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June 29, 2005
"Redeeming
and Reversing the Power of Loss: Istanbul and Rome Trip Reports"
by Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
www.glory-of-zion.org
 The
Second Rome: Istanbul
The second leg of our journey led us to Istanbul, the Second Rome. Istanbul is a
beautiful city. This city represents an incredible blending of cultures. Once known
as Constantinople, Istanbul was declared the "New Rome" when Constantine established
that city as the headquarters of the Roman Empire in the 4th century.
In its early history, the streets of the capital were sometimes decked with flowers
and drenched with blood in the same day. Such conflicts were usually a result of
conflicts between religious and governmental structures. Constantine, who became
the sole master of the Roman Empire, determined to make this city the future capital
of the world by producing a unity of religion and blending worship with culture.
Coming into the city, you see mosques surrounded by minarets across the skyline.
Eight major mosques, including the Blue Mosque, one of the largest, are in the city.
The meaning of mosque is "the place to gather." The original intent for an individual
practicing Islam was to gather five times a day for prayer. Altogether, there are
2,400 mosques around the city, some of which are the largest in the world. In Istanbul,
our guide informed us that the population of the city accepts the religion of Islam,
although the vast majority do not practice this (or perhaps any) form of organized
worship. Most do not gather as ritualistically prescribed.
It was from Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) that the official "paganization"
of the church was carried out, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands
of believers who wanted to remain true to apostolic Christianity. One of the main
places for us to visit was the Church of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom). This structure
was a good picture of what happened in the Church during this time.
This enormous structure was originally built by Constantine as the showplace of
his new church, and later reconstructed by Justinian. For its construction they
made use of huge marble columns from the Temple of Diana in Ephesus, and other items
from a pagan temple in Pergamum (which John called "The seat of Satan.") This was
a physical picture of the way elements of paganism were incorporated into the church,
resulting in a new religion that had worldly power, but lacked the presence and
power of God.
The Hagia Sofia was built by Justinian in 537. The construction took just under
six years to complete, and involved 10,000 workers in the construction. The immense
domed structure is 175 feet high with a dome of 102 feet in diameter. In fact, this
was the largest church in the world for about 1,000 years. Justinian hoped this
immense church would turn a new, clean page for the Church in that region. However,
we discovered that the church ended up as a mixture of various religions. In 1453,
the Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque with the arrival of the Turks. When you
look at Hagia Sofia and then look across at several of the mosques, you can see
that the structures of most mosques were patterned after this world renown, original
"Christian, per se, structure."
A New Wine Skin Forming in Turkey!
The church in Istanbul has largely had its lampstand removed by the invasion of
Islam. Turkey is the most unevangelized nation in the world. Of its vast population,
99.6% has been determined as Muslim. The Church numbers around 3,500 (a high estimate).
But God! The thought of returning to Turkey was exciting. I had not
been here since the 1999 Celebration Ephesus meeting which Global Harvest
Ministries sponsored. Prior to that meeting we sent teams all over Turkey to
pray. Many of you remember the tragic earthquake that shook that nation. During
our visit in 1999 to worship for four hours in Ephesus, Peter Wagner made a statement
that he believed that 10 million Turks would eventually be saved. I asked the Lord,
"How in the world will that ever happen?" But God!
After we arrived in Istanbul, we shared a meal with Ian and Mary Jean Heringa, along
with their children Joy and Joshua. Ian has been coordinating a prayer ministry
there for many years, but it was not until after the terrible earthquake in 1999
that things began to open up in a new way. When he first began distributing New
Testaments prior to 1999, he was only able to distribute several dozen a year. However,
this year, in just one evangelical outreach, they were able to distribute 54,000
New Testaments!
With an increased openness to the Gospel in the Turkish people, they created a prayer
hotline (now in three cities) and have also included public prayer in their outreaches.
One indication of the huge shift that has now taken place in Turkey is that on Sunday,
June 12, the newspaper headlines in Istanbul read, "Missionary Work is Not a
Crime -- It's Actually a Right." Not only is there now a clear legal right to
propagate one's faith, but those who try to stop this can actually be punished for
up to three years in prison. This is a huge shift for a nation in which 99.6%
of the population is Muslim!
We presented a lock and key to Ian. The words "task force" were on the lock,
and we declared an unlocking of a new move of the Holy Spirit in Turkey. We decreed
that God would bring Ian connections and workers that would help him accomplish
this great task to bring in the harvest. Perhaps Dr. Wagner's statement is not that
far out now.
How Did this Call to False Unity Affect the Power
of God in the Church?
Constantine can rightfully claim the title of Great, for he turned the history of
the world into a new course. He made Christianity, which had suffered bloody persecution
until then, the religion of the empire. He attempted to blend the monotheistic worship
system of Judaism and Christianity with the worship of the sun, the veneration of
Mithras, and other pagan forms of religion. He longed to produce a unity of religion.
For instance, he combined the Father-God of the Christians with the much worshipped
Mithras. Consequently, this combination of worship removed the persecution of the
Christians -- but only for those who were not extreme in their worship. Actually,
Constantine not only protected the Christians, but he also protected the heathens'
rights. He suppressed any divination or magic that was being using privately in
homes and declared that any practice of heathen worship would be done on public
altars and in sacred places. Therefore, in general, he prohibited family sacrifice
and made everything public. This formed a mixed worship that created a "unity of
religion."
Acts 15:5, for example, speaks of church members who were still actively involved
in the party of the Pharisees. In Acts 21:20, James boasts that in Jerusalem there
were many "tens of thousands" of Jews who believed in Jesus yet remained zealous
for Torah. Repeatedly we see Paul and other members of the church still taking Nazirite
vows, still practicing Jewish rituals, still observing Sabbaths and feasts, and still
bringing offerings to the Jerusalem Temple. (Acts 21:23-26; 24:14-17, etc.)
In Acts 23, when Paul was before the Sanhedrin, the leaders of the Pharisees' party
stood up in Paul's defense, saying, "We find nothing
wrong with this man!" (Acts 23:9) Paul never speaks of his Judaism
in the past tense. He proudly proclaims, "I am a Jew!"
(Acts 22:3) and "I am a Pharisee!" (Acts
23:6). In the very last chapter of Acts, Paul meets with Jewish leaders
in Rome and assures them that he still identifies himself with Judaism, and has
done nothing to violate Jewish customs.
Robert Heidler states:
"This was an unexpected discovery, and quite
at odds with much I had been taught. As I continued my research, I found that throughout
the book of Acts, members of the church continued as active members of the Jewish
community. I arrived at the end of Acts without ever finding the expected break
with Judaism. As I continued my research, I was startled to discover that, as late
as the second century, it was common for Christians to attend synagogue on Sabbath
and church on Sunday!
"While some Gentile writers in the second and third centuries were clearly anti-Semitic,
there is much evidence that most of the church remained pretty Jewish. It was not
until the fourth century, under the influence of Constantine, that the church finally
broke from its Jewish roots. Even then, however, it took several centuries of persecution
to completely remove the Jewish influences. This left me with an unexpected question,
'Was it really God's will for the church to break with its Jewish roots?'
If the apostles established and maintained the church in Jewishness, have we lost
something God intended us to have?
"When we speak of our Jewish Roots, there are two extremes to be avoided. At one
extreme are Gentiles who become so enamored with Judaism they reject God's New Covenant
and take up the yoke of the Mosaic Law. That is not biblical. God does not demand
that Gentile believers live as Jews. That issue was settled in Acts 15. The Lord
does want us to celebrate in worship with an abandoned freedom! At the other extreme
is much of the church today, where our Jewish heritage is largely ignored or deliberately
avoided.
"It's interesting to study the worship of the early church. Most services would
begin with the people getting in a ring (or several concentric rings) and dancing
Jewish-style ring dances. The two earliest descriptions of Christian worship, Justin
Martyr (A.D. 150) and Hippolytus (A.D. 200) both describe Christians praising God
in joyful circle dances.
"Clement of Alexandria (writing about A.D. 250) describes Christian worship this
way, 'The daughters of God lead in a ring dance. The righteous are the dancers;
the music is a hymn of the King of the universe. The maidens strike the lyre, the
angels praise, the prophets speak; the sound of music issues forth; they run and
pursue the jubilant band; those that are called make haste, eagerly desiring to
receive the Father.'
"Another place, Clement describes Christian worship in his day as accompanied by
pipes, flutes, psalteries, dances, clapping of hands, cymbals and drums. St. Basil
(4th century) viewed joyful dance in the church as an imitation of angelic worship
in heaven. 'Could there be anything more blessed than to imitate on earth the
ring dance of the angels!'
"Ambrose of Milan, the man who led Augustine to the Lord, writing in A.D. 390, exhorted
his people to worship with these words: 'Let us dance as David did. Let us not
be ashamed to show adoration of God. Dance uplifts the body above the earth into
the heavenlies. Dance bound up with faith is a testimony to the living grace of
God. He who dances as David danced, dances in grace.'
"This picture of the church rejoicing before the Lord in dance comes as a surprise
to many people. Many people have thought of the early church's worship as somber,
quiet, and almost mournful. That concept of church worship, however, did not become
prevalent in the church until after the fourth century when the church was overrun
by the asceticism of pagan philosophy. In Augustine's day (A.D. 400), opposition
to dancing was rising, but he urged his people to 'keep the sacred dances.'
"Imagine a large courtyard. There is a great deal of singing, dancing, and rejoicing
in the Lord. As the songs slow down a little, many people get down on their knees
before the Lord. Most are lifting up hands to Him. A tremendous sense of the Lord's
presence fills the courtyard. During the Church's praise and worship, there are
spontaneous shouts of praise. Some shout, 'Amen!' to voice their agreement with
what others have said.
"As we enter into the worship, we are overwhelmed by the love and acceptance of
the people. After much singing and dancing, food is brought out. People find their
seats and prepare for the meal. We are surprised to see people eating a meal in
the middle of a church service, but this is described by Paul in I Corinthians,
as well as by Jude, and Peter. This shared weekly meal is called the 'love feast'
or Agape."
(Excerpted from The Messianic Church,
an unfinished manuscript by Robert Heidler)
What Was Lost?
Compromise produces loss. Persecution may have lessened for the Early Church, but
there was a great loss to God's original intent of influence and power that He desired
for us to display in the earth. What was lost?
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A loss of the ability of Christians to gather
in vibrant worship.
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A loss of the Hebraic attitude toward God.
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A loss of the
Hebraic attitude toward Scripture.
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A loss in the emphasis on the home.
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A loss in the Hebraic attitude toward life.
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A loss of a joyful Christianity -- and instead
poverty and suffering were seen as virtues.
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A loss in the biblical cycle of life.
The God-given celebrations were designed to teach
God's children the principles of life with Him. God instituted the feasts so His
covenant people would always be reminded of who He was and what He had done in the
past. These feasts were also given to remember God's great acts of salvation, deliverance,
and healing grace. He knew that if we would remember His power displays of the past,
we would have faith to see Him move today and in the future.
By participating in the prescribed feasts (Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles),
Israel's worship would remain fresh, vibrant, and properly aligned with their Maker.
Outwardly, the church as an institute continued to grow. Conversions had once been
obtained through manifestations of the power of God. Beginning with Constantine,
conversions were now obtained through economic incentives and governmental and military
power and alignment. This brought whole nations into "Christendom." The church gained
wealth and prestige, but lost its true identity.
Rome - The Original Shift Away From God's Best!
We love Rome! This is where the Lord told us to focus our prayers already in 1999.
As we shifted our international mission of Global Harvest from the 10/40 Window
to the 40/70 Window, the Holy Spirit instructed us to spend five years praying for
this region of the world. He then instructed us to hold a worldwide gathering (like
we did in Turkey in October of 1999) in Rome in 2005.
The Lord shared, "The foundation that has held the apostolic Church powerless
will begin to shift in Rome in 2005." We will have several thousand Christians
gather there September 1-3 to worship and decree a world-wide change and reversal
in the Church. This team is a forerunner.
Rome was where the Church's "Great Compromise" was made under Constantine.
One of the most interesting places we visited was the Cathedral of San Clemente.
In the basement of this church they have discovered a temple of Mithras! Mithras
was the god worshipped by Constantine, and it was from Mithraism that many of the
pagan concepts were brought into the church. In the Basilica of San Clemente,
the temple of Mithras had literally become the foundation of the church.
This is a picture of what happened to the church in Rome in the fourth century.
Constantine divorced the church from its biblical foundation, and married it to
a pagan one. The church accepted this compromise in order to avoid persecution.
As long as the Church had been willing to endure persecution, it moved with great
spiritual power, and could overcome the Roman system. When the church compromised
to avoid persecution, it came up under the Roman system and nothing changed. From
that point on the church was overcome by the Roman system.
Breaking the Fear of Persecution
We knew that to produce a reversal we needed to identify with places where persecution
and imprisonment had occurred. We began our day by visiting the Mamertine Prison.
This is a rock-hewn, cave-like underground prison where both Peter and Paul were likely
held for their faith. We prayed for an anointing to be released to the Body
to persevere under persecution and to finish the course in victorious faith.
We began to clap, sing, and praise but the officials began to protest. We continued.
Praise is hated by the religious structure. We then went to Circus Maximus. This
will be the site of our worship gathering on September 3, 2005. Most of the martyrdom
of the Early Church occurred here. We asked the Lord to redeem the blood in this
earth through worship, and to teach us how to pray to partner with the blood of
the martyrs. Let the sound that is in the ground precede us so that the sound
of heaven is released!
We then visited the Arch of Titus. Here, one team member picked up a discarded pine
cone and declared that discarded seeds would begin to grow. Another team member
found a .20 Euro coin, and yet another member found a key. We declared that
God was giving the Body a key to unlock treasures that have been captured.
Robert Heidler (our team historian) explained how Rome had besieged Jerusalem in
the first century. The Christians living in that city received prophetic revelation
that there would be a lifting of the siege which would give them a time to escape.
When this happened, the Believers escaped but the Jews stayed with the Temple, which
they thought would never be forsaken. When Titus (the new leader of the Roman forces)
came to Jerusalem, he reinstated the siege and eventually took the city. The Temple
caught on fire and the gold melted and ran down between the rocks. To dig
out the gold, the soldiers literally tore apart the Temple stone by stone -- a direct
fulfillment of Jesus' words. The Jews did not forgive the Christians for
abandoning the city. We asked the Lord to reunite the power of the prophetic
voice of His people in the Church today so that we would always have a way of escape!
We declared that there would always be a remnant.
Unbraiding the Religious Cord!
We have been in Rome several times and reported on many of the places that we visited.
Therefore, we asked the Lord to order our steps to go to key places that would help
us unbraid the religious cord that seems to be choking out the power for God's Church
today. Sometimes we are not aware of how religious influences of our past keep us
from being free to worship and operate in boldness in our present. We are also not
aware of how principalities hold religious structures in place. Most of you know
that we have been called to understand how the Queen of Heaven operates. (You can
get The Queen's Domain from The Elijah List, below.)
Santa Maria Maggiore
Our next stop was at Santa Maria Maggiore. The
ceiling of this building was covered in gold patterns. However, one ceiling section
centrally located in the front quadrant had an image of a bull. The bull god, or
Aipes, was a Mithraic image. We stood under that Mithraic image and declared the
influence of Mithraism in the foundation of the Church would be broken.
While at the church, we also broke lines of communication between the living and
the dead. You could see symbols of spiritism that were aligned to hold the Church
captive. We asked the Spirit of God to confuse the communication between the
Queen of Heaven and religious systems of the earth, and declared that many who are
held captive by these confused religious forms would be set free.
We also visited the baptismal room. Overlooking the baptism is the symbol of the
evil eye. In front of the baptism is the skull and cross bones aligned with the
head of a cobra. These were symbols that were used to produce fear in individuals
in the hope that they would repent. We asked God to unlock the defilement
that holds individuals captive even from infant baptism and that keeps them from
ever experiencing a true relationship with a living God. We felt like this was where
the master key to harvest should be planted.
Cathedral of St. John Laterano
As we entered this large structure, we noticed
the inscription directly above the entrance was "Christ the Savior Church." This
was the same name of the large cathedral that was recently built in Moscow. The
Cathedral of St. John Laterano was originally built by Constantine, and is still
the Basilica of the Pope. This cathedral has statues of each of the original apostles.
We began to decree that a restored true apostolic foundation would arise in the
Church. We asked the Holy Spirit to begin to move mightily on the Catholic leadership.
This will produce great confusion and division. Many times the Lord brings the sword
of division to produce His will. There will be major division in the Catholic
leadership which will be in the news by October.
As we left, we noticed a tile mosaic in the floor picturing the dove returning to
Noah in the ark with an olive branch in its mouth. This was the Scripture reference
from Genesis that the Lord had given me at the beginning of the year -- that by
the 10th month we would begin to see the new foundation. All 10 of us circled
around that dove and declared victory for each of the 10 months of victory and decreed
that at the end of October there would be a noticeable change in the Catholic religious
structure.
St. Peter's Square
Isaiah 30:1-3 "Woe
to the rebellious children," says the Lord, "who take counsel, but not of Me, who
devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who walk to go
down to Egypt, and have not asked My advice . . . and trust in the shadow of Egypt!"
There is an obelisk in the center of St. Peter's
Square. (The obelisk has Egyptian origins.) When the Pope comes out to speak, many
times the shadow of this obelisk overshadows him as he communicates. The Pope's
voice is heard throughout the world. This produces a system of communication that
holds many, many people captivated to a wrong structure of worship.
As you look at the verse above, you better understand what that means. We
declared that the shadow linked with Egyptian idolatrous worship is removed from
the communication system of the Catholic Church. We felt like this was the
place for a true communion to be restored. We stood around the obelisk, took communion,
and declared that the lines of communication that produce false worship -- that
go completely around the world -- would begin to be broken and confused. There is
also a place in St. Peter's Square where you can stand and no matter what point
you look at, all the columns on that side of the square are perfectly aligned. We
each stood on that spot and made a declaration of realignment concerning the authority
of the Church. This was a powerful time of intercession.
Basilica of San Clemente
Our last place to visit was the Basilica of St.
Clemente. This particular basilica was built upon the ruins of the cult of Mithras.
We have visited here before, but new things are constantly being uncovered
in this ruin. Mithraism was a foundation of Constantine's worship.
This cult spread through the warriors of that time. Mithras was a mediator between
the sun god and humanity. The worship of Mithras was a major competitor of Christianity
in the early Church. We declared that all of the bondage that had entered
the foundation of the Church where Mithraism and Christianity were synchronized would
be exposed.
It is amazing how Mithraism was "Christian-ized" by Constantine. Much of the mindset
from this religion has invaded the power of the Lord's life-giving Church here in
the earth realm. This is also where the early Church began to embrace many of the
methods and administrations that we see in Catholicism today. Not until the Reformation
did these practices begin to separate and worship take a different form. We are
now in a greater "reformation" of the Church's true foundation. Therefore, its time
for an even deeper separation to occur in false mindsets and practices.
Understanding the Mithras Cult
Here is some additional information on Mithraism that we compiled after our last
visit to the Basilica of San Clemente:
The god Mithras: Mithras was originally a Persian deity considered to be
the mediator between mankind and Ahura Mazda, god of light. This god overcame
evil and brought life, both animal and vegetable, to humankind. Statues of Mithras
characteristically show him holding a bull by the nostrils while plunging a knife
into its neck. The Romans identified Mithras with the sun god.
Mithraism was restricted to males. Those initiated formed an association bound together
by secret rites and symbols peculiar to their cult. These associations met regularly
with a designated leader in houses or specially built structures. The worshipers
of Mithras met in a structure called a Mithraeum designed to imitate the
cave in which Mithras killed the bull, the central act of the cult myth. (The place
we visited was a Mithraeum.)
Three traditions relate the birth of Mithras:
(1) He was born of an incestuous relationship
between Ahura Mazda and his own mother
(2) He was born of an ordinary mortal
(3) He was born from a rock
The religion of Mithras belonged to the general
category known as Mystery Religions. Only devotees of the religion
were allowed to witness its rituals or have access to its sacred doctrines. Mithraism
was basically a religion of the common people, although at least one Roman emperor
(Commodius, 180-192 A.D.) was initiated into its mysteries. It was the only mystery
religion which excluded women from membership.
It had no professional clergy. Its seven stages of initiation prepared the initiate
for ascent to the god of light. These stages corresponded to the seven planetary
spheres through which one must ascend to reach the abode of the blessed: the
Raven, the Occult, the Soldier, the Lion, the Persian, the Runner of the Sun, and
the Father.
Male children were allowed to participate in the lower stages. In its ancient rural
setting the actual slaying of a bull was part of the ritual. The initiate was placed
in a pit covered by an iron grate. The bull was slain on the grate, and the initiate
attempted to catch its sacred blood with his tongue.
A Rival to Christianity
Of all the mystery religions, Mithraism became the strongest rival to Christianity.
Among the more prominent cultural features are:
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December 25 was the god's birthday. Mithras
was born of a virgin in a stable around the time of the Winter solstice, and attended
by shepherds who brought gifts. The emperor Aurelian declared December 25 to be
the official birthday of Mithras, circa 270 CE. The emperor Constantine was a follower
of Mithras until he declared December 25 the official birthday of Jesus
in 313 CE and adopted the cult of Christianity as the state religion.
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Sunday the holy day.
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Baptism.
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A sacred meal. After his redemptive work
on earth was finished, Mithras partook of a last supper with some of his devotees
and then ascended to heaven, where he continues to assist the faithful in their
struggle against demons.
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Belief in a final judgment. Those who
worshipped Mithras believed in eternal life for the righteous and punishment for
the wicked. The world would finally be destroyed by fire.
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Belief that Mithras did not die, but that
he ascended to heaven. From there he would return at the end of time to raise
the dead in a physical resurrection for a final judgment, sending the good to heaven
and the wicked to hell.
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He is shown with a nimbus, or halo, around
his head.
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Mithras worshippers followed a leader called
a "papa" (pope), who ruled from the Vatican hill in Rome.
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Celebrated sacramenta (a consecrated
meal of bread and wine), termed a Myazda (corresponding to the Catholic
Missa [mass], using chanting, bells, candles, incense, and holy water,
in remembrance of the last supper of Mithras). Many Christians were persecuted and
lost their lives because they refused to worship at Easter and Christmas.
But God! There is a River!
There was a spring of living water recently uncovered which flows below the foundation
of the Mithraic temple. We declared a release of springs of living water into the
earth. We decreed that no matter who the enemy has planned to produce false
worship, there is a RIVER of LIFE that runs deeper.
We asked the Lord to unlock that river in each of us.
In these ruins there was a school. We asked the
Lord to raise up and restore a new model of education to God's people. We blessed
Wagner Leadership Institute and its new branch of the Issachar School
that is forming in Denton to teach redeeming times and seasons.
While we were trying to exit the underground Mithraic temple, we were blocked from
doing so due to a ceremony that was underway in the Basilica above. The President
of Slovakia was actually present for a dedication by the head Cardinal of Slovakia;
they dedicated their nation to Saint Cybele at this empowered place. When they finished,
we were the first to come out from the Mithras temple, and joined the dignitaries
and walked out with them. We decreed a reversal of this power from holding the people
of Slovakia captive. May a remnant escape! Talk about God's perfect timing.
May the true River of God flow into the nations!
Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
www.glory-of-zion.org
~~~~
Chuck Pierce's Upcoming Itinerary:
July 28-30, 2005
Taking Back Spoils from the Enemy: Let Deliverance Arise!
Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dallas, TX (DFW Airport)
Peter Wagner - Convener, Doris Wagner, Chuck Pierce, John Eckhardt, David Kyle Foster,
Tom Hawkins, Chris Hayward, Pat Legako
gozregistration@aol.com
September 1-3, 2005
Pozzuoli, Rome Italy
Speakers: TBA
gozregistration@aol.com
September 15-17, 2005
Arise and Be Healed: Becoming Whole in Body, Soul and Spirit
Bethel Christian Fellowship, Rochester, NY
Speakers: Peter Wagner, Doris Wagner, Chuck Pierce, Peter Horrobin, Che Ahn
gozregistration@aol.com
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