Fingerprints of Rejection


The book of Mark presents a beautiful physical example of a powerful spiritual truth. In the fourth chapter, we observe the great Fisher of Men standing in a boat, casting His net into a sea of humanity sitting on the beach. This net is woven from parables which He continues to cast over and over again into the sea of souls. Spirit and truth bait the hearts of these men and women as they wait expectantly before Him, longing to be caught; they have never heard anyone speak with such authority.
As the Fisherman prepares to leave for the opposite shore, He casts one last parable, the parable of the mustard seed. These truths take hold of many lives and fuel the multitude with the desire to follow Him. Faith, hope, and love, like hooks set dig deep within their hearts, cause them to long for more of this Fisherman named Jesus. Some of the boats prepare to trail behind as though some invisible force compels them to follow.
In the night, as they set sail on the Sea of Galilee, a fierce gale arises, and all of the men on board fear for their lives. Only Jesus is at peace, sound asleep in the stern of the boat.
They call to Him, " Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
Jesus awakes. Without a word to the fearful sailors, He rebukes the wind and calls out to the sea, "Hush, be still." The wind stops blowing and the sea becomes perfectly calm. "Why are you so timid?" He asks the disciples. "How is it that you have no faith?"(Matt. 8:23-26, author's paraphrase).
They were afraid. Who was this Man who commanded the wind and the sea so that they obeyed Him? Even so, they did not want to leave His side. They knew that this One was different from any teacher they had ever heard, and they hoped upon hope that He might be the Messiah.
As they arrived safely on the other side, immediately they were met by a man who lived among the tombs. No one was able to bind this madman, though he had been shackled many times. However, no chain was able to restrain him, at least no chain that could be seen with mortal eyes.
This tortured soul was imprisoned by the cruel chains of hell, forged link by link from the result of fulfilling his own ungodly desires. The things that he had wanted now possessed him, and he longed for nothing more than to be freed from his evil tormentors.
He cried out every night and every day for help, but there was no help to be found. Only more pain and regret. These familiar spirits were the only company he had. They offered what appeared to be a form of comfort, but in reality, it was only a lesser degree of torture.
On this particular day his taskmasters seemed distracted. From a distance, they had seen something, or Someone, that unsettled them. Some, though only for a season, left the poor tormented soul to prevent the arrival of this Man they so desperately feared. They saw Him coming. They even knew His name, though they dared not mention it.
Stirring up the seas and the wind, they had tried to drown this powerful Prophet, or at the very least to slow Him down. Their plan failed, however, and at His rebuke they were driven off.
The man in whom the demons lived was no longer identified by his own name, for he could hardly remember it himself. Instead, he was known only by the name the demons had given him, Legion, for there were many that possessed him.
He was acutely aware of their return, for with them came greater fear. They seemed to take out their frustration all the more on him.
Suddenly, a voice that sounded like thunder to his spirit, though it was just a whisper, ran through his being. "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" The words the man, touched him deeply, for he had so long been bound by demons that he had forgotten he was a man and once had claimed his own identity apart from his tormentors. This Jesus was the first to see that at one time, there was a different man living inside his flesh from the one now possessed by these demons.
Born of the demonic control over his body, an intriguing question spewed from Legion's lips. "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me" (Mark 5:7 NKJV).
The demons knew that they had nothing in Jesus, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. They also knew that they had no power over Him.
But the man in whom the demons lived, heard something in this question that struck him to the core. He knew in his own heart, he himself did have something to do with this Jesus. Or maybe it was that Jesus had something to do with him.
Jesus demanded to know his name.
The strongest demon spoke up. "My name is Legion; for we are many," (v. 9).
In the presence of the Messiah, however, this demon did not appear strong. In fact, whining, he begged not to be sent out of the region, but requested entry into a herd of swine on the hill.
Jesus allowed the demons to enter the swine, who ran down a steep slope, plunged over a cliff into the sea, and were drowned. In that moment, the man once called Legion was set free from his bondage forever.
"What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"
Good question. One we should all ask. And now, the man understood why that question was important to him.This was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, his Deliverer and his Lord. Sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, wrapped in the love of his Lord, he understood.
The men who tended the herd of swine ran into the city and reported all that they had seen and heard. This stunning news drew people from all across that country, and many came out to see for themselves what the Lord had done.
Then a very strange thing took place. Something that is difficult for me to understand.

They came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon - possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid..
And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.
Then they began to plead with Him (Jesus) to depart from their region (vv. 15-17).

They asked Jesus . . . to leave. They didn't ask for healing or forgiveness or salvation. They didn't ask for grace or mercy or help in understanding the difficulties of this life. They just asked Him to leave. They saw the mighty hand of God working in their midst, yet they asked Him to leave. Why would anyone ask God Himself, and in this case, God in the flesh, to leave?
Verse fifteen points us to the key. "They were afraid." Fear of something they did not understand nor had the ability to control, something they had never experienced or seen before, caused them to ask God to leave.
Read on. Verse eighteen is a startling statement of God's respecting our right to choice. "And they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat."
The very next thing we see Jesus do, after being asked to leave, is getting into the boat. He didn't argue with the people. He didn't lecture them as to what they would miss by sending Him away. He simply got into the boat and left.
It concerns me that many of us may very well be at the same crossroads. We can see God working in our midst. But if He is working in a way that we do not understand, we may react in fear and ask Him to leave. An even more sobering proposition is the biblical fact that He might take us at our word and do just that ...leave. With no argument at all.
I guess this would be all right if we are satisfied to remain in the powerless state in which most of us live. Most Christians today live no differently from the rest of the world around us. If we choose to remain in this condition--unable to heal the sick, cast out demons, or raise the dead--we can remain there.
But we have been commanded to do so much more.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father"(John 14:12, 13)..

If we choose not to obey Jesus' call to the "greater things," we will remain in bondage as well. Unlike Legion, whose chains were visible, our chains are those of respectability, pride, and fear. Our chains may not look ungodly, for many around us are wearing them as well. In some circles they may even appear to be righteousness.
If, however, our pride or fear of losing our respectability keeps us from fulfilling the "Great Commission," which includes healing the sick, casting out demons, and by the way, raising the dead, we too are in bondage, however invisible the chains may appear to be. It is time to break those chains.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matt 28:19, 20).

God's ways are not our ways. Sometimes when He works, we see things that we do not understand. Maybe we have never seen them before. I believe the choice may well be ours as to whether or not we see the "greater things [we] shall do" in the days to come.
As for me, I do not want fear or lack of understanding to cause me to ask God to leave my region, my church, or my life. I am not talking about losing my salvation, rather, losing the fullness of my authority as a disciple of Jesus.
The man once called Legion felt the same way. When he felt the power of God in his own life, he wanted nothing more than to remain with Him. But Jesus in His great love knew that this transformed man could now call upon God's power to set others free. So He said to him:

"Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed (Mark 5:19, 20).

It is for this reason that I know God is calling His church higher. He is calling us to set others free as we ourselves have been set free. It's time to go to our own people and proclaim to them that there is a God in heaven and that He still releases those in bondage.
To deny the Spirit of the living God and His ways when people are in desperate need of His miraculous touch, makes us as guilty as those who asked Jesus to leave their region because He frightened them.



*******

Fingerprints, for the most part, cannot be seen with the naked eye. Even though they are all around us, sometimes right in front of us, they are most often so obscure that we overlook them. Only those who are willing to take the time to look will ever find these fingerprints. However, with the right eyes, we can not only see the prints, we can know to whom they belong. They reveal analytical evidence that uniquely identifies the owner.
In many ways, the fingerprints of God are not unlike those of mankind. We are, after all, created in His image. The presence of His touch is found all around us, even right in front of us.
As you might expect, His fingerprints exist on a much grander scale than our own and usually command our attention. For example, a lightning bolt flashes in the east then runs across the night sky, fragmenting into tributaries from the main bolt, like tiny lines found on the tip of God's finger. With every new day He reaches into our lives; He speaks to our senses. Through creation, His fingers have touched the surface of this world and left behind explicit impressions, fingerprints. God decided to display His workmanship and artistry with such vaunted glory that His existence would be evident to all and yet, mysteriously, He has hidden Himself in the obvious. Therefore, as with the fingerprints of man, we must develop the right eyes to recognize His divine touch.
This book is a collection of stories, a tapestry of God's hand weaving in my life, designed to build faith in yours. My prayer is that you are touched by the fingertips of God as you read, and that you learn to recognize His fingerprints all around you.


No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
--1 Corinthians 2:7 TLB

The Renaissance is Coming
Scott MacLeod

Much to my surprise, the hotel that had been the setting of the Snakes in the Lobby vision changed its name. Its name became "The Renaissance." A member of our team looked up the meaning of the word Renaissance, and was amazed to find it defined as "the rebirth, renewal or revival of the arts and literature." The Lord is even writing it on the skyline of Nashville, this city known as Music City U.S.A.: The Renaissance Is Coming!

Change is coming; great change and reform are coming to the church and to the world. Part of that change is the rebirth that is coming to the arts. Creativity will be a powerful vehicle for reaching our culture and the world with the message of Jesus Christ.

Looking back historically to the time known as the Renaissance in the 14th and 15th centuries, this was an era emerging from a thousand-year period of stagnancy called "the Dark Ages."

The Renaissance was a time of great renewal, revival of creativity, enlightened thinking and literature--all motivated by a "pursuit of eloquence." The Greek and Roman classics became a model for eloquence in all areas of life. From these ancient cultures the Renaissance scholars found new inspiration and instruction, and many positive changes occurred which we still benefit from today. This "happy century" greatly transformed government, education and Christian theology, and conceived some of the highest forms of art and music that man has ever known.

While the focus of the Renaissance was on restoring culture, humanity itself became the center of attention. If we took all that the first Renaissance produced and boiled it down into one word, it would be "humanism," which is ultimately self-centeredness. Humanism today has flooded much of our modern culture and has gone on to deny the relevance or even the existence of God.

The Lord began to speak to me saying, "I Am the Creator, the Originator of all things, and I am going to use My creativity to proclaim My holy message to the whole earth." He said that the Renaissance which is coming this time will not be inspired out of a "pursuit of eloquence" but out of a "pursuit of obedience" to Him. It will not produce self-centeredness, but God-centeredness. The new Renaissance will not bring glory to man, but to God. "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD" (Hab. 2:14).

The Wave

As I was praying about this soon-coming Renaissance, I began to see a tremendous vision in the spirit that charged me with great excitement and fear. I saw a massive tidal wave on the rise. As it moved to shore, it built quickly in size and momentum. I knew instantly that this tidal wave spoke of a mighty movement of God. It looked both dangerous and exciting. It was much larger than anything I had ever seen or imagined, and I knew there has never been anything like it before. I was sure that when this wave hit the shore nothing would remain the same--everything would be changed.

I asked the Lord what this was and what it meant, and He said, "This is the moving of my Spirit that is coming upon the whole earth."

"Men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along" (Isa. 59:19). The breath of the Lord speaks of His Spirit, which move like a mighty flood.

"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams; your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD" (Joel 2:28,29,31).

Obedience Required

I then saw people in the water with surfboards. Some were wading in shallow waters and others were standing on the beach, but I knew only those who were in the deep waters would be able to catch this wave. The waters spoke of the Holy Spirit. Then I saw that the surfboards of those who were waiting in the deep waters had the word "obedience" written on them in bright red. Many people did not have boards. I knew that they would certainly be overcome by what was approaching. Some were waiting in the waters with all different kinds of surfboards, but they did not have "obedience" written on them. I knew that their hopes of riding this wave would also be futile. It would take great faith to ride this wave, because at first glance many would want to run in fear for cover. One would have to be willing to risk it all (have true faith) to ride this wave. In reality, those who shrink back in fear are in much greater danger, for the safest place would be in riding the powerful crest of the wave.

True Worship, Humility and Brokenness

Just as no surfer would dream of going into the rugged waters of the surf with his hands full, neither can anyone hope to ride this wave with idols in hand. Only true worshipers of God will be able to keep their balance and stay on top of what is coming. We must have no idols before Him! The Lord God must have first place and first love in our lives. A Webster definition of worship is "extreme devotion and intense love." To worship the Lord means to love Him! Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Our obedience is the evidence of true love and devotion (our worship) to God.

I knew when this wave started to break it would be all about positioning. If we were in the right position we would catch the ride of our lives, and if we were not, the wave would be devastating. I asked the Lord where we must be when the wave hits. He said that we must be in a position of "humility and brokenness." I knew then that to be in the water (the Spirit), even with our board of obedience, would still not be enough to catch the ride. It would only produce self-righteousness (the worst form of pride) if we were not found in the position of true humility and brokenness, for God only exalts the humble. In order to catch and not be crushed by the power of what is coming, we must be broken of our will and ways, be humble in heart, and committed to radical obedience to the Lord.

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14). This wave will flood the earth with the Lord's glory and the knowledge of Himself. It will be a wake-up call first to the church, which is the Lord's mercy. This will not be the final judgment; even though many self-built houses will collapse, this is the Lord's mercy giving people time to repent and rebuild--His way. Jesus said, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matt. 7:24). This wave of the Spirit will test the quality of each man's work. Some houses will collapse; some will stand. Whatever is left standing after the impact, God will use to flood the earth with His glory.

God is going to use divine creativity to spread His holy message, the gospel. This will be poured out through His purified vessels, His people. There is a tremendous anointing that is coming, not only on music, but also on all forms of art. From Genesis to Revelation we see God moving in creative ways. Creativity is what He ordained and what He enjoys--just as when Solomon was building the temple for the Lord, and it was adorned with the most beautiful visual arts. "Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled craftsmen" (2 Chr. 2:7).

Divine Creativity Is Coming!

After enduring a stagnant "dark age" of creativity where the best creative work we have done has mostly been cheap imitation of the world, divine creativity is coming back into the Lord's temple, His people. Music and art are primary ways of communicating with our culture. This is the "sound and sight" generation, and art is a language of symbols, sounds and images which can transcend the limitations of the intellect and reach to the heart. Modern thinking can be rigid with opinions and can cause division and factions and suppress the truth. A verbal or even written message can be rejected or dismissed quickly because of our reasoning or prejudice. But art is not so quickly dismissed. One song or painting can mean a myriad of different things to different people.

Music and art speak as a "language of the spirit" that can penetrate where other forms of communication cannot. A creative expression takes time to be absorbed into any intellectual conclusion, and before the head has time to figure it out the heart can already be moved. I personally have seen the Spirit use music to melt the hardest of hearts--in prisons, clubs, the inner city, and in churches. It allows us to "feel" God's love and presence. We can taste and see that God is good. Many times, before the listeners fully understand or even know what to believe, they have experienced a touch from the Lord. The anointed arts are truly one of the most powerful evangelism tools the Lord has given us. Creativity that is born of the Spirit will give birth to spirit. Jesus said in John 3:6, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."

The music, dance and creativity of God's people will carry the message of the gospel and the very presence of God to the ends of the earth, for the Lord "inhabits the praises of his people." The Lord loves music. He has chosen it as our way to approach Him. He didn't say to come into His presence with teaching or preaching but to "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs...Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name" (Ps. 100). We are told many times in His Word to "praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp" (Ps. 149:3). In Psalm 32:7 we see that the Lord Himself even sings over His people: "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

We are told that the Lord goes into battle and inflicts punishment on the nations to the sound of music. "The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm" (Isa. 30:31,32).

In Isaiah 42:10,13 we see the Lord Himself will rise to make war and triumph over His enemies at the sound of praise song that reaches to the ends of earth! "Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth...The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies."

The Counterattack

Satan has constantly used music, media and arts to bombard our world with an onslaught of his hideously polluted messages. We have seen the moral fabric of our nation be eroded away mostly by messages and ideas that have been first introduced and ushered in by the creative arts. It is now time for a mighty counterattack!

The creative worshipers are the first army that will be sent out for this last battle. Even now a massive army throughout the world is being purified and prepared and is about to be released into the highways and byways of our cultures. They will be sent forth not in the ways of the world, but in the humility and brokenness of Christ. The Lord will soon ignite and inhabit all forms of creativity. His people will begin to prophesy through song and dance, to evangelize through film and video, to teach and proclaim the truth through drama and painting, sculptures, multimedia, literature, etc. It will come as a tidal wave like we have never seen before. But this time it will not be celebration of the arts, eloquence, or of mankind, but of Jesus--our exalted Lord and eternal King. For those who are committed to the "pursuit of obedience," and who above all things will make it their "goal to please Him" (2 Cor. 5:9), they are truly in for the ride of their lives!

The rebirth, renewal and revival of the arts is on its way--inspired this time not by ancient culture, but by the God of all the ages and the God of all creativity.

The Renaissance is coming! Let's catch this wave for His glory!

Dear Friends,

This past Tuesday there was a shooting on the campus of Auburn University.
Lauren Burk an 18 year old freshman was killed. Many have been gripped with fear.
It appears the innocence of Auburn has been robbed.
God's Word says "When the enemy comes in like a flood He will raise a standard against it."

A number of student leaders as well as parents have called and asked if we would come back to Auburn and do a concert of worship and warfare for the students.
We desire to refocus hearts from fear to faith, from retreating to revival on Auburn's campus.
We know this is the heart of God.

Timing is urgent. They are asking us to come this Sunday and we are working out the details.
We are committed to go.
We are singing at The Auburn Hotel Confrence Center's Theater Sunday at 8 Pm.

Please keep us in prayers as we seek God's presence and compassion for Auburn.
Kathy and I are Auburn Alumni and we love these students.
Please come and worship our Lord with us Sunday evening at the Auburn Hotel Conference Center at 8 PM.


Bless you,


Glenn Garrett

On Friday November 30th I had the honor of singing for the students at Thunder School in Nashville, TN.
Thunder School is a school for training young people in the Arts for Ministry and is a result of The Call on 7/7/07.
Scott MacLeod, Warren & Roberta Broomer are the founder & directors of Thunder School. These leaders and all the students are passionate young warriors with the same Spirit from The Call and the desire to give their full hearts to the Lord.

After singing for almost two hours, the Holy Spirit fell on us all. The 2 hour concert turned into 6 hours of praying over these kids and them praying for me. Church as usual is no longer acceptable, we MUST be in His Presence, His Love and His Power daily. I have been forever changed. Bless you all for allowing me to be with you. You set the standard now ! Jesus is Lord over all the earth.

In His Powerful Blood and Grace,

Glenn Garrett