FONW Conference: Perry Stone

Dates: March 14-17, 2011
Speakers: Tommy Bates, Pastor Ron Phillips, Perry Stone, others
Location: Abba’s House, Hixson, Tennessee
Cost: free
Official website

March 17, 6:45pm – Perry Stone

The session began with a “City on our knees” music video, against the backdrop of the church’s ministries. Then the choir sang “Excellent Lord, be exalted on high” and “You are worthy.” I have no problems with the latter song, but I didn’t like the choreography at all. The first two times I heard this song, sung and “danced” by the Lee University Campus Choir, I was sure what I had witnessed was demonic. There is nothing Christian about the choreography; it is heathen and should be canned. After a short clip of people at Abba’s House being baptized in water and the Holy Spirit at the same time, and a brief message by Walter Hallam, the men’s choir sang “I then shall live” – which was beautiful.

Hallam, a Christian financial adviser, spoke briefly on Noah, about getting the curse off one’s money and work. He said Noah was born in order to take the curse off the land, which God put on it because of Adam’s disobedience. Once he stepped off the ark and made a burnt offering, God took the curse off the land. Like Noah, we must give to God in tithes and offerings, we must make a sacrifice, if we want the curse off our money and work. I was intrigued by Hallam’s message. But a family member disapproved, saying roses still have thorns and Adam’s curse hasn’t been lifted. And I don’t like Hallam’s association with (name-dropping) Oral Roberts and Kenneth Hagan, both of whom were possible flakes.

Perry Stone’s message was on “my father’s mantle,” his texts being 1 Kings 19:19-20 and 2 Kings 2. Perry’s father Fred died on March 10, so some of this message was personal.

Perry said these chapters are about Elijah and Elisha – a mentor and a student, a prophet and a prophet in training. Repeatedly in 2 Kings 2, the sons of the prophets from these different prophecy schools [Bethel, Gilgal, Jericho] knew Elijah would be taken. But they knew only about the whirlwind, not the chariot of fire. Elijah knew what would happen but he also mentioned just the whirlwind. He wanted someone who would follow him all the way – for the anointing not the signs and wonders. When Elijah was taken up into heaven, Elisha saw the invisible vision of the horses and chariot of fire, while the sons of the prophets saw just the whirlwind. This indicated to Elijah (and us) that because Elisha saw the invisible, he would perform the impossible.

Most firstborn Israelites needed the following items: a staff, a signet ring, and a mantle. The staff had one’s family history on it, including victories in battle. Whoever had the staff had the blessing and birthright. The signet ring had one’s name or seal printed on it and was used in legal documents. The reason the older son in Luke 15 was so angry was that the father gave the signet ring to the younger son. Finally, the mantle was an outer garment, transferred from father to son at the former’s death.

As a sidenote, Perry talked about the linen garments worn by the priesthood and ripped in mourning. When a priest dishonored his office his garment was ripped, voiding his priesthood. This is just what Caiaphas did when Jesus appeared before him. However, Jesus’ priestly robe could not be ripped – or it would have voided his priesthood. Instead the soldiers cast lots for it. On the cross, Jesus said “it is finished” – what the priest said when the last lamb was offered on Passover. The veil of the temple, called the “hem of God’s garment,” was then ripped from top to bottom. By this, God did away with the Aaronic priesthood and opened his door for business. Jesus is the great high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Back to the mantle: initially God said all Israel would serve him as priests, separating and sanctifying the firstborn sons. After awhile though, this office was given to the tribe of Levi. Through tradition, the priesthood was transferred from father to son at the father’s death. Before he died, the father had to call his son by name, wash him in water and oil, and cleanse his garments – usually at age 30. All this happened to Jesus in the Jordan river. The mantle was transferred at death.

Notice that Elisha calls Elijah “my father.” This is a spiritual, not natural, connection. Likewise, Paul and Timothy had a spiritual father-son relationship. The anointing doesn’t transfer until there is such a relationship, so that the “son” is now a candidate for the mantle. People must go through hell to get the anointing. They must be willing to serve others for awhile. This was true of Joshua, who served Moses in the wilderness for 40 years. People today don’t want to serve. They don’t want to go through hell.

The Pentecostal church’s greatest weakness is having a bunch of different spiritual fathers – and not getting real instruction from any of them. The average pastor stays in a single church 18 months. The result is spiritually dysfunctional Christians. In Malachi 4, God promised he would send someone in the spirit of Elijah, turning fathers to children and children to fathers. The new generation doesn’t know who their father is. As a result they’re not getting any spiritual discipline. This is a problem because children perceive God through a man. The devil has done a good job separating physical fathers and sons. But he didn’t bank on a spiritual anointing. It is God’s plan for sons and daughters to prophesy [Joel 2] but Elijah must come first and do his work. Preachers must be fathers too, and not leave when things get rough.

The mantle is a gifting, character, prayer life, and anointing abiding on a person. It is transferable when the person is ready to depart this world. The old saints are passing on. Who will replace them? We mustn’t let their mantles fall to the ground. The saints must impart before they depart.

Perry ended with a few really interesting anecdotes on his father Fred, and his father’s mantle.

Other websites
Abba’s House
Voice of Evangelism – Perry Stone Ministries