This article was specially edited by Wade and myself for this website. We trust that you will be blessed, encouraged, and strengthened.

The Birth and Vision of Pinecrest
Wade E Taylor
 

A teacher in the Bible school I attended (Walter Beuttler) often spoke of having a “dissatisfied satisfaction.”  He was thankful for, and satisfied with, all that he had received from the Lord, yet he was dissatisfied as he knew that there was much more that could be possessed.  

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10  

These “good works” are the circumstances or things that the Lord often places in our path for the outworking of His purposes - within and through us.  The word “should” is conditional, which means that we have a part in choosing the path that we will follow in the outworking of the Lord’s purpose for us.  It is extremely important that we choose rightly.  

After graduating from Bible school, I diligently sought the Lord as to what I was to do, but seemingly, I was not receiving direction from the Lord.  I knew about a new school that was about to open.  One of their goals was to train students to minister in the Italian language.  

Since this did not appeal to me, I pushed aside the “drawing” that I felt toward this school, and instead, I decided to pioneer a church on Stenton Avenue in north central Philadelphia .  On July 4, 1959, I started toward Philadelphia, a sixty- mile trip, to rent a storefront for the church, and to find a place to live.  As I drove south, the feeling that I was going in the wrong direction became stronger and stronger.  I stopped the car and asked the Lord about this feeling.  He responded that I was to go to this new school.  I had to turn around and go in the opposite direction.  

The Lord waited until I had taken an active step toward serving Him, then He spoke regarding the place where I was to be.  Soon after arriving, I found a quiet place where I could pray, and repeated to the Lord that I did not want to come here, but that I wanted His best.  The Lord clearly spoke the following into the depth of my being:  “I will allow you to go to Philadelphia and I will give you a ministry there, and I will bless it.  But, this is where I want you, as this is My will for you at this present time.”  

The next day, I enrolled as a student.  A few months later while alone praying, suddenly, I was bodily caught up to heaven, standing in the manifest presence of God.  I knew that He was directly in front of me, seated on His throne, but I could not see Him as I was blinded by intense brilliant glory.  I had a feeling of holiness and righteous fear that was beyond any ability, or words to express.  

As I stood there facing the throne, from my left, intense wave-like streams of glory in brilliant color began to move slowly toward me.  As if they were some great freight train. To my natural eye these streams of glory appeared to look like brilliantly colored audio sound waves rising and falling in their streams.  As these streams of the Glory of the Lord approached they began to enter into me, one after another, acting as if they were boxcars of an immense freight train unloading boxcar after boxcar of light and life into my being.  As they did so a glorious understanding began to unfold deep within my spirit and it was as if every cell in my body became a voice box resonating the voice of the Lord  as He began to speak about how in His heart He was seeking a place, a school of the Spirit that was separated and consecrated to Him, a place where He could be and do as He desired.  

I became so scared I almost lost all that the Lord was speaking -- but I was made aware that I was to establish a ministry on this very property towards the purposes the Lord had described. 

When I returned to the place where I had been praying, I was so deeply affected by the manifest glory I had experienced, that I had great difficulty in relating and functioning in my normal circumstances.  It was two weeks later that I was able to be “normal” again.  

I gradually became aware that the purpose of the ministry to which I was being called would be to prepare those whom the Lord would send to know His voice, and also to have a respect for, and sensitivity to, His manifest presence.

Eight years later, this “word” was specifically fulfilled.  While waiting during this period of time, the Lord caused me to know that He had His hand on this property for this specific purpose, and that I was being prepared to be used as an end-time “John the Baptist.”  Later, the Lord confirmed this through a Scripture that expresses the deepest irony in all the word of God.

“Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”  Luke 3:2

“Annas and Caiaphas” speaks of the headship and function of the established religious system, which the Lord by-passed.  “John… in the wilderness” speaks of an isolated, barren environment, which the Lord used to prepare John for a critical time of ministry.

A church system was fully in place and functioning.  Yet the Lord could find no one within this religious system to whom He could impart a present word.  Instead, He chose one who was not a priest, and led him out into the wilderness to be trained.  This speaks of the absolute necessity of our receiving a “present word” from the Lord concerning being prepared for ministry in the last days, and making the right choices to bring it into being.

This religious system, which the Lord by-passed, had experienced the glory of God and had received much by direct revelation from the Lord.  However, they became dependent upon these past experiences for their present standing with the Lord.  The fact that the Lord had moved through them in the past was not enough to equip them for the present need.  They were incapable of hearing a present word concerning the soon to appear “Lamb of God.”

There must be within us a present seeking of the Lord, even though we may have received much revelation from Him in the past.  Yesterday’s revelation is not enough to prepare us to face today’s problems and pressures.

While I was a student in Bible School (1956-1959), we experienced a visitation from the Lord, which lasted two weeks.  We were daily in Chapel from early morning until late at night.  In the beginning, there was a time of intense confession and cleansing, after which His “manifest glory” was poured out upon us.  Along with this, a “fountain of new wine” was discovered.  Anyone who “drank” therein became intensely filled with the Holy Spirit in boldness and power.

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”  Ephesians 5:18

“Being not drunk with wine, wherein is excess” speaks of a substitute for a higher spiritual impartation and experience.  This substitute (wine) has been used by Satan to wreck countless lives and families.  Any seeming “benefit” that comes from it is deceptive, and carries a terrible price tag.

“But be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”  This is the transforming effect of the real wine of the Holy Spirit.  It will release us into a spiritual liberty that will glorify God and enable us to minister in great freedom and power.

However, no matter how tremendous this experience may be, we cannot continue to depend upon a past experience of “drinking at the fountain of visitation.”  It is urgent that we begin seeking the Lord to bring us into a fresh new dimension of the supernatural.

No longer are we to look back to where we met the Lord (Annas and Caiaphas).  Nor, are we to tell the Lord where, how, or when, the “new” is to come into our lives and ministries (wilderness).

We must have a “dissatisfied satisfaction” – our being thankful for what we presently have, but actively seeking the Lord for more.  There are two sides to a coin.  They are different, yet make a singular whole.  Our past and present experiences must merge to make a way for us to enter the future.

John’s testimony was that he is the “voice of one crying in the wilderness.”  He clearly saw the urgent need of that hour:  “Prepare you the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” (Mark 1:3).

The very heart of my calling and ministry is the preparation of a “voice” that can speak in our day, as John spoke in his day, and also to be available to the Lord for His purposes during this difficult time in which we live.

All this came into being, because on July 4, 1959, I stopped the car while driving toward Philadelphia , turned around and went in the opposite direction, in response to the Lord.

Looking back, I can rejoice in the fact that I made the right choice.  Now, I can pray that you also will make the right choice during your critical moment of decision.

The word of the Lord that has come that I am not to let the flame go out on the Lord's vision and purposes for His School of the Spirit, His place where He can be and do as He pleases, a place where indeed the Manifest Presence of the Lord can rest so that He might indeed prepare His end time people.

We are here to disseminate the Lord's word, His leading, His guiding, His direction -- and are waiting for the Lord to begin His marvelous work that when all shall see it, they shall glorify Him and no other.

The Letter -6/2008

An Enemy Hath Done This -7/2008

September Update -9/2008

Blessed be the name of The Lord.

Blessed be His holiness and all those who walk therein.

Blessed be those who hear His voice, and walk in His ways.

Blessed are those who love not their lives unto the obtaining of a first hand and deep personal knowledge of God and His Son Jesus Christ, and then proceed in an unwavering obedience to the Words and Commandments of God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
With all thy heart,
And with all thy soul,
And with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.