Jesus Christ

In The Pit – Shelia Burrier

Whirlwind Devotional, Hearing the voice of the Lord , , , , , , , , ,

If, lately, it feels like you’re trying to climb out of a pit while getting knocked back down, here’s what you need to know.
•
Though you’re at a point of desperation, you are in a position to know your surroundings. So, look around.
•
Examine everything. Look for the claw marks on the sides of the wall from your attempts to escape, the puddles of tears you’ve released during this hard + holy process, the hole of freedom at the top of the pit taunting you with all of what could be.
•
But more than anything, when you look down, may you find the imprint of your knees in the dirt ground. It’s where you’ll remember that “His arm is not too short or weak to save, nor his ear too dull to hear”. I pray you’ll recall the faithful hand of a Father who doesn’t abandon His children. He’s been good for a long time, friend. He’s right here with you.
•
As you find yourself disoriented and absolutely exhausted, I pray you’ll muster up enough strength not for an attempted escape, but to lean into these surroundings and kneel. Get familiar with this place and disarm the enemy with the posture of surrender + prayer. Kneel.
•
And kneel again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
•
If you’re gonna be in the pit, it might as well be for His glory. And at just the right time, He will place your feet on solid ground again. You WILL come out of this.

What We Have Been Given (Part 1) – Frank Work

Whirlwind Teaching and Equipping , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I have never thought of myself as the smartest man in the room, I don’t have that mindset because I do know my limitations. To a point. I have learned, more through trial and error, what it means to make mistakes, and continually making mistakes, sometimes the same one over and over again. I am fallible. I am weak. In and of myself, I can’t stop the sin which wells up within me on a continuous basis. I battle the urge to not sin, my flesh wants to sin, because that is what the flesh does, it sins and it rebels against the precepts of God and His Holy Word. What I want to say is that I am broken in my desire to fulfill the will of God through my own accord. I can’t accomplish anything that God has set forth before me, because the flesh has no desire to seek the will of the Lord.

I know I am not alone in this. I am not alone as the enemy will assault my mind with the, “What could have been.” I lose my ability to reason, because there is no reasoning in the flesh. The flesh is filled with it’s own desires, it’s own plans and scenarios. Trying to reason with the flesh is like trying to reason with the wind to change direction, it’s impossible. Impossible, unless there is a power above the wind. A force that controls the wind. A Father who has spoken the wind into existences with a small exhale of His nostrils. In the flesh, we are lost in a cave with no light.

This page was a vision I had to bring the word of God to life in some form or fashion. To see the living word of God manifest in reality for those that read it’s articles. I heard today that the church has lost it’s way in seeking the true prophetic word of God. I as the church have lost my desire to hear the real truth of God. Why? Because the prophetic word as we know it today has been prostituted for gain of wealth, fame, and notoriety. Accountability of the prophetic has been lost. What once was, has grown dark. Matthew 5:47 to me, sums it up.

Matthew 5:47Amplified Bible

47 And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that?

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe that God still speaks to His church. I do believe that the same Spirit that is in Jesus, is the same Spirit that resides in those who call Him Savior and Lord. We prophesy to those we know, because it’s comfortable to us. The enemy knows this, and exploits a weakness in us. It’s call insecurity of worth. If our only desire is to speak to the same 5-10 people over and over again, because we know they will agree with us, then we/I have lost my way into true intimacy with the Lord. I can only gain intimacy with the Lord by spending time with Him and in His presence. Getting to know who He is, and why He chose to save a poor sinner like me. Listen, the reason why Jesus saved me is just as important as the next question. What now?

What is the next step to understanding and walking in true and mature relationship with Jesus? Hopefully in the next several weeks, you and I can help one another understand the true nature of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and how the Holy Spirit works in and through us. I don’t have any answers. I have a lot of questions. I have been following the Lord 20+ years and I am still asking questions. Is the prophetic still true and alive in our day, or have been duped by the charlatans who have tarnished it because of insecurity of worth? Help me with this journey and join me on this adventure.

Heed the Lord’s Invitation – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Hearing the voice of the Lord , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“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 Consistency of God – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Teaching and Equipping , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Life is filled with so many twists and turns. Even those who love to plan believe things will go on as they are if they remain diligent in our efforts. But things happen we never imagine happening…the job ending, a spouse wanting a divorce after many years of marriage, family moving, unexpected illness, Covid. Each of us can all fill in the ____ of life events you did not expect.

None of us know how many “new beginnings” we will have in our lives. We can reason, pray, plan or be stubborn and try to hold onto what was. Although, if we do this, we may very well miss the next step in this journey called life.

One thing I have found in life, the only thing that is consistent is God. His love for us never changes no matter what we do. There is nothing you can do that would make Him love you any less. His Word is always true. When people failed me, when jobs transitioned out, when a health crisis in our family lingered on, when my child and my father passed within twenty-two months, when I didn’t know how I could make it…through every one, He was faithful. That is who He is, faithful.

When you have relationship with Him, you know He will be there for you, even when others are not. He will make a way when there seems to be none. If we choose to yield our lives to Him, He will orchestrate all things to the counsel of His will. Which is always better (even though it may not look like at the time). There is not one thing, not one thing that has happened or will happen that He is now aware of and has a way for you to come out on the other side. Things may not look the same as they did, but you will see a stronger, more resilient you facing your next “new beginning”.

Isaiah 40:2-3 “When you pass through the deep, stormy sea, you can count on me to be there with you.When you pass through raging rivers,You will not drown. When you walk through persecution like fiery flames, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you, for I am your Savior, Yahweh, your mighty God, the Holy One of Israel!”

Destiny – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Time marks the realm of man. Eternity marks the realm of God. We are always in a state of transition, ever changing, ever growing. Your destiny is not far away in your future. You are living in the present, which includes your past, as you are entering your future. You see glimpses of your future, even as you live in the present, and have stones of remembrance from your past. Can you look back and see where your past has thrust you to where you are now? Are there places in your life that seemed impassable, but you overcame which placed you in an area where you may never have dared otherwise?

Our lives may look like a patchwork. But as we trust Him, the Father will take every part of our lives and sow them together to make something beautiful. He desires to redeem every pain and every failure and turn them into our greatest testimonies. His design for our lives are originals and are so very precious to Him.

His timetable is not like ours. Forty years is not a long time to Him. We are the ones with a microwave mentality. We call it delay. He calls it perfect timing. We call it slow. He calls it just right. Your journey will last your lifetime. There is always something going on in the spiritual realm. We do not always see this in the natural. This is a faith journey. If we try to make it happen in our own strength and in our timing, our dreams may suffer.

When we allow others to squelch our dreams or determine what we can do, it is like a slow poisoning, We are not being who we are created to be. No one benefits from this. We are not being who we were created to be. The measuring rod for our life is God’s Word and His intent for our lives…not anyone else. If we really knew how much our Father loves us, our lives would be dramatically different. We would know who we are and what our purpose is. This is why He desires for us to spend time with Him, so He may tell us who we really are.

God once told Jill Austin, “Your dreams are like a cup of water, but My dreams for you are like the vastness of an ocean.”

These are the days of dreams and destinies coming to pass. God wants to partner with you in your dream. He gives you the ability to imagine, to create, and then He speaks with gentle whispers in His still small voice – all the while teaching you to trust His perfect timing.

Jesus is calling you to come forth, to take off the grave clothes as He did Lazarus. He is saying to put on your running shoes. It is time for the adventure to begin. This is the hour for the adventurous and not the faint of heart. Come and run with your Heavenly Daddy.

Psalm 20:4 “May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.”

Putting the Kingdom of God First – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hebrews 11:6 “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

In order to please God according to the scripture above, we must believe that He is and that He desires to reward us as we seek Him. It pleases God when you and I live by faith. Faith is not to be released only regarding His promises for our lives, but also we are to partner with heaven in faith for the harvest of souls that are to come in. The Father desires that we pray and stand in faith for the protection of the unborn and for the young children to be delivered from sex trafficking. There are many injustices that are happening in our world. As the Father places that burden on our hearts, we are to pray in faith for His will to be done.

When we put the Kingdom of God first, all the other things we are stressing over the Father said will be given to us. When I only had a short amount of time to get some things done, I decided to put spend time in prayer. Later, I was amazed at how much I got done in a short amount of time. He multiplied my time!

Galatians 5:6 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.”

Faith works by love. So in order for our faith to function as He intended, we must check our love walk. A lot of us have to change the way we see others. Jesus saw the tax collectors, the fishermen, the prostitutes from the Father’s original design for them. He treated them as if they were already restored to Him and His will. I believe this is just one of the area His Bride will have to mature in these last days. We must be looking through the lens of the Father’s heart to love people into the Kingdom as Jesus did.

I really believe that the Father is putting His finger on the prophetic culture today. Pure heart prophecy will be key in reaching the goal of bringing in the harvest. We cannot afford to have our personal judgment or opinions get in the way when the Father desires to release His heart to the world. Yes, we will see judgment come upon the earth, but this amazing love of the Father is going to shock the world. I believe it will even shock some church folks too.

He is looking for those who will partner with Him in faith and make a determined decision to love. This will pave the way for the outpouring of His Spirit upon all mankind. Can He trust you? Can He trust me?

Isaiah 62:10 “Pass through, pass through the gates, and go from old to new. Prepare a new path for the people. Build! Build up a highway for them to come to me! Remove every hindrance and unfurl a banner for the nations!

From Generation to Generation – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 78:6-7 “For perpetuity God’s ways will be passed down from one generation to the next, even to those not yet born. In this way, every generation will have a living faith in the laws of life and will never forget the faithful ways of God.”

The theme “from generation to generation” has been resounding in my spirit. All through scripture we read that God instructed His people to tell their story of how He intervened in their lives to their children and to their children’s children. One example of many is after Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan River on dry land, God instructed them to erected memorial stones.

Joshua 4:5-7 “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

The Father says over and over to tell your “God” stories to the upcoming generation. We can only imagine the stories that Adam told his great-great-great-great grandson Enoch about walking with God. The Word states that Enoch’s son, Methuselah, lived 693 years after Adam, So we can easily conclude that Enoch knew and learned from Adam, who actually lived another 237 years of Methuselah was born. I somehow sense that Enoch took these stories to heart and didn’t just observe then as something that happened to grandpa. He may have concluded, “If it happened to him, it can happen to me”! Well, we know that Enoch did just that. He walked so closely with God that God just took him and Enoch did not experience death!

I sense that through the generations we have let “God” stories of past generations pass away with them. In this way, we have allowed generations, especially of late, to go through life without knowing the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of God. I would say, it has been in the last one or two generations that we began to let these stories of healing, deliverance and provision die. We failed to let the following generations know He is a God of relationship and a God of love.

These stories of His goodness are our rich heritage that we are to pass down to our children and our children’s children. If we do not, they will not know or will forget if we just mention once of his miracles of the past. The result is they will not trust him and not know how to believe Him in faith. The Hall of Faith in Hebrews is a list of people who trusted God. The generations following us must know that these are not just stories in the Bible, but He has made Himself real to us. This opens them to believe “if it happened to Nana, Grandpap, Dad or Mom, it can happen to me!”

We are seeing a generation of youth and even many adults who have no grid for God. They believe being self-serving as the way to live and being their own “god”. They have become a generation of entitlement and lack of respect in many, many areas. For this, I believe the church, parents and grandparents need to repent for those who failed to pass on the “God” stories of the past. In doing so, I sense that the Father is ready to pour out His goodness upon this earth, along with His righteousness and justice, which are the foundation of His throne. It is His goodness that leads to repentance.

I believe He is not only visiting other nations in their dreams, but He is going to begin visiting our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren in their dreams. They will go to bed one way, and wake up another way—woken up to the reality of a living God who loves them!

If you have held back and not shared your “God” stories, now is the time. How will they know of Him if we don’t tell them. Then, when they are in bad or drastic situations, they will remember your “God” story and will turn and cry out to Him who will deliver them. Let your “God” story stand as a memorial in your family lineage, passed down from one generation to another.

Psalm 78:3-4 “We’ve heard true stories from our fathers about our rich heritage. We will continue to tell our children and not hide from the rising generation the great marvels of our God—his miracles and power that have brought us all this far.”

Made You Look – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I was traveling home yesterday and saw I sign along the highway that read “Made you look.” Yes, it did make me look..lol. Its purpose was to emphasize the power of a sign. The intent was for you read the sign and agree with the power of a sign and then rent it to promote your business.

Signs are not only billboards but anything that is done to draw your attention to what the advertisers want you to look at. Today, we are witnessing so many signs in the earth that are saying “Look at me.” There are many movements that are screaming at us to buy into their beliefs.

One of the signs we are witnessing is violence and unrest in our nation. How many of us are glued to our television to see if anyone has been hurt or cities destroyed? Some are looking to the next politician to see whether they will speak peace and unity or speak words that will incite the anger. Signs of violence are causing the whole world to focus on division and to believe there is so much hate towards other people groups that there will never be unity and equality. This is a not true! Remember, a house divided cannot stand. This is the purpose of the enemy. He hates unity because he knows great power is released when we are in unity. “How truly wonderful and delightful to see brothers and sisters living together in sweet unity! It’s as precious as the sacred scented oil flowing from the head of the high priest Aaron, dripping down upon his beard and running all the way down to the hem of his priestly robes. This heavenly harmony can be compared to the dew dripping down from the skies upon Mount Hermon, refreshing the mountain slopes of Israel. For from this realm of sweet harmony God will release his eternal blessing, the promise of life forever! Psalm 133:1-3

Another sign that we are seeing displayed and requiring our attention are the words of Jesus. He said in this world, we would have pressures and tribulation but that we are to rejoice, because He has overcome the world. This means we too have overcome the world! As we live, move and have our being in Him we will be protected and will walk in great authority! We will become signs and wonders that point to Christ!

Jesus warned the religious by saying. “You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.” Luke 12:56. Jesus specifically told His disciples what the signs of the times would be as the end of the age appears. “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:3-8.

The enemy knows his time is short. So between now and the time of Jesus’ return, we will experience much turmoil in the earth and signs in the heavens. We must be looking as the signs that Jesus gave us in His Word. He said “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28

This will be the greatest times of the church. The world is looking for leaders who will give them hope and truth. They are looking for those who will give them hope and a promise. The only place the world will truly find healing from the hurt, injustice and division in the world is in the gospel of the Kingdom. Here is where we find comfort, our true identity and purpose.

So in this time of great turmoil, it is up to each of us to choose which sign we will give our attention to. What sign will you read and agree with the power of that sign? What sign will you become and promote?

“A Jewish man living there named Ananias came to see me. He was a godly man who lived according to the Law of Moses and was highly esteemed by the Jewish community. He stood beside me and said, ‘Saul! My brother, Saul—open your eyes and see again!’ At that very instant I opened my eyes and I could see! Then he said to me, ‘The God of our ancestors has destined you to know his plan and for you to see the Holy One and to hear his voice. For you will be his witness to every race of people and will share with them everything that you’ve seen and heard. So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins as you call upon his name.” Matthew 22:12-16.

You have been destined to know His plan and to hear His voice. You are called to be His witness to every race of people and share the good news of His love for them.

We Are Not Alone – Frank Work

Whirlwind Teaching and Equipping , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Alright, let me be the first one to say that I have not always been one who enjoys fellowship. In fact, I could say, besides being around my wife, children, and grandchildren, I was pretty much a loner. Sure, I had people I was acquainted with and sometimes hung out with, but really other than that, I was a lone wolf. Now I am sure some of you are quoting this scripture out loud or in your head, Hebrews 10:24-25;

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Let’s look at verse 24 for a moment. I love “And let us STIR up one another to LOVE and good works.” One of the reasons we are to come together is not just for church on Sunday morning, but also because we need to be stirred up during the week. We need our fellow brothers and sisters to STIR us so that we know what the love and heart of Jesus is. He shows us through His bride, and His bride is US! Some of you who may read this have that lone-wolf mentality. You may really believe that you can only accomplish the works of God on your own. No one else understands you, right? Only God really gets you, am I right? I am going to say this as nicely as I can, and with as much love as I can put into words..ready? You are allowing yourself to be deceived by the enemy and allowing yourself to succumb to his lies if you believe for one minute that anyone is a one-man army. You cannot, and will not, accomplish your true destiny in the Lord unless you come alongside other believers to accomplish the will of the Father. Those of us who do this have an Old Testament mentality, while prostituting New Testament grace. What does that mean?

In the Old Testament God would use individual men and women to accomplish whatever mission He had. The people were scattered and prone to the worship of idols on their own. God was distant from them because of the sin in their lives, and because of that sin God could not see them, it was only by His divine and Holy Spirit could He see man in the Old Testament. There were times when God would, through the power of the Holy Spirit, meet face to face with man, i.e. Moses. Or God would communicate through His angelic messengers much like He did with Daniel. God would choose men and women whose hearts were turned towards His, and their desires were His desires, even from their birth. Joseph, Samuel, and Daniel are a few examples. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention David, who had a heart after God’s own. That isn’t to say that they were “prepared” when called, for God knows the heart of men, and sees the wickedness it could achieve. So God has to teach us and fill us with His wisdom, so that when we turn, much like King Saul, we have a new heart.

1 Sam 13:14 “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Now though we have the gift of salvation and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is only because of that shed blood, that now, the Father can look upon His people, and gather them to Himself. It’s the only way God can see us, is by the very blood that Jesus shed upon the cross. Without the blood of Jesus, we are far from God because God cannot look upon sin. It is because we are covered in the blood of He who is without sin, that the Father can now look upon us. Acceptance of Jesus as our Savior is more than just entering into the kingdom of Heaven, it’s also about being in a relationship with our heavenly Father and acknowledging that Jesus is Lord over all. See though here is the kicker in all this, Jesus came and is now, preparing His bride for His coming, the bride being the body of believers who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. Romans 10:8-9

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

We are all joined by the blood, therefore we are joined together as the bride. We cannot possibly function effectively apart from the rest of the bride, since we are joined in the spirit by the blood of Jesus. We are not to be alone in this fight, we are not be subject to the trials of this world as individuals, but as joint heirs, Romans 8:17 speaks specifically on this,

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

The enemy wants you to believe that you can do this on your own. You can’t. The enemy wants you to isolate yourself from the body, you should not. The enemy wants you to be ineffective in your calling, I beg you not to listen. Trust me from one who knows, has been there, and has bought the t-shirt. Being alone in the body of Christ is a surefire way of allowing the enemy a foothold in your life. You have no accountability, you have no support system and you have no one to encourage you. Yes, you can say Jesus can do all that, and He can. He does it through His bride; when you separate yourself from the bride, you separate yourself from Him. We are not to walk this earthly world alone, I am learning this anew every day.

The World Needs an Encounter – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Amid the coronavirus shut-in orders, on May 22, 2020, President Trump declared churches as “essential places that provided essential services”. He had no idea just how “essential” they would be just three days later. Essential means “absolutely necessary, extremely important”.

We, as the church, have been declaring it is Isaiah 60:1 time…and it is! “Arise (stand up-Strong’s #6965); shine (be or become light-Strong’s #125) for the glory of the Lord has risen (to come forth-Strong’s #2224) upon you.” So we could say, “Stand up! Become light! For the glory of the Lord has come forth upon you!” This is a time of great darkness. It is the time for the glory of the Lord to be seen upon His church. Everything we do as His body must be for His glory and to reveal Jesus to the world, not to exalt ourselves…how much power we walk in; how many attend my church, what great prophecies I give, etc. Our walk is to be a walk of authority, but first must be a walk of love and humility.

The last book of the Bible is the “Book of Revelation”. It is the revealing of Jesus Christ. That is our mission as His body…to reveal Jesus to the world. We are seeing the manifestation of a world that does not know Him. Some have not truly even heard about Him. They may have heard about religion, but not the true nature of Jesus and His love for them. Some have heard about Him, but rejected Him. When we are left to ourselves without God, sin abounds and is abounding more and more as the day of His coming approaches. But we know the Word says where sin increased, grace increases so much more [Romans 5:20].

The world needs an encounter with Jesus! They need to experience His love for them. They need to know they are accepted and not rejected. They have the choice to be adopted into the family of His Kingdom and not rejected as they feel from the world. We, the church, have a lot that we can give to these lost, misguided, wounded and hurting people. Can you even imagine when they take the passion they are showing for justice and turn it to a passion for Christ? I believe they will be just as radical for Jesus as they are for evil right now. Remember how radical Paul was for religion until he had an encounter with the power of God. He became so radical for the Kingdom of God that he risked his life over and over to keep proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom.

We accepted Jesus as our Savior and hopefully you have made Him Lord of your life. Our life is not to be our own, but to be laid down for the cause of Christ, to reach those who are lost and dying. It is not about using our faith for the beautiful mansion down the street. Yes, He wants us to have homes and all the other things we need for life. He said all things will be given to us as we put first His Kingdom and His righteousness [Matthew 6:33]. But His gifts are to draw hurting people to Him that they may receive healing and to find their true purpose, destiny and ultimately eternal life. His nature is to become our nature so we will be changed into His image and likeness….this is the revealing of Jesus….Christ in us, the hope of glory!

I sense that the church is about to have a deep encounter with the Lord. This may very well come as the “Spirit of the Fear of the Lord” as He enters His church. We will come away from this standing up and no longer laying down being complacent. We will become light and shine; not just blending in with the world. One portion of scripture that I desire to be said of us is Acts 4:13-14 “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.”

There is so much yet to be done before Jesus return, which is very soon. Let’s make a decision to walk in unity and love with one another. We, the church, are essential to the turning around of this world around with the love, power and authority we have been given. Let’s allow Him to direct our path and determine to allow our light to shine brightly in this dark and angry world.