Prepare and Arise: It's Time for the Nations!

By Stephen Bennett

‘Prepare and Arise - It’s Time for the Nations,’ has been written over 17 years. It is a call to singers, musicians, artists, and believers everywhere, to rise up now and be ready for the greatest time in history, despite all the troubles on earth. A time to fully understand the season we are in, a time of some of the greatest Christian creativity, that will carry a governance of Spirit and power to have global influence. There is a call from God to get ready. Many have been prepared over years through trials, tests and circumstances of life, learning much, and be fashioned in godly character. This is not a time to give up, but to lift up your eyes, and believe for the greatest days of your lives. A time for impacting cities and nations, for the rest of mankind to seek the Lord.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543926712

Stephen Bennett

Author, Stephen Bennett, born in Sydney, Australia. He lives with his wife Somjeen Bennett. They are married and reside in Sydney, Australia. After finishing High school, he studied Fine Arts, but now he is an Author of nonfiction and Permanent Carer for his Son Jonathon Bennett. He has also been blessed with his first son Harrison. He took up writing two years ago, because he wanted to share his experiences of God with others, so that they can benefit as well. His first book, The Return: When the Impossible happens, is a memoir turned into story form. The Return, will be followed by 4 more books, which are all in the works. You can visit my website The Return. https://www.stephenjbennett-thereturn.com

Book preview

Years.

Oratio 1

Speak in a discourse or prayer

"If you don’t use sandpaper, sealer, and a good undercoat on that timber,

the topcoat will quickly peel off," said the carpenter.

‘Whatever the Lord pleases He does in heaven and in earth’

Psalm 135:6.

It has been 17 years since I started penning this book; a word unfolding over 4 years, finished in 2005, and now ready for the beginning of 2018 - such is the prophetic. How much the world has radically changed! Back at the start of the new millennium, we saw an emerging Church being prepared to carry a governance of Spirit and influence into the nations through more apostolic maturity. In this restoration, the five-fold ministries of apostle, prophet, teacher, pastor, and evangelist, have gradually grown together in synergy, for Jesus to be truly formed in all power in His Body - the Church. Why? To bear the greatest fruit in the earth we have ever seen in history, ‘...that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord…’ Acts 15:16-17. In the last two decades, this has begun to accelerate.

As Christian singers, musicians and artists, we must be prepared now like never before. For many of us, this preparation has actually been ongoing for years; through trials and tests, much learning, and the forming of godly character. We are now in an era where we will see some of the greatest Christian creativity emerging from the Body of Christ - it will carry apostolic, prophetic power - a governance of spirit in creativity that has global influence. It is the power that sits on the shoulder of the Lord Jesus Christ, and hence His Church, bringing endless possibilities for us to impact the nations. ‘For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder… Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end’ Isaiah 9:6a-7a.

There is a call and message being prophesied for all of us in these end-times; get ready to embrace God’s great moves of His Spirit across the earth, we are closer to this now more than ever. We must prepare to arise now, in this time of the nations!

Over the years great contemporary apostolic churches have developed into highly influential training and sending centers - in the arts, leadership, business, the planting of churches and many other areas - raising anointed and gifted people that will impact and change cities and nations. Many new churches are being planted now through influential movements and networks - some have been developing for several decades. Others are also emerging as new and fresh voices, redefining the Church in many a spiritual wilderness. There are churches growing that are absolutely the newest of wine, that just won’t work in old church paradigms. Many new churches are still yet to come; being planted by the matured governing apostolic leaders and master builders of today. Why is the Lord doing this at such a time in history?

He wants to see the nations turn to Him! It is the time for cities and nations to come to the Lord!

In our preparation, the Church has had to become wiser in God’s ways and strategies, having to be very strong and resolute. The resistance to the arising apostolic, governing, global Body of Christ, is, and will be, ardent by satanic powers. We have seen the unprecedented increase of persecution of the Church in many ways around the world in recent times, much of it horrific. But we must not be discouraged, because these battles precede the greatest outpouring of the Spirit of God ever in human history. ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…’ Acts 2:17a.

Singers and musicians, you are a major part of the strength of the emerging end-time churches. This is evident in the incredible exponential growth of worship music around the world in recent years. Hillsong Australia, Bethel Church USA, and the worship movements of the United Kingdom, to name just a few of the most prominent. All are taking risks; innovating, gathering, touring worship constantly, taking it to the people, being greatly influential, declaring and prophesying to the world in a freedom of worship, on as many platforms as they can. Many other nations are also rising up in various forms of worship expression, influencing their nations despite what may be happening. It’s a great day!

Yet, even in today’s modern church paradigms and the emerging new apostolic reform, there is still much preparation being done by God, to bring forth a maturity of spirit carried in God’s people, to literally change the atmosphere and open the heavens over cities and nations, ushering in His great glory - power that will push back evil and darkness, releasing people to God.

The devil hates the prophetic and apostolic governance of the Church, seeking in any way to destroy, discredit, or divide these ministries. However, a people are rising up now who are strong, wise, seasoned and mature in these areas, fashioned over much time, testing, and experience. God prepares us all to have greater Christ like character, wisdom, prudence and endurance, with the ability to work through, and breakthrough anything that will resist the call of God - to bring significant and powerful change for Christ in this desperate world.

God is always preparing our hearts for His purposes. King David had a heavenly glimpse of how personal God’s purposes are. ‘The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works’ Psalm 33:13-15. ‘… Today, if you will hear His voice; do not harden your hearts…’ Psalm 95:7b-8a.

Today is not a day to reflect on the past in all you have done, achieved, or even been through. Wash your slate clean; forgive, resolve, decide - look to the future in faith - it will be amazing. My prayer in this discourse is that you set your eyes on the future, understand the times we live in, and get ready. Your hour to arise is here!

Oratio 2

In the midst of God’s purposes today, there are arising in the Body of Christ, mentoring, apostolic fathers and mothers to help guide this restoration - to help fashion an army of people that are absolutely valiant, full of faith, and passionate for the truth of God in the earth, regardless of the obstacles that may come against them.

In this time of the nation’s being shaken, uncertainty and fear is daily, but the focus on truth, and who and what it really is, is increasing. Now the Light of God is being separated from the darkness of evil and deception in this world, so millions will eventually come to clearly see the truth of Christ.

God is setting up His Church to enable, and embrace, the great end-time harvest of souls who will come to know the Lord. The true Church will be stable and strong, with the evidence of God’s manifest glory clearly arising on her people in every walk of life. This glory and power will also be in the awesome emerging music and creativity from the Body of Christ - it will be nation shifting, globally influential, bringing great change. God is setting us up, and is empowering us to do it with the latter-day rain of His power. ‘… He will come to us like, like the latter and former rain to the earth’ Hosea 6:3b.

In the midst of all the current turmoil, trials, wars, violence, terrorism, and economic uncertainty in the world, it is also a time of great love toward humanity from the Lord of heaven. We saw this love portrayed with great craft and creativity, in Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion; the message the nations need to know in all of its full truth and spirit - Jesus died for the whole world because He loves us. I look forward to the sequel, The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection. I’m sure it will be a great prophetic analogy for the days we live in, and may even be ‘the biggest film in history,’ Jim Caviezel.

The words and heart of this book have been prepared over many years; at time of first publishing in early 2005, we had seen the 2004 Boxing Day Asian tsunami devastate many countries, the deadliest in history, killing over 230,000 over 14 nations. The world responded with unprecedented compassion and aid relief. It was a prophetic and opportune time for the rising Church to show the great love of God to humanity. Jesus spoke of many troubles in the last days, ‘All these are the beginning of sorrows’ Matthew 24:8. We have so much violence, terrorism, anxiety, and uncertainty increasing in our world like never before. The stresses and pressures on human beings has exponentially increased, there are and will be, many