Our beloved fellow Last Days Disciples, this begins a new series of articles titled “Marching Orders for the Stephen Generation” and its purpose is to enhance our understanding of what we Last Days Disciples can expect in the coming days… and what our Father has already provided for us in the midst of everything and anything we may face. This series will strengthen and solidify the firm foundation of Truth that Holy Spirit has been imparting to our FMM family and will increase our resolve to fulfill the exhortation we find in Ephesians 6:10-18 (TLV):
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom. Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Ruach on every occasion, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kedoshim.”
We begin with the Original Marching Orders to bring into focus the enhancements found in the Marching Orders for the Stephen Generation. And the reason for that ‘upgrade’ , given to us by the Spirit of God, is because we live in uncharted territory… generations before us never faced the kind of things we do. They could not have conceived civilizations slowly self- destructing after decades of demonically inspired lies and deception. Those who lived during the days of great revivals and outpourings of the Spirit would never have imagined how those fires could have died down to smoldering embers.
So knowing how much the written and Living Word has revealed about the Last Days, I exhort you to take seriously the level of equipping this series offers as we work together to advance the Kingdom of our God and prepare for the coming of His beloved Son.
Love, Mum Nancy
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The Original Marching Orders
(First received in 1988)
- Take My people further in their understanding of what it is to be a temple of My Presence.
- Teach them to think along with Me, in all things.
- Teach them to listen to Me at all times, even as they are thinking!
- Develop a great tenderness and sensitivity for My Presence within them. Teach them to worship Me in the depths of their spirits and innermost minds, in all things.
- Teach them to understand clearly and thoroughly, what it means to be faithful to seek, in all things, My viewpoint and the purpose of My Kingdom, Kingship and Righteousness. If they do that, I, for My part, will add all other things for them.
- Take them further in their understanding of the depths of the Covenant relationship they have with Me. Teach them what their part is to be.
- Teach them how to respond to Me in even the tiniest matters.
- I AM with them in all things and in all ways. I want them to be with Me in the same manner!
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Marching Orders for The Stephen Generation
(Updated adaptation made in 2021)
- Take My people further in their understanding of what it is to be a temple of My Presence… So they’ll have the faith they need to remain connected to Me when I lead them through “The Valley of the Shadow of Death.”
- Teach them to think along with Me, in all things… So that they can be led by the Holy Spirit at all times, even amid desperate emergencies.
- Teach them to listen to Me at all times, even as they are thinking… So that I can guide them safely through opposition and persecution.
- Develop a great tenderness and sensitivity for My Presence within them. Teach them to worship Me in the depths of their spirits and innermost minds, in all things… So that when I return, I won’t have to say to them, “I never knew you!”
- Teach them to understand clearly and thoroughly what it means to be faithful to seek, in all things, My viewpoint and the purpose of My Kingdom, Kingship and Righteousness. If they do that, I, for My part, will add all other things for them… For I AM the Blessing Father gave to them from the very beginning… and because the Serpent never stops trying to destroy God’s beloved humans… they must cling to Me as they resist demonic attacks in the final days.
- Take them further in their understanding of the depths of the Covenant relationship they have with Me. Teach them what their part is to be… So that I can continually impart My Covenant blessings and protection to them. Teach them to abide beneath the shadow of My wings even as thousands perish all around them.
- Teach them to respond to Me in even the tiniest matters… So that they can remain connected to Me regardless of what is going on around them.
- I am with them in all things and in all ways. I want them to be with Me in the same manner… So I can continue to be everything they need, no matter how desperate the world situations become all around them.
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Beloved friends, the Lord gave me the original ‘Marching Orders’ in the summer of 1988. Soon after, He started sending me the ‘downloads’ for what would eventually develop into the material that the Ultimate Journey Ministry shares so successfully today with those who participate in that ministry’s support group disciple training.
But a few years after that, the Lord gave me the new assignment of cooperating with Him in giving birth to this current Follow Me Ministry. And I sensed intuitively, that these Marching Orders would be just as pertinent and necessary in the future, as they were in the past. Only now, in light of what we see happening in the Last Days world, we’ve updated the Marching Orders so they would pertain to and reflect the atmosphere and urgency that the End Times foretold by Scripture, will require the Last Days disciples of today to be ready to operate!
I call these Last Days Special Forces Disciples ‘The Stephen Generation’, because they will finish constructing the ‘Highway in the Wilderness’ that will prepare the way for the Return of our risen Messiah (See Isaiah 40). And they will do it amid some extremely difficult and often dangerous circumstances… regardless of the cost to them. They’ll have to do their work while resisting and opposing the forces of Darkness who will be doing their utmost to derail and put an end to their Invasion, and prevent the risen Lord from fulfilling His Last Days promises through them.
And since they we will have to learn to persevere in our service to the Lord amid dire and apparently impossible circumstances, we’ll have to be continually aware that the actual Indwelling Presence of the risen Lord will be with us to empower us to endure and overcome. We will have to know what the disciple Stephen (in chapters 6 and 7 of the book of Acts) knew, and do what he did when it was his time to render his unforgettable service.
The Stephen Generation will have to be prepared and equipped to maintain the supernatural martyrs’ mindset focus that the valiant, unstoppable, disciple Stephen maintained and displayed, during his final moments on Earth. Because He knew the All-Sufficient Perfection of his God so intimately and deeply, nothing could deter or stop him or the other martyrs! They followed the totally focused example that our Lord, who went before them, set for all the rest of us to follow! So the training that true disciples will have to receive is of vital importance. It will not entail knowing and amassing all sorts of created things. It will entail knowing and interacting with our ever-present Lord at all times. And that ongoing union and cooperation with God is what these meditations are meant to help us unpack, explore, absorb, digest, and embody… as we go through our ‘boot camp’ preparatory stages.
Dad John
Introduction
WHERE DO WE START?
Beloved members of God’s Covenant Family… I have some serious matters for you to consider. Because we’ve been chosen and called to follow our Supreme Commander, the Captain of the Lord’s Hosts, in these unspeakably chaotic and momentous days, the responsibilities, tasks and destinies the Lord has assigned to us are unprecedented, highly strategic, and vitally important.
We’re called and commissioned to serve as faithful, effective, successful servants of God’s beloved Son, the Living Word of God made flesh. But the time frame in which we’re called to serve, makes our generations unique. Our Commander’s Climactic Return to Earth is fast approaching. And our task as the sentinels and guardians of the Faith will be to actually prepare the way for His actual climactic arrival! So our tasks will have to be done with the excellence and precise effectiveness the complete consummating fulfillment of the New Covenant God made with Israel for the Perfect Restoration of God’s Creation so justly deserves.
When people face the challenge of embarking on a monumental journey and adventure, such as the one that is before us, I believe the wisest way to start is not at the beginning, but at the very end. If we focus on the destination first, and allow it to soak deeply into our innermost being and habitual inner consciousness, the inner settings of our souls will be recalibrated and reconfigured to hit that target IF we reset our inner settings for that Target, and nothing else! We must burn that Target like a firebrand that is seared into our heart of hearts so that we’ll never ever lose sight of it.
And then after we do that… we can go back to our starting point… and take the first step. And then, regardless of what kind of distracting events, situations, circumstances and opposition we encounter along the way, we’ll remain focused, fixed, and preprogrammed to hit our target, just the way guided missiles are preprogrammed to hit their targets. And if we’re firmly calibrated to hit the Target, we’ll be able to eliminate and bypass whatever would distract, lead us astray, and scatter and waste our time and energy.
So… what IS our target destination supposed to be? Well, for true authentic disciples, their target must always be… GOD’S TARGET! And here it is:
“Then I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband.
“And I heard a loud voice from the Throne, saying, “Behold, the Tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; THE FIRST THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY!”
“And He who sits on the throne said, “BEHOLD, I AM MAKING ALL THINGS NEW!” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “IT IS DONE! I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give Water to the one who thirsts from the Spring of the Water of Life, without cost. The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and I WILL BE HIS GOD AND HE WILL BE MY SON!” (Revelation 21:1-7 NASB, Emphasis added.)
That’s the Target beloved. And it’s pretty awesome, wouldn’t you say? Our intended God-given destination is nothing short of Total Victory over Darkness and Evil, and Total Restoration, Satisfaction and Fulfillment, from God, with God, and in God!
So when our journey is over, we’ll be in a brand-new Heavenly Reality… in a universe so stupendously beautiful and incomprehensible that it will surpass anything any of us could currently imagine or hope for. Absolutely everything will be made new… and God and the overcomers that have faithfully served Him in this temporary life will be considered to be ‘Father and Sons, Incorporated’! And together with Him, we will begin to administrate His Kingdom on the New Earth… establishing the new Divine Order of the Regenerated Creation that will completely replace the fallen, Sin-corrupted one we presently know and inhabit.
“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:14-17 NASB Emphasis added.)
So beloved... in and through our risen Lord, WE HAVE ALREADY WON!And because we already know that this Glorious Restoration is our ultimate eternal destiny, then, as we proceed on our earthly journey to that end, we have no need or reason to obsess over or fear or bewail any negative, temporary situations that we’ll encounter along the way. We’ll know in advance that nothing we encounter en route will be a permanent reality. God will allow nothing that falls short of our True Destination to remain in the picture for long. And so we can afford to keep our eyes fixed on the Perfect Eternal Outcome God has waiting for us… a totally fulfilling and satisfying Inheritance that, thanks to the New and Eternal Covenant into which we have been grafted, is, even now, forever ours!
Working Toward and Awaiting the Crossing of the Finish Line
“The Ruach (Spirit of God) Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, also heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Messiah—if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the Coming Glory to be revealed to us. For the Creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God. For the Creation was subjected to futility—not willingly but because of the One who subjected it—in hope that the Creation itself also will be set free from bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
“For we know that the whole Creation groans together and suffers birth pains until now—and not only Creation, but even ourselves. We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Ruach, groan inwardly as we eagerly wait for Adoption—the Redemption (Resurrection) of our body.” (Romans 8:16-23 TLV, Amplification and emphasis added.)
“Yet we do speak Wisdom among those who are mature; a Wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s Wisdom in a mystery, the hidden Wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; but just as it is written:
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the human heart, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:6-9 NASB)
Beloved, God assures us that our destiny will be something so stupendous, that, at this point of our journey, we are not even close to being able to imagine how great it will be! So, how’s that for a target and a final end to our story? God has destined us for the inconceivably wonderful and total satisfaction and fulfillment… as soon as the upcoming period of intensely serious conflict we’ll be going through is over. And we know in advance, that by the Grace of God, everything necessary for this to be ours has already been done by Christ, our Covenant Representative and Champion! So we know for sure that we will surely emerge from the smoke of battle AS THE TRIUMPHANT WARRIOR SONS OF GOD! So even now, we can cherish with certainty in our hearts that what Father had in mind in the very beginning, and that to which He is, even now, leading us into, has always been ours by God’s Grace, even from the moment when He first created us!
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.” God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land, and conquer it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the flying creatures of the sky, and over every animal that crawls on the land.” (Genesis 1:26-28 TLV)
Consider the exalted destiny God had in mind for us right from the Beginning. And we know that He knew in advance that we would fall into a state of Sin and corruption, decay and mortality! Yet, even from eternity, He has already made full provision for those of us who would continue to believe and trust and rest in Him. And so we can know we’ll be fully restored to that destiny and will end up to be united to Him, regardless of whatever else might happen or not happen along the way! God saw that those faithful ones would end up to be His co-administrators… worthy and able to apply His Authority over the rest of His entire physical creation! God was able to bless us in the beginning, because He already knew what His Grace would do to supply, protect and empower us to be fully restored to that complete fulfillment by the end of our journey!
In other words, even before our God created us, He was focused on our ultimate destination. He knew that those of us who continued to trust and rely on Him would end up to be ‘winners’ and triumphant overcomers… and household members of His Personal Eternal Family. And that is the true God-given identity, purpose, commission, and destiny that we must, even now, sow into the field of our nervous systems and mental faculties. That’s our Destination! So we must reconfigure it into our inner workings accordingly, so we can remain properly calibrated to stay on course, following the correct navigational settings given to us by God’s Word… every step of the way!
So, now that we know how we’re supposed to turn out in the end, let’s go back to the ‘still-under- construction’ stage of the journey we actually occupy at this time. And let’s begin to download this data into ourselves and program our ‘onboard computers with the appropriate commands that are compatible with the ultimate, never ending joy, peace, and total confidence and trust in God that will be ours. And realize that whatever we repeatedly sow into our brains and minds concerning our awesome Destination, will be magnified and multiplied many times over depending on how often we repeat it to ourselves. If we do it continually, that investment will bear tremendously abundant future interest! So… let us cooperate with God in all of this… by believing, agreeing, submitting, accepting, and remembering that we are one with God’s Living and written Word. And that Union will produce the final masterpiece that God has always intended to make of our lives!
Let’s get started now… to begin to align ourselves and ‘gear up’ for the coming day by day journey that will be moving us closer and closer to our goal. Let’s proceed with absolute persistent confidence, joy and gratitude. Now we know how we can and must see and think of ourselves and all the others whom God has assigned to our ‘combat units’. And we can assess our situations and face any difficulty we encounter, in the light of that eventual glorious outcome. Let’s begin to assume our proper winning role even now… even while we’re still on the way to our Target. No matter what happens to us along the way, we can remain confident that our Heavenly Father is taking pains to transform us into His invincible sons… and sons of God are total Eternal overcomers and winners!
“These all died in faith without receiving the things promised—but they saw them and welcomed them from afar, and they confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If indeed they had been thinking about where they had come from, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they yearn for a better Land—that is, a Heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a City for them.” (Hebrews 11:13-16 TLV, Emphasis added.)
Yes, we know that we’ll face demonic opposition in the days to come. But we also know that whatever God’s Plan and Word require of us, will surely be accomplished by God’s Spirit, as He works and abides within us, to make sure everything is done according to our Heavenly Father’s standards and specifications. So Perfection is the Destination Point we will finally dock with, when all of this is finished. That’s why, even now, we must begin to train ourselves to embed these truths into ourselves repeatedly and faithfully. Repetition will condition and preprogram and put the appropriate ‘muscle memory’ into us… to make sure we persevere, overcome, and finally take our places on the Ultimate Victory platform!
The Captain of God’s Army Has Already Vanquished All of Our Foes
Beloved friends, we already know now, that our Commander has already won the War in our name! So there’s no reason for us to cave in under the pressures of temporary setbacks and trials along the way. There’s no need for us to fear any temporary setbacks or disappointments we’ll encounter or react to them like frightened victims and losers! To indulge in thinking, acting, reacting and playing the role of slaves to any of our surrounding circumstances is most certainly not the role God has assigned to us! We’re deployed in this war as His triumphant overcoming and successful Family of Champions! So don’t allow anyone or anything to take that away from you as we work our way throughout the battles that will lead to our ultimate commonly-shared Victory!
Thanks to the fact that our God will be with us, and in us, nothing demonic or human that we encounter will ever be able to deter or overcome His Perfect Presence within us! This is what our Lord Yeshua knew, when it was time for Him to come to Earth and finish His stay among us by enduring the travail and torture and agonizing crucifixion that He so joyfully and wholeheartedly embraced. He knew that whatever it would cost Him to purchase for us the Destiny that is ours would be well worth the cost of His Agony. And faithful disciples like Stephen also knew that what their testimony would cost them was also well worth the price in light of the eternal reward it would bring them. So let’s keep ourselves firmly rooted in that assurance also… in advance!
Throughout the Scriptures, God tells us that He has already supplied us with everything we’re ever going to need throughout every step of the way. He’ll keep us fully supplied and equipped to fulfill the identity, purpose and destiny He has intended for us to personify, embody, and enjoy! He will be giving us all the necessary information, guidance and provision to make sure we will turn out in the end, just as the book of Genesis has already revealed:
“So the heavens and the earth were completed along with their entire array. God completed—on the seventh day—His work that He made, and He ceased (rested)—on the seventh day—from all His work that He made. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He ceased (rested) from all His work that God created for the purpose of preparing.” (Genesis 2:1-3 TLV, Amplification added.)
“… Or we who have trusted are entering into that rest. It is just as God has said, “So in My wrath I swore, ‘They shall never enter My rest,’” even though His works were finished since the foundation of the world. For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works…,” (Hebrews 4:3-4 TLV, Emphasis added.)
Never forget that God has already done and provided everything for us! From the very beginning, He has already supplied everything we’ll ever need to fulfill our destinies! So know for sure that if you keep your attention and focus fixed on Him, what God said of us in the very beginning will be how everything will turn out for you, and the rest of us, at the very end. We have God’s Word on it! We know that at any given point along the way, between the beginning and the end, regardless of how bad things may appear to be, we are here to win, succeed, prosper and enjoy the Blessing of the Lord of all of Creation!
“Adonai is my Shepherd, I SHALL NOT WANT! He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me: Your rod and Your staff comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of Adonai forever!” (Psalm 23 TLV, Emphasis added.)
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘In this way you shall bless the sons of Israel. You are to say to them:
“The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord cause His face to shine on you, and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift up His face to you, and give you Peace!”
“So they (the high priests of Israel) shall invoke My Name on the sons of Israel, AND THEN I WILL BLESS THEM!” (Numbers 6:22-27 NASB, Emphasis added.)
So, thanks to our God’s awesome Revelation, we who are called to follow Messiah Yeshua, as His disciples, can know in advance who and what we are, and always will be! If we believe and become one with God’s Word, we’ll know we’re equipped and geared to fulfill our assignments and destinies regardless of how things will seem or look or feel along the way. So, beloved, let this ‘inside information’ serve as your ‘magnetic north’ reference point! Keep it in mind every step of the way, regardless of how the passing scenery around us may prompt your natural understanding to assess and feel, while you’re still en route! It’s time for us to become absolutely one with God, and His Eternal State of Wellbeing, through immersing ourselves in the Living Person of God’s indwelling Word, and what has been written to reveal Him to us in the Scriptures!
“Not that I have already obtained this or been perfected, but I press on if only I might take hold of that for which Messiah Yeshua took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself as having taken hold of this. But this one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal for the reward of the upward calling of God in Messiah Yeshua. Therefore let all who are mature have this attitude; and if you have a different attitude in anything, this also God will reveal to you. Nevertheless, let us live up to the same standard we have attained.” (Philippians 3:12-16 TLV)