Word: A Winning Battle

Yesterday morning, I was coming under some heavy warfare.  The enemy was trying to get his lies in, there was doubt, and God felt far away.  When I cried out to the Lord, He answered me and said:

"You need to realize that the battle for your salvation has already been won."

Awesome!  When God said that, He gave me peace.  It reminded me that He has power to save, and power to keep.  Salvation is not a losing battle.  Sanctification is not a losing battle.  Our walk onward with the Lord is not a losing battle!

We are in a battle, yes, but we need to remember that we are on the side of the Victor.  And He--Jesus--has already won the victory!  All we need to do during times of trouble is cling to Him.  All we need to do is cry out.  That's how we battle, and that's how He breaks through any warfare. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us in response.  So let's draw near to Him, flee from the devil, and experience peace even through out warfare!

Confirmed:  There was a Christian song on the radio that I hadn't heard before....it was describing how we should be soldiers who know their orders--how we should be obedient soldiers in the body of Christ!

Confirmed:  A few license plates about soldiers, GI's and standing firm.  Yes, God is always speaking through license plates...

Confirmed:  A friend posted the below quote on Facebook, courtesy of Francis Frangipane Ministries.  I thought it was so fitting!

"The more peace you have during spiritual attack, the more truly you are walking in Christ’s victory. Remember, it is the God of peace who shall crush Satan beneath your feet shortly (Romans 16:20)"

He who is in us is able to overcome anything that is in the world.  We need to position ourselves to overcome!  We need to arrive in the knowing that Jesus has already done the fighting for us and came out of it victorious.  

Strength in Weakness

God wants us to be strong.  He wants us to be bold, courageous, and competent in the things that He's called us to do.  He wants us to live life empowered by Him!  And yesterday, the Lord spoke to me...and He told me to be strong:

"Be strong in everything you do, and give thanks to Me always..."

Simple stuff, yet what an effect it had on me.  This wasn't an in-depth word, but it impacted me deeply. What encouragement; what direction!  God knows how to hit you where it hurts--in a good way!

First, Some Backdrop...

To tell you the truth, I have not felt that strong recently.  I wake up tired and go to bed tired.  I walk around tired, at least more often than I'd like to.  I'm in bad shape, compared to what what I was like as a cyclist years ago.  Satan tries to get a doubt in...he tries to tell me I have chronic fatigue or some immune problems.  What a lie!  Nonetheless, I feel it, and the Lord has not yet allowed me to stay in perfect health.

And enough about me.... Vanessa has been tired for eight months.  She's been very tired, with some sort of virus.  God hasn't healed her.  I've prayed for her, we've prayed for her, other healing evangelists have prayed for her.  It doesn't make a difference.  You can't escape God's will!  And God's will for her, right now, is to be a 'Job'. *

See, even with her illness, God is pleased.  Even with her fatigue, God is using her.  Many people she's prayed for in the last 8 months time have been healed.  Some have even been healed of chronic fatigue.  God is pleased, and our trials don't stop His power from flowing through us.  God is pleased,  and He's given us these treasures in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7)!

What God Meant in What He Said

Anyways, when God said "be strong", He meant spiritually strong, yes--but He also meant it physically.  The two are related!  In this case, the spiritual comes first.  We have our minds renewed.  And then we are transformed (Romans 12:2), even transformed in our physical bodies, because the joy of the Lord leads  to strength (Nehemiah 8:10)!

No matter how weak we are, if we turn to Him, we will find reserves of strength.  We will find all surpassing power.  We will find justification and empowerment to carry out His will.  With God, we can't stay weak for very long!  We may be tired for a day, we may be tired for a week, we may be tired for a year.  But deliverance will come.  We need to stay zealous, then--God's will is for us to come through!  God's will is to subject us to no more than 'momentary affliction' (2 Corinthians 4:17). We need to know that God will not test us beyond what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).  We need to hold onto our hope--the hope He's given us.

"Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."      

2 Corinthians 12:9-10






*I know that this is a controversial topic...we'll make a blog post on it soon!  

Mark Four: Mysteries and Parables

So, onto the second part of Mark four.  Jesus gives the disciples several other parables and explains to them that these parables speak of Kingdom mysteries.


 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they see what I do,
    they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
    they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
    and be forgiven.’” 

Mark 4:10-12


It's taken me a little while to realize, but God still speaks in parables today.  And He does so in a way that is modeled by how Jesus did so for His disciples.  Often I'll perform an everyday task, just going through the motions, when the Lord reveals to me a parable relating to what I just did.  God wants to turn even the little things into a learning experience for us.  He wants to give us revelation and understanding on the big things by speaking to our minds as we work on the small.

It is a great feeling when you are working on something, and then the Lord begins to speak.  He tells you the symbolism behind what you just did, and how you essentially just walked out a Kingdom principle by your actions.  He gives you a now word that reveals a new segment of truth.  Our God wants to redeem every bit of our time--provided we are using it to try to please Him (Ephesians 5:16).  He wants to re-purpose the ordinary and turn it into an opportunity to learn from Him.  He wants to speak to us through parables!

And it's within our own minds and in our time alone with the Lord that He reveals to us something that unbelievers just wouldn't understand.  He reveals a spiritual truth out of the ordinary, and as we spend more time with Him, He imparts more and more.   The parable may be played out in public, but the interpretation, the knowing, comes with His inner stillness as we take time to put our attention onto Him.


Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

Mark 4:24-25


There is no end to the depth of revelation we can find in a parable.  God can just keep giving more and more!  He may symbolize His love by our action first, and as we go deeper into the parable's symbolism, He can then reveal a message of spiritual giftedness, too.  If we listen, He will continue to speak.  If we listen more closely, He will speak more deeply!  We can be comforted in knowing that if we try, God will come in and equip us with all the understanding we need to discern what He's saying.

We need to take every message from God seriously.  Every word from Him gives life, and every parable from Him gives understanding.  If we have an ear to hear, He can speak to us nonstop!  He can redeem every action, and turn it into a parable or an opportunity to learn.  God wants to speak to us about even the little things--He wants to give us that 'blessed assurance' even while we work on smaller tasks.

Confirmed:  The Lord spoke to me about Mark four yesterday afternoon, and in the evening, I came across a new word on the Elijah list.  It's called "God Has a Specific Word Waiting For You", and for me, it in itself was a very specific word, as it ties in so closely to what God had just been showing me!  So cool.  That's the link, if you have time to read it.   

Mark Four: Sowing a Better Word

Earlier today, the Lord said "Mark 4", and told me to read it.  And so I turned there, and it was the parable of the sower!  And I realized that it was such a word in season. The Lord has led me to start gardening this Spring, in hopes of one day restoring our farm, and so the concept of sowing seeds really resonated.

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn't have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

Mark 4:3-9

SOWING WITH OTHERS

All of us are spiritual farmers.  All of us can sow a seed.  And all of us should--we should all speak the truth in love so that others can hear and believe. All we need to do is lay out God's word in front of others.  The more God draws me near, the more I have a desire to sow the truth among those who have not yet heard it.   And once we share, our work is done--we can rest in the knowing that God will work!  

We need to sow goodness into those who don't yet possess the light.  We need to encourage and exhort.  And we will probably need to rebuke.  But we need to do all of this in love and in the spirit of prophecy.  We need to plant into the minds of the lost and confused good thoughts.  And all of us will feel lost and confused at some point! So we can sow truth into both believers and unbelievers.

Sometimes we may give the truth to others, only to see satan come in and steal that word away from them.  And that's sad--but we need to know that we did what we could, that we pleased God.  We are not accountable for the effects of someone else's shallow or thorny soil--we are just accountable for our own efforts to sow.  Once the Word is sown, it's up to the receiver to humbly accept it (James 1:21).

SOWING WITH OUR WORDS

So we sow seeds among those with less knowledge; among unbelievers and less mature Christians. And that's great!  But we also need to sow good seeds in our own life.  We do this in 3 ways:

1)  We speak life over ourselves 
2)  We speak life over our surroundings and families
3)  We make sure that our soil is good

Remember that the power of life and death is in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).  Let's make positive confessions accordingly!  We can speak life in many ways--by thanking God, by declaring His goodness, by claiming His promises, etc.  Praying in tongues--praying in the Holy Spirit--is also a way of speaking life.  It's a way we can speak life and build ourselves up in our most holy faith (Jude 1:20).

If the seeds sown are good, then we should ensure that our soil is,too.  We are not of the world, so our thoughts, emotions, and words should be sanctified.  We can then walk in humility and accept any seed of truth that might come along.  Anything opposing our belief of the truth needs to be cast down by the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Then we can say something over ourselves or our families--something pure and true--and also be conditioned to believe it.  If we confess and believe, not only are we saved (Romans 10:9), but we will also become more and more fruitful!

SOWING WITH GOD'S WORD

We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).  And we sow into others because He first sowed into us!  We need to let Him sow. by the Word.  We need to accept His truth and accept His reality, because that is when more can be given.  We need to accept all that He has to give us.  This, too, happens in 3 ways.

1)  We receive God's written Word
2)  We receive God's personal (prophetic or specific--rhema) word
3)  We prepare our soil to accept God's power.

Step one is obvious, but it's most important.  There are so many promises in God's Word.  These are the seeds Jesus was referring to!  And many are conditional.  Just like seeds, they will not grow nor become fully manifested unless properly nourished.  So we need to read and believe the Bible, God's written Word.

Step two is also important.  God stills speaks today, so we need to continue to listen.  He gives personal promises.  He speaks mysteries and talks of the future.  He reveals to us great and mighty things, which we otherwise would not know (Jeremiah 33:3).  We need to position ourselves and spend time in the presence of the Most High.  We need to hear His loving, comforting voice for ourselves.

Step three--we need to get ourselves out of the way!  God dreams big, and I think it's very biblical to say that He also likes to show off.  Don't be surprised if He says something daunting.  Don't be surprised if a personal promise from God seems unlikely--or even impossible.  On your own effort, it is!  The solution starts with a transformation of our own thoughts into His, as we take on God's mind.  We need to have enough faith and enough trust to believe God for something great.  We need to do away with old ways of thinking and old strongholds, in order for our soil to be a nourishing climate for God's rhema words.  In short, we need to acquire from the Lord new wine skins (Matthew 9:17)!

If we receive and accept every word that God speaks, we will also receive every one of His blessings. We will become more and more fruitful in bearing good fruit!

"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways."
~Job 22:28

Come to God to Learn

We come to God for many reasons.  He is worthy of praise, He is worthy of worship; He is worthy of our time.   We also come to get filled up and recharged; we allow Him to revive us and restore our hope.  In the last week, the Lord began highlighting another reason we come to Him: we come to Him to learn.  

"As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants--from this time on and forever," says the LORD.

Isaiah 59:21

Here the Lord makes a covenant, with us!  I feel this covenant is for all who believe.  And He says that His Spirit will always be on us, and His words will always be on our lips.  He says that He will always teach us--us and our children forever!

So, we come to the the Lord and He imparts to us knowledge--He gives us the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17).  He teaches us about Himself and His character. And He also teaches us how to apply His thoughts to this current world.  He gives us divine inspiration.

Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.                                         Micah 4:2

Now, this is a future prophecy yet to be fulfilled, but we can attain to it symbolically even now.  We come to the Lord, and we ascend with Him.  Remember that Jesus ascended, and He was the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).  We, too, can go up to His mountain!  And that's where we learn.  He will teach us His ways so that we can walk in His paths!  Wow!  

This mountain top is also where we hear God most clearly.  The Law of Liberty dwells here, and so does an atmosphere of clarity.  There's an atmosphere of clarity and praise.  This is where the word of God, the hearing and knowing of His mind, comes in.  God speaks a word so that He can dwell among us (John 1:14).  He teaches us and speaks to us so,  and then we can come down from that high place and encourage other believers to go up for themselves.  

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. The people of one city will say to the people of another, ‘Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’ Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”                  Zechariah 8:20-23

Here is another literal prophecy that is also yet to be fulfilled--yet we can take so much from it symbolically.  If we've been on the mountaintop, if we've been taught by God, if we've heard Him speak to us--then we will draw other people in!  Now, we won't draw everybody in...but those with softened hearts will be drawn in and captivated by what God's done.  People will know that God is with us.  And then they will be motivated to go up and learn from God for themselves!

This is testimony-based evangelism, and this is what God wants us to do.  He wants us to learn and grow based on what we've learned on His mountain!  He wants to tell us great and unsearchable things (Jeremiah 33:3) and provoke others to holy jealousy.  He wants us to gather around Him.

Snapshot: Having God's Heart

Last week the Lord showed me a softened heart and explained:

"I am taking your heart and making it Mine. You are Mine, so take heart in the truth.  Today, I am sending you to deliver truth"

Isn't that what it's about?  When we have acquired God's heart, then we can deliver His truth.  And we can also 'take heart'--get it?--in knowing that we have received from Him.  We have received from Him a truth that delivers and is delivered among the darkness of this world.  

"Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."           Hebrews 10:22

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart."        2 Cor. 4:1

"Guide me in your truth and teach me; for you are the God who delivers me....."             Psalm 25:5

All About Visions: Discerning the Meanings

So, say that the Lord gives a vision.  He may show you something internally--most likely when in prayer or when your eyes are closed--or give a more external, 'open' vision.  Either type is a blessing! Either type of vision is a way that the Lord conveys His word. (1 Samuel 3:1)

Now, this vision is a message from God.  It tells you something otherwise unknowable--it tells you whatever God wills to reveal.  It's knowledge may be meant to apply to yourself, or to your best friend.  Or maybe God wants you to share it with anyone who has ears to hear.  And receiving this vision is relatively easy--it's a free gift! (1 Corinthians 12:4) Interpreting the vision may be a little more difficult.  Our response to any God-given vision should be to seek Him for the fullness of the interpretation.  A picture is worth a thousand words, and any picture God gives is perfect.  In addition, a general rule is that God speaks with double entendres--double meanings.

"One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard..."          Psalm 62:11

So we need to discern the vision and understand that it probably (not always) has a primary and secondary meaning.  I've found that the two meanings contained in a vision probably relate to each other in one of three ways:

1)  The vision relates to the now and also to some time in the future or past.  It's prophetic in that it carries God's mind for this present moment and it's connection to another point on the timeline.  It's a predictive vision.

2)  The vision relates both literally and figuratively--symbolically--to a certain theme or situation.  It may describe both the physical and spiritual aspects of something. It's a parable vision.

3)  The vision relates to a smaller topic and a larger topic--it contains a theme within a theme. This kind of vision zooms in on an issue--it magnifies and "divides" the truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) It allows you to understand how the initial roots of something are manifested farther down the line. Therefore, this vision might reveal either the cause or effect of an event--or both!  It's an amplifying vision.

Now, these three categories are not the only three, nor are they always mutually exclusive.  There are many other potential interpretations found within the visions that God gives.  But I feel that they provide a general template.  Also keep in mind that a vision may not fit into just one of the categories.  It may be prophetic and also apply to smaller forces that cause larger issues.  Or it may be "parabled"--highly symbolic-- and also prophetically point to the future.  Just look at the books of Daniel and Revelation for examples of that!

With so many nuances, potential meanings, and combinations of meanings found within a vision, it's clear we need the help of God to discern.  And we will receive help, if we seek the Lord for it! Remember that Jesus spoke in parables, and His disciples didn't always understand...until they received the Holy Spirit.  And Jesus told His disciples in advance that the Spirit would be the One who would explain all things to them. (John 14:26)  In the same way, it is a yielding to the Holy Spirit that will lead to the full revelation on any vision God gives.  Let's seek Him as He reveals to us the scope and significance of His truth!

"But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him."              1 John 2:27

Word: The Severity of Mercy

A few days I was getting a headache and praying it away wasn't quite working like it usually does. So I asked the Lord about this, and He simply said,

"Not My goodness but My severity"

This took me by surprise a little.  And I felt like the Lord was telling me I was in the wrong somehow.  He highlighted to me that I was not at peace!   So I repented--turned--from this mistake as well as I could.  And the headaches gradually went away.  Thank you, Lord, for the comfort in your discipline. His rod is supposed to comfort us! (Psalms 23:4)  It may not be easy to undergo, but God always works our discipline for the good.

Just a few minutes after the Lord said this, and as my headache was going away, I saw a new book on the table, and flipped it face up to look at the title.  It was called "A Severe Mercy", by one of CS Lewis's friends.  Wow!  What a confirmation.  I did not know we had that book, nor had I ever heard of it. But I realize that God's mercy leads to discipline--that His mercy calls for severity.  It was the Lord who prompted me to flip over that book as a way to confirm His message!  God is so masterful in His workings.  He always confirms His word.

So if you're going through a trial of some sort, it may not be from the enemy!  It may be discipline from the Lord--an effort by Him to get you back into line.  Now, your trial might just be a spiritual attack.  But it could be disciplining from God!  And we need to inquire of God to see if we're in the wrong. We need to inquire of Him, to see if we opened up a door someplace or are walking without His light.  We shouldn't try to war against God's will only because we mistook His teaching for something else.

So let's war against the enemy, yes, with his condemnation and lying and problems.  But let's make sure that our trials are not actually God trying to get our attention.  He may be wanting us to repent. He may want us to be healed, delivered, brought out--He does--but only if we will first identify our problems.  So we need to diligently seek Him whenever we encounter a trial.  It could be that He just wants us to cast the enemy out.  But maybe He wants to tell us something first.

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word."        Psalm 119:67

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes"         Psalm 119:71

 

Anticipating God's Spirit

The Lord began speaking to me about how to better anticipate Him--how to foresee His next move. And there can be several steps to this.  Now God can't just be formatted, but formats can help us understand how He works.


Step 1)  The first step in anticipating God's next move in your life is understanding hope.  We need to look forward to restored joy, restored love, restored peace...we need to look forward to restoration of fullness of life.  We need to know that He will uphold us and push us higher and higher.

"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit."
Psalm 51:11-12


Step 2)  Once we have hope, then we can call on Him in confidence. (1 John 5:14) Then we can be bold and know that He will reveal to us something according to His will.  We call on Him, and we have the awareness of our future 'saved'. (Romans 10:13)  Once we have hope for the future, we can attain to the promises found in Jeremiah 33:3.  And we can have boldness and confidence in this.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."


Step 3)  So we call out to God, and God tells us something.  He tells us something about His future work that would otherwise be knowable.  He tells us something that testifies to Jesus, something that is in line with the spirit of prophecy (Revelations 19:10).  He gives us a word, or a vision, or a parable that points to and reveals His movement in the future.

For example, the Lord may reveal that tomorrow is going to be a day when a sibling of yours is really going to feel His love.  This kind of prophetic knowledge can also come as a warning to pray against---He may say that tomorrow is going to be a day where the enemy is going to try to attack you financially.  Whether God gives an encouraging word or a warning, the response needs to be in praying according to His will.    We can 'pray into' that coming sense of love and call it forth, or we can 'pray against' that financial warfare.  Remember that all God's promises are "yes" and "amen" in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).


Step 4)  Step 3 is repeated as the Lord trains our ears to hear (Mark 4:9).  We become accustomed to His voice, and build trust in the revealing of His plans.  Once God has sanctified our ears, then He can sanctify our minds.  He can make us attuned to Him.  This is when He gives us the mind of Christ.

"But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ."                      1 Corinthians 2:15-16

If we have the mind of Christ, the Lord speaks to us in a way that transcends a word, a vision, or a parable.  The spirit of prophecy manifests in a new way that brings fullness and truth to our awareness of the future. And our own logical or mechanistic thinking on tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, is replaced by a knowing that comes from oneness with the Lord.

For example, I may be thinking about Vanessa's (previous) back problems, and in thinking with the Lord, I feel Him reassure me that everything is going to be alright.  And then the next day, Vanessa tells me that her back was healed by the Lord that morning.  Or, I'll be thinking of a certain Christian friend who we don't see often, and then go on to hear that they're coming to our house next month. God inspires our thoughts to the extent that they become prophetic.  And if our thoughts are prophetic, then we don't necessarily need a clear word.  We develop a type of godly premonition. What would Jesus think?  As it relates to us, we begin to think along with Him, too.


Step 5)  If we have the mind of Christ, praise God!  That's when we can act on it.  We can pray into it, act into it, and walk in it.  God's reality can continuously be coming into union with our own. We can do only what we see, or envision, the father doing. (John 5:19) This is where God wants to take us, if we ourselves will respond by wanting to get there.   If we are controlled by the spirit of prophecy to this extent, then we will be made into a testimony to Jesus.  And that's what it's all about!

Word: Being Drawn Near

A few days ago the Lord said,

"Dine with Me, commune with Me, feast with Me...I will then draw you near.  Then I will draw you in. Then I will magnify My Name in you."

And then He showed me a vision where I was walking along a pathway with Him.  We were communing with each other, and facing each other, yet this was actually the fastest way to progress along the path.  Don't look at the path ahead, look to Me--that's what He was saying.  That's how you can move forward.

What it means to commune with the Lord, the Lord of Glory, the Lord who loves us so much.  We draw near to Him, and then He draws others to us.  And then we point them to Him!  It's pretty simple.

Lord, draw us near today.  Lord, wrap us up in your love today.  Show us what it means to be clothed with the Lord Jesus!  Show us what it means to have your name magnified in our lives.  Show us how to be a living testimony to your love.  Give us a Spirit of longing for you, so that we can draw in others for your sake.  Amen!

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."         Revelation 3:20

"But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."             Psalm 73:28

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified."                      Psalm 70:4

Unstopping those Wells

Last week I was doing street ministry, and ran into some difficulties.  Nearly nobody wanted prayer, people seemed hardened or disinterested, and there were no healings.  Things just weren't 'flowing' like I wanted them to.  And because of all this I didn't feel rested in the Lord, and I found myself really struggling to do His work.  The situations I found myself in just seemed against me.

The next morning, the Lord gave me a vision during my quiet time.  There was a path I was on, a narrow, brilliant white path in front of me, and while walking along the path, I saw the Lord give tools that would unstop blockages--unstop spiritual 'wells' and allow a free flowing of the Holy Spirit and His healing power.  I realized that among the waters of the Spirit, things had become stopped up and the power of communing had been cut off.  I realized that God, in response and grace, was giving tools that would equip me to walk and operate unhindered in His will--walk in a state of rest where I could be attuned to Him.  And I saw that the Spirit was making a way.

"The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring."   Isaiah 58:11

The Lord's given me similar visions and similar messages before, So He spoke to me about this, and told me what to do.  He told me how to respond, how to answer Him with a "yes!"  He spoke to my heart and explained to me how to pray into His will.  He gave the vision, and then told me how to walk into it, how to work with Him to see it come to pass.

"Today is the day, now go and lay hold of it; pray for the harvest fields.

I have commissioned you to unstop the healing wells.

I will send My Word and heal them...so stretch out your hand and decree.  Stretch out your hand and minister My name.  I will be with you in power and love."  

So He showed me the process of equipping, and then told me how to carry it out.  We need to hear (see) His will, pray for it, and then decree and declare it.  And so that's what I did.  And the Lord was so encouraging.  I went out for ministry again, to the same place as the day before...but I was expectant. I felt God would back me.  I felt He would make a way for things to flow.  I felt that He would establish His will as I prayed and spoke it.  And I felt that the Lord would be with me in power and love, just like He had said.

So, I got to the store and saw a younger guy with a cast and crutches.  And I felt it wasn't quite time. After a little while, I caught him right as he was going out the door.  I asked if I could pray for him, and praise God, he said yes!  So I said a short prayer... I couldn't wait to see if he felt better!  After two prayers, he was healed.  This guy wasn't all that close to God, but his heart was softened.  I asked him if he had a bible and he said no.  And I was bummed that I didn't have one to give him.

I told him, "the best thing you can do is pray to Him.  God loves you, and that's why He's healed you".  And the guy was convicted--he said, "yeah....I will."  He was surprised and softened, and I trust that he did begin praying to the Lord at that point.  Praise God!

I did some more ministry after that...and things really flowed!  I met so many other Christians and softened people, unlike the day before.  It was awesome...the Lord gave rest, and allowed for so many divine alignments.  I even talked with a lady who I knew from our ~40 person Church!

From this whole experience, God taught me so much.  He showed me the importance of praying against spiritual hindrances, of praying into His will, by whatever the Spirit reveals.  He demonstrated to me such a model--discern, pray, decree.  He showed me how to be used in bringing down from Heaven His will.  

Confirmed:  A few days later, I saw a word on the Elijah list called,   "The Pressure is Building!    The Lord is Releasing Well Diggers".  Glory to God!  Below is an excerpt:

"There is a new breed of apostolic and prophetic leaders who have been raised up in this hour to tap into the wells and release the underground rivers. As I was processing this dream, I asked the Holy Spirit, "What do the underground rivers represent?" He quickly answered me and said, "These underground waters represent the deep works of the Spirit that have remained in the earth. No matter how far man's heart has drifted, the rivers are still in the earth waiting to be tapped and released."

I then saw regions of America that were once centers of the move of God but have grown so cold. Those regions have deep wells and underground waters that cannot be seen or sensed with the natural senses, yet they remain waiting to be tapped and released. The Father is bringing forth prophetic people in regions that can see beyond the natural to see the underground waters, the potential move of God. It is critical that the prophetic spirit is released within the Church to CALL FORTH this move!" 

Let's pray, see, and decree!  Let's pray for the harvest fields, let's see what He says, and then let's decree!  Let's do our part to usher in another move of God.

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

Matthew 9:38

Word: Convert All Things to Trust

About a week ago the Lord spoke to me some words of encouragement.  He said,

"Today is a day to convert all things to trust."

And He went on with some reassurance in other areas...but I was still convicted by the wording of that first sentence.  Trust!  He was saying that every characteristic should be drained of itself and transformed into a trusting in Him.  Every anxious emotion should be converted into a hope in the Lord.

"Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD."             Psalm 31:24

Now I couldn't do this.  I can't convert all things into trust.  But the Lord can!  And He wants to.  So let's let Him--let's take from Him courage and hope.  God wants to alleviate us from every unbelieving thing.  He wants us to break out of every layer of fear and timidity and abide in Him.  

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

2 Timothy 1:7

He has given us a Spirit that personifies Christ's love.  He has given us His Holy Spirit, which drives out fear (John 4:18). God has given us a Spirit that works all things for our good (Romans 8:28)--a Spirit that converts all things into trust.

"Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."

Psalm 62:8

Word: Seek and You Shall Find

Yesterday the Lord spoke to me and told me,

"There are many choices behind you, and many choices before you, but there is only one choice that's best.  So seek Me diligently.  Seek Me early, and seek Me late in the evening.  Seek, seek, seek...seek, and you shall find."

This has been such a recurring thing for me recently.  If I seek Him, I will find Him.  If I diligently seek Him, I will find His Will.  These are promises, and they are waiting to be fulfilled.  And the Lord continues to feed me this verse again, and again, and again... (and again, four times!). Remember Jesus' question to Peter? (John 21)  He speaks to us repetitively so that we can get His Word deeply ingrained.  He stresses a message so that we can know He is God, even in our stillness (Psalms 46:10).

I remember that when Vanessa and I were in Springfield, Missouri, last month, a close friend of ours imparted to me some godly wisdom.  Now this friend is very prophetic--glory to God for the gifting--and he told me specifically, "Seek and you will find".  I was so blessed by that.  The Lord has quickened this verse to me in my own quiet time so often and in so many ways.

There is so much to be found--so many things to find out.  There is so much to hunger after--the unspeakable riches we have inherited in Christ, and more than that, the unspeakable love we have been given by Christ.  We need to know that the Lord is good, so that we can praise Him accordingly.

And there is so much to seek.  Those who seek Him find Him (Proverbs 8:17).  Those who seek Him become filled as He draws near (James 4:8).  Those who seek Him do so when they are hungry, and He fills the hungry with good things (Psalms 107:9).

The Lord is coming in glory. (Isaiah 60:1) He is coming in splendor. And He will come, as soon as we really, really search for Him.  As we seek Him, pieces and portions of His character will surface. The many facets of His Will can come to the surface, and He brings them to our attention.  (Jeremiah 6:16)  Glory to God!  

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

Jeremiah Twenty--The Training of a Prophet

Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.  

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.  

I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let's report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him."  

But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.

In this segment of Jeremiah, 20:8-11, we see here what it means to be trained as a vessel for God to speak through.  We see the hardships and humblings involved, and we see how God's passion burns within as He makes His will known.  We see the development and training of a prophet.

Now in the Old Testament, true prophets were sometimes rare.  And everyone knew when someone was blessed by God with the gift of hearing from Him.  So God spoke to a few as He willed.

Now Jesus has come for us, and it's time to remember the Lord and remember His benefits (Psalms 103:2).  Every saved and filled person can be prophetic.  We may not all be prophets--there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that title--but we can all be prophetic.  We can all hear from God in a way that overshadows our own knowledge.  We can all receive a heavenly revelation that points to Christ.  We can all receive this gift and learn from the Giver how to best use it.

"For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged..."
1 Corinthians 14:31

"...Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus."
Revelation 19:10

This is our New Testament identity, and this is our New Testament ability, if we are abiding in Jesus. Every one of us can be used by God to supernaturally know His will.

And this is a training process.  It may just require steps!  Samuel, Elijah and Elisa had their schools of the Prophets.  If there's a school, then it follows that there is a progressive learning involved!  Many today call it the school of the Holy Spirit.  I think that's a good term.  Here are some steps involved in this learning.  They may or may not be in order according to your own experience--God is dynamic and speaks to us all in ways we can best understand!  The point is that God usually takes the gifting from step to step:

1)  Reading the Word.  This is where it all starts. We are nourished and transformed by the Truth.     (Romans 10:17 relates to steps 1-3)

2)  Hearing God through the Word.  God typically will speak to you about yourself--your own identity, inheritance, and importance to Him--before He will speak to you about others or your own shortcomings.  He brings you to the potter's house, and usually confirms you before the shaping begins.  (Jeremiah 18)  He may make a certain scripture passage jump out at you, or have a Christian friend share with you a verse that He's laid on their hearts.  And the Lord will also develop within you that still, small voice that comes through the Word (1 Kings 19:12).

3)  Acquiring Faith.  Faith comes by hearing!  And the more faith you have, the better you hear, and the more that you can hear.  That's why we only prophecy according to our measure of faith (Romans 12:6).  In general, God will only tell you what you have faith to accept.  But the one who can accept a word from God--a personal, specific message--should accept it! (Matthew 19:12)  I've heard people say that before God speaks through a prophet, He speaks to a prophet.  Yes!  Generally speaking, at least.

4)  Internal work develops more and more.  We grow in faith, and we grow in hearing.  It's a cycle of teaching that the Holy Spirit takes us on.  We see God confirm His Word, and that reassures us that we're hearing from Him.  We see Him tell us something, and then we see it come to pass (Isaiah 55:11).  And when He tells us something, it may just test us (Psalms 105:19).  We may think it is impossible, or that we're just hearing our own imagination, but then God comes and confirms it.  And that builds faith!

I remember once that the Lord told me He was sending me to kids from Kansas city--kids who would later come to know God and His salvation.  And I thought He meant I was actually going there--literally traveling to KC to follow God's voice.  But within two weeks, I was ministering at the Hospital and met a guy my age who was from Kansas city.  He needed a ride to the hotel he was staying at, and the Lord also healed Him of the pain He originally went to the hospital for.  So, we also learn to not be presumptuous with hearing and acting on god's voice.

5)  We know God's Will.  In one area or another, He shows us His will and His plans.  He may tell us.  He may show us. (Job 33:14-15)  He may allow us to just know by having His mind on an issue ().  But He will reveal to us things unknowable--He will give us insight into His plans.

6)  We share God's voice with others.  By this point in time, we know it's Him--we have the faith that comes by hearing.  We are His sheep, and so we are now able to really discern and trust in His voice.  (1 Corinthians 2:16)  So He instructs us to share it--share the message He's given us.  This part can be very difficult sometimes.  And more often than not, God wants us to share.  And His love compels us to (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). If gentle promptings fail, then His word becomes a fire.  So we release it then!  We choose to please God. We choose to encourage and exhort others in the faith.  We choose to get away from ourselves and share.

And there you have it--some typical steps to prophetic training!  The cost may be high, but the cost is worth it.  There is so much satisfaction in helping yourself and others attain to God's perfect will.   It is so precious to be in tune and one with God.  There is so much value in the gift, because there is even greater value in the Giver.  There is so much importance in knowing God's heart.

"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy."                      1 Corinthians 12:31

  

Word: Trust Leads to Freedom

Yesterday the Lord spoke to me and said,

"I am taking you to a new level of freedom. Yes, I am giving you liberty and freedom in the Spirit, because I trust you, because you belong to me"

We belong to Him. And when we walk in that, that's why He trusts us! And that's why He gives us life to the fullest where we can be free and liberated from sin. Praise God for freedom. Praise Him for liberty, and praise Him for the law that His Spirit lives by. Praise Him that He gives trust to those whom He first entrusted with His Holy Spirit. And finally, praise God that we belong to Him! He is so intent on showing us that. He is so pleased when we realize all that He's done for us. Every promise in the Word has been given to us. And every word He's given will come to pass.

"And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you."
Galatians 3:29

A little later yesterday, I went into the garage from outside just in time to hear Christian radio for a minute or so. And They were describing how Jesus reveals His secrets to those He trusts. Although the world does not know or recognize Him, they said, He has taken us in and entrusted us with Himself. He spoke in parables so often, but to His own, He occasionally revealed more.

I was so thankful to hear this little segment of radio...and then it was time for me to head back outside. God's timing was so perfect! It perfectly confirmed the word from earlier that morning -- "...because I trust you..." And I realized that because He trusts me, that's why He's going to be revealing more to me! This is something I've been praying for recently--that God would reveal more unknowable knowledge to me, more prophetic insight, more deep things. And that morning, He had comforted me in saying that He trusted me. After you have the trust, only then can Jesus reveal the secrets. Awesome!

"I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."
Isaiah 45:3

Spirit-led Gardening??

All throughout the winter, the Lord has been prompting me to look into farming.  And the more I thought about it, the more I realize that I like the idea!  And God has kept confirming the message.  The situations have been right going into the Spring, and the Lord has made it easy for me to order seeds, learn about techniques, and have good land to farm on.  For now, I'm taking things small scale...so 'gardening' is probably a more apt way to describe what I'm doing.  But I do plan on doing more extensive farming in the future!

This morning, I was doing some research on vegetable growing--just looking into basic things.  Now, I'm new to farming, so today I was mostly looking into general guidelines.  I wanted to have the Lord's backing, though--I wanted to know that He was making my way perfect (Psalms 18:32).   So, I asked the Lord for a sign to confirm that He did indeed want me to be doing this--researching vegetables!  And right away, God was gracious to give me His Word--and I was led to the below verse at random!

"The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."
Genesis 2:15

Praise the Lord!  With that, the Lord gave me new hope.  I knew His backing, and I felt it, too!  In continuing my research, I was looking into using raised beds for my gardening.  So I looked into that a little bit.  And I decided that raised beds were the best method to use.  After a little more research on this, all of a sudden, I heard the Lord speak.  He said:

"Look at the time..."  

There was some urgency there--not harshness, but a pressing command.  So I did, and it was 10:42. OK, now what?

His voice was quick to give me a next step.  He told me to enter that time, 10:42, into this Hebrew Lexicon.  I knew He was telling me to enter it in as the time 1042.  Now, I've used this online concordance before, but this time, the Lord was so specific to guide me into it.

I heard the Lord continue:

"Enter it into the second one, not the first, not into Hebrew but to Greek".  

Woah, OK!  So, I used the Concordance search on the second row, 'not into Hebrew but to Greek', and entered into it the number 1042. Normally I use the top concordance, and do my word / number searches in Hebrew, but I knew the importance of obedience here.  I knew all of this from God--His voice was powerful and clear.  So, I obeyed this Word from the Lord.  I entered the number in, not knowing what to expect.  And there it was:

1042  Gabbatha= "elevated or a platform"
--a raised place, elevation

Wow!  I was a little taken back by this.  Raised beds??  I had just been wanting to have God's approval on my farming, and He had given it, through the scripture in Genesis.  He even gave me His backing on my choice to use raised gardening beds.  Praise the Lord!  With so many gracious confirmations, I'm believing that all this farming research was more of God's idea than mine.

It's so nice to know that God is for so many details in our lives.  He even loves my raised beds research!  The more I get to know Him, the more His intricacy amazes me.  It's so worth it to want to please Him.  We need to wait on Him, making sure that we please Him.  We need to wait until we are filled with the Spirit.  That's when we can stay in step with the Spirit; that's when we can be continually approved (Galatians 5:25).

So we need to be very led.  That's when we can receive true comfort!  That's when we can be justified by faithful steps in Him.  That's when we can be confident.  We can be led, and we can have God bring us into great rewards right now!

"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward"

Hebrew 10:35

Snapshot: Seeing the Words

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"                Romans 10:17

This verse essentially describes in reverse order the way that God progressively and tangibly guides us.  So, we read the Word, which is the bible, God's written word.  That's the first step--the step mentioned last in Romans 10:17, from which the other ones flow from.  God's word is an open door, and we need to read it to know Him better.  Then we hear from Him.  Usually hearing is a three part process--and these parts usually come in the following order:

1) The Word, the Bible, comes alive to us in a new way that relates more specifically to us.  A certain verse may jump out.  For example, I may pray for my family and right after read Luke 1:50.  The Word first begins to come alive in this way.

2) We receive from the Lord a vision that comes from, or by, the Word of God.  The Word of the Lord is often characterized in a vision.  This can be seen in Jeremiah 1:11 and Samuel 3:1.

3) The most evident form of hearing is just that--hearing the audible voice of God.  His audible voice differs from that still, small one.  It comes externally, from heaven itself.  It is like the sounds of roaring thunder or many rushing waters (Revelation 14:2)--majestic!!  This is a rarity, or at least it has been for me.  But that doesn't mean that it will be for you!  Whoever asks with purity receives...

So, these are three ways that God speaks to us--three ways that we hear.  They all flow from the words that are in the Bible, the Word of God.  The Holy Spirit makes that book so real!  And He wants to speak to us in all the ways above, and more.  Why does He speak to us?  And consequently, why do we hear His voice?

Because we are sheep that need to stay in touch with our Shepherd.  Because we need to know Him more.  Because we need the faith, the knowing, that cometh by hearing.  

How can we listen to God on a moment by moment basis if we don't hear Him accordingly? We need a revelation from the Word.  We need a vision.  We need a voice.  We need to have the Word made real and dynamic to us--made alive and active (Hebrews 4:12).

After we have faith from the hearing, that's when we can act.  That's when we can really live abiding in God.  That's when we can have success--our joy--guaranteed.  If God tells me to pray for someone who is sick, then I know He will do the work--which is usually a total healing.  If God tells me to smile at someone, then I know that it blessed someone, regardless if I see any results or not.  If I see in a vision while praying that someone I am not with is being healed, then I need to believe that!

I need faith because I heard God, and I need to hear God, in whatever way works, because I read His Word first.  Wigglesworth said, "consume the Word of God until it consumes you".  This is a place where you have heard and believed.

We need to see God's Word for what it is.  We need to see just what He's telling this.  He has given us so many gifts, and we need to step into the fullness of them all.  

Words of Knowledge

"For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit..."

1 Corinthians 12:8-9

What is a word of knowledge?  It is a shorter prophetic revelation that reveals external knowledge from God, usually given to uplift someone else. There are a few characteristics that separate the word of knowledge from prophecy or the gift of wisdom.  Below are a few of them:

1)  Gives insight, a supernatural knowing, into the lives of another that could not be obtained naturally

The Lord might impress to a pastor that a lady in the church has had lower back pain for three years.  Sometimes, a word of knowledge may not be given for a specific individual, but rather apply to a whole group of people.  In other words, the pastor in that church may not know who has back pain, only that they are in need of healing.  If more knowledge is necessary, then God will give it.

2)  Often reveals details needed for healing--physical, spiritual, or mental details

The example about revealed need for a physical healing.  But it may just be shown that a person is suffering from depression that God wants to heal.  Or, that a person has been hurt by their sister.  God reveals negative things so that we can pray for healing.  We can exhort, encourage, and speak in the positive, and not the negative.  The power of life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).

3)  Comes by the insight God gives, usually by a shorter phrase, or even just one word

We have the mind of Christ, and if we are abiding in it, then we can hear more easily what God is saying.  The Lord may speak, or impress through our thoughts, a sentence, or phrase, or word, that gives needed information about the condition of another.  I may hear, "he has lower back pain and leg weakness", when I look at   Or, I may just strongly feel that this is the case.  The word of knowledge doesn't even have to be a word, as described in these next two points...

4)  May come as a mental picture or vision

When praying for a lady downtown, I may see a picture of her knee with emotional chains being wrapped around it.  The Lord is 'speaking' that she has a knee injury rooted in emotional pain.  Once again, God may reveal the sad truth so that we can pray into His will instead.  We don't have to accept those chains; instead, the Lord reveals them so that they can be broken off in the name of Jesus.

5)  May come as a pain in your body.

This is another way that the Lord can speak without using words.  For example, in my own walk, I sometimes get a pain in my right ear if I need to pay attention and 'listen!'.  More often, a physical pain or sensation can be "picked up" from someone else if God is wanting to heal them.  Last time Vanessa and I did ministry downtown, she picked up the left foot pain of a young guy playing basketball, and God healed him completely.  Any word of knowledge, especially this type, is so effective in identifying a problem, that we can then target in prayer.  Through Him laying on pain, through God sharing with us another's burdens, we can accomplish His will.  This kind of word of knowledge also has the benefit of increasing our own compassion for others.  If you can feel the headache of another person, then you will probably feel more love for that person, too.  Since God is Love (1 John 4:8), then you can better share Him with another!

6)  Are usually applicable right away, but may be fulfilled later

Usually a word of knowledge is true in the very moment it is given.  You might see a person, and bam, God reveals their spiritual condition right now.  It is not usually prophetic in that it speaks of a future time.  But sometimes, this isn't the case.  Prior to going into Wal-Mart, the Lord may reveal that a lady in the store wearing pink and purple needs prayer.  More often, though--at least for me--a word of knowledge is given and meant to be applied within minutes of it's giving.  It's a now word.

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It's so important to be motivated by Love, and so important to be moved with compassion.  The word of knowledge is such a gift, but it's only a means to an end.  It only reveals to us an otherwise unknowable piece of God's heart, so if we do not use this gift with love, then it is worth nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). What counts is not faith or gifts in themselves.  Faith expressing itself through miracles or wonders is not that important.  The most important thing to obtain, to receive, from God is His Love for people. That's how we know how we are His.  Words of knowledge and other things are only means of expression.  They need to be used as faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6).

"Do This, Do That" Versus Freedom

He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not

listen. So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line 

on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and 

taken captive.              --Isaiah 28:12-13--

The Lord led me here a few days ago....this is an interesting passage.  For me, it was a call to change. God doesn't desire to give us rule after rule; He doesn't want to make us stumble.  He doesn't want to take away all of our freedoms or surround us with impossible regulations (Lamentations 3:5).  As I said in a previous post, God doesn't desire to hand us over to a reprobate mind.  And He doesn't want to cause us to stumble.

But sometimes we need to change and return to God, and He causes us to stumble.  He does this so that we can hit rock bottom, and then turn and be healed!  He does this out of Love.  God Himself may become to us an oppressor if He knows that trials and testing will cause an eventual return.

"If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you."                 Jeremiah 42:10

God can and does change His mind.  God can and does change the way He interacts with people.  He does this based on our actions.  God wants to give freedom, but He will not give it if the receivers use it for their own glory.  For the worldly minded, God gives rules, regulations, and incessant demands.   This is what Isaiah 28:13 is talking about.  

I witness this in my own life.  When I have strayed from focusing on God, God strays from talking about Himself to me.  Instead, His direction takes a practical, even oppressive, turn.  The Lord may prompt me to do some chores or talk to someone.  He may instruct me in a way that takes away my freedom (Jeremiah 34:17).  What we are to Him, that He will become to us (Psalms 18:26).

If we are not thinking about Him, God will add to the yoke on our shoulders until it becomes to much for us to bear.  He wants us to ask for help!  He wants us to fix our minds on Him.  This is the better way.  If we are loving God, all else will be added to us.  If we are abiding by His Spirit, that's when there is freedom.  That's when there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).  

If we are in the Spirit, then we will be instructed in spiritual things and be pointed towards God.  That is God's desire.  If we are in the Spirit, then we will have freedom to think anything good about God. We will be free to do anything God for God.  We will not be subjected by God to "order upon order", because Jesus in us has already fulfilled all of the law.  Once we are operating in the Kingdom, then can we have other things, too (Matthew 6:33).

We can be free to sing, free to express joy, free to worship God in everything we do.  Why persist in subtle rebellion?  God wants to make us slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18); He wants to give us a light yoke (Matthew 11:30).  Let's allow God to approve of us, so that He can give us freedom.  Let's show Him that the gifts He's given us are able to shine through and glorify Him alone.

Snapshot: A Basket for Gathering

Last week I was given a vision of a deep, woven wooden basket.   I knew it was a basket for gathering up the things of God.  Our Lord has so much to give.  He wants to keep things exciting, and keep our lives full of joy.  We need to be equipped to receive from Him.  We need a basket of recorded testimonies, memories, and Words from God--whatever it takes.

"And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever."   Isaiah 30:8

If God wants to do a new thing, we should be prepared for it.  Have you received from Him a wineskin that is open to His personality?  (Job 32:19)  That's what we need.  Wineskins that accommodates the passion of God, and then make that passion our own.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”              Isaiah 6:8

That's the enthusiasm we need.  And that's what God is ready to give.  He wants to feed us good things.  He wants to nourish us spiritually.  And, He gives a basket for gathering!

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."      2 Corinthians 4:7

Our bodies are a basket.  They are a vessel for God to pour into.  And there are other vessels!  Anything you have that gathers from God is a spiritual basket.  For me, this blog is one.  All these 'baskets' have one thing in common--they hold a testimony from Jesus.  They are all about Him.  Earthen vessels are what we have, and earthen vessels are what we use.  This can be a good thing!  It's a good thing, if our insignificance reminds us of God.  We can let Him do the work.  All we have to do is humbly stay in step.

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."    Galatians 5:25

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."     Micah 6:8

Confirmed:  Today I was looking in the kitchen cupboards and noticed a wooden basket was missing.    I was reminded of that vision.  Some things you just have to take by faith!  For me, the missing basket fulfilled the vision from last week.  God is so amazing-- He orchestrates such a beautiful life.

Our baskets shouldn't be set on a shelf.  They should be in hand, ready for use.  We need to stay prepared.  We need to be well fed, but stay hungry for more.  He'll give what we want from Him.  God wants to take us to a new place, and He wants to equip us with all that we need for the journey.