November 8, 2004
Greetings Friends,
Wanda and I were required to leave straightaway following the conference in Kansas City for another conference in Anchorage, AK. We are just now returning this morning. For the last several days I have looked forward to formulating a report of our conference and hope that it will be beneficial.
To do so accurately we must return to the beginning of 2004 when the Lord first commissioned us to host this conference. We have co-hosted numerous events over the last few years. However, I must admit, I was somewhat surprised at the time that Kansas City was the city chosen for our first fully sponsored conference under the WhiteDove Ministries banner.
There are several very notable ministries and leaders in Kansas City for whom we have the highest regard. Shawn Bolz has been a co-laborer with us for the past two years. He has labored for many years and sown spiritual seeds in Kansas City with some of these ministries. Even so, I was somewhat dismayed at the Lord's choice. However, I quickly saw the wisdom of Heaven in it as the mandate began to be revealed. Kansas City is a city of destiny in the heart of our nation. We are entering a season of awakening for the revelation of divine purposes for our nation and within key cities.
As far back as the spring of 2004, the Holy Spirit outlined the fundamental commission for this conference and its spiritual directives. These mandates were communicated to us in clear and concise ways and affirmed through revelations given to Bob Jones and Bobby Conner. These are men the Lord has placed in our lives for many years with insight and authority to speak into us.
Naturally, we could not have anticipated at that time the many things that would transpire in the Church during the following months. It was clear from the beginning that this conference was not intended to be a reconciliation of former relationships nor was it intended to address conditions and failures prevalent among leaders. Perhaps others will be called to have conferences or meetings for that purpose.
Instead, our directive was to do our best to create an atmosphere for people to encounter the Lord and also address issues of the soul that have kept us from divine destiny. The Lord expressed His desire to release a revelatory realm that allows people to obtain a vision of destiny and the "hope of our calling" that dispels hopelessness.
Jacob had such an experience in Genesis 28 and it impacted the remainder of his life. The Heavens opened and he was told of his destiny and that of his descendants. He discovered the Lord's presence and the host of Heaven assigned to co-labor with man. Eventually, his nature was changed and he entered the destiny revealed in this experience.
We were challenged by the Holy Spirit to remain faithful to that mandate despite the very strong urging that we received from many people to publicly address critical issues and bring a public reconciliation to relationships that we believe have already been reconciled. We were told by the Lord to look forward, not to the past.
I believe the Holy Spirit helped us achieve that purpose. We have received hundreds of responses from participants who have testified of their encounters with the Lord and the hope that now permeates their hearts for their destiny and the importance of this generation. They are laying aside the encumbrances and entanglements that have hindered them in the past and moving on to the high calling.
Clearly, there are many areas that we recognize that could be improved in future conferences. Nevertheless, we were very pleased with the overall outcome of the conference. We plainly saw the need for improvement in some areas like the registration processes. We are a relatively small ministry and had to rely heavily upon a handful of people to administer over 2000 registrants. That was a monumental task. However, the favor of the Lord helped us through the rough areas. We were greatly encouraged by the patience and kindness of the participants.
If there is one word that I believe will help us make future conferences better it would be "balance." Leadership in the Church is being challenged to be relevant in a unique time in history. This generation is unlike any other. There is something distinguishing and special that is woven into the spiritual DNA of this young generation.
Therefore, we are confronted with the issue of being relevant but without compromise; that is a sensitive task that we must address. This young generation is spiritually hungry. To address the needs of this hour requires a message of spiritual relevance to those needs but without compromising integrity, humility and Christ-like character.
Our conference incorporated numerous dances that were intended to convey prophetic messages of warfare and deliverance. King David was a worshipping warrior who modeled this attribute. I was incredibly proud of our young team of worshipers. Each member of the dance and worship team is established in purity and loves the Lord with all of their hearts. They were not there to perform, but to minister.
The dances were intended to be militant but also modest. Certainly, we will continue to adjust the balance between these clear directives. We desire to be relevant but without compromise...militant while at the same time modest. This can and must be achieved.
The fundamental mandate of our ministry is intimacy and friendship with the Lord. We ardently pursue the reality of 2 Peter 1:4; to become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption of this world and its lusts. We pray for that reality to be conveyed in everything we do.
The Message of the Kingdom
We have received many requests for a response to the report written by a brother by the name of Andrew Strom. As a rule, I generally do not write defenses of our ministry or engage in debates. However, I do believe we can openly defend truth as it relates to our biblical heritage. Furthermore, I also analyze criticisms, even when they are presented in frustration, in hopes of finding some area that can make us better. We always want to have a teachable spirit.
Wanda, Shawn and I are very grateful to Bobby Conner, Bob Jones and John Paul Jackson who brought anointed messages of truth and significance. I genuinely regret that Mr. Strom became so angry at our conference and those messages. It was our hope and prayer that all in attendance be blessed and receive something significant from the Lord. However, we must also be realistic and recognize that rarely are everyone's expectations met.
One of the distinctions of the conference was the unity among the ministry team. At the outset, we acknowledged the genuine fraternal affection among each leader and hoped that a spirit of harmony would prevail throughout the conference. That is the ultimate ministry of reconciliation. By this will the world know that we are His disciples, when they discover us loving one another.
I was totally unfamiliar with Mr. Strom prior to our conference. I met him only briefly just as our opening session was about to begin. We had set aside an area in the back of the building to be used exclusively as a refuge for the speakers to debrief before and after sessions. While in this room, as we were preparing to leave to open the conference, I noticed someone speaking with Bob Jones that I did not know. As I approached them, Mr. Strom introduced himself and handed me a piece of paper that contained his prophetic perspective for the conference.
I was only able to read it after the conference. We certainly share this brother's heart to see repentance come to our nation and the Lord's people so that times of refreshing can come from God's presence. I just think we approach it from a different perspective.
That is the only contact that I have had with this brother. I wish he had come to me to discuss his grievances directly; I believe that would have been more appropriate and beneficial. I believe a spirit of unity could have prevailed. If anything was done to Mr. Strom that was offensive, it certainly was not intentional.
Nonetheless, I also believe this circumstance can be used as a tool for advancement in the Kingdom. Initially, I had intended to write a brief summation of the messages from our speakers. However, in light of recent events, I believe it would be incredibly fruitful if people heard them for themselves and draw their own conclusions.
Consequently, we will make the 10 CD series available at a reduced rate. We also encourage those who already have the CD's to duplicate them and share them freely with others. (Please do not sell them) Anyone desiring the CD messages can order from our websitehttp://www.whitedoveministries.org/content/ShopProduct.phtml?1/0/213. Furthermore, we are looking into having the opening session placed on our website in an audio file to be accessed freely. It should be up and running next week.
I believe the body of Christ will have discernment to hear for themselves. I also believe there will be an impartation through the recorded messages that was present in the conference.
It would be most profitable to listen to the sessions in the order that they occurred. At the outset of the conference we acknowledged that this was intended to be a consolidated journey between those who were speaking and those in attendance. Each session built upon another with preparation and expectation for a breakthrough to launch the revelation of individual and corporate destiny. I believe the Lord let us achieve that, especially the last evening.
Very specific strongholds were identified in the opening sessions requiring contrition and open acknowledgment on our part for there to be genuine impartation. Bitterness, anger, and self-pity were only a few of the issues identified that needed to be dealt with at the Cross before we could advance into seasons of revelation and spiritual release.
We also had an incredible opportunity to receive an impartation from our friends from Argentina, Claudio and Betty Friedzon. They participated with us throughout most of Friday and released the anointing upon the attendees that has helped them grow their church to over 20,000 people in Buenos Aires.
It was as though the Lord cultivated soil for a season and then sowed spiritual seed. There followed additional sessions of cultivation and extraction of soulish issues with another impartation the last evening.
The Spirit of Contrition
Clearly, we are very desirous to see the spirit of repentance sweeping the western church. However, true repentance comes from conviction not condemnation. In the gospel of John, we are told that the Spirit of Truth, when He is present, will bring the conviction of sin. Without question we are in desperate need of that manifested presence.
We have prayed earnestly throughout this year for the release of the same Spirit that fell upon Evan Roberts launching the Welsh revival one hundred years ago this year. We cannot muster from the realm of the soul the Godly granted repentance that is needed. It must come by divine visitation upon the hearts of men and women.
The apostle Paul once admonished his spiritual son Timothy to exercise gentleness when bringing correction, if perhaps God may grant repentance. He wrote to Timothy and to us saying,
The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Every leader with whom we are in relationship recognizes this great need in the western church. Our written and spoken messages are built around this reality. Even so, as we have traveled the nation we have discovered an epidemic of hopelessness in the western church that the Lord intends to reverse. Spiritual vision from the revelatory realm of Heaven provides hope derived by a revelation of our calling and destiny; hope dispels hopelessness. That is the promise of Ephesians 1:17-18.
It is not difficult to discern our present condition. Nevertheless, I personally desire to be a loyal servant like the ones who ventured into the land of promise and returned with a faithful report in the days of Moses. Yes, there are giants in the land; but God is able to empower us to overcome. To turn our backs on any aspect of our heritage and to encourage others to do likewise would be ill-advised.
I have never looked at our ministry as part of a "prophetic movement" but a part of the Kingdom of God. Our revelatory heritage is only one aspect of the progressive revelation of the Kingdom message; but a very important one.
The prophet Ezekiel was taken to a valley of dry bones. He was not instructed to condemn them but to prophesy life to them. That is our hope and expectation. We desire to breathe life into dry bones and begin to see them take shape and form. That was the highest expectation of our conference. I believe, with the Lord's help, we accomplished that.
Though the western church may look like a valley of dry bones, I believe the Lord sees it prophetically as an exceedingly great army. We are convinced our nation and the western church has an incredible destiny yet to be fulfilled. When people are given a glimpse of their individual role in that destiny, it transforms them and sets them on the course to repentance and the impartation of the Christ-like nature. They see the cause of God and are forever changed. We are seeing that happen now.
Strongholds of hopelessness, despair, depression and other oppressive mind-sets will be overcome when life is breathed into this army. According to Ezekiel 37:10-12,
So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, "Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' "Therefore prophesy and say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
In a revelatory experience on the last day of the conference, Bob Jones was told another conference will be necessary to press this mandate through to its fullness. Therefore, it is with great expectations that we look forward to 2005 and the unfolding of God's strategy for this season of the Spirit. We have abundant hope and expectation although we have many obstacles to overcome.
Blessings of grace and favor,
Paul Keith Davis
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