“My Spirit that is upon you and within you shall be your constant companion – revealing hidden truths that shall be as stepping stones to guide you in this season. Heed His voice in even the smallest of matters because, unbeknownst to you, it could mean life or death. As you well know, the enemy of your soul comes to steal, kill and destroy. But remember, I came to give you life! These are crucial times but you need not fear.
I knew of these days and have prepared for these days long ago. I have been and am even now preparing for you to be victorious in this hour. I see you as an overcomer! There shall rise from your very midst giants of faith who shall lead and gather My troops.
The invitation is given to all, but not all will chose to take up this last day’s mantle. Remember David as he could not wear Saul’s armor? I have a mantle prepared just for you – not another man’s mantle. Upon the breastplate of your mantle shall be tokens of your previous victories. These tokens are not only to cause you to remember My faithfulness, but also will serve as tokens to remind the enemy of his defeat!
I say that victory is Mine! I have procured this as I led captivity captive and made a show of the enemy openly. Your victory is in the Blood! Your assurance is in the resurrection!”
The other day as I was walking my dog this militant attitude rose up inside of me. I thought of the story of David and Goliath and how day after day Goliath would come out to the children of Israel and mock, taunt and make fun of them and their God until a shepherd boy believed in his heart “It’s Time” for this giant to fall and that is what took place a giant fell.
Paul and his companion was walking through a city and every day this girl would follow them shouting, “these men are from the Most High God showing us the way to salvation” till one day Paul had enough of her taunting and he turned to her and commanded the spirit inside of her to come out and at that moment it left her.
I think of Elijah who was hiding out in a cave and God came to him, many think God was angry with Elijah and yelled at him “ELIJAH HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO HIDE OUT IN THIS CAVE?” I believe God came to him tenderhearted and said with a gentle voice “Elijah how long are you going to hide out in this cave?” The Lord was encouraging him to come out of the cave and partner with him and finish what was before him. I know many of us have been in our cave of intimacy. We have had our dreams, visions and prophetic downloads. We see them all over social media, but I believe with all my heart “It’s Time” for this giant (virus) to come down. There are those asking when will God intervene? The earth is not asking that question. The earth is asking when will the sons and daughters of God manifest and set it free from the bondage it is in.
Our God is far above every name that can be named and that includes a virus. I know that there are many opinions about this situation that we are in and I am not going to give my opinion at this time, but I think we can all agree that this virus has killed enough, stolen enough and destroyed enough and “It’s Time” to come out of the cave and declare and degree that enough is enough. We are tired of the mocking and taunting of this thing and wield our swords of authority. We are under the new covenant where Jesus’ blood speaks a better word. It says in the word “where two or more agree on anything on earth it shall be done in heaven.”
“It’s Time” to bind this virus and everything that has piggy backed on it, the spirit of death, fear, poverty etc. and “It’s Time” to loose healing, deliverance, restoration and people becoming whole again and show this thing (virus) who our God truly is and that is “Our God is mighty to save.”
Are we not watchmen on the wall? Together we can stand in the gap and declare to the world “Not On My Watch” “It’s Time!!! Are You Ready???”
As we await a tearing down of evil laws and unrighteous influencers in our nation, many believe as we sit and wait, it will all just happen. I speak of both Republicans and Democratic political parties. Many believe if we get the right people in office things will change, and they will to a certain degree. But dare I say, this is what got our nation where it is today. Now, we are to absolutely vote for political leaders who share our Biblical worldview. It takes not only righteous leaders, but it takes us, the church, to pray and be a beacon of light to our nations. We are not to be a light-filled city hidden under a basket. It takes us, His representatives, to be His voice of righteousness. God paid a great price for His church to carry and release His governmental authority in our nations. Political leaders can only do so much. We, the people of His Kingdom, have the responsibility to regulate the spiritual temperature of our nation.
While this is true of our nation, my focus is on the church. Our nation will change when the church changes. All of us are praying and desiring a great spiritual awakening. I do know it is going to happen! But I also believe to accomplish all the Father desires to release, we must change our focus from waiting and depending on our spiritual leaders to be the only catalyst. Absolutely, they carry great weight in the spirit and are vital! To fulfill the magnitude of what God desires to release around the world, it will be impossible for our Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelist to do it all. It must also be, we the people, just as for our nations.
It is a time for a “Let My People Go” movement. Each one of us have gifts and talents that the Lord has given us to use as we represent Him in the earth. We must stop seeing ourselves as “less than” when it comes to being used by God. Every one of you were chosen by our Father in Heaven. He looked down through eternity to this day and He chose you to be alive and to be a part of the end-time generation. I believe those who have gone on before us, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and others longed to see this day that we have been given the privileged to not only see, but to be an active participant. Just imagine, many of them prophesied about this very day that you are living in!
This will take us departing from our spiritual cruise ships of comfort and spiritual apathy to step out into the deep with Jesus. Anything achieved, which has resulted in a lasting value, had a price. It is time for us to count the cost and rise up to obtain our inheritance and give Him the reward of His suffering!
It is time we took hold of the scepter the King is extending to His Bride and accept our God given destinies. We will accomplish much together as we wield our Sword of the Spirit – the Word. As each of you step into your position, whether as an executive, a worshiper, a child care worker, a janitor or if you are called to the five-fold ministry, we ALL have a place as a dispenser of His Kingdom authority.
Every one of your prayers can shake nations. Every song of the Lord you sing releases His frequency to shift atmospheres. You are a light being and when you enter places of darkness, you are to release your light and darkness must flee!
Rise up and ask the Father to allow you to see yourself as He sees you. You are a mighty warrior! You are a Kingdom carrier! You are destined to be an overcomer and to change the world around you! You are a move of God! When we finally come together with this mindset…look out world! We will shift the culture. The biggest wave of His Spirit will flood this earth to rescue and reap a harvest of souls!
“Your lives light up the world. Let others see your light from a distance, for how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light. So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others, so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-17
We are living in a time that we have not seen or experienced before…. Within the span of only a few weeks the whole world was thrust into a Pandemic of disease, fear, and economic chaos. Prophetic words have suggested an unsettling scenario: re calibration – reset- upheaval – never the same again!
What should be our response to these things?
I would like to suggest 7 anchors of peace and hope to hold on to, gleaned from the 23rd Psalm in The Passion Bible.
The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd I always have more than enough. 2 He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. 3 That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name. 4 Lord, even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace] The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near. 5 You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows. 6 So why would I fear the future? For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!
Verse 1: “The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd…”
This brings to mind the old hymn:
What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!
Indeed, Jesus is our friend, and He invites us to share our every thought, fear and need with Him.
Psalm 95 says:
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
The best friend a sheep has is the SHEPHERD. Jesus identifies Himself twice in the gospel of John as the Good Shepherd who “gives His life for the sheep.” And Jesus taught in the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12-13:
“If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
Our Good Shepherd is very intentional about guiding us and keeping us from getting lost and falling into the pit falls of life.
“…. I always have more than enough.”
In John 10:10, Jesus said He came to give us ABUNDANT LIFE:
“I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!” (The Passion Bible)
In Philippians 4:19, Paul exhorts us:
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Anchor 1: Our God is a God of Safety and ABUNDANCE! – With Jesus as my friend and shepherd I will always be safe in his arms and have what I need; even more than enough!
Verse 2 in Psalm 23:
“He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and revives my life.”
This is reminiscent of the words of Jesus in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Then Jesus assured us with these words in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
One of the Names of Jesus is Jehovah Shalom – Jesus IS PEACE! And Jesus lives inside of us and fills us with His Peace! And He invites us to come and abide in Him, the Prince of Peace… (John 15:4-7; Isaiah 9:6)
Anchor 2: God offers me a quiet place of peace and rest in Him at all times, for His Presence restores and revives my life. Do I go there often to commune with Him?
Verse 3 of Psalm 23:
“He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name.”
David spoke of pathways in Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand arepleasures forevermore.”
The Psalmist in Psalm 119:105 described the Word of God as a lamp that shines to lighten our path: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
And Psalm 118:19 speaks of pathways leading to righteousness:
Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, AndI will praise the Lord.
Anchor 3: God’s pathways bring pleasure and joy, and His Word lights my path with revelation. He leads me on a path of righteousness so I can bring Him praise and honor.
Verse 4a of Psalm 23:
“Lord, even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have!”
Paul admonished Timothy that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” ( 2 Timothy 1:7) Fear is not a part of who we are in Christ. Instead, Paul said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” There is nothing I will face that will be too difficult for me – for if God is for me, who can be against me? (Romans 8:31)
In fact, we must see testings and trials as gifts to help us learn to overcome…James said, “My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things.” (James 1:2-3, The Passion Bible)
Anchor 4: I am empowered by God to endure and prosper in every temptation and trial of life, and to navigate through the deepest darkness.
Verse 4b of Psalm 23:
“You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.”
Romans 8:35-39 is perhaps the greatest passage on the power of God’s love to keep and to save. Paul’s beautiful words resonate across the millennia:
“What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The prophet Isaiah penned these words on the keeping power of God in Isaiah 26:3-:
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”
I watched an interview with the rapper Snoop Dogg concerning the remake of the movie “Roots”, that really spoke to me about a mindset of how we view a past that we were never part of. And how that past can affect a culture that is hundreds of years removed. Snoop Dogg goes on to say;
“I’m sick of this. … How the heck they gonna put Roots on Memorial Day?” a subdued Snoop Dogg asks in the selfie video. “They just going to keep beating that stuff into our heads as to how they did us, huh?”
He goes on to say…
“I don’t understand America. They just want to keep showing the abuse that we took hundreds and hundreds of years ago. But guess what? We’re taking the same abuse,” he says. “Think about that part. When you all going to make a series about the success that black folks is having. The only success we have is Roots and 12 Years A Slave?”
Now don’t get me wrong, I in no way thinking that we should be oblivious to our past, in fact I know we can learn many things, both good and bad, from our past. I remember in Orlando Fla., we saw a very great tragedy. Anytime human life is lost, its a travesty against us as a nation. It wasn’t LGBT’s who were lost, it was people, lives, living, breathing, human beings who are now lost because of one man’s inability to see past his own hate, or should I say, his own self taught hate. Look I am not advocating a lifestyle here, I am advocating my belief as a Christian that Jesus views all life as sacred. Again I say, let’s remember what Jesus said in John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Somehow those words, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world” are lost. Jesus reprimanded the disciples for judging wrongly when they wanted to call down fire, Jesus said in Luke 9;
54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them,and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.
Which to me means, we don’t really have the mind of God and what His purposes are in many area’s of our lives, I know I don’t. Chick-fil-a helped the victims of the Orlando shooting during a time when the light of Christ needed to pierce the darkness. If your conviction is to not associate with people differing from your belief system, and anything associated with them, then I guess your time at Chick-fil-a is done. Again, this isn’t agreeing with a lifestyle, if anything this is being in agreement with the word of God.
Let’s just remember who we are really fighting here. It’s not a people group, it’s not a person, it’s Satan. It’s the accuser of the brethren, it’s the hater of our souls and the who despises our love for God and the love God has for his children. Time to grow up people, we aren’t fighting a natural war here, we are fighting a carnal war, we are fighting a spiritual war, a war that is claiming lives everyday. Doesn’t God have a desire that ALL should be saved? How are you going to do that when condemnation is the first thing we speak when we wake, and the last thing we speak when we sleep?
I for one am not going to put up with it, you want to vomit your hate monger words across your Facebook page, feel free, it’s your page, I will kindly remove you from my feed. Seriously, let go of your hate, we aren’t called to hate, but to love. Stop using the Old Testament mindset to justify your abuse of God’s people. Stop prostituting God’s grace and embrace the cross for what it really means. It’s a sacrifice we can’t repay, an embracing of death that we don’t have to walk through. A gateway to God that we could not find, except through the blood of Christ.
What’s going to happen when the pagans, the witches, the satanist, the LGBT community, the lost in Christ, come banging on the doors of your church, wanting to be saved, wanting to know Jesus. When they are drawn to the power of His blood and are seeking redemption and healing? Will you turn them away? Will you tip your cap of pride and tell them to go away for they are “unclean?” Remember we are being watched as Christians. When you tell someone you are a Christian, or profess that you are a follower of Jesus, you are being watched and observed on how consistent you are to His word.
That big building you go to every Sunday is not a fortress to keep you safe from the world, it’s a place that is suppose to be a city of refuge to the lost and broken who want to find Jesus, and HIS BRIDE WITHIN. Stop holding on to the gift of salvation like it is yours to hold. It’s not. Remember what Peter said in Acts 3:6
6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
Be a light that those in the dark who want to come and see. Thank goodness that Jesus didn’t respond to the lepers, the harlots and the tax collectors like we do to people in today’s world. Who can be saved indeed.
What I desire to do today is to give you an overview regarding light. I want to then focus on the light of Jesus and how it relates to what I sense He is doing in this hour.
”And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:13-17 ESV
In this scripture we see the first place Jesus ministered, after being tempted in the wilderness, was in the land of Zebulun. This fulfilled prophecy spoken by the prophet Isaiah many years prior. This was a place that people were dwelling in darkness and there was a shadow of death over them. Sounds familiar also to our days. Zebulun was one of the twelve tribes of Israel who failed to drive out the Canaanites as commanded. Much like us, at times we have chosen to go on our own path rather than the path the Lord set before us. As we see, even in this example, when we turn back because of our love for God and His love for us, He draws us back to His desired path.
What I want to emphasize today was a great light dawned upon them. This is actually what is meant in Isaiah 60:1-2 “Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you.” Light always overwhelms darkness. A picture of this we have in the natural is daybreak. The sun rises in the East and releases light that dispels the darkness of night.
Matthew 24:27 “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”Some characteristics of lightning is brilliance, speed, cloud. The feature of lightning that stands out the most is its brilliance or brightness. This is a parabolic meaning of light in Scripture and a picture of Jesus’ soon return as His brilliant light will be seen by all.
I am sure we all have read “Once Upon a Time” stories, like once upon a time there was a king who lived far, far, far away in a kingdom etc. Did you know before Christ was born there were Greek philosophers who believed that there was a “Supreme Being”? This Supreme Being” lived far, far, far away in the heavens, where his kingdom was, and that mindset has been passed down to the western church even to this day but now people refer to Him as God.
In order to build muscles in the natural you have to stretch them until they tear and they will then rebuild themselves even stronger. Can we allow our spiritual muscles to be stretched to where we can tear away from vain philosophy and the traditions of man? What if God is but a breath away? Remember when Jesus said “Some will say that the kingdom is here and others will say no the kingdom is over there but I say to you the kingdom of God is within you.” Christ inside of us the hope of glory. Where the king is you will also find His kingdom. So what if this King Jesus’ kingdom isn’t in a far, far, far away land but is inside of us?
When Jesus was born didn’t He bring His kingdom with Him remember the angelic ( who are part of His Kingdom) gathered on the hill side to sing praises to God because where the King is so is His Kingdom. Just saying that statement causes my natural mind to rise up and rebel, but the things of the natural mind cannot comprehend the things of the spirit. Jesus told His disciples “I go to prepare a place for you so that where I am you too can also be” I am just asking a question here? What if that place He is preparing is us so that we may mature into sons and daughters and manifest His kingdom here on earth? Remember where the King is so is His kingdom.
When Jesus died on the cross, the temple’s veil was ripped from top to bottom exposing the Holy of Holies. What if, because of Christ inside of us, the Holy of Holies (Christ) can be exposed to the world for all who freely want to come, and see clearly this Christ inside of us?
What if now you and I can become the stories; “Once Upon a Time there was a King (Jesus) who did not live in a far, far, far away land but instead He lives inside of us and we are privileged to allow all who desire to come and read and partake of this kingdom that is available to them not when they just die but in the here and now.” Knowing where the king is you will find His kingdom. That kind of puts the ball in our court doesn’t it? Let me ask you a question, are you ready to play some ball???
I saw a vision a few nights ago in the middle of the night. It was Jesus carrying a lamb around His neck. I read Luke 15.4-6 TPT.
4–5 “There once was a shepherd with a hundred lambs, but one of his lambs wandered away and was lost. So the shepherd left the ninety-nine lambs out in the open field and searched in the wilderness for that one lost lamb. He didn’t stop until he finally found it. With exuberant joy he raised it up and placed it on his shoulders, carrying it back with cheerful delight! 6 Returning home, he called all his friends and neighbors together and said, ‘Let’s have a party! Come and celebrate with me the return of my lost lamb. It wandered away, but I found it and brought it home.’”
I felt like He was showing me that we need to prepare our hearts for those who are coming home to Him. For us to be ready to be like the Shepherd and be joy filled to carry them in our hearts. Bringing them back home and celebrating them.
“With exuberant joy he raised it up and placed it on his shoulders, carrying it back with cheerful delight! 6 Returning home, he called all his friends and neighbors together and said, ‘Let’s have a party! Come and celebrate with me the return of my lost lamb. It wandered away, but I found it and brought it home.’”
With exuberant joy. With cheerful delight.
Are we ready to join with Jesus in carrying those who are so different than us in our hearts and help them back home? To carry them with exuberant joy and cheerful delight? I feel like the Father is saying it’s time to prepare for this. As we start to emerge out of quarantine sometime in the hopeful, near future, I pray our hearts are able to see each heart as a child of His. That we can look past our differences and let our light of His love shine through our hearts to them. That the walls that may have been there before the pandemic would be broken. That we will make time to pray for people and carry them in our hearts with such joy! Sometimes we are to be that person that remains in one’s life to speak life and truth and be of support. There will be a day where many will be coming back home. Let’s be ones who are ready to find them and help them stay the course and carry them in prayer and encouragement. Then, have such celebration when they are back home with Him!
In doing this we also need to protect our hearts from jealousy. As like in the scripture of the prodigal son we can get jealous of those who come home and get so much from the Lord. Let’s allow the Father to remind us of who we are in Him and not allow our minds to entertain jealousy even now so that we will be prepared for those who will be returning to Him and be so overjoyed when they receive His love and blessings!
Father, prepare our hearts even now to see each person as your child. Each one a treasure no matter what they believe or how different they are to us. Open our eyes to see and know which ones we are to join with you in carrying. Let us intentionally turn our hearts to them and pour out His love in abundance. Let us be ones who have exuberant joy and cheerful delight to carry them with you. As they truly repent and turn their hearts to you let us be with them in our hearts and speak encouraging words and support them. Let us truly celebrate them coming home to you without jealousy. Dig deep into our hearts now and deal with any jealousy so our hearts can be ready. Thank you Father for your faithfulness!
Whirlwind of Hope 