The Father

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.”

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.

Because He First Loved Us – Karen Austin

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

Lately, I have been spending time in the book of John. I want to know about this man who was not only granted the privilege to walk with Jesus, but also given insight to see the times in which we are living as he was instructed to write the Book of Revelation. He gives us so much truth and a different view of Jesus’ life while upon the earth, as John describes himself as the one whom Jesus loves. It was not that Jesus loved John more than the other disciples, but it was that John saw himself as one that Jesus loves. Here again, I am stressing the importance of seeing as I spoke of yesterday.

When we know we are loved, we begin to open up our hearts. It is only when we know that we are loved that we feel that we can be ourselves. It is when we know we are truly loved we begin to let down the walls that we so often put around ourselves so that we will not be hurt again. It is in the place of knowing love that we find our true identity. As we begin to understand Jesus’ love for us, we will stop defining ourselves by our failures and shortcomings.

Just imagine a child who has been abandoned and taken from foster home to foster home…never really knowing he is loved or where he belongs. But once that one, that one who sees his worth, says I want to make you mine and adopts the child into his family, the child begins to hope again. This child is not loved for anything he can do for the family. He is loved just because he is. It is in this place of unconditional love that he begins to let go of his terrors of the past, his sense of abandonment, his fear for what lies ahead. He is secure in this newly found pure love for him. And so it is with us. There is no purer love thanthe Father has for us. “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:5

It is in knowing the love of Jesus that we are open to receive mysteries of the Kingdom. Our hearts become unlocked to see more of His beauty and glory. It is in the place of knowing His love that we can, by faith, begin to step out into our destiny, knowing that He is at the end of our race cheering us on and saying, “Come on, you can do it!”

“For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.

Today, He is inviting you into a place deeper into His heart whether you have walked with Him for years or if you have never taken that step towards Him. His love is wooing you into the reality of knowing who you really are, who you were truly created to be and to partake of His unconditional love. He is waiting for you to lay aside all condemnation and come running to Him…with your hang-ups and all. You are loved. See yourself as the one Jesus loves.

“We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

God Created You to be YOU – Karen Austin

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

You have more to give to those around you than you know. Think back over your life and remember the life lessons that Holy Spirit has taught you. Remember the revelations that He gave you as you asked Him for wisdom? Where you have overcome, you have authority and wisdom to teach other how to overcome.

Spend time with Him. Worship Him. He longs to reveal to you those things that He placed within your heart – things that you are to pursue; areas where He desires you to press in and to grow. There are so many different streams in His Kingdom and they are all good and they are all necessary. But now is the time to focus on the area(s) that Holy Spirit is leading you to. You will know because you will feel a stirring, an excitement which is a witness in your spirit.

All are not teachers. All are not prophets. All are not gifted in hospitality or gifted in administration. This is why it will take the whole Body of Christ releasing their gifts and talents to manifest the Kingdom of God.

So today, I encourage you to just be who He created you to be and out of that place of being genuine, being true to who He created you to be, life will flow; wisdom will flow; love will flow; healing will flow. And in this place of being you, as you are filled with Him, such joy and peace will flood your soul. There will come a rest from trying to fit in where you were not made to fit. You are just one piece of His puzzle and you are needed to complete His picture on this earth.

It will take you. It will take me. It will take all of us to make His Kingdom visible upon the earth.

Atmosphere of Heaven (Part 2)- Karen Austin

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

We talked last week about one aspect of the Atmosphere of Heaven is the atmosphere created by spirit and truth worship. It is where He alone is lifted up and the glory of the Lord fills the temple.

Another aspect of the Atmosphere of Heaven is an atmosphere where you are accepted. His amazing love prepared the way that you can come boldly to His throne of grace and mercy [Hebrews 4:16]. It is only because of His precious blood that speaks. “…in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in Heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all men, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from Heaven?” Hebrews 12:23-25

Through the shedding of His blood, you are cleansed, if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior. You are accepted in the Beloved. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” Ephesians 1:7

So the atmosphere of Heaven is one of acceptance, not of rejection. It is not because I am supposed to love you because I am a Christian, but because I have His love within me. I become so consumed by His all-consuming love for me, which I cannot help but love those whom I come in contact with. His love within me is then free to flow out to those around me. Have you ever had someone say “I love you with the love of the Lord?” Sometimes that means “I really can’t stand you, but He says I must love you.” That is not what I am talking about.

Religion has portrayed our Father in Heaven as one waiting to hammer you when you sin. Of course, Holy Spirit convicts you of sin so you will repent and your relationship with your Heavenly Father will not be hindered or that a door for the enemy in your life would open. You have been adopted into the family of the Creator of all things. “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

The word “Father” in Aramaic actually means “Daddy”. So He is your Heavenly Daddy! Being His child is the safest place to be. His love is unconditional and His love is constant…so unlike the kind of love in the world. The atmosphere of Heaven is a place of safety and love.

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

Atmosphere of Heaven – Karen Austin

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

What is the atmosphere of Heaven and how to do we draw that realm into this realm? When I began my ministry about 17 years ago, I desired to create a place where the atmosphere was conducive to Holy Spirit. You see, it doesn’t matter if it is a church meeting or your quite time in your home reading the Word and Jesus – the focus has to be on Him, not our favorite worship song, not our favorite preacher, but Jesus Himself!

For too long, we have tried to fulfill the second commandment before fulfilling the first commandment. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

“This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:36-40.

Anything less than fulfilling the first commandment is dead works. When you have the first commandment, then it is out of a transformed heart and out of the abundance of His love, out of a heart of wholeness – then we speak and then we act. The only works that will be rewarded in Heaven will be ones with the fruit of Heaven upon them. All other works will be burned as wood, hay and stubble.

“Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done”, but “If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” 1 Corinthians 3:12-14.

This does not mean we will not get to Heaven; we will, but if the motivation is for ourselves, even though we say it is for God, whether in word, deed or song; if we are doing it to be seen, then we have all the reward that we will receive….the reward or approval of man. If we say one thing but live another way, we are not glorifying the Father. All the works we do for selfish motives, to be seen and desire the accolades of man, then whatever we have done is all for nothing. It will be burnt up and be as smoke on that Day.

So again I ask, what is the atmosphere of Heaven and how do we create it?

1) It is an atmosphere of worship – true worship. This is where all focus is upon the King of Glory, the Lord of Lords and the Lord of Lords; the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world. True spirit and truth worship is where everything must bow to His magnificent presence. A lot of the worship that we do is loving our favorite artist, or favorite song or our favorite beat. Anointed musicians point us to Him and lead us to the throne of God.

~~to be continued