Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
“PASSOVER SEDER” AT MOUNT VERNON, WASHINGTON
“WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS”
A week before this event to be led by Ron and Carol Cantrell for the second time, Carol emailed Marie and me and asked if we would be willing to share with three other pastors in prayer for Israel at the close of the service. We agreed that this would be okay.
But I remembered that Derek Prince had prepared “31 Daily Scripture Prayer Proclamations to Bless Israel.” (Download “Current Prayer Guides” at <www.ifa-usapray.org> or for an email version - write <PrayScriptureNow@aol.com>. See Day 8 - “The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make Israel his people” (1 Samuel 12:22). Congregational Proclamation: “God has notforsaken His people Israel!” Repeat it three times. There is not such a thing as “Replacement Theology” for Israel. It is true that the Church - The One New Man - composed of Messianic Jews and Believing Gentiles” is special in God's sight. But the “Remnant of Israel” is yet to be a nation born again in a day at the return of Jesus as Lord!
Secondly, Derek Prince prepared “Proclamations on Behalf of Israel” which can be arranged for weekly readings starting with Sunday, and doubling up on Tuesday with 2 verses. Then for Wednesday we read, “The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land alloted to the righteous...”Congregational Proclamation: “God has given the land of Israel as an eternal inheritance.” Repeat three times.
I read these 2 scripture portions at this time, led the congregation of over 525 in the Proclamations, and closed in prayer confirming these two proclamations, and beseeching God to bring them both to pass according to His Word. This is in accord with George Muller's use of Scripture in his prayers.
Marie followed this up with another prayer for Israel. Her chief part was for President Obama on behalf of Israel, “That the fear of God would enter the life of the President, and that he would understand God's thinking and decrees for Israel as outlined in His Word, and that he would lead our nation to fulfill God's purposes for Israel, the apple of His eye.”
In 1944 a fellow sailor in the Canadian Navy in the Victoria vicinity told me - “You must meet and hear Derek Prince. He's your kind of teacher and preacher!” Little did I know that 20 years later Derek Prince would say to me, “I have pastored the Broadway Tabernacle of Seattle for 8 months - but my parents in England are ill, and I need to return to them. Should I suggest to Broadway Tabernacle that they call you at my suggestion to replace me as pastor, would you be willing to accept their call?” I assured him I would, and so it came to pass. For 8 years Marie and I led this congregation. We started this ministry in June of 1964, 20 years after I first heard of Derek
Through Hubert Mitchell of “Go Ye” Fellowship in 1955, I had been praying for one key person on each continent. Nicholas Benghu of Africa was his suggestion for Africa, called the Billy Graham of that continent, Bakht Singh of India for Asia, and Billy Graham for North America. A friend of mine asked me in August of '64 - “Would you like to have Nicholas Benghu speak at your church?” That Wednesday was our only open date, so I gladly booked him to speak for us in Derek Prince's former church. When I turned the service over to him he said, “Every city I visit I ask the Lord, 'What does this city mean to you?' I have been in Seattle for a month, and return to Africa tomorrow. Until tonight I have not heard from the Lord. But tonight as I sat on this platform I heard the Lord say, 'I am going to visit this city in the not too distant future, and I am going to use this church to release a significant move of the Spirit.'”
What an encouragement that word was to me! I stood upon it for 7 years, for our church had serious problems that preceded the tenure of Derek Prince. For the next 7 years I was able to go through with the church difficulties, but in June 1971, some 200 pastors responded.
For two years God visited us with Seattle I and Seattle II. 70 pastors continued to meet monthly following that time. Together we saw the power of the “Children of God” broken over Seattle, and later the power of the homosexual “Metropolitan Church of God” broken. They threatened to take 1000 young people from our Seattle churches. Instead their leader died of AIDS in the not too distant future. Dennis Bennett of St. Luke's Episcopal church courageously led our fellowship for two years in seeing these and many other victories.
In February of 1990 I attended a leader's meeting in Seattle addressed by John Dawson of YWAM, emphasizing the need of the unity of one church in each city. Following this challenge, Stan Altaras, grandson of the first Sephardic Rabbi of Seattle, asked me - “What is your vision for ministry in this city?” I replied - “In line with John Dawson's challenge - that a nucleus of some 12 to 20 local churches in each city should form an eldership in the gate of each respective city.” He responded, “Ron Cantrell, one of the Messianic Jewish pastors of Congregation Beth Simcha in Federal Way, I am sure, would respond. This is Friday, and they meet on Saturdays. Here's his phone number - contact him.”
I immediately followed through, and Ron confirmed his interest. “Come and join us in worship tomorrow on our Sabbath, and make yourself known.” Marie joined me in attending, and when we experienced this worship of some 400 people under the leadership of Roberta Paulsen, and the challenging message of Murray Silberling the Senior pastor, we made this our home church for 18 months until the Silberlings moved to California, and Ron and Carol Cantrell with their family returned to Israel for their second time.
We have visited the Cantrells in Jerusalem in 1992, and again in 2005, and have taken an interest in supporting their work monthly since the Fall of 1991. Last year we attended the Mount Vernon Seder they led with some 400 present. This year they returned, and over 525 attended. Carol led in worship with a distinct anointing upon that part of the service, and Ron led in an authentic type of Seder Supper such as Jesus would have conducted just prior to His crucifixion. He took the part of “Luke,” author of that Gospel.
Ron in a most graphic manner illustrated the 10 plagues God sent upon Egypt at that time, Most graphic of all was the 4thplague visited upon the god represented by the “Apis” bull. Each plague was a direct judgment on one of the 10 main gods of Egypt. Egyptian priests used the “Apis Bull” to bring guidance to Egypt and her Pharaohs through a 40 square pattern. Later, when God delivered Israel from Egypt, and when Moses was up in Mount Sinai receiving the covenant of the 10 commandments, Israel pressured Aaron to make a reproduction of the Apis Bull to lead them back to Egypt.
God led Moses to destroy this idol - grind the gold to powder - scatter it on water - and force Israel to drink their destroyed idol god!
Several churches in Mount Vernon cooperated in assisting the Cantrells to put on this graphic and picturesque presentation of the Passover Seder. Any city of local churches who will have the Cantrells come and present this in their city - or any other of a number of presentation that they make - will notbe disappointed!
- Jim and Marie Watt
P.S. Just before the death of Derek Prince in Jerusalem in his late 80's - Carol Cantrell nursed him for his last two years, and as his secretary helped him publish his last 5 books. Indeed then, God worked “Wheels Within Wheels” like in Ezekiel, in bringing together many strands that united in a wonderful way in the recent Mount Vernon Seder presentation. <www.shalom-shalom-jerusalem.org> is the vehicle the Cantrells use to continue their unique and God-glorifying ministry. To book them for The Biblical Seder Meal for your congregation, or any other of their Biblical Presentations - <contact@shalom-shalom-jerusalem.org>. J & M.
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