servant of God) Christian quality/virtue about them. ArkHaven will be neither pacifistic nor an armed fortress, but we can embrace these blessings from our Lord Jesus:
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Community ConceptsI would like for the community to assemble at least 5 mornings a week for prayer and praise … and to schedule our day … but I also think it will be healthy for us to be in local churches on Saturdays or Sundays. That keeps down the gossip that we are a weird cult group, and in fact keeps us from becoming one. I learned this from the YWAM’ers years ago (my wife was YWAM trained in Hawaii). It will be essential for the core group of each community to mature in their Christian walk, as we will be involved in hard work as well as being of one heart from God's perspective. It will make no difference what the people we serve believe, as we are there to be a witness for them. But it will be very important that everyone in any one given community to be as like-minded as possible for the sake of unity. The hard truth is that 90% of all communities, no matter what their core beliefs may be, fail! By starting out with these goals in place we will be more able to start moving into living by miracles alone ... if it comes to that. We can’t start there, but we had better be able to end there ... just in case there are no options.
How ArkHaven Got its NameThe name "ArkHaven" is in reference to the Ark of the Covenant and to Noah's Ark. Both of these Arks were covered with God's promise, protection, and provision. Read the ArkHaven story. The Lord is certainly pressing His preparation into the hearts and minds of those who have an ear to hear. Are you one of them? My vision is to form a community of "intentional neighbors" that will be totally self sufficient, self reliant, and able to operate outside the system when the economy crashes. Some use terms like "Christian sanctuary", or "Christian covenant" or "Christian centered", to describe this lifestyle. We use such thoughts as self sufficient, frugal, frugality, self-reliance, and sustainability to define what ArkHaven is all about, but ArkHaven is Christ centered and therefore much bigger than what those words can convey.
· TAKEN DOWN, the page that showed a map purported to be the location of five "Green islands of survival," North West Arkansas being one of them. Here is why:
· CLICK HERE to read the prophetic, miraculous story behind the ArkHaven name. · CLICK HERE to read the biography and testimony of the founder of ArkHaven Ministries, Kenneth Uptegrove. · CLICK HERE to find a FORUM for self sufficient living. What advice, what testimonies, what links do you offer the rest of us who are living or want to live the self sufficient lifestyle? You do not have to be interested in Christian community or preparing for hard times to be qualified to share with this group. You will find a listing of everything needed for self sufficient living, such as heirloom seeds, foam domes, generators, and many other things. · CLICK HERE to read a prophetic article on Christian community by Jeanette Reed that says God is telling us difficult times are upon us. David Wilkerson wrote two books proclaiming a coming economic collapse. · CLICK HERE to see a listing of people who may live in your area who are looking for others to join together with to prepare for the coming hard times. · CLICK HERE to hear Kenneth Uptegrove on archived radio talk shows he has been interviewed on about this subject.
To set up a speaking engagement,
OUR PLAN:Among those who believe God has called them to prepare, there seems to be two distinct groups. One group has the resources to purchase all they need but do not have the time and/or skills to make it happen. The other group has the skills and an income that will sustains their present standard of living but lack the funds to prepare adequately. I am wondering why these two groups can't each give what the other needs. In our family Lora loves to work with livestock and I am the horticulturist. Even though I am a computer professional I am also proficient in most of the building skills and have a lot of gardening experience. Oh, and I have been in excellent health all my life, and still am. Read my testimony here. In reference to our doctrinal group, we define ourselves simply as born again, Acts Model believers who have laid down our lives to our Lord and Savior, and who believe the Bible is the Holy, infallible Word of God. That alone separates us from some doctrinal groups, but at the same time identifies us with others. WHY: We anticipate the coming of troubled times happening BEFORE the official "Great Tribulation" comes. Even as you read this message, millions of Christians in China and other nations are under terrible tribulation and persecution and martyrdom on this very day. To say it can't happen in America is not being realistic. After all, have we forgotten that there have been three wars and one depression in the continental United States, so why can't there be another one? But to say we should prepare for such an eventuality as best we can is realistic.
How:
Providing our own food, water, power and septic system, such as....
·
Truck farming: Hydroponics, greenhouses, gardens, berry bushes, fruit
trees, grains,, all done by the natural and organic method. We
anticipate that insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, gasoline, and
just about everything needed to do conventional farming will no longer
be available. We will have to revert back to the way farming was done,
centuries ago, before all these things became available, and that is the natural and
organic method.
·
Animal husbandry: Chickens, ducks and geese, fish farm, milking goats,
draft horses, etc.
·
Either an artesian well or a large spring with our own water tower and
pipelines. A lake that has an outlet to keep it clear is
ideal.
·
Either a large wooded area or a natural gas well on the land for an
energy source.
·
Several 500 gal. propane gas tanks are an option.
·
Solar panels, and will consider 50 ft. wind generators and large
Stirling engines to power generators and equipment.
·
The kind of septic system that purifies waste water so well that it
can be used to water a lawn.
·
We will always be dependant upon God as our source and our hope,
utilizing what He makes available for us to use to survive and to
serve all who come to us.
·Christian agricultural cooperatives: Different local communities
or families (within walking distance from each other?) interacting and
working with each other. We will not only provide food for ourselves and sell it on the market, but food for the poor and needy.
WHERE: Somewhere in the counties in the extreme Northwest corner of Arkansas (Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison counties).Here are some pictures of Northwest Arkansas:
BIBLE PRECEDENT: These precedents need little introduction.
IS GOD PROMPTING YOU as you read this article to contact me to talk about and pray over what the Lord is showing you?
To set up a speaking engagement,
BOOKS BY DAVID WILKERSON: God gave me this vision in 1974, 24 years before Wilkerson wrote these books. If you find David Wilkerson a credible man of God that speaks the truth of God, these books should be on your "must read" list. Read more about these books CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE to read about survival and community aspects such as "Intentional Neighbors."
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Fundamentals of Ecclesiology: Jacob Prasch teaches from
Acts 2
Stumble It!