Concealed In Order to Be Revealed

Where is the remnant? Where is the bride of Christ that is rising? We hear so many prophetic words about the bride, the remnant and her rising, but where is she? Many know they are a member of the remnant, many are aware of their position, but still they are asking, where are we, what is our position in what is happening on the kingdom calendar? Will our purpose be revealed or stay concealed? The darkness the bride sees is not ignorance, for she is saturated with revelation knowledge; she is intimately aware of her bridegroom, so why is it so dark, why do we seem as though we are without an understanding of our global positioning in the earth realm? While reading the book of Colossians the other day, the Lord spoke to me and said, “the bride is being concealed so she can be revealed”. 
Colossians 3:3-4 says, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
As the Lord unpacked this verse for me, I saw in the spirit a trojan horse. Now I have heard of the trojan horse, but to say I have a working knowledge of it would not be true, so I looked up some details about it and I was delighted by the imagery God chose to reveal the truth He wants us as the remnant, the bride to hear this day. The trojan horse is a hollow wood statue of a horse which the Greeks concealed themselves in order to enter Troy. It is also defined as a person or thing intended secretly to undermine or bring about a downfall of an enemy or opponent. Can you hear what the spirit is saying to the remnant, the bride? 
God Himself is the trojan horse, the bible says, we are hidden in Christ and Christ is hidden in God, God is the trojan horse and we are hidden, concealed in Him and we are engaging the enemy, but our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers, principalities and rulers in heavenly realms (Ephesians 6). So, He has hidden us in Himself, for this battle is not ours but the Lord’s and when He wins this war over the enemy, He will be revealed in glory on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6) and we will be revealed with Him. Because we are hidden in Christ, as long as He remains concealed, we will remain concealed, once He is revealed, we will be revealed. 
When Jesus reveals His glory on the earth, not in the millennial reign, not in the second coming, but in the next move of God, we the remnant, the bride, we will be revealed with Him. We are being concealed because He has not yet been revealed. Once He is revealed, we will be revealed with Him in glory. The world does not need another man trying to make a name for himself, the world needs the glory of God to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. When the glory is revealed, healing will happen, salvation will spring up, deliverance will take place, and finances will abound. We are hidden in the trojan horse who is God and we are being brought into a war, of which we sense, but we are not being asked to fight in from a face to face fashion, because as Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord!” We are being concealed, in order to be revealed.

Words Made World

We live in a world that has 24-hour access to every situation that happens on the planet. Some stories rise faster than others, like the London Terrorist Attack, the Pulse Night Club Shooting, the San Bernardino Shooting, or the Nice, France terrorist attack. Some have said that with so many things happening so often, we are going to become numb to the reality of terror, death and destruction, but actually the opposite is true. We are made in the image of a living God (Genesis 1:26); who came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), which are to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10); so no I am not numb to all that I see and hear, I am grieved, I am concerned and I am unable to hold back my thoughts on what is happening. The issue is not political, financial, or even social, the issue is the same one the Apostle James and King Solomon spoke of. We have been warned about it over and over again, yet we seem to misunderstand the power it carries. The issue I speak of is our tongue!
We live in a words made world. People are angry because of words they are hearing. People are deeply wounded, not because sticks and stones broke their bones, but because the words that were spoken over them, about them or to them have hurt them. Words are the issue the nations are dealing with. Words that come out of the mouths of politicians and pastors alike; words that parents and peers speak; words that are written on Facebook, in magazines, in newspapers or on billboards and placards. Words that are permeating our radios, televisions and movie screens. Words are containers of power, what you speak is powerful. We remember Martin Luther King Jr.’s words to this day, “I have a dream!” We can hear the words of Jesus when He cried out with a loud voice, “It is finished!” We can quote the words we said on our wedding day, “I do!” or heard in the hospital room at the birth of our first child, “It’s a girl/It’s a boy”. Words, they create images for us, they tell stories to us, they build us up and they tear us down. King Solomon was right when he said, “the power of life and death is in the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). 
Words are so powerful that once you speak them out, you can’t take them back, no matter how many times you say you are sorry. Words penetrate so deep, that people in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond are still carrying around words that were spoken to them in their childhood. So, with words being this powerful, why are we not more careful with what we say? Why do we not put a guard on our mouths like the psalmist said in Psalm 141:3? Why do we think we can portray in a music video or magazine shoot, the assassination of our president and those words have no consequence? Who told us we can say what we want under oath and go free? Where did we learn that we can say whatever we want about whoever we want and then think it will not impact those who are listening to us? Where did we lose our ability as leaders in politics, pulpits and parental roles to hold our tongue, choose our words carefully and not spew death over those who hear our voice? Have we forgotten people are listening to us when we speak and that microphones and media amplify what we say? 
It is shocking to me to have people who sow words of death, to be shocked when someone who was a campaign manager for their political party opens fire at a softball field at 7am in the morning. It is surprising to me when we expect respect from our children when we show no respect for our President. It causes me to scratch my head when I hear people continually blasting people because of the color of their skin or the amount of money they make. But then I remember, we have raised a generation on the belief that we evolved from monkeys rather than were created by a living God. You see words have power and those in leadership have to realize that we are living a world that their words made. So to be shocked by behavior of people who are losing their minds because we have told them there is no God, should not be surprising. 
The truth is, if words can destroy our lives the way they do, then words have the power to build our lives. Romans 12:1-2 says, do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to discern what the will of God is, His good, perfect and pleasing will.” If we change the way we speak, we will change the world in which we live. God is about to raise up word warriors, who carry the truth of the gospel of the kingdom in their mouth, because we live in a words made world and we are in desperate need for life, light and love to invade our lives again. Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God spoke the most powerful words we could ever hear, when He said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve and give my life as a ransom for many! (Mark 10:45). There are many that need to hear the words of a loving Father who gave His one and only begotten son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). 
When Christian leaders, parents and people begin to speak life, we will change the world in which we live, because Genesis 1 reveals to us that we live in a words made world. Our words are our responsibility and knowing how far those words travel is difficult to determine, so it is best to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19), because our words are containers of power and you don’t know who is listening and how you are impacting them by what you say. Speak life!

Maritime Lessons

Tags

12 Tribes of Israel, Barnacles, Business, Economics, Harbor, Month of Sivan, Naval Mines, Prophecy, Zebulun

The end of May marked the beginning of the Hebrew month of Sivan, which is affiliated with the Tribe of Zebulun, whose typical symbol is that of a ship. When I learned these details last weekend, while listening to Glory of Zion’s sermon on Sunday morning about the month of Sivan, it added substance to some details God was revealing to me, but of which I did not have the frame of reference to place them. Now, that I have a better understanding of why the Lord was leading me to learn about Naval Mines and Barnacles, I can see clearer, that this month is about maritime issues and the Lord is preparing us to be ones who can carry the wealth of the nations. However, in order to be effective carries of these resources, there are some things we need to watch out for, so these are the maritime lessons the Lord has taught me and I want to share with you. I believe they are prophetic warnings of which we can deal with in prayer and they are for our personal lives as we progress into the new that is upon us.

Naval mines are bombs that the enemy drops in waters just outside a harbor that explode when a ship comes in to harbor. These bombs are placed on the ocean floor and are detonated by the presence of the arriving ships in order to blow them up before they can dock. Naval mines are used by many nations around the world to protect their own harbors from enemy ships approaching their harbor. As I studied these naval mines, I realized that when ministries, people and nations rise in financial power, the enemy detonates these bombs in order to destroy the ship carrying those resources. Some naval mines blow up because of people who do not have the character to handle the cash they are called to carry; others have enemies that plant these mines in their lives prior to them become cargo ships, so when they get big enough it triggers the naval mine to cause the explosion. No matter the way, the reality is, Zebulun, is a money ship and this ship is coming into harbor and will be going out of the harbor and the enemy is willing to wait for an opportune time to blow up our lives.

The Lord revealed these naval mines to me and then had me study mine sweeping. Mine sweeping is taking a simulated ship and sweeping the bottom of the ocean so the naval mines detonate prior to the real ships moving about. I believe this is where we have been. God has been mine sweeping our lives from naval mines the enemy planted when we were young, waiting for the opportune time to detonate them. I also believe prayer, fasting, bible reading, worship and silence are all tools God has used to mine sweep our lives, so they enemy cannot blow us up after we set sail into what God has prepared us for.

The second lesson the Lord taught me is that of barnacles. I sense very strongly we need to beware of the barnacles. As I heard these words from the Lord, “beware of the barnacles”, I knew, like the naval mines, the Lord was seeking to protect me from an intruder that would seek to destroy what God was going to release into our lives. Barnacles are marine animals that tend to live in shallow and tidal waters. Barnacles attach themselves to hard substrate. Barnacles in the natural attach themselves to solid things like ships, dock pillars, and jetty rocks. Here is what I did not know, barnacles have no true heart (can you hear what the spirit is saying). “Barnacles are of economic consequence, as they often attach themselves to synthetic structures, sometimes to the structure’s detriment. Particularly in the case of ships” (Wikipedia.com).

Knowing I heard the Lord say, “beware of barnacles” and then learning about the function of barnacles, opened my eyes wider to the reality that Proverbs 30:15 says, “The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give” (KJV). Barnacles are going to try and attach themselves to your life for the sake of what they can get from you and it will produce an economic consequence, so we need to beware of the barnacles. Barnacles, I believe can be people, credit cards, poor financial choices, bad investments, a variety of things. One of the lessons we must learn, who are going to carry the wealth of the nations is cost benefit analysis (CBA). If we aren’t good financial managers, we will not be allowed to carry great amounts of wealth, for the money will destroy us, just like the barnacles.

In this month of Sivan, whose associated tribe is Zebulun and whose symbol is the ship, which is associated to economics, business and money, the Lord is preparing us for an increase, by warning us of some maritime issues, which are very practical and prophetic simultaneously. The Lord delights in the prosperity of His children (Psalm 35:27), that is why He prepares us in so many ways before He releases to us what He wants us to enjoy. I hope this was helpful, insightful and practical. We are entering some very exciting times that is the reason for the maritime lessons.

Titanic: A Prophetic Picture

Titanic: A Prophetic Picture 5.30.17www.apostolicresourcecenter.org
In church on Sunday, the Lord showed me a picture of an iceberg and said, “even the largest ship is no match for an iceberg”. I knew immediately the Lord was speaking of Titanic, so I went to the movie store and rented the movie. Before watching the movie, I Google’d iceberg to find out if there were any clues the Lord was seeking to show me in that word and this is what I learned. Iceberg (Wikipedia) is also called an ice mountain. I filed this information away as a puzzle piece and then began to watch the movie Titanic. I entered this journey about the iceberg and Titanic with a few puzzle pieces, but no clue of what He wanted to show me or say to me. 
While watching the movie, many details stood out to me, one being the reality that there were a majority of rich British people, heading to America to set up business and commerce in the new land. But there were also a few emigrants that were seeking a better life on that boat as well. They had varying levels of which the emigrants could only rise from the bottom up two levels, the other levels were for the wealthy British aristocrats. The attitude of the wealthy was very haughty in the movie, with the exception of a few, one being “Rose” who tried to commit suicide as a way of escaping the phoniness of this lifestyle, but was continually returned to the madness of the British aristocracy. Do you remember the movie? I don’t want to ruin it for anyone that has not seen the movie yet, but the boat hits an iceberg and sinks, killing over half of the passengers, majority of them being wealthy men. 
Here is prophetically what I sensed the Lord saying, once I completed the movie…Titanic was the 2nd of 3 passenger ocean liners built by the White Star Lines, which was going to ship wealthy British aristocrats to America and this was their maiden voyage. The Lord highlighted to me, that man and money think they can do anything, so they ascend the highest points of the 7 mountains of culture, seeking to rule as kings of the hill. (Johnny Enlow and Lance Wallnau talk about the 7 mountains, so you can reference them if you need more information on that subject). But the Lord said to me, “remember the iceberg!” The iceberg or the ice mountain, took out the wealth leaders of the nations. Isaiah 2:2 says, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.”
I believe what Titanic is prophesying to us is that the ice mountain (the mountain of the Lord) punched holes in the “unsinkable” financial operatives of our day and at this moment it is taking in water. The captain of this ship knows it, some of the crew are aware, everyone felt the shaking, but some are acting as if it is no big deal. Eventually, people will try to pay people off to get them on a life boat, meant for women and children only, others will maintain a snub attitude, thinking this ship will never sink, but remember, the Lord said, Titanic is a prophetic picture of what happened. Even though the ship has not sunk yet, take notice of how many people are running here and there trying to convince people that it won’t sink. 
In the movie, 5 safety reserves were punctured, and the boat was only able to have 4 be punctured in order to stay afloat while taking in water. In the movie, one man asked the captain how long til we go under, he said, probably about an hour. Even though the band kept playing music and some kept believing nothing was wrong, eventually the reality of the situation was real and the stress of those who no longer could control things brought out the worst in them but their financial security could not save them. Many began to pray and call upon God, others just remained defiant, but the fate of that ship, once thought that not even God could sink it, was going down and there was no stopping it. 
I believe, the ice mountain or God has struck the financial powers that be and the Titanic which was headed to America, has now been averted. The ice mountain of God has saved our nation, yet again from some wealthy people’s agenda and one wealthy person, who saw the futility of the attitudes of the people in their category, broke away and fell in love with common people and those common people helped save his life. Yes, he is still very wealthy, but now his passion is evident, his ability to help this nation is real and God, the ice mountain, has struck a mighty blow to the Titanic that was coming our way. 
I am not sure if you can see the parable in this, the prophetic picture, but in the last days (we are living in the last days), the mountain of the Lord will be the chief of all the 7 mountains and all nations will stream to it on earth as it is in heaven. Remember, the glory of the Lord is going to cover the earth like the waters cover the sea and we are going to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, our best days are in front of us, not behind us. Get ready, we have entered the epoch of the mountain of the Lord!

Where Did You Stop?

Tags

Abraham, faith, Moses, Movement, Prophecy, Tabernacle

Where did you stop?

I can hear you asking me, where did I stop what? Where did you stop loving? Where did you stop forgiving? Where did you stop trusting? Where did you stop believing? Where did you stop learning? Where did you stop giving? Where did you stop  _____________? Rick Joyner said in February 2017 that the Lord spoke to him a 4 phrase prophetic word, “To infinity and beyond!” I did not know until today that God spoke that to Rick, but about 3 weeks ago, God spoke to me and said, “where did you stop?” I believe these two, four phrase prophetic words are connected, for you cannot go to infinity and beyond if you stop. So, where did you stop?

The reason I believe this question is so important is because the Lord is inviting us yet again to “Come up here!” Revelation 4:1 says, “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Couple this with the call out of Jeremiah 33:2-3 that says, ““This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” One observation I have made in the body of Christ is that when we get a revelation, we tend to camp on that revelation as though it is a final destination. Now, I realize that many people like to build settlements so they can feel secure, but the God we serve is continually on the move.

What I have noticed is that many have stopped at their last book, their last marriage, their last success, their last theology, but God is inviting us to keep going, to keep pressing, to keep moving. We are not to leave those things behind in the sense of we forget what we learned, but Hebrews 6:1 encourages us to press on, keep going, don’t stop. God invited Moses to build a tabernacle, it was a mobile tent, so they could keep moving; He made an ark of the covenant, that was to carried on the shoulders of the Levites, so it could be on the move; He called Abraham to keep moving until he found the city, who’s builder and maker is God; Jesus Himself, never built a settlement, but rather walked with His disciples, they were on the move.

I don’t believe God is anti-buildings, but I believe that many of us have stopped, settled, set up camp with no intention of moving on from where we are. Faith is movement! Like a river, we need to keep moving in our faith, in our love, in our pursuit of the Kingdom, we have done ourselves and others a disservice when God moves but we remain.

So, where did you stop? I can feel the resistance to this question, because if you answer it honestly, you will have to admit you stopped. But, I believe God is releasing a fresh wave of grace (empowerment) to get moving again. He is inviting us to believe again, trust again, love again, give again, because He is on the move. Whenever the cloud moved, the Israelites moved, I’m concerned the cloud has moved but many in the body of Christ have not. We are being invited to learn again, listen again, obey again, because He is speaking again!

If you stopped, you can start again, but you realize you stopped. Others see where you stopped, but many times you can’t see it, but today is the day of salvation, so pick up your mat and walk, for God is on the move and He wants you to move with Him.

Capitulate!

Tags

Daniel 4, Give up, Movement, Resistance, Surrender, Wave the white flag

Capitulate! 5.6.17

http://www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

 

Yesterday morning as I was waking up, I heard in my spirit the word, capitulate. My first thought was did I hear clearly, then again I heard the word capitulate. So, now in my mind I am thinking, capitulate? I went on with my prayer time and bible study, not really paying attention to the word. One reason was, I had no idea what it meant and two, it was just one word, that had no context or meaning to me, so I tried to shake it off. But as I am reading my bible, I hear it again, capitulate. So, between Psalm 135 and 136, I stop reading and look up the word capitulate.

 

Capitulate (wikitionary.com): to surrender; to end all resistance; to give up; to go along with or comply; to wave the white flag in surrender

 

Now I have a definition and I ask the Lord, are you telling me to capitulate on something, I thought I was up to date on obedience, He said, no not you, the nations. Then I saw like a sign in heaven and on it said, CAPITULATE! I knew heaven was commanding, decreeing the earth to capitulate. I sent the word to a couple of friends and they responded with wow, amazing, yes! One friend even screen shot the word and its definition on her phone, for she did not know what it meant either and said yes, this is what heaven is saying.

Capitulate! So, I began to decree to the earth, capitulate, I began with America, then went to other nations of the world in my prayers and said, capitulate. There may be more to this word, that others can say in order to add pieces to this puzzle God is speaking to the nations, but this piece felt significant enough for me to share with you all, so you can decree as I am, in agreement with heaven, earth is it time to capitulate.

 

Finally, I woke up this morning, still thinking about this word, and I hear the words, “until you know that heaven rules!” I knew immediately this was what Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, so I find the verse in its context and it is part of the interpretation of the kings dream about the tree that was cut down in Daniel 4. Then here is the verse I heard, Daniel 4:26 “The part about the tree stump and roots being left means that your kingdom will still be there for you after you learn that it is heaven that rules!”

 

I believe this word, capitulate and this verse in Daniel 4:26 is on a macro level for world leaders that are resisting what God is doing in the earth realm, if they refuse to capitulate I think they will be cut down, until they learn that heaven rules. On a micro level, I believe it is about the resistance movement in America. The Lord is saying, capitulate, stop resisting what I am doing, stop resisting authority, wave the white flag, but if you don’t, I will have to chop you down until you learn that heaven rules. I don’t believe any is going to die, I believe some voices are going to be silenced until they learn that heaven rules.

 

God has decided that heaven is going to rule on earth while we are alive, it is a decision He made and He is not going to change His mind. We will see a move of God like never before in our generation, heaven has declared it. But, there is a call to the earth to capitulate, so this move of God will be a blessing to all not a burden to some. God does not want us resisting Him any longer, He has a surprise party planned that will release righteousness, peace and joy, but you must capitulate or be cut down, until you acknowledge that heaven rules. And with what is coming, it will not be hard to know that heaven rules!

Massive Shift

Tags

church, Era, kingdom of God, Ministry, New Day, Repent, Shift, Tower of Babel

The era of big ministries is coming to an end and the era of big people is arising!

Genesis 11:1-4 says, “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.  As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

The era of big ministries began as a mustard seed of faith, trust, truth, and authentic hunger for God, His word and His people. However, as the building got bigger, the ministry did not keep going back to the foundation before it built another layer, so now the ministry is so far from the truth, that they do not even know truth when they hear it or the building is big but the presence of God is minimal to non-existent. Before the temple was destroyed in AD 70, it was already corrupt and left desolate (Matthew 23:38 and Matthew 26:64). They did not destroy a living entity, they destroyed an already desolate artifact, that had the appearance of godliness, but denied its power (2 Timothy 3:5). And Jesus prophesied this would happen in the gospel of Matthew, saying, not one stone would be left on another (Matthew 24:2).

We are living in the end of an era just like they were in the gospels. Jesus was the beginning of a new era, He said, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is here (Matthew 3:2). Prophets in our day and age have been saying this for years, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. They have been trying to tell us a new era is here, the kingdom has come, the church age is over, but we can’t comprehend what they are saying. So, we continue to try and be the next big name with the next big building, so people ooh and ahh over us; so people buy our books; want to have us come and speak in their church. I’m telling you what they have been telling you, the era of big ministries is coming to an end, that is why you are being halted, stopped, you feel stuck, because those days are over.

Here’s where we are, God is building big people. They are huge on the inside, they don’t have a big building, they don’t have a huge following on Twitter, Periscope or Instagram, but they are huge on the inside. You see the saying is still true today, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). Man will always look to see how big your church is, how many books you’ve written or how many souls you’ve saved, but God, is searching to and fro for a heart that is completely His (2 Chronicles 16:9). Many are discouraged because they are not getting the big break, the big book deal, the big phone call and many are promising you still, this is going to happen, but the truth is, God has been and continues to, look for those who are big on the inside, not big on the outside.

God is looking for big people. The kingdom is a government of big people, not big ministries. The kingdom of God is filled with big people, when they speak the hallways of heaven echo their words, when they pray sickness is healed, relationships are restored, finances recovered and the presence of God comes in power. These people are unassuming, not self-promoting, they are not trying to make a name for themselves, for they are secure in their identity as son or daughter or God. They dwell in the shelter of the Highest, they don’t live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, they know their God and they will do great exploits. These big people live in condo’s, companies, churches, and communities as everyday people, because outwardly they are not flashy, showy or seeking attention, but oh if you get a chance to hear them speak, if you spend any time with them, you will know they are big on the inside and these are the ones that are arising. These are the diamonds in the dirt that many have walked over, but who God was forging in the secret place when no one was looking.

The era of big ministries is over, the era of big people is arising. If you’re looking to be a big ministry, you are going to be looking for an old wineskin, but if you are willing to be a big person, there is no telling what He will do with you, as a vessel of honor fit for the Master’s use!

What’s Taking So Long?

Tags

Death, deception, Delay, Lies, Self, Truth, Wandering, Willderness

Many are asking when is this wilderness season going to come to an end? When are we going to see the manifestation of the promises God and others have spoken over us? What is causing the delay? If you are asking these kinds of questions, I have good news for you. God is not slack in fulfilling His promises, but he is patient, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to the knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:9). When it comes to the Lord God in heaven there is no such thing as delay. He lives in now time, all the time. Most will not argue with that, so then they bring it to what they call the second heaven, so the delay must be because the enemy is holding it up. This thought comes from one verse in Daniel 10:13 which says Daniel’s answer was delayed 21 days because of a principality. However, this season we have been in has been for years, not weeks, but years. So, is it possible it is not a delay due to the devil or God, but someone we have not yet identified?

1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” What things? All the wilderness things. The nation of Israel is an example to us as a warning, so we don’t make the same mistakes they made. But what exactly was their issue, what hindered them from entering the promised land and possessing the promises of God? It wasn’t God, it wasn’t Moses, it wasn’t the devil, the person who kept them out of the promise land was…themselves! They refused to surrender to God, they refused to submit to God, they refused to be content with God, it was them, they were the issue. How do I know this, because a whole generation had to die off, so the next generation could enter in the promised land. Is it possible the delay is not the devil, not God, but me, but you? I believe this is where we need to look, not outside of us, but inside of us. Not to someone else, or something else, but to ourselves.

I believe that the wilderness battle is a battle with self, not with God or the devil. The point of the wilderness is to teach us how to win the battle over ourselves, not the devil, not God, but us. Our battle is with ourselves, that is why this battle is taking so long. David said in Psalm 55:12-14 “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.” The closer the person is to us, the harder it is to deal with it, because they are so close, we would never suspect them to be our issue. I believe God is working out with diligence and consistency the Lordship issue in our life. He is wrestling with us, not us wrestling with the devil or some principality. Until we surrender, until we stop trying to be in control, until we say mercy and let Him be God, not in certain areas of our lives, but over our whole lives, I am not sure we will leave the wilderness.

The reason for this intense battle, the reason it is taking so long, is because our battle is within, not without and it is a battle between us and God. He is trying to get us to trust Him, not situationally, but eternally. I know many will argue with me on this point, but the truth is, the issue is not outside of us, the issue is inside of us and He is not going to let us go, until this battle over self is won and Jesus Christ is Lord over all of our life. Once He has all of us, trust me, we will possess the promised land, for He is a covenant keeping God and He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). If you read Psalm 105-106 it will give you a history of Israel’s battle with themselves and once they win that battle, then they begin to fight the enemies who are squatting on their promise, but if you try to deal with external enemies before you deal with internal ones, your victory will be short term, that is why God is cleaning the inside of the cup in our lives, during this wilderness season, so when we enter the promised land, the enemy will be defeated with a word. Is it possible, this is what’s taking so long?

Y2K or 2K2?

What year is it? If you read what some people write you would think we are in Y2K. Fears of EMP’s going out; earthquakes wiping out whole cities; nuclear bombs blowing up this or that; and this is not what the news is saying, this is what “prophets” are saying. It sounds so much like Y2K, that if you do not have a discerning ear to hear the voice of God, you are going to hear the voice of the media coming out of the “prophets” of the land. I am not saying we should ignore reality, but let’s not say, God said, when He did not say, just so we can sound prophetic when something happens. If you are a true prophet of God, you are to intercede when you hear of destruction looming, so it does not come near us, not sow fear in us, so people hide rather than thrive. 

Again, back to the original question, what year is this? It is 5777 in the Hebrew Calendar and 2017 in the Gregorian Calendar, no matter how you slice it, it is the year of victory! We are still living in a year of victory and we need to remind ourselves of this or we will lose courage and this year will come and go without manifesting victory. Victory has been declared in heaven over this year and we are about to see it manifest here on the earth, but we must believe the report of the Lord, not the report of the media. 

I had a dream last night and if I lived with fear, I might have interpreted it as a Y2K event coming and it would have gotten a lot of shares and likes, but as I prayed into the dream, what the Lord showed me blew my mind. How do I know it was God? Because He showed me my dream in His word. So, here’s my dream. I was driving in a car with someone and we were going through a small city and on the horizon, I saw dark clouds, two tornados and a flaming horse running along the horizon. Above the obvious storm, I saw clear skies, blue and with big white clouds. I told my driver, hey we better get home, for there is a storm coming. We circled the city one more time, out of sheer enjoyment, and then headed back to the house to prepare for the storm. End of dream. I was not afraid at all, but three significant images stood out to me as I thought about the dream. 

1. Dark clouds
2. Two tornadoes
3. Flaming horse

I have learned from John Paul Jackson’s Dreams and Mysteries series how to understand the significance of these symbols, so I began the process of seeking to discover what God was saying. I learned from my search that twin tornadoes are called a multi vortex, and of course the dark clouds were obvious to me that a storm was on the horizon. My first thought was the political climate of our world right now. This interpretation of my dream, would have been accurate, if God did not give me His interpretation. So, I went out in my garden to pray and I asked the Lord to reveal to me what the dream meant as I was unclear of the significance and felt like my interpretations were not carrying the truth He was seeking to release. In addition, the flaming horse was significant and did not have a place in my interpretation as of yet. 

I came in the house after prayer and looked up flaming horse in the bible, seeking to get clarity as I sensed the Lord was saying, you’re missing a piece and what I discovered in the Word blew my mind. The dream is about 2 Kings 2, not some apocalyptic event like a potential Y2K. I was reading 2 Kings 2 about Elijah and his process before going to heaven. There was the dark clouds (Elisha’s grief); the two tornadoes (whirlwind) and the flaming horse (horses of God); all right there in 2 Kings 2. I was overwhelmed and asked the Lord what He was saying. You will need to read the chapter, but this is the jist of what I believe God is saying to the bride in this hour. 

You were invited to stay at Bethel (the house of bread that releases health), but you followed me on to Jericho. You were invited to stay in Jericho (place of war that releases plunder), but you followed me on to the Jordan. While at the Jordan, you and I crossed over together and then I told you, Ask what you want from me (what do you want?); you answered a double portion of my spirit (many interpretations for this); then when Elijah went to heaven, Elisha ripped his garment, and Elijah’s garment fell to earth; then Elisha folded Elijah’s garment and said, where is the God of Elijah and parted the sea to cross back over in the spirit and power of Elijah. 

You have stayed with Jesus all the way to the Jordan, you had chances to stop in places that would have feed you well, supplied you abundantly, but you resolved that where You go I go and what You say I say, so you didn’t stop, you kept following Him and now we are at the Jordan, not the Joshua 3 crossing, this is the 2 Kings 2 crossing and when the fire falls on us like in Acts 2, we who stayed in the upper room will be endued with power from on high, all because we stayed all the way. This is not Y2K we are seeing, this is all a set up for 2K2. I’m ready, are you?

Listening Precedes Speaking

Tags

Ear Training, Listening, Prophecy, Public Speaking, Speaking, Truth, voice of God

Listening Precedes Speaking 4.19.17

http://www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

 

It is not a new concept to understand that what you hear is what you speak. When we were new born babies, we heard many words, but we could not speak any. So, we had to learn to listen, before we could learn to speak. The same is true in the spiritual as it is in the natural. Until we learn to listen and hear clearly, we will not be able to speak clearly. Paul said, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” (1 Corinthians 13:11). Our level of hearing, determines our leveling of speaking. I think we can all agree on this.

 

Here is the challenge the body of Christ is facing, whether on Facebook, Instagram, or in pulpits and on platforms all over the world, we have people wanting to speak before they have learned to listen. This is bringing much confusion to the body of Christ and causing many to get their hopes up around what sounds like a prophetic word, but is actually just someone’s vain imagination. Jeremiah 23:16 says, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.” This is not just about prosperity prophecies, this is also about gloom and doom, Jesus is returning soon prophecies. People are speaking before they are listening and it is leading the body of Christ astray.

 

When I was 19 years old and newly saved, I had zeal without knowledge. I was ready to preach to anyone who would listen, that Jesus Christ is Lord. I do not think that evangelism like this is harmful, because the zeal is so strong that you do not care what others think about you, all you know is that you were once lost and now you are found. The challenge is, when people who have zeal but no knowledge are in our pulpits, conferences or on our news feeds. Their zeal can be contagious, but their knowledge is weak, because they have pursued speaking over listening.

 

When I was in my first Bible Training School, one or our Pastor said he spent 8 hours to prepare for one sermon. I remember thinking, what are you doing for 8 hours, when you only speak for 20-30 minutes? But now that I have grown up, now that I have learned the value of listening and stopped trying to be a speaker, I realize how crucial it is to listen for many hours on end and speak for very few. Solomon even said in Proverbs 17:27 “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” The less we speak, the more we know, because when you really know something, you have no need to be heard, rather you wait to see if anyone wants to hear what you have to say.

 

The body of Christ has been going through what I call accelerated maturity. It has been a time for those who agreed to it, to learn in a rapid way how to hear the voice of God, clearly, so they can speak the words of God, clearly. They are not taking scripture out of context to match their message; they are not slapping a verse on people’s problems; they are not pursuing a pulpit or platform; they are learning to listen to the still small voice in the secret place of the most High. They have learned wisdom, patience, timing, intimacy and authority; they are not in a hurry to make their name great, but they are prepared to make His name glorious; they went in as unbroken wild horses and are now broken power horses with a fiery love in their eyes and a word in their mouth. When they speak, demons are going to flee; the dead are going to be raised; the sick are going to be healed; relations are going to be restored; and the lost are going to come to Christ.

 

The leaders that are about to arise learned that listening precedes speaking; they learned that if they don’t hear clearly, they won’t speak clearly; and they learned it is not about training your mind, it is about letting the Lord heal your heart, for they know, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, not out the abundance in their head. They have been in the secret place getting a heart transplant, heart surgery and cardiovascular healing, so when they speak, there is synergy between their heart and their mouth, because they know they can only speak what they hear. God is more interested in you learning to hear His voice (which means consistently obeying what you hear), than He is in you speaking, writing a book or putting out another prophetic word. You can’t side step it, He is a God of order and learning to listen precedes speaking in the kingdom age leaders.