Tag: renewal

Bless the Wilderness

God is inviting those who will listen to begin blessing the wilderness of 2020. Here in the eleventh hour of this year, we can rise up in faith and declare that King Jesus has been drawing us into deeper intimacy with him through all of its challenges. In Song of Songs 8:5 there is a prophetic question, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?”

May God open our eyes to see the past year through his eyes. May he heal the eyes of our heart so that we will have wisdom and revelation. Our Bridegroom King has drawn us into the wilderness out of his deep desire for us. As we lean upon him with all of our hearts, we can trust that he is blessing us as his Bride and will provide more than we could think or imagine.

Hosea 2:14-23 contains God’s promise to his Bride (the people of God);“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.“In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground.Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.“In that day I will respond,” declares the Lord—“I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth;and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, and they will respond to Jezreel.I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

There is a profound glory being poured out from heaven to those who will rise up in bold, courageous faith through Christ and bless the wilderness of 2020. Our Beloved, our bridegroom King Jesus has never let us down. May we have ears to hear and eyes to see how he has led us in 2020. He is good and his extravagant love is about to be displayed as never before upon his Bride. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come, King Jesus.”

The Fear of the Lord Releases the Unprecedented

Over the past few years, I have been creating a prophetic word. It is in response to the journey I have taken with God. First I need to say that I am convinced we are living in an unprecedented move of God around the world. If you have eyes to see it and ears to hear it, you would be wise to make the most of it in your life.

The Lord is moving in unprecedented ways and bringing people into His family at an unprecedented rate. And he is doing it in and through the church, his family. It seems that the “new wine” of God’s renewal is being carried by his “new wineskins”… his children in Christ. The word that I have been crafting has to do with the ability or grace that God is pouring out to the church. It is the grace to release the Unprecedented move of God in all nations and generations.

I believe that mothers and fathers have been rising up that will not only carry this grace but will also effectively train their sons and daughters on how to carry it as well. The Lord of the harvest has been intentionally calling these leaders and preparing them for this moment.

So, by God’s grace, I see in the spirit, thousands if not millions of us around the world who right now are carrying the grace to release the Unprecedented move of God. It is time for us to own that gift in Jesus’ name and lay down our lives in releasing it. God will be with us and will help us take every step on the mission.

The past few days one more piece has been added to this prophetic word. It comes from Isaiah 33:6, “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” It is the fear of the Lord.

The Amplified Bible defines the fear of the Lord as “worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome”. My working definition is “placing God’s stance and word on everything higher than anyone else’s opinion including my own and surrendering to it”.

Today I can see and know in my heart that the missing piece is being added to my crafted word. The Lord has been showing me that the fear of the Lord is actually THE grace that the church is carrying at this moment… and it is increasing rapidly.

I feel like it has finally come together in me. God is giving it as a prayer call, mantle, and burden of love to carry. This is what I have been hearing in my spirit: The fear of the Lord is the grace we carry to release the Unprecedented move of God in all nations and generations.

If you hear that same call in your heart, don’t lose heart or give up in weariness. Let’s agree together and thank God for building us together in Christ as new wineskins who carry the new wine of the reverent fear of the Lord.

In Christ, you are a blessing!

The Tidal Wave is Upon Us (A word from the Lord)

I had a dream last night. I was with a group of Christian leaders in a small boat. A friend of ours (also a leader of a church) was taking us on a quick excursion out on the ocean. We were without life jackets but were unconcerned. We had traveled about one mile away from shore with plans to go out farther. Those of us who were guests had no idea where our friend was taking us. Our small boat was sailing parallel to the shore.

I began to notice a towering tidal wave out on the horizon. It grew quickly and soon consumed the view. The others began to take note as well. My anxiety level increased and my mind began to race. The conversation on the boat was buzzing about whether or not we could survive if we stayed at our current location.

As the discussion continued, I began to hear the sound of the crashing water and I felt the spray on my face from the impending wave. We all knew the tidal wave would soon be right on top of us.

The driver of the boat decided to turn and head for shore. The wave was gaining on us and closing the gap between it and our boat. So, we accelerated and seemed to outrun it.

After we arrived on shore, we began to move through the village warning the inhabitants of the imminent danger and the impending tidal wave. The reactions of the people were mixed. Some began to make preparations and others smugly and foolishly took the liberty to stand and discuss at length whether or not this was actually a tidal wave or if they really needed to be in a hurry to adjust accordingly.

Many in Atlantic Canada have been interceding for an unprecedented move of God to arise. Several words have come over the past few years concerning waves of revival, healing, renewal, and deliverance. Including two powerful visions in my local church where I saw a massive tidal wave of grace hitting our worship center and one of our prophetic team members saw a season of waves of various sizes also striking our worship gatherings.

The Lord has been moving in me with the message that these waves are now upon us and it is crucial for the Church to invite his waves of grace. It is true that the waves will not always look inviting or pleasant. But, if we will trust God’s heart and his transforming power, we can bless the tidal wave no matter how it appears. This is a call to turn and repent of anything on earth that the word of the Lord identifies as out of alignment with heaven. Much like our boat turned and accelerated toward the shore, we must turn from false ideas and teachings and accelerate toward the safe harbor of Jesus who is the Truth.

The Lord was stirring the following word in my spirit: “God’s Grace Tidal Wave is upon us. It is imminent. Many have seen it in the spirit. Now we will begin to hear it and feel the spray in the atmosphere. We need to bless this consuming tidal wave though to many it won’t seem like a blessing. It is going to deal with us and assess (judge) us. There will be no time for us to assess the wave. IT is going to deal with US.”

We are in the beginning stages of an unprecedented move of God which will see a larger harvest of righteousness than the world has ever seen. It was prophesied years ago that a billion people will come into God’s family in Christ as a result. I urge you to wake up to the moment we are in, repent of anything in your life that is out of alignment with the word of the Lord, and be ready to bless the tidal wave as it makes landfall.

It’s time!

Don’t Lose Heart! Meditation on Matthew 10

King Jesus is revealed as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He sent his followers intentionally as sheep among wolves in order to display the glory of the kingdom of God on earth. Somehow, the presence of sheep who are filled with the Spirit of the Lamb of God provokes and exposes the deadly wolf-like ways in the world.

As in the days when the New Testament was written, the good news about the arrival of God’s kingdom still causes upheaval. It is good but usually not predictable or pristine. God’s presence exposes everything that is against the New Creation and anti-renewal. In the end, the wolves are seen for who they are in the presence of the Lamb of God.

As I meditate on my life of identifying as a child of God in life-union with Jesus, I need to make a confession. My experience is that the Lamb of God has to expose the ways that I am a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That is the way to enter into eternal life. There is no other way.

The beautiful, overwhelming truth is that my sins have been forgiven and I live in Christ for God’s glory. But, the place of connection is agreeing with his assessment of my ways, even when he exposes what is out of line with His heart in me.

It is a profound thing to invest our lives in God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. We do that only by God’s grace. As we live in the Spirit, the wolf-like ways in the world will come to light. We can’t allow that to discourage us. Instead, we must focus on Jesus, the Lamb of God and trust His presence more than ever. Somehow, He uses our lives in those moments as evidence of His kingdom’s life and resilience. Don’t lose heart!

(Inspired by Matthew 10)

Prayer to SEE in 2020

God, I come before you through faith in Jesus. You have taught me to believe in my heart that I have been rescued out of a dead, meaningless existence. My sins have been forgiven because of your faithfulness expressed in Jesus. I do freely and willingly confess that you are King of heaven and earth. Your kingdom is present everywhere and the increase of your government will never end.

At the beginning of a new decade, I pray that the eyes of my heart would be healed, restored and renewed. I long to see with 20/20 vision on earth as it is in heaven. King Jesus, I long for you to help me admit my blindness in any form and to receive your healing touch. In your mercy, touch my spiritual eyes so that I will see what you see, go where you send me, and say what you want me to say.

May the year 2020 mark a shift in my perception of your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven here and now. By your grace, I admit my need for gold refined in the fire, purified clothes from heaven to cover my shame, and healing ointment for my eyes. These things can only come from you. (Revelation 3:17-18)

Prepare me to serve in your overwhelming season of harvest in all nations. In a fresh way, help me see how you are manifesting the glory of your Name as you flood all creation with your Presence. I hear your knock at my door and your voice asking to come in. In the fear of the Lord, I gladly throw the door open again trusting you to come renovate, restore, and transform my life as a living temple in all that I say and do.

At the start of a new year and a new decade, this is my prayer.

Amen

Unrefined ponderings on a tired midweek morning…

Holy Spirit, reside in me, in us.

In Jesus, I am in heaven. Because Jesus is in me, heaven is on earth.
It is a “right here, right now” thing. The living, breathing, moving union of heaven and earth is overflowing with the glory of God.

Somehow to live every moment in the faith that in Christ, heaven and earth have been joined.

Transformation happens at the pace of a plant growing. And it grows up out of the mess and chaos of our lives.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank you, Jesus, for your faithful, undying, life infusing presence in us and with us especially when we think we are at our worst.

Teach us to see in every moment at least a hint of your kingdom flowing on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen

Christ is walking where you walk

I was reaching out to friends of mine this morning with a “stirring up” word. After I sent the message to them, I realized that it is an important word for all of us. We have come into a time of unprecedented harvest around the world. We have been sent as his children to do the harvest work. We HAVE TO get it done with Christ.

Wherever you place your feet, Christ in you is also placing his feet. Because he is in you and you are in him every place you walk is a place that the kingdom intends to show up. The Spirit has me contending for greatly improved vision for the eyes of your heart.

You and I can’t let the stubborn resistance of the rebellious world we are living in outwit us as children of God. It will submit to us in Christ if we remain present and enforce the kingdom (in love of course) wherever we go. The very places that resist us or that we don’t feel we belong are places that will be transformed by the kingdom soon! Jesus intends to do this with us as his family if we will keep showing up.

In Christ, you are a blessing!

Seeing differently

People often ask, “If God is real and present with us, why doesn’t he do something about the evil and destruction in the world?”. The prophetic voice asks, “Because God is real and present with us, what am I doing?”. Communing with the Holy Spirit will always change you into more of a living expression of heaven here and now.

God is talking to us today, revealing more of his dreams to us. He is focused and intent on his family in all nations finally growing up until the whole world sees King Jesus. The Holy Spirit is inviting you to trust him, not with the seemingly insurmountable challenges of tomorrow but in the middle of your next steps today. Invite him to show you where and how the light of heaven is streaming into your dim and dark places. God is building us together in Christ. Somehow in his incredible mercy and creativity, he is shining in us and creating a masterpiece on earth as it is in heaven. – inspired by Ephesians 4:11-16

Because Christ is in you, even your most challenging times contain the light of God’s presence. God is real, He is not avoiding your life or your space. Open our eyes, King Jesus to see this day on earth with the vision from heaven. – AMEN

God’s power all over us

I was leading a prophetic prayer session a few nights ago. A good friend in our prayer family shared a vision. She was seeing us standing in a narrow space between two walls. All of us had a hand on each wall and ready to push the walls apart.

She sensed that the Lord was inviting us to push the walls back in order to create space for his presence to rush in. The walls represented sin and/or evil mindsets with which we had grown way too familiar. It was time to name them, call them out and expel them in the power and authority of Jesus’ name.

One of the prominent evil strongholds that I saw was powerlessness. As our prayers began to heat up, we knew that we were moving with the Spirit of the Lord. The phrase, “having the appearance of godliness but denying its power” came to mind. 2 Timothy 3:5 speaks about us when we are powerless… “They may pretend to have a respect for God, but in reality they want nothing to do with God’s power. Stay away from people like these!” (TPT)

This morning as I was waking up, the Holy Spirit was stirring me to think about operating in the power of God. After I grabbed my coffee, I looked at 2 Corinthians 13:4. It talks about Jesus being “robed in God’s power”. You and I were put into Christ by God when we through faith received our adoption into his family. That means we are also covered in the awesome mantl/robe of his power.

I am praying today for the oil that cycles through the engine of the Church on earth. May God transform it into the fresh, golden oil from heaven instead of the sludge of recycled powerlessness. Most of us need a reawakening to the disrespect we show toward Jesus when we neglect his power. If we see it, our hearts will begin to break for change.

This is a new year and a new day. In Christ, you are robed in the power of God. That is a great honor and privilege. Don’t let selfish or lazy thinking cause you to take it for granted. You are better than that as a member of his household.

You are a blessing!