Pain, trial and persecution are normal process encountered while growing in the prophetic. Times twice of that defines the preparation process one needs to go through when one grows in the office of a prophet.

John Sanford is definitely a season prophet. However he has not graduated from the School of the Holy Spirit. It takes patience to learn all of God's ways. In "Elijah Task", John described how he and his wife has to go through some of the most severe testing while being trained to be a prophet. When you recognized your calling as a prophet, cutting corners is never the chosen path. From John's experience, prophets are at the peak of their training during the trough of their lives. In other words, the making of a prophet's ministry usually take place in the darkest moment of his life. The end result God desires is humility and brokenness. Only then He can use His prophets to complete His divine task.

Today John Sanford's ministry has proven to be a great contribution to the Body of Christ in the area of counseling and healing. This book is an expression of his priceless experience. I believe the insightful teachings provided here are very essential materials to emerging prophets of our time. John has made us aware that operating in the prophetic realm can be a dangerous playground. He made it plain to us that it takes integrity and wisdom when prophets handle their gifting.

In one of the chapter, John also mentioned that God occasionally allow His prophets to miss the mark. This is necessary in order to deflate any form of pride that may arise in the ministry.

This book is a must if you are serious about letting God to shape your life as a prophet or a prophetic person.

This book is aimed at those who feel that God has called them to hear his voice, to walk with a prophetic annointing. The Bible encourages us to "eagerly desire the gift of prophesy", and anyone who has experienced or heard testimony of the power of this spiritual gift -- to make God real to people in this world and to address the underlying spiritual realities of the world through the ministry of prayer -- should make this book a number one priority.

John Sandford writes not from an academic view, but from the point of view of someone who has clearly been called to a prophetic ministry. The message of the book is that clarity costs, and the process of reaching it is often messy. But, oh, the blessings it releases!

Far from the Hollywood personification of Biblical prophets as heroic figures, Sandford lifts up a corner of Christian life to uncover a reality that is very quiet, very real, and very necessary for our times.

If you're a Christian and you've received revelation -- visions, dreams, and words of knowledge and wisdom -- that leave you confused but hungering for more of the reality of God's voice, this book will do a lot for you.

The Elijah task is also recommended for pastors seeing to understand and incorporate the gift of prophesy into your local church.

Nurture your prophets gently, it's a hard walk but, ultimately, one that will be a blessing to many.

NP

The spiritual autobiography, "Sealed Orders" by Agnes Sanford takes the reader on a journey from China to California. Sanford's parents were missionaries yet Agnes reveals that in the midst of religious activity, "I did not know Him yet," She certainly did come to know God, eventually, and became a pastor's wife. Her creative spirituality manifests during this phase with the dramatic church productions with which she took part: "The whole church was filled with an emanation, a radiation, of a spiritual power. No wonder people were moved to tears." Mrs. Sanford's travelling ministry flourished upon her move, with her husband, to a church in New England. She was on a "mission" to proclaim to the world that Jesus is alive, and his power is available for physical and inner healing. Agnes Sanford's story is certainly not a saccharine rendering of her life. Instead, one description summarizes the book this way, "A spiritual giant of this century finally tells her own story--unvarnished and transparent, exactly as the Lord would have it." Of course, for those reading the book because of interest in the "literary" Agnes Sanford, there is much to please you. Sealed Orders is a wonderful account of a fascinating woman who just set out to do a specialized work of God (healing), a work that she felt had been neglected. I find the closing words of the book to be mystically compelling: "And yesterday morning for the first time, as I looked out to the misty hills (for though I am too high for smog, there is often a fog from the ocean), I could see the light around the trees. I do not know what this light is. But I cannot imagine it or dream it into reality...for it testifies to my spirit of the Spirit of God permeating all the universe. So may the light shine until the very creature--the earth itself--its ugliness turned into beauty, becomes indeed the kingdom of our God and of His Christ."

If you want to read a great autobiography, especially if you are interested in the spiritual, this is one of the best you'll find. Agnes shares her upbringing in China, and move to the United States, all the while being perfectly candid about depression and other personal issues. Through truth seeking, study and work, Agnes blossoms into a spiritual leader of great stature. She is especially interesting in healing, and becomes incredibly successful to this end. Inspiring!

Classic feminists (not of the NOW variety) will love this book, for they can identify with its author in many ways. Women who are not interested in worldly careers but are content to fulfil the time-honored role of nurturing will be inspired to imitate her. Of course, since she is a Christian, it is a given that a woman who follows her discipline is also a believer in Jesus Christ.

Agnes Sanford was an Episcopal lay woman, married to an Episcopal priest. She has been active in the Church in the area of healing way before the charismatic renewal set in. In this book she explains how the charisms of 1Cor.12 can be used specifically for inner healing. At the same time she also explains them in such a way that they can be used for spiritual growth as well. Special attention is given to depression. Agnes knows the depth of mental suffering, and knows a way out too! In her defence it must be said that she cannot be connected to New Age or other forms of occultism. in this book, she gives a very usefull presentation of discerning the spirits, and also a useful presentation of deliverance from evil spirits! Agnes stands with both her feet in the christian tradition, and is a great inspiration for christian living, a great teacher, and in my opinion a saint as well. She has effectively changed my life for the better, given me a better understanding of the nature of God, and His salvation. Agnes gives a way to live the sacramental life fully integrated with a charismatic spirituality. Yet non-sacramental churches (like Pentecostals and Evangelicals)can also benefit greatly from this woman of God. I say this as a former Pentecostal, who is now a (charismatic) Roman Catholic!

Although not a recent publication, the message is timeless. A Catholic woman discovers healing abilities and helps many people. She reveals these skills wonderfully so one may walk away feeling empowered to practice healing too! Although she poo poos the New Age, we're doing the same thing....I am a REIKI Master and I think Agnes is where I got my first training. Bless her! God's Light cannot be contained in a doctrine! Linda Schiller-Hanna Reiki Master/Clairvoyant

It is my opinion that Christians need to be wary of books of this nature and also by this author. The concepts smack of New Age mysticism and metaphysical thought. It's all mixed with Christian verbiage and scripture to give the naive reader the impression that the concepts herein are biblical, but careful examination of the text reveals great doctrinal problems. This is, in the opinion of this reviewer, a deceptive book. The author may be sincere and a nice person, but I believe she is sincerely deceived. Christians should steer clear.

Agnes draws from the teaching that says there are certain laws in nature that God has ordained and, basically, a Christian just needs to learn to tap into these laws to see results - even miracles.

This kind of teaching is creeping into many religious circles around the world, especially the increasingly prominent "prophetic" and "Charismatic" movements. Please understand, I personally believe in the prophetic (as it is described in Scripture) and I believe in the gifts of the Spirit (as they are taught in Scripture). I am not anti-Charismatic, per say; however, I recognize that many in the modern-day Charismatic movement are getting off into strange doctrines, even New Age heretical teachings. Even one of the most popularly recognized modern-day prophets in the Charismatic movement (whose name I will not mention here), once admitted to seeing auras on people (and excercised this ablity in his "prophetic" ministering) and that the methods used in astrology and New Age thought actually originated with God. This man also encouraged reading books by the Sanfords.

Christians please be careful. Deception isn't deception unless it's deception. People who are being deceived don't realize they are being deceived; that's why it's called deception. If nothing else, I am suggesting you beware and on the alert if you are going to read this book or any book that deals with this topic. It sounds smooth and there is positive testimony included to give the impression that this must be "of God" because it has worked for some people. Remember, Occult practices also work for many of the people that engage in them. That does not make them biblical or godly. Just because Scripture is used (a verse here and there) does not make something doctrinally-sound either. The Mormons use Scripture, so do the Jehovah's Witnesses, so do Christian Scientists, so do many popular cults and even some Satanists. The Word of God must be embraced in its full and complete context.

God bless you all and keep you in the way of truth.

It is a good book on divine healing I suppose but she takes a "stand offish" approach to Christianity. She is always using abstract terms and never delving into the Christian theology.

Very valuable to those who know scripture. Dispensationalists will dislike it, for it is utterly scriptural, but those who trust Jesus Christ will find it of great use.

Mary Elphinstone Deal