LOVERS OF GOD BRING FORTH TRUE JUSTICE

True justice comes from a blazing heart of passion and love from a Father who would send His only Son to find a bride. To understand justice we must understand the Heart of this Bridegroom who left the very seat of Heaven and put on flesh to woo a people who voluntarily give themselves in total abandoned love.

Song of Solomon chapter 3 describes this bridegroom in search of His bride. The longing of His heart to find her, what He desired more than anything was her love. True justice is established in love; to find love, to give love, to be healed by love, delivered by love and to receive love. Without the Love of God we can’t deliver true justice.

Who is the Father that we must turn our hearts to? Malachi prophesied of a prophet who would turn hearts of children to the Father. It takes the Fathers love for a generation, for the children to understand true justice. If we don’t have this understanding we will find our path leading to selfish ambition, entitlement, and a Babylonian system that will eventually lead a generation to worship the anti-christ.

Our foundation of justice must be the Heart of the Father and understanding the Love of Fathers.

The Father doesn’t need “workers” in His Kingdom He needs voluntary lovers. If we are compelled by the belief that God “needs” us to “do” this than we will be not be communicating God’s heart to the ones He wants relationship with, He wants abandoned lovers not religion. We can spend multitudes of dollars and years of labor and in the end we have not truly established the family of God.

Fear, guilt and condemnation as a motivating factor is what fuels a false justice movement in the earth today. The motivation of the Father is love and relationship so this would be the end goal. Love that leads to relationship, not just freedom from the momentary afflictions.

The only way to truly lead the children to the Father is to know His heart. What is heart for the oppressed and how can we most effectively communicate it. It is love that brings men to repentance, this is drawing factor of true justice (guilt and condemnation don’t communicate love rather it communicates religion and more bondage.)

A cry for revival comes when hearts are broken for the depravity of men’s condition. When we look at past revivals like the Welsh revival…it was a prayer meeting where grown men were weeping for days over the condition of sin and from that there was a release of incense that filled the city and thousands walked out of taverns and dance halls and filled the church with broken hearts recognizing their need for the Love of the Father. The love that brings mercy to a sinner.

In the context of justice the vehicle to release a power that would not only remove the oppressor but bring total freedom could be a prayer meeting filled with hearts that are broken and consumed with the condition of men and the heart of a Father longing for sons and daughters. We must look past the outward conditions of injustice and be consumed with the heart of the man, woman or child who is trapped in that condition and doesn’t know the true love of a Father.

TRUE JUSTICE IS ETERNAL LIFE

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3)

Justice brings deliverance from the opressor

“Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold He is coming,” Says the Lord of Hosts (Malachi 3:1)

And I will come near you for judgment; I will be swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans…because they do not fear Me, says the Lord of hosts (Malachi 3:5)

Justice without Jesus is not true Justice. The center of our message must be the true Messenger Jesus Christ. He is the answer to injustice. Malachi prophesied of the day He would come to judge the oppressor in Malachi 3:5. We can’t really bring justice unless we have power to overcome the oppressor.

Justice if more than removing the outward conditions, it is removing the oppressor. Jesus saw justice by judging the one who was bringing the oppression.

Conviction comes when the Truth is known. We know about impurity and sin because we saw the Holy One and His pure heart of love. Righteous judgment is the most convicting Justice. When believers are living righteous holy lives than the power behind conviction and truly break the power of evil.

A prophetic generation clothed in holiness and God’s glory will bring society to its knees in conviction. We want to transform society! We want sin, wickedness and evil to come face to face with the Glory (knowledge)of God and His Kingdom of Righteousness.

A standard of Righteousness can be a fortress against a flood of immorality and perversion. The more we behold the face of Christ the more we become like Him. We can have a lot of words but the power and proof is in the way we live – the confirmation to the love of God was the living Christ. The evidence of God’s justice against evil is righteousness and a life that expresses the right way to live. We want more than rhetoric and lots of words without conviction, we want power that comes face to face with God, Himself.

God is filling a prophetic generation who will proclaim the Message of THE MESSENGER = JESUS!

1 Corinthians 1:5-8 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance (divine expression, revelation, proclamation, preaching, singing)and all knowledge even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, (touching the emotions, will and changing behavior/morals/society) so that you come short in no gift (manifestation of the Holy Spirit – 9 gifts of the spirit)who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1Corinthians 1:5-8)

LOVE THAT ENDURES

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

But I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2-3)

Paul had concern for the honor and purity of the church. He looked at her like a Father looks at a daughter wanting purity and to prepare her for her bridegroom and that wedding day!

It takes real love to make it all the way to the Wedding Day! Not to be confused with a natural love or an emotion, this is a love that is stronger than the grave, stronger than any power in this age or the age to come. This love expressed in the heart of a Father, which never ends, never runs out, limitless, boundless and can’t be quenched by any flood. This love is stronger than any graves, death can’t hold it, and life can’t lessen it.

An emotional love is weak at its best; it comes from the seat of our emotions which is the soul. We can express love in our soul but real love comes from your spirit. You can’t love God without God’s love and your spirit alive to His love.

If all we have is emotional love we will be taken out in the day of visitation, in the day of destruction that the book of Revelation tells us is coming. Three and half years of tribulation….we won’t make it on an emotion but the love of God will keep us steadfast and sure, unshakeable and unmovable and keep us from being offended.

LOVE AS A SEAL ON MY HEART

Set Me (Jesus) as a seal upon your heart…for love (God’s love in us) is as strong as death…its flames are flames of fire…7 Many waters (persecution, sin, condemnation, pressures, etc.) cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. (Song 8:6-7)

We haven’t even begun to tap into the love that dawns as a morning brighter as the day grows and causes darkness to flee

The heavens declare it….day unto day speaks it…there is no speech for it…not even the world can tabernacle it… it is expressed in a Bridegroom who coming out of his chamber goes forth  from the end of heaven…nothing can hide from its heat. Psalm 19

Just as creation is the language of the creator, man is the language of a loving God. To look at man and God’s pursuit of man is to understand the expression of this kind of love.

The power of the word of God converts our understanding to see rightly, makes us wise beyond our soulish nature, our past experiences, our future encounters – the word is perfect and nothing in this world is perfect except God. (Psalms 19:7)

The word of God is like the pillars that hold up that which could possibly tabernacle the love to be seen. His words enlighten our eyes to see, without it we would be unable to focus and see clearly.(Psalms 19:8)

When we see rightly, reverence and esteem for Him fills our heart, we place the proper perspective and see Him as Holy, other than and transcendent. It is an eternal perspective that is not limited to what is in the now but includes all that is in the future.

The word fuels our faith and helps us to believe what God says.

Faith doesn’t come from the mind it comes from the heart and a renewed mind that completely agrees with God and what He desires. If we don’t renew our mind it will war against God and our faith (BillJohnson)

His love and the fear of the Lord give us confidence.

FEAR OF THE LORD KEEPS ME CLEAN

Mosses said, “Fear not for God is come to prove you and that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not”  Exodus 20:20

The fear of the Lord makes us receptive to his wisdom and knowledge and makes the enticement of sin dull to our senses. (Proverbs 1:7-9) It causes our inward being to resist sin, constrains us from giving into temptation.

Not like we imagine clean. A.W. Tozer in Knowledge of the Holy talks about how our white is dirty gray and no matter how white and clean we attempt to get something it is still dingy and gray compared to the whiteness and purity of His cleanliness.

All our attempts to be pure, acts of self-righteousness are but dirty rags…pale in the brightness of His Glory. We will never become pure and clean and right before God by doing…by all our works. It is a gift and when we see rightly we can receive this gift, have understanding of it, comprehend and convert our souls to it, our very nature receiving His nature, our way of thinking transformed by it and our actions following.

The purity of the Fear of the Lord, the cleanness of it separates from the unclean like a vast ocean from as far as the east is to the west there is a demarcation of separation when the fear of the Lord and purity of real love consumes a believer – you won’t have to ask – you will know they are different – unlike anything this world sets up as a standard – this love – this purity is like a judgment against sin – puts it under a magnifying glass and displays “that is ugly and not worthy of my time, attention or my life”

All throughout the ages the world, Babylon, the harlotries of evil and sin have loudly claimed a love that feeds soul and flesh but this is false, it is a mirage, it has no lasting effect, it is perpetuatated on the movie screens, in secret lustful pornographic messages that promise some kind of fulfillment and all its allure is false and untrue. Sinful lustful love in the frame of a body, in the enticement of secret and hidden sin is but a trap and a lie….leading you into union with darkness and satisfying feeling in sin. In actuality there is a dirty, unclean impurity imparted to your inner man and it eats away at your heart with guilt and condemnation.

The beauty and fire that accompanies pure love that flows from your creator adds to you, strengthens you and fills you with a fuel that endures until end. The love of God is purifying, it acts like an astringent in your heart removing impurities and false lies.

Have you ever had a wound and put astringent on it….it stings but it stings good and the cleansing agent of the astringent removes all that hinders the healing. Truly a wound can heal once it is cleaned. The world and its enticements wound our heart and infect us with lies and false images that only the love of God can heal.

If you never encounter the Love of God then that wounding begins to poison and get infected and eventually left to it’s own…gangrene sets in and stops all flow of blood. Have you ever seen a war vet? After the war….blind with bitterness and filled with wounds and in some cases even had to have limbs amputated and plastic ones put on.

We can’t fight any battle, win any war, and conquer any enemy without love! Only love can guard our heart from bitterness and keep us flowing in the life flow and power of God’s anointing. To go into battle without the love of God and the fear of the Lord will lead to causalities and potential wounding that will not heal. (1 Kings 22:34; 2 Chronicles 18:33)

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded in me Psalms 109:22

LOVE THAT WINS BATTLES

When we look at the enemies of the cross and God’s jealous zeal for His bride we want to enter into the battle with Him but we must not go in unprepared.

We want to enter into the battle in total union with God. The love of God consummates a union; it draws our hearts together in perfect harmony.

That they all may be one as you Father are in me(Jesus) and I (Jesus) am in You (Father) that they (you and me) may also be one in us (Father, Son) so that the world may believe and know that you (Father) sent me (Jesus) John 17:21

To know Christ is to know the Father, to fall in love with Jesus is to fall in love with the Father – it is not separate because they are one. Our love for Jesus is the same love we love the Father. The same love the Father has for Jesus He has for us, He doesn’t love Jesus more, He doesn’t love us more – it is the same love…it is not measured.

We try to measure love but love can’t be measured!

We try to measure love but love can’t be measured so really don’t try. We can express it though in measures…our desire is to express the Love of God in unlimited fashion of eternity; meaning it doesn’t end with the here and now but it is expressed as reaching into our future…meaning we live for another age. Our love is expressed by living now for eternity.

It’s like a fire that is consuming everything in its path and it moves, has movement, alive and moving…. traveling into eternity.

The world boasts of a love that lasts forever…if that was true why is there so many divorces? Because it’s not real love…..its superficial based on what you can do for me….what you can give me…what I can get from it. It has no lasting effect….not eternal significance. It’s based on emotions which go high and they go low affected by outward circumstances and outward affections. Where is the commitment in that?

Real love is commitment through eternity. When God set His love on man, He meant forever and ever and ever without end! You can’t see the end of this love because there isn’t one. It is the definition of forever! It will outlast humanity and this world and the solar system and every age. Your mind can’t fathom the end of God’s love because there is no finding it.

God’s kingdom is established on this Love, it’s the boundaries of it, the pillars of it and there is no ceiling.

We get to spend until eternity searching it out! Discovering this Love and becoming the expression of it in the earth – oh what a Glory to search it out – what a mystery -  what beauty…how to express this love, how to communicate to a world that has nothing to compare it to…no baseline to measure it by …oh the joy of this our eternal purpose!

LOVE THAT OVERCOMES

I am dark (in heart) but lovely (to God)…v6 my own vineyard (heart) I have not kept. Song of Solomon 1:5-6)

Song of Solomon is the story of a bride searching out this love….she encounters it in her shepherd and it draws her into the encounter and she discovers her shortcomings, her darkness in comparison to the beauty of this love. She feels undeserving, unable to receive so He speaks to her.

You have ravished me with one look (Song of Solomon 4:9)

If we look in the natural we will measure our love in a natural way. We look at how we act and how we respond. We look at our failures, the times we miss it and shame, condemnation sets in and clouds our view.

The beauty of God’s love is He looks on our heart, the intention of our heart, the reach of our inner man, the desire to be aligned with Him and in complete obedience.

We want to have a Yes in our heart but our weakness keeps us from reaching, shame condemns our mind and we think wrong thoughts.

We lean on our reasoning instead of our spirit leading us to truth. Our mind will lean on an outward expression; our nature is to relate based on outward natural signals while our spirit is made to rely on God’s word and who He is, the nature and character of God.

We must make a choice to live by our spirit not our natural man or by outward expressions but by the inner leadings of our spirit and His nature in us. Our spirit will reveal to us the truth if we ask the Holy Spirit  to show us. The Holy Spirit shares God’s heart and thoughts towards us and reveals it to us by our spirit not our mind. Our mind will help us to interpret the spirit but if you don’t have the word of God in your mind you may lean to your natural man or past experiences.

The more word of God we meditate on, the more our mind can interpret the spirit and Holy Spirit correctly – this keeps us from error.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statues(word) of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandments (principles and doctrine) of the Lord is pure, enlightening my eyes. Psalm 19:7-8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

Once we have a right perspective we see rightly, we are relying on our spirit, our inner man, the communion with the Holy Spirit and the word of God; we can enter into the battle knowing God will direct our steps and keep us protected.

LOVE THE HEALS AND MINISTERS

The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me Song of Solomon 5:7

There is a wounding sometimes that comes as a result of those we minister or run with and we can see the response of the Shulammite when the watchmen wounded her

The watchman…struck me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took my veil away from me (Song 5:7)

Often because of the close proximity we work with someone spending in some cases more time with them than with our family we encounter wounds in others that have not healed. Often when we are hurt we protect ourselves by pushing away those who we find re-infect those wounds or bring a response we are unsure of how to handle.

Another scenario may be insecurities, and this will produce walls and even a pushing away because we have valued ourselves by our position or performance or how others receive our ministry or work.

It really all boils down to knowing what our Father thinks about us. This will build our confidence in His love and what He thinks about us and from that perspective find our identity.

Anytime we live in the minds of others we will find we come short of our potential. We were made in the image of God not man so they can’t fully comprehend all that is in us but our creator can.

We are also fueled by past experiences and may assume a result because of our past experience with someone or in a similar situation and predict an outcome that is really not realistic.

Love, God’s Love, opens our spirit. We feel safe and comfortable to open ourselves because we can trust that He will not hurt us, knowing that His thoughts towards us are always good!.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

You have ravished My heart…My spouse… with one look of your eyes… How fair (beautiful) is your love…How much better than wine is your love…. Song of Solomon 4:9-10

It can hurt when you encounter a leader who is not interested in your success. We come into ministry expecting that everyone is going to want to benefit us but the truth is many people have their own agenda and are unable, because of immaturity or other issues, to work as a team.

If we see as God sees, even ask the Lord how He sees another person we are working with or ministering to than we will have more grace to understand why they respond to us a certain way.

The wound we experience can be a test from the Lord to release a greater measure of grace in loving Him. It also prepares us for the seasons He invites us to minister to our enemies.

We can learn to respond in a right heart and right attitude and when a real attack comes we are unmoved, unshakable and will not get offended.

When you understand God’s love for you then every trial and every temptation become a source to strengthen you and increase wisdom and revelation.

For the testing and trying of your faith works patience. James 1:3

We don’t go looking for tests but we don’t back down from them either. We get tests to try our faith and perfect what is lacking. You won’t know what you are lacking if you never get tested. And you can’t test something you don’t have so know this

1. You have faith

2. He wants to strengthen you

He wants to strengthen you, add to you and bless you and this is one of the many processes. We want to know where we are weak so that we can ask the Lord for the supply, gifting, anointing revelation, wisdom or whatever we are lacking so that there is a greater measure and manifestation of His Glory released.

Oh the Love of a Father whose desire for us is that we would know Him fully and experience Him completely. He doesn’t want to hold back anything from us but He also knows us better than we know ourselves and some blessings can be more harmful than helpful so He prepares us line upon line and precept upon precept.

Mike Bickle has shared an encounter he had with the Lord that makes this so clear. During the encounter the Lord took him in the spirit of heaven, a power encounter in itself. How many of you have gone in the spirit to heaven? I have only had glimpses.

In this encounter the Lord thundered in Mike’s spirit “Young man, if you are impatient, you will cause great harm and much turmoil to many peoples” This reveals God’s heart towards us, He doesn’t want the blessing to bring harm to us rather He wants to prepare us for the blessing so that we can walk in it.

I think one of the greatest harms has come to the body of Christ during the dispensation of the Holy Spirit and Charismatic renewal is being slain in the spirit. Though I think this is a legitimate manifestation I think it has brought some harm because we need to really get the fullness of God’s impartation. And nowadays every one is doing the “courtesy drop” without really receiving.

One thing my pastor taught me that I found to be helpful is to learn to “walk in the anointing”, when the Holy Spirit manifests to impart I want to be able to walk in it not just get thrown down on the ground. Though the power may do that, I have certainly experienced that in many ways and I love when all my natural strength is drained from me but I really believe the Lord wants us to be able to “walk in it” so that it can benefit others. To me every manifestation is to be poured out on someone else, so I want to be able to “stand and minister” under it not just get knocked down.

LOVE THAT GIVES EVERYTHING

Bottom line is God is for us, always! He desires to bless us and withholding doesn’t mean necessarily that we have done something wrong, it just may mean we aren’t ready or prepared so than we ask the Lord ‘show me where my weakness is so I can walk in it and minister it to the body’. The picture I keep in my mind is that we all have to go together. I can only go as far as you go so until you get it I am not going further – we have to go together.

I take that to mean locally and globally –which gives me such a burden for the global church to experience all of God not just our local body. I am connected to the global burden because until we all go…. He won’t come. This is what I am reaching for and I have great faith in God, not in my ability to pray …. He wants it so I know He will to bring it to pass.

Personally I want to be one with the Lord but also with the body all of together as one. So my desire to remove everything that hinders love is not just between Him and I but between the body and myself. So I ask the Lord what in me hinders love with my brothers and sisters. I keep them in mind because we want to go together.

If something the Lord has given me liberty in causes another to stumble than I evaluate the value of removing that so that my brother and I can fellowship and as a whole we are edifying.

An example would be drinking. There is a lot of controversy over this issue but if it causes my brother to stumble than something that is just a pleasure for me, perhaps I can restrain myself. If my brother (or the youth) can’t than I am hindering him more than gaining something that benefits us both.

I look at my life like a pregnant woman; she has to restrict certain things that she eats and does this in order for that baby to have the best chance of survival, to be totally healthy all the days of  its life.

I look at this generation like a child I am carrying in the womb of my spirit and if I have to lay down some things that cause them to gain all that is God’s intention for them, I love them so much I want that for them more than I want pleasure for myself.

It may be a sacrifice for me but God sees it as worship and an offering. I lay down the lesser so we can all gain the greater. He is worth it and this generation is worth it.

David is an example of someone who gave everything he had for this generation to experience God’s presence. He built the tabernacle as a place where God’s people could commune with Him. We want the presence of God to come in fullness to encounter a generation. We want to release the full manifestation of all the love of God that is possible so they can see Him, understand Him and feel unashamed to give themselves to Him. The greatest expression of that is to love them enough to lay down anything and everything that would hinder them or us from entering into the fullness.

We can see the Shulammite wanted to come to the Lord even in her weakness to obey His beckoning. She didn’t want to miss his visitation, so even in weakness, keeping her eyes on His lovely face and remembering His kind words to her, she resisted the inclination to back down or to hide from Him because she knew He didn’t want to harm her, He wanted to love her.

She opens the door and says Yes to His visitation, His light, His purposes and surrenders herself to Him. She wanted more than just to watch from afar, she wanted to participate in all that He was doing. She wanted consummation, union to become One with Him, to marry Him. So she opens the door to her heart, to her soul, to her mind to her weakness, to the hidden places. She gives Him full access to all her knowing He may ask her to give some of it up but He is worth it.

I opened for my Beloved, but my Beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when He spoke. I sought Him, but I could not find Him…He gave me no answer. (Song of Solomon 5:6)

Search me O god and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24)

We have this hope set before us in a Wedding Day, a consummation of love that surpasses even our imagination, we can look at examples of wedding in the context Jesus speaks to us in the bible but eve that is still in our natural realm. There is so much more and the glory is we can search it out, ask Him to show us this hope set before us because it will sustain us, anchor us and help us to see the plan of His heart.

We want to know and He wants to tell us, He wants to show us that is why Jesus told us in Matthew 22:1-14

The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king which made a marriage for his son…he sent forth his servants saying tell them…Behold I have prepared my dinner…all things are ready: come unto the marriage. Matthew 22:1-4

THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)

Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge. (Psalm 19:2)

Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun, (Psalm 19:4)

Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course. (Psalm 19:5)

It’s going forth is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of it; and nothing [yes, no one] is hidden from the heat of it. (Psalm 19:6)

Paul had the same revelation and described the zeal the Bridegroom and the Father had for the bride. In fact Paul thought of himself much like a Father and longed to present the bride as a chaste spotless bride.

For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

All throughout the bible we can hear the Bridegroom’s voice drawing the bride to His side longing to be one with her, longing for the consummation of a wedding.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her [Israel] and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly and to her heart.(Hosea 2:14)

The Father’s love for the bride of His Son is strong and it can be like the fire that burns to refine gold and silver. This fire has many levels to it. The more pure the gold becomes the hotter the fire burns to remove any and all impurities.

The prophets prophesied in Jeremiah, Amos, and Malachi as instruments of this fire, like assayers they revealed God’s jealous love and purified the bride if she listened and obeyed their instructions.  One of the reasons we pray for Israel the way we do is because many still today reject God’s love. Mostly because they want to love God their way but real love is to love on God’s terms.

The Shulamite knew the right way to respond after many tests and trials. She finally came to the realization that the Bridegroom didn’t want to hurt her, rule over her or control her rather His strong love was “for her”.

Until the day break and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense (Song of Songs 4:6)

When we see His love for us we can know that anything He asks of us to go through His love will carry us and it will be worth it!

God’s plan throughout the ages was for a promised seed to carry His Glory, to display it on the earth in absolute partnership with Him, the two becoming one.

The first generation fell into deep and gross darkness and God had no option but to destroy the entire generation of evil men while delivering the righteous. He will come again and remove the wickedness, this is our promise found in the book of Revelations.

God took His remnant and started afresh and anew. He made covenant with Noah promising never again to wipe out the entire face of the earth with a flood. (Genesis 9)

God always deals in generations. He let an entire generation die off before He visited with a new covenant. He called Abraham to leave Ur and go to a land He would show him. Often when God wants to bless us He will give instructions that test our commitment.  He will tell us what the blessing is but will not release it until we respond with complete obedience. The response to these instructions let Him know if we are ready for the blessing.

Abraham obeyed and God pronounced over him the blessing of making him a great nation.

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. (Genesis 12:2)

And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]. (Genesis 12:3)

On his way (of obedience into the Promised Land) the Lord spoke again and began to impart vision into his heart with a promise.

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, I will give this land to your posterity. So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, Who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:7)

God was revealing to him at that time that the promise would be in his posterity (children).

God continued to test Abraham because He had great blessing in store for not only Abraham but a nation.  A famine comes into the land and tests the provision and Abraham’s faith in God’s promise of provision (Genesis 12:2-3)

Abraham’s response tells us what obstacles were in the way of his receiving the greater blessing. Abraham heads for relief from the hard times. He wants to relieve the pressure of having to rely on his faith in God’s promise and perhaps even do without some of the things he had become accustomed.

Abraham made a choice of his pleasure over God’s instructions and provision from His promise and went to Egypt. In doing so he opened up his life to the enemy. He left not only God’s provision but God’s protection and when the enemy showed up he schemed a plan that almost cost him his family.

Looking for a way out Abraham lied. This opened his life to the enemy.

And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? (Genesis 12:18)

Why did you say, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and get away [from here]! (Genesis 12:19)

We don’t really see where Abraham ever repented of this sin leaving him open for another attack of the enemy.  From here Abraham separates from his brother Lot and their family.  There was strife between the families and it could have been because Abraham didn’t repent for his sin. Anytime we don’t repent of sin it affects not only our lives but our families.

Lot chose to go to Sodom; his eyes saw the lush land and something took hold of his heart. He didn’t pray or ask God about where to go, he was led by his eyes and ultimately the lust of his flesh.

God visits Abraham again and tells him of the promise of provision in the land. God’s mercy and unconditional covenant was still in effect.

The covenant was for more than just Abraham’s provision God had a nation in His heart and a generation.

This promise refocused Abraham because his next test involved a dangerous mission. His brother, Lot was attacked and Abraham rescued Lot and recovered his goods. On his way home an evil king tempted him with blessing and Abraham refused. He remembered God’s covenant and realized from his last mistake he didn’t need to look to evil men for his provision, He could trust God and God alone.

This time the Lord visits with vision and a word.

AFTER THESE things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward shall be exceedingly great. (Genesis 15:1)

Abraham questions this promise because he was childless. He looked at his natural state and said God this can’t be true.  The goodness of the Lord continues to show Abraham the promise and eventually he agrees and believes.

God was pleased with Abraham’s response and counted it unto him as righteousness.

God speaks again of the promise. (Genesis 15:13-15) Every time we obey the Lord He releases more of His heart to us. It is a process and each step of obedience, each yes releases more His heart into ours. The more we hear of His heart the more we can have confidence in Him.

In the natural the promise seemed impossible because Abraham and his wife were barren (much like the church today with 94% of this generation un-churched and without Fathers).

God was intent that Abraham would believe Him so he sent three angels to confirm the promise of a seed, a nation and a generation. This visitation revealed the heart of both Abraham and Sarah.

It was a test and it was revealing, letting God know where their weaknesses were to receive the promised blessing.

Sarah had little faith and even though she heard the angels and the promise of God from her husband, she did not believe.

Maybe her desire to please her husband over rode her desire to please God. Perhaps there was taunting and pressure from her family and servants, questioning God’s promise and reminding her of the natural improbability of having a son. She probably gave into the pressure and made a decision out of her soul or reasoning that didn’t include God’s wisdom or reflection on who HE was and that nothing is impossible with God.

All these choices can hinder us from receiving from God and activating our faith in His promises.

Though Hagar was out of covenant still yet God had a promise for her seed (because the Abrahamic Covenant was unconditional) and I by faith claim every child of every unsaved family out of covenant with God – it is possible for them to come to Christ, I am a living example!

Sarah took her doubt a step further when she invited her husband to join her in circumventing God, much like Eve did with Adam.  Abraham agreed with Sarah’s reasoning instead of God’s promise and once again made a wrong decision that brought forth this time a seed. Their decision led to compromise.

Abraham broke not only his marriage vow but he broke the covenant with God. And he did it more than once. Anytime we sin and sin again something is conceived in our heart and we become separated from His provision and protection. He was no longer in right standing with God. Anytime we break a covenant /vow we have taken before God we break fellowship with God.

This didn’t however disannul or cause God’s unconditional covenant for a seed, a generation. You can’t stop God’s plan only circumvent your participation in it.

God so intent on their partnership in the plan sends angels to speak into their heart the vision of God’s heart. (Genesis 17)

The angelic messengers, once they completed their assignment to anchor Abraham and Sarah’s heart by reiterating the vision and promise from God, turned their attention to next assignment.

God had heard the cry of the afflicted in Sodom. God was grieved by what He heard come out of Sodom. He wanted to send His angels to check it out.

And the Lord said, Because the shriek [of the sins] of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is exceedingly grievous, Genesis 18:20

What was the cry of Sodom that God heard? I believe it was the cry of generation who was being sacrificed to the god of this age! Trafficked, molested, abused and sodomized by the wicked and God heard their cry – his promised and his beloved sacrificed on altars by Lot, who should know better, and the lost who had a conscience but it was seared in their depravity.

Because Lot was consumed with himself, caught up in self-worship instead of worshiping God, he willingly gave not only himself but he had sacrificed the promised seed, his children, to the gods of this age.

Lot left the Promised Land, God’s provision and promise after the lust of his eyes landed on what he saw as instant gratification. Why wait for God’s promise when the hopes of success and prosperity were right before him.

Look now, I have two daughters who are virgins; let me, I beg of you, bring them out to you, and you can do as you please with them. But only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof. (Genesis 19:8)

The fact that Lot willingly gave his children to be sodomized by the wicked is a screaming example of what today we have delivered our own children into. Oh we may have dressed it up with fancy stadiums and comfortable theatres but it is the same spirit and it is the same gods behind them.

When the angels went to leave Abraham’s presence He inquired of the Lord. The Lord revealed His plan to destroy Sodom. And Abraham began to pray.

We must take note that during intercession Abraham did not want God to destroy Sodom. He was praying for the rescue of the people but he was not in agreement with the judgment against Sodom.

We need to be in agreement with all God’s plans, the blessing and the judgments.  The dialogue revealed Abraham’s heart. He was wanting to hang onto something God wanted to remove. God knew the poison that was in Sodom. God wanted to remove the entire city

For some reason we always want to keep the evil and call it Christian. Like Hollywood, we want to just save them all and leave them in there when the plan of God may be to destroy it. He doesn’t put His seal on what is evil. He destroys it, removes it so there is no chance of the seed of it to continue to grow.

That which perverts and opposes God must be removed and to the measure it effects is to the measure of the removal. Sodom had nothing good for Lot and his family. God’s plan was a mass exodus – take the righteous seed TOTALLY OUT of it and destroy it from having any further effect. Perhaps the grace of God knew that Lot would not be tempted again and rather than loose Lot His plan was to eradicate from ever becoming a temptation again.

Yet Abraham asked God not to destroy the city, why? Was he getting some benefit from it, I imagine so. We must weight that cost, is it worth the cost of a righteous seed, a generation?

We are faced with the same situation today. There are things in our lives that are poison.  They effect not only us but a generation.

God is just as zealous today as He was in Abraham’s day. He has promises for a generation He wants to bring to pass. At the same time there are Sodom’s, places that will draw us away from that promise by the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life. Promising all the fame and fortune quickly. Why wait for God’s promise and go through God’s process that seems so difficult when you can enter into Sodom and find a quick release of the pressure, a quick promise of provision or even a dream fulfilled.

This is what Hollywood, the entertainment industry, the sports industry is selling to a generation. Enticing them with lust and fleshly glimpses of a fantasy life they slowly get us to buy into the possibility that we can have all that our hearts desire.

The deception is disastrous and somewhere we became dull to the evil of it. There is a false worship movement in the earth and it has its own evangelistic system. The lure is to lead a generation into self-worship and self-exaltation and eventually worship of the anti-christ.

We are actually participating in that false worship movement when we spend our time and money on sports and entertainment. I know we think we aren’t worshiping them but to support them is to agree with them.  We dull our hearts and minds with a message that is diametrically opposed to God’s message. It may seem harmless but it is depositing seeds and it is releasing an agreement that eventually will leave more than a seed, it will germinate.

Even worse than what may be entering into our hearts is the finances we are pouring into these destructive industries. The multiplied millions of dollars that God has blessed us with is being poured into a system that is out to destroy our kids and a generation.

Just like Lot, we are giving our children and this generation to the altars that build Sodom and Gomorrah. We are spending what was perhaps meant to raise up a righteous seed into the very enemy that is longing to lead them to worship something other than God.

Not only is it our finances but the time we take to “enjoy” these games, movies, and entertainment were meant for us to spend with our children. . God would rather we gather together with family and spend time with Him. If you don’t have children can I tell you there are multiplied thousands looking for some love. The foster care system is full of children that have been sacrificed on these altars.

All you have to do is look at the fruit of these industries. The so called “stars” are full of lust and adultery. They amass wealth to spend it on drugs and a lifestyle of debauchery and we are financing it. Every time we buy a ticket or a product advertised during the game, gather with our parties of beer and food to sit in front of a big screen TV and worship a lifestyle of sin.

We actually build altars with finances, time and our cheering worship. It is so diametrically opposed to the kingdom of God.

God wants to be the only one worshiped and He wants to rebuild the altars in our homes and our nation. He wants to be the one worshiped at those altars and He wants to lead a generation to worship Him.

May He shine the light into the all the inner parts of our hearts so that we may be found blameless and holy and can stand before Him free from sin! Let nothing of this world and sin have anything in us!

I feel the Fear of the Lord coming to homes all across the body of Christ. God is going to hold parents accountable for how they have raised their children. When you look at the sexual immorality that is flooding the church and 94% of this generation is un-churched or unsaved, you may ask the why! The state of this world is because of the state of our church and our homes. He must come first to the house of God and clean and purge us so we can be used to help cleanse the earth.

How many parents take their babies to a “dedication” service. They dedicate their babies to the Lord, they make vows to Him and they have not honored the covenant.  They have made covenants with God as a son or daughter and ultimately not honored them.

Why should I and how can I pass over this and forgive you for it? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those that are no gods. When I had fed them to the full and bound them to Me by oath, they committed [spiritual] adultery, assembling themselves in troops at the houses of [idol] harlots. Jeremiah 5:7

When you come to the Lord and ask Him for help or direction in your life, you may find Him silent. If so you may want to look at your vows to Him regarding your children. Let us take stock and examine ourselves before the Lord, have we been faithful to raise up our children (this generation if you are without children) in the admonition of the Lord?

Please tell me when was the last time you sat down and had bible study with your family? Are we starting the day with them in prayer? Are we teaching them how to hear from God, listen to the Holy Spirit? Understand the word of God? Get into the counsels of the Lord, meditate in His word day and night?

The answer is probably not because we are driving them to this game and that practice. You know what I think, athletics are the most deceptive trap of the enemy right alongside Hollywood. There is absolutely NO distinction between the two. OH I am sure I am touching some idols and gods in the hearts of men and women with that statement but I am so full of the zeal of God on this issue. I believe the entire sports industry, the multibillion dollar industry is a god unto itself and a deceptive trap to allure youth into a fantasy of fame and fortune and lure millions of men away from the fascination of God and dry up finances that should be poured into this generation.

Just think how many poor and widowed could be helped with all the money spent on tickets and stadiums and maintenance to keep up the stadiums and salaries for ball players and coaches and marketing and commercials and television syndication. Need I go on? You could help nations with that money and lead a generation to know God. Honestly I pray the conviction of God falls on every Christian who sits themselves in front of tv to watch a game when they could be spending time with their family.

When Joel prophesied he not only spoke to those in authority but he commissioned them to tell their children about it and their children’s children. This puts serious weight and lets us know this prophecy was not just for that time period but it applies to other generations.

Instructions were pending; the Lord has something to say! Anytime He tells His people to gather, to pray, to assemble He wants to impart His purposes into their inner most being. He wants a corporate agreement and a corporate response. He never just instructs, He wants us to respond. He warns us so we can prepare and make our hearts in union with His.

When we gather it is so important to the Lord that we do it in a right spirit and with the right intention. Many people gather but they never enter into the purposes because they have a wrong spirit, intention, focus, rely on the gathering as enough or simply choose not to enter in wholeheartedly. To avoid this the Lord instructs Joel to give them some guideline to the right heart and attitude.

3 Rend your heart…return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him? (Joel 2:13-14)

We can see that responding to the Lord’s call through Joel was more than just gathering in a building to pray and worship, it was more than to utter a prayer of repentance, the Lord was looking for something more. He knew what was coming and He wanted to prepare them.

The prophet is urgently calling them to attention because another catastrophe is only a few decades away.  If the elders do not interpret the season rightly and warn their children, the children will be the ones who reap the consequences of the military destruction[1]

Joel reveals to us that there are narrow windows in history when the correct interpretation must be given in order to set the prayer culture to preserve the next generation from oncoming judgment and destruction.  The prophetic voice calling Judah to hear exploded from 640-620 B.C. with Joel, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah.[2]

Habakkuk understood the burden of the Lord, Zephaniah called for a restoration of the priestly ministry and Jeremiah called Israel to repent. We must hear when the prophet speaks and respond for the sake of generation. It is so much more than just that we get right with the Lord, He is calling us to effect the next generation by gathering between the porch and altar and crying out to the Lord for His purposes to be fulfilled in this generation. We long to hasten the return of the Lord!

Seeking Him in the context of assembling ourselves together is not a ritual, nor is it a formula. True worship and surrender is much more than a people gathered in a building singing corporately or praying together. True worship comes from every source we have including our financial sources. What we give ourselves to all day long needs to be surrendered to the Lord, not just ourselves but everything we own!

David is such a beautiful example of one who gave everything to the Lord that there may be a habitation of the Lord in Israel, a place where God would come and meet His people. How close can we come to God, how near can we come? It took everything David had but he made a vow (Psalm 132) and that surrender gave God complete control over all his resources and enabled him to be the instrument to build the tabernacle of God. David’s response pleased God.

When the Lord delivered Israel out of Egypt their primary purpose was to build a Tent in the wilderness where they would commune with the Lord. Exodus 25

Unfortunately they created idols with the very finances or resources that were to build a house, a dwelling place for God. Somewhere along the line, today as a church, we have lost the purpose of our resources. It is not for us to spend on ourselves, God had a plan for all that He blesses us with. Even in our ritual giving to God somewhere we lost the purpose and in doing so we have missed God.

David caught God’s heart and set himself to fulfill the original plan because David loved his generation! It was more than the plan of God, He was filled with the love God had for a generation. The Lord longs for our response to all that He has provided for us to be more than just show up…just go to church every Sunday and pay our tithes. We can build the buildings and gather in the meetings, we can give the offerings but even still something is missing – it is about our hearts and the purposes He has us. He longs for us to carry His heart for this generation.

Amos prophesied of a worship that the people engaged in that was ritual and full of hypocrisy – they willingly went to the synagogues but they didn’t really want to know God or hear His Word they wanted to appease their sin only –do what was considered right in the people’s eyes while inside they were still not surrendered.  Amos 4:1-7

Those who oppress the poor and crush the needy in order to support an extravagant lifestyle can expect God’s harsh judgment to fall upon them.” [3]

The people were careful to worship regularly, but it was a ritual contrary to God’s will[4]

What we do with all our heart, all our time, all our resources matters so much to the Lord, we want to get it right this time. What we do effects this generation.

Many Bible students wonder at the lack of Joel’s mentioning of the king.  However, the king is not at the forefront of Joel’s mind, and the king’s devotion is not enough to avert the judgment of God.  King Josiah would show himself unusually devoted to Yahweh worship and work to reform the nation from their idolatrous worship.  Yet, the king’s efforts were only able to delay God’s judgment.  Joel is focused on establishing a corporate culture among the spiritual leadership and the people of the nation that will reveal a sincere repentance and true devotion[5]

We want to do more than avert judgment, we want a generation fully given to the Lord and all His purposes come to pass. Generation after generation has missed it, what makes us think if we do the same we will not miss it. We must grab a hold of the horns of the altar and not let go until God releases all of His purposes in this generation.

The blessing God has given us is for more than buildings, meetings and rituals. We have to get the full purpose of God’s intent. We want to give Him everything so that His covenant is established in the earth and in this generation. 

And said, I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son, (Genesis 22:16)

In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies, (Genesis 22:17)

God blessed Abraham not to spend it on himself and sacrifice his son, rather it is for his son. The blessing of God is to convey a covenant, to express a covenant.

It is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant… (Deut. 8:18)

God told Abraham to give the blessing of his seed back to me. The blessing comes so we can give it away! The wealth and prosperity that Israel has enjoyed was for this generation not to be spent on themselves.  Just as in Genesis 22 the angel of the Lord will intervene!

God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us 2 that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. (Ps. 67:1-2)

The extravagance of wealth and luxury at the expense of a generation, for the pure purpose of serving self, worshiping self, exalting self is a stench in God’s nostrils. He will not be silent!

Isaiah prophesied what God would do if there was no one to partner with His purposes in the earth in chapter 63

And I looked, but there was no one to help; I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right]. So My own arm brought Me victory, and My wrath upheld Me.

We want to agree with His plans and purposes and like David make a vow that will change history!

LORD, [earnestly] remember to David’s credit all his humiliations and hardships and endurance– (Psalm 132:1)

How he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: (Psalm 132:2)

Surely I will not enter my dwelling house or get into my bed– (Psalm 132:3)

I will not permit my eyes to sleep or my eyelids to slumber, (Psalm 132:4)

Until I have found a place for the Lord, a habitation for the Mighty One of Jacob. (Psalm 132:5)

We will give ourselves to creating a habitation of the Lord – a meeting place where this generation can encounter you Lord that they may receive everything you intended when you created Adam! We long for your return, for the fullness Jesus came for and for all that is in your heart for us to be expressed in the earth in an entire generation.

Many things keep the church from entering into the fullness of God, and whatever it is the Bridegroom God is zealous to remove it. You can see this when Jesus responds to a rich young ruler in Luke chapter eighteen

The young ruler approaches Jesus and says what must I do to receive eternal life?… Jesus responds sell everything you have and come follow me. Luke 18:18-30

For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest until the righteousness goes forth as brightness and salvation as a lamp that burns Isaiah 62:1

When we ask God for the fullness He will have a response and it may not be the one we were expecting. He wants everything so He can give us everything! He must be our first desire and whatever He requires that is what we must give.

Until the day break I will get me to the mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense Song of Songs 4:6

The Shulamite bride in Song of Solomon (a picture of the bride of Christ) says Yes, I will obey! She sets her heart to obey no matter the cost, even though she has yet to act it out. Jesus is moved by our heart making the determination by our will to obey.

Though the enemies rage against us and even threaten to kill us, we need to know we can trust His leadership and set our hearts to obey no matter the cost. We have no need to fear death because as believers we never die, we will live forever!

Death, Oh death where is your sting? 1 Corinthians 15:55

Longing for victory over our enemies, we seek the Lord and inquire of Him for direction and wisdom and often His response includes instructions about our relationship with Him, our personal life, our relationships in ministry and even in our vocation. If there is sin in our lives, even hidden sins or an area of darkness that will lead us to destruction, the Lord is zealous to see us delivered and set free from any snare that would give power the enemy to overcome us.

To stand in the presence of the Lord and receive counsel we must have a pure heart and clean hands. Our motives and thoughts need to be pure before the Lord, and if they are aligned with the enemy in accusation, unforgiveness, bitterness, strife, envy or lust we will not be able to receive from the Lord. Psalm 24 & Psalm33

Jeremiah in chapter 5 tells Jerusalem you are about to fall into the hands of political enemies because of spiritual enemies at work on the inside.  So many times we complain to God about the enemies on the outside but God speaks to take care of the enemies inside.

But seek ( aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. Matthew 6:33

The bible is our road map showing us what is on God’s heart for every situation in our life. You can read how He responds by how He spoke through the prophets.  He always communicates His heart to you, the question is are you listening? Do you hear it? He may speak through your inner man by the Holy Spirit,or through the word of God by directing you to it or while you are reading it something jumps off the page or is highlighted to you. Sometime He may speak to you when you are in conversation with a person  or it may be during a message that is being taught or preached and what they are saying bears witness in your spirit. God can use even a circumstance…… He wants to talk to you, He wants relationship and He longs for continual communion!

Draw me! I will run after you! The king brings me into his chambers! I will be glad and rejoice in You! I will recall [when I was favored with] your love, more fragrant than wine. The upright [are not offended at your choice, but sincerely] love you. Song of Solomon 1:4

In verse 7 Jeremiah quotes God’s response as to why He wasn’t going to help Jerusalem in their hour of attack and I believe this is the very word God is trumpeting to the church in this hour. It isn’t that He doesn’t want to help. Quite the contrary, He longs to deliver us from all our enemies but if we are in sin He can’t help us, He won’t violate His own law.

Why should I and how can I pass over this and forgive you for it? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those that are no gods. When I had fed them to the full and bound them to Me by oath, they committed [spiritual] adultery, assembling themselves in troops at the houses of [idol] harlots. Jeremiah 5:7

When God was asked for help His response was ….why are your children not serving me? I will hold this against you! God has such zeal for this generation…how much more should we?

Paul describes God’s zeal for His bride in Second Corinthians chapter eleven. He has such concern for the honor and purity of the church. He looked at the church like a father looks at a daughter wanting to purify her and prepare her for her bridegroom.

For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2

But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3

The way to preservation for the church in this hour is to pour out all we have into this generation, to give them all the inheritance that is theirs in Christ, all of the knowledge of God we have to give, all of the time to disciple them, all the resources to equip them. Then the Lord will come, the King of Glory will fill the houses of God.

This task seems daunting, how do we turn the hearts of the Fathers to the children, how do we turn the attention, resources and purposes of the church to this generation?

In Jeremiah chapter 6 God speaks again on how to deal with the hearts of the church. He tells them their hearts are hardened and they are insensitive to their sin. The church today is the same; it’s as if they are dulled and numb to their own transgression. God has a plan, He has a solution!

Thus says the Lord: Stand by the roads and look; and ask for the eternal paths, where the good, old way is; then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it Jeremiah 6:16

Let our response be different. One hundred percent obedience is the key to protection.

When the Bridegroom comes for His bride will he find her watching and waiting? Let our response be whatever it takes, whatever you require this is what I want to give you.

God will always use the least amount of discipline to turn the hearts of His people.

He sends His prophets to shake them awake by making them like trumpets and though you read the scripture and think wow this is such a strong word and has such a cutting, stinging edge to it. The bible says the word of the Lord is like a hammer, like fire that burns dry grass (Jeremiah 23:29). The strength with which God must deliver His word is compared to the hardness of the heart that needs to receive it. His Mercy sends the Word to warn and remove everything that hinders love.

Continuing in Jeremiah chapter six we see that Jerusalem still thinks nothing is wrong they uphold all their deeds as if they are so righteous. Israel has always believed their strict obedience to written laws and religious works make them right with God, self-righteousness is one of the greatest enemies of the cross.

Jeremiah goes on to prophesy to Jerusalem saying your prayers and your sacrifices are unacceptable. (Jeremiah 6:20-21). At this point he lets them know God is going to allow the enemy to attack them in hopes that they may repent and return to Him. Filled with Mercy for His Beloved, He does a something so beautiful so insightful. His mercy will always triumph over judgment.

He sets watchmen over them and tells them to hearken to them….but in this season the people refuse to listen. Jeremiah 6:17

Let it not be so in our day!

The watchmen are described as assayers which means they are to purify the hearts of the church. His plan is to put a prayer movement filled with the power of God to cleanse and purify the hearts of the leaders, government, and people. Today God has a prophetic church in the earth to cleanse and purify the land and prepare her for the return of Jesus, our Bridegroom, to help us get ready for the wedding!

Malachi talks about the same thing, and in chapter 3 he describes how God would send a messenger (referring to John the Baptist)to make Israel ready for her Messiah and in chapter 4 he describes how he will have the spirit of Elijah and turn the hearts of the Fathers to children and the children to the Fathers.

Today God is releasing the same spirit in sons and daughters, who will, like John the Baptist did, go into the wilderness and rid themselves of everything that would bring them into bondage and hinder love. They have entered into an intimate relationship with God so they can articulate His heart with clarity and power. Today there is a prayer and worship movement that will prepare the prophets and Messengers to fill the earth with His Message and and prepare them for the  return of Jesus.

Malachi further describes the messengers as a refining fire and a purifier of silver that will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver so that their lives are a pure reflection of His Glory and His image in the earth.

BEHOLD, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. (v3)He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Malachi 3:1-3

If you understand the process of purifying gold or silver it goes through several levels of fire to bring the impurities to the surface so that they can be removed. Jeremiah, who is an example of a prophet was an assayer, a purifier of gold and silver. In chapter one we read how the Lord touched him.

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth Jeremiah 1:9

He is much like this generation and in verse six you can see he has no confidence in himself.

Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am only a youth. Jeremiah 1:6

As God is inviting a generation to come away with Him into a lifestyle of fasting and prayer, much like He called John the Baptist into the wilderness, to touch them like He did Jeremiah. They need to be confident and strengthened as they enter into this season and they must understand the Lord will touch them and fill them with what to say in the hour He calls them to speak for Him.

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. John 16:13

For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour and moment what [you] ought to say. Luke 12:12

Even now there are young prophets in the land that will come forth and they will be filled with the Word of the Lord. They will speak and men will tremble and hearts will break open and repentance will be poured forth. They will prepare others for what is coming and they will prepare the church. Don’t say they are but a youth! We desperately need them.  Israel needs them especially as the church faces such great enemies. God wants to surround it with a wall of fire on every side but first the church must purify itself for the Glory to come in and release the power to remove the enemies.

He has His hand on singers, musicians, intercessors, preachers and teachers, prophets and filled their spirit with a river of fire from His throne to be watchmen on the wall and to trumpet His voice. A global prayer movement filling the earth with the Word of the Lord, worshiping and exalting God as He is worthy of all our worship and filling the cities and nations with His Glory! Like Jeremiah, the Lord put His hand on their lips and His words in their mouth and they will prophesy with fire and it will shake the church and cleanse her like the fire that refines the gold and silver. Jeremiah 1:8-10

God’s plan is beautiful and we can fully trust His leadership!

There is a divine revelation that comes from a visitation (like Paul had on the road to Damascus) and vision (like Paul had when God called him to go to Macedonia) and this utterance will set a generation steadfast and blameless until the end.

It is interesting if we were to look at Paul’s trip to Macedonia, it is as if we were looking at a worship and prayer movement inviting a generation to exalt God for who He is, to see Him rightly. Paul pleaded with the church to have no mixture, to be pure of heart and blameless as a virgin bride about to be presented to the Bridegroom on her wedding day. This included not rejecting the gentiles who God said; “do not call them unclean what I call clean”.

God strategically directed Paul through Philippi where he met a woman named Lydia. This was no insignificant visit. Philippi was a very rich city, the marketplace was prosperous and a port of much wealth. There was Lydia, also prosperous but without power, she had lack. On the outside she looked very strong and vibrant, even gathering many to her but she was in lack and God knew it. He didn’t want her to lack anything; so He sent Paul.

The encounter was one that changed Lydia forever. She was baptized and her entire household was saved. When this generation comes into the worship and prayer movement they get more than what this world, an education, an family inheritance can offer. They receive an endowment of power. The same power that Joel prophesied and the disciples received in Acts 1:8. The disciples were found in a place a prayer when the power that comes from on high empowered them.

The evidence of this power can be seen when Peter than stood in the midst of the religious, the same ones that crucified Christ. Peter preached after receiving this power and 3000 were saved in a day. Before that he was full of the fear of man and intimidated by anyone who tried to declare he had allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Paul received that power when he was encountered on the road to Damascus and it transformed him completely. You can see Paul had no fear to face anything that opposed God’s purposes in the earth. Not death, not threats, not the demon possessed, not a city that was troubled and accusing him.

The hour we are living in has many obstacles to the preaching of the gospel.  There is a false worship and a false justice movement that wants to evangelize this generation. The false gospel promises this generation power in riches and worldly gain.  You can see it in various forms of entertainment like Hip Hop, Hollywood, television, and sports all offering fame and riches, a life free from trouble.  The world is prophesying to a generation what they can have and become but it’s a fantasy. These hypocrisies lead a generation to self-worship, self-exaltation and selfish ambition. They are deadly seeds that infect and poison the dream of God for a generation.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be great or have a tremendous effect in this world; this is how God made us but the way is not found in the false images portrayed by the spirit of this aged.

The finances that fund these industries are often a delusion. You may see wealth and you may see fame but what you don’t see is what Paul and Silas saw, a slave (Acts 16:16) who had a master. That master had one purpose, to make money. When there is not more money to be made there is no more use for the slave.

Prophetic revelations can come in the form of preaching and singing and like Paul and Silas who were preaching the truth in power, the city became troubled. There was a confrontation of what was false when the truth showed up. There may be conflict when we align ourselves with what is true,  but there is no jail and no system that can hold truth from coming forth in its fullness. God will come like as a Bridegroom searching for His bride like the sun arises every day and the heat of the sun, nothing can hide from it.  Psalms 19:5, 6-7

We can gain courage when we look at Paul’s life it is like a promise to us. The same God who called Paul is calling us with a “Divine Go” to this generation. Not only will He equip us with power to break every prison cell and cast out every false religious demon but we will have favor with those who can’t see the beauty of God’s plan.

It is clear that the Lord’s zeal for justice is stirred in this hour. He will always respond to confront the enemies of the church, His Beloved. You can always, always know God will NOT be silent!  He may not respond like we think He should but we can ALWAYS trust His Leadership.

As we look on the scope of the nations and see evil men, unrestrained by law, creating their own laws, acting out levels of violence that destroys not only those they want to conquer but their very own people it is clear…we are in a crisis. The evil powers gripping the people who follow these men are willing to do anything. They strap bombs on themselves, they murder at whim, they rage at government and they give themselves to unmentionable rituals. The corruption, evil and choas is reaching an unprecedented level globally.

Matthew 10:21 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.”

I have read this scripture but the light I see it in today horrifies me. There is no shame in evil, where is the conscience given to every person to know right from wrong….its seared.

1 Timothy 4:2 “by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron”

Who is man accountable to? Who do they have to answer to? Where is the voice holding them accountable? Where are those who have authority to stop this violence and tyranny? Only God and when you think about how He works in the earth….He partners with His Bride…He looks for someone to speak and to declare His heart. All throughout the bible you can see God speaking to nations and giving them His heart. He will warn of coming danger by speaking through His prophets. He does nothing without sharing His plans with His prophets. Amos 3:7

Anytime there is a crisis in the land …..God will send a prophet to proclaim His heart. He will not be silent!

In that context my heart cries in deep travail and intercession for His voice to be heard which translates in Messengers/Prophets to be sent. To speak to what is happening and warn His people what is coming.

Often when we think of God speaking to His bride we think of the pulpit, the church, Sunday morning a pastor speaking …….but have you seen the pulpits lately? I mean have you really taken a look at even our most treasured ministries…what is coming out of the abundance of their heart?  The church in general? Every denomination? In your city? You should go take a look!

Dare I comment? It causes my heart to weep and a righteous indignation arises because overall church is misleading a generation.

Oh, I assure you they will face God for the spewing out that not only the church hears but all of Heaven records. I think EVERY minister should have to listen to their own message on video, EVERY single ONE! Maybe then the spirit of God could penetrate their heart! They spew out all their opinion and manipulation and say “I am not responsible for your response only to deliver my message.” What a rude awakening is coming to those who lead and mislead!

I recently spent a Sunday watching church online. You can view thousands of churches online now – that is where the church is …at home watching online! I watched 24 church services and about 22 were about getting a financial blessing. How God wants them to prosper and they would share a testimony about someone getting blessed and then direct the church to sow a seed. I was shocked! I was undone and the fear of the Lord gripped me.  Here we sit in the most devastating times of our history, on the precipice of great shaking and what is the message on God’s heart to His people? Get your financial prosperity? Are you kidding me? Ever watch Christian TV? Ok I am going to restrain myself because I must stay on the encounter I am having with the Lord but I thought I would share what brewed some of the cry out of my spirit that God answered.

I began searching in my Spirit to pray for those I knew would have the Heart of God to share with His bride in this hour. They are few but they are in the earth! They are hidden and not on all your TV sets but God has a remnant of men and women who can carry the word in this hour and it will shake the church – it will be like Aaron’s rod and it will bud.

I gave myself (as I have been for the last three and a half years) to pray for these Messengers. In a few days the Lord began to manifest very strongly.

On this particular day I began to see a vision of some of IHOP’s leaders being given major platforms to speak on. These platforms were new to them, places they had not been before and audiences that were not familiar with their ministry. These platforms were given to them because God had spoken to leaders in these denominations of the warning they had for the body of Christ. Although they didn’t agree with all the theology and all the ministry of these messengers they knew them to be godly men and women they knew this message was of the Lord and needed to be heard. The effect of these doors opening was global, I felt the weight of God’s glory consume me as I watched the effect of this message reaching a new-found audience, I can’t even put words on paper to describe it but I shook under the power of it.

I knew God had Messengers (and they aren’t all IHOP I just saw some of them clearly) and He was going to send them with the warning! And it would be like when Jesus came into the temple and overturned the tables. Mark 11:12-19 I don’t mean that in a violent way but in a total disruption to what they thought was “good” to the Lord. The offerings at that day seemed so good to God’s Law but in actuality the people’s hearts had been stolen and they were misdirected in the purpose of coming to God.

The Lord continued to thunder His zeal for keeping His people from a grave mistake. It was because of these false messages going out of the church were in actuality aligning the people with a false justice movement.

I saw instantly the earth in chaos, like ten times what we are seeing now and the church reaching into their finances to bring aid but they didn’t really see where the money was going and in an instant I saw the amassing of a great enemy. It was the Harlot of Babylon on the receiving end of those finances.

And the people’s hearts were being given because their finances are connected to their heart and soon the allegiance deepened and it was a trap, it was planned by the enemy to seduce them to give their heart to the anti-christ. But the people they were blind and the Lord thundered again they are blind because they are steeped in immorality, toleration of sin and it has dulled them and they can no longer see the light. He began to speak to me of the toleration of homosexuality and adultery in the church and I saw scene after scene of exposed immorality and the toleration. It was staggering when you put it all together in a vision like a movie and its only been the last few years that He showed me.

All of this was slamming into my spirit causing me to know this what the Lord speaking not just my spirit releasing revelation. I was trembling under what I was seeing and  this time I really didn’t know what to do with it and I still don’t but I can let off a little steam in communicating it but it is nowhere near released….I am truly overwhelmed with what I am sensing on the Lord’s heart.  It is more than prayer…It is the message of His heart.. He is stirred…He is coming… He will not be silent! He loves us so much He will not stand by and watch us give our heart to this Harlot…He will come and He will thunder!

Some of this you can say oh yes we know this but I tell you there is urgency I feel it even as I am writing this ….the hour is so critical. We must understand the workings of the Harlot of Babylon in Revelations 17-18. We must see clearly that the catastrophic events around the world have grave implications. They are a precursor; they are part of the plan of the enemy. The devil read the bible too.

We must walk in the fear of the Lord and listen for God to speak and hesitate before we call something the judgment of God because not everything is a judgment.  There is a very real enemy in the earth and he has been given dominion in the earth realm. Satan has filled the hearts of evil men and there is less and less restraint on the violence and murdering for pleasure. Souls are marketed and sold and children are tied up in bombs and sent into buildings to blow them up. Satan has a plan and it is to get the world to worship him and destroy those who refuse.

The devil has forerunners to lead people into the Harlot Babylon. He has minions working for him, inspiring this “prosperity” movement that will lead people away from Jesus into a trust of finances and to feel good about it and justify it they will give to the poor and the needy saying “this is true religion” yet their hearts are not His. If they were…they could give it all away like Jesus said to the young ruler. Ask any of them to give it all away…they may even boast they have but they haven’t. Jesus say sell everything you have and come follow Me. Until they do that ….He doesn’t have their heart.

I believe God has resources and He will give them to us to further His Kingdom but I tell you that what I see in the church surrounding finances, huge ministries, planes, million dollar buildings, wealth in the hands of the leaders who lavish it on themselves with clothes, suits, cars, jewelry, houses. It is a far cry from giving it all away! It is trapping their hearts to a lifestyle and an image of themselves that is not founded on Jesus Christ. I am not saying you can’t have wealth and be a Christian. But what I am saying is that today with the evil power of money and a world system leading us away from God, why would you want to be a part of it? There is a very real power with money, it’s a false sense of security, it answers all but it’s not Gods answer. He doesn’t need money, He wants hearts!

What can we do? Seek the Lord! Ask if there be any wicked way in me! Ask Him about your money and your heart. Ask Him if you have any alliances with the Harlot system now. Ask Him is you are connected to a false justice movement. Ask Him to give you the spirit of revelation in regards to true justice and true religion. Ask Him to give you the fear of the Lord! Ask Him to take total control over all your spending and all your finances. Pray over everything you spend where is it really going – what are you sowing into…ask Him because your heart is connected and you will give account.

When His judgments come to the wicked may we not be found anywhere near it! May our hearts and lives be purged and cleaned. Bring the fire now, Lord. Let what Malachi talked about when the Messenger comes suddenly to the temple…Let Him bring fullers soap and refiners fire to our hearts and our souls and our lives.

BEHOLD, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. And the Lord [the Messiah], Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger or Angel of the covenant, Whom you desire, behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; (Malachi 3:2)

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)

When the Lord invites me on fast I never really know the end goal…I typically enter with a more than overwhelming dissatisfaction of where the church is and even the prayer movement. I tend to see the prayer movement like a ship and when we seem to run up on dry ground my spirit is most unsatisfied and in my pursuit of more the Lord invariably invites me to a fast. I am learning it is because I need a higher level of consecration to see rightly. The trouble is my soul is weak and at the beginning I am strong in spirit but by the time He unveils for me to see …. I am weak and overwhelmed with how little I really understand this spiritual world I am living in.

I truly believe it is the mercy of God we don’t see because our intellect (though we use such a small portion of our potential) is so steeped in a culture of ease and recreation that to live the life it requires to see truth, it is like swimming upstream in a tidal wave or putting a fire hydrant stream through the eye of a needle! Still the grace that God releases is unlimited and all He looks for is someone to say Yes…so I have given my life to say yes, honestly what else is there…everything else in this life cannot compare to God’s majestic beauty! And it is His beauty that I am gazing on…somehow we think that is some romantic picture of what this world calls pretty ….no even close…sometimes God’s beauty is bloodshed and martyrdom. Oh you probably aren’t ready for that….

This recent fast was a dive into the enemy of a radical regime which has a main agenda of ridding the earth of Jews and Christians along with a world domination. We caught a glimpse of it September 11, 2001 but our minds can hardly remember that event being it was a decade ago however it is more real today and more likely today to happen again  with over 7 million Muslims now living in the heart of America. Now I must state for the record not ALL muslims are a part of the Islamic regime but the potential is rapidly growing for terrorism in America to come from within its own borders.

Seriously I had an awareness of a grasshopper on this subject, I mean I skimmed news and had an idea that this regime was an enemy of God but always thought of the territory being more on Israel’s soil. A few times  the Spirit of God would come on me during prayer for Israel and I would be prompted to pray against the powers that incite the violence against Israel and the Jewish people and even persecution that comes against Christians from the Homosexual agenda but I never encountered it like this recent fast where I saw the infiltration of this Islamic regime in every area of our government, federal, state and local, law enforcement, senate, house and congress , school boards, this evil agenda had the hearts of more of our leaders than I could have imagined. I felt like I was awakening from a dream. And it wasn’t just the natural government, it was the spiritual government, it was all over the church like sleepers in a war, they were set up all over the denominations waiting for orders to begin to destroy the wall built up by the bride.

I was out of my league, I was on unknown territory, I had never studied this, I didn’t have the head knowledge, I just had God’s inspired breath on my spirit and I stepped out in faith and obeyed. Then I began to find the information to back up what I saw in my spirit – I was inundated with information as I watched a recent live congressional Homeland Security briefing on Islamic radicalization and recruitment of youth in America to become suicide bombers. It made God’s recent breath on the college campus blitz to build prayer furnaces on every college campus in America. We knew there were enemies trying to steal a generation and ruin them by filing them with hate for God but this put the scope on zoom as I saw the agenda of a regime to recruit an Islamic army for jihad on our own soil.

I think the most disarming information to my spirit was right in front of my eyes I saw the corruption in our government as threats were made veiled in off the cuff remarks involving law enforcement in districts. Like make this good for me and I will make sure things run smooth for you in your district. We know this goes on but to see it through the eyes of the Holy Spirit was unnerving.

As I did more research I was overwhelmed with the reality of it all. But I know this, God has a plan to uncover and expose it all, nothing can remain hidden from God and He desires His church to have full knowledge so I will continue to pray for more understanding and I encourage you to do the same. Times have changed, seasons have changed – we prayed for a shift not even knowing what we were praying and the nations have shifted above and below. As we watched Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Turkey, Europe, Russia, Korea…and recently Japan it is clear that Joel 2 is more relevant now than ever before…..we must be prepared to warn the people of what is to come and be in a place of prayer to hear God’s voice for what He is saying now to the church.

The best possible position is to have pure hands and pure heart…to ask the Lord to come visit you and show you if there be anything that is wrong, out of His will, sin or darkness in any part of our life…we want to get it right now…we don’t want to wait for judgment to come we want to be right now with all the God wants, we want to be in the place of 100% obedience and in total communion with Him…let nothing hinder our love!

One thing I love about IHOP is we take communion a lot. I don’t think you can ever take communion too often. I am always asking the Holy Spirit to come search me and see if there is any wicked thing in my life and trust me there is always something He shows me! I love it because I want to be always tender and teachable and in a place of total submission. I am not saying go introspective because trust me the Holy Spirit is totally capable of showing you, just ask and then be willing to do whatever He says for you to do!

Lord I acknowledge my desperate need for you! You are the center of my life and all I do and say and life for is to give you all of me! Please come Holy Spirit and search me, show me if there is any darkness, areas of my life that are not in total submission to YOU, where I have sinned and not repented, where I am resisting you or drawing back. I desire to be One with you in my spirit, soul and my will! Come examine me Holy Spirit and show me where I need to realign myself to God’s will and desire for my life. I give you complete control of my life, Holy Spirit lead me into all truth and I will agree with you with all my heart and soul! Thank you for grace to live a life of 100% obedience, I desire my life to give God glory in every area! I trust your leadership Lord in every area of my life. Amen.

There is a spirit of the age that is mounting power, pressure and prominence in the eyes of America and its primary platform is our media outlets. The level of inspiration from the realms of darkness have definitely increased. In fact I would suffice it to say since our recent administration came to power the restraining power over our media  has been removed. That includes the funding and the governors (checks and balances) they now all seem to be seated in our government/current administration which means our media is no longer independently sourced.

I find it amusing to think of a news agency calling itself “voice of America” rather it is the voice “to” America. It is propaganda and though you certainly don’t have to believe it I dare to say that our nation listens to the news as information to guide them and guide them it does. What saddens me is that believers, born again christians have followed suit. We don’t check in with the Holy Spirit we just take and believe what we read.

It reminds me of George Orwell’s movie 1984 I saw that when I was unsaved and in high school but it riveted me and I am seeing that come to pass in my own nation. In particular I relate that to the “wiki leaks’. After some time in prayer I feel bold enough to say there is no “leak” its all propaganda and meant to convince you that you are getting some inside information but I believe its planned, even the so called jail sentence I believe was staged and the offshore banker handing in cds of accounts perhaps it just nothing more than intimidation from the IRS.

I think this same spin is being propagated through the current situation in Egypt. I believe  with all my heart there is reason to pray for Egypt and Israel. I believe the pressure against the president is directly an intimidation move to get him to back down on alliances with Israel. I believe there are some demonic powers working at a greater level to bring about an end result but we can NOT be moved by the media – we must be MOVED by the Holy Spirit. We must pray with faith and in faith knowing what God is saying. We need to know what is really at stake and what is behind all the stories

Note the wording, take a look at the drama and the way it is done. Do you know the media call people Christians that are NOT Christians and their wording is meant to stir and incite fear. There is unrest in the realm of the spirit but it is NOT like they are portraying however the more we agree with the enemy the more we open the door to the power of darkness and activity of evil. We must choose our words carefully and speak according to what God says – not the media.

This I can say is only the beginning of tactics, I think there is much strategizing. Another similar story happened with the building of apartments in Israel – same scenario, generating all this hoopla to get a desired effect. Intimidation, fear and here is the greatest measure of power when a leader leaves their seat of ruling to go negotiate, how far are they moved over the issue. The entire work of the enemy is  to see if he can get  the one in authority to rise to the frenzy, the commotion, the chaos? The enemy wants to know what measures it takes to move you out of your place of ruling to a place of engagement in the battle which may not be a battle because you already won.  He wants to convince you of his power which he doesn’t have but wants you to think he has. People just follow the crowd the loudest, think because its everywhere it much be true and it must be big.

The enemy moves on emotions or fear, but God inspires with faith and in power. We will strike the enemy but when God says and how God says and then one strike and the enemy is destroyed!

I don’t want media to move me I want to Holy Spirit to move me. If we are in the spirit we will know before it happens and already be in agreement with the Lord before the world is moving. This is what I am reaching for.

I also believe it is so critical we learn to communicate by the spirit to each other because internet and social media is NOT our mode of communication, our spirits are and we can cross the globe in an instant and message one another in the spirit, agree with one another and with God and no power or principality will be able to withstand or battle us because they can not read our spirit!

I am not saying don’t read the media but use it more as a way to inform you how the enemy is trying to form our opinion not as reporting fact. There is little fact and much hype and with discernment we can find out which is which.

I believe also that God is about release prophets in the land that will bring the fear of the Lord. I don’t think they will be bring judgment but they will be uncovering evil powers and the relationships with men that are at work. God is merciful to us to give our nation time to repent and there needs to be an acknowledgment of God in the nation. In order for that to happen I believe He will demonstrate that nothing is hidden before His eyes.  I believe this will release a fear of the Lord in the land but I also believe it will bring much persecution by a way of trying to silence His voice of truth.  I think one of the reasons that hasn’t happened is those who will carry the word are not ready. He wants a people who will say what He wants to say and not cower or back down but speak the truth unashamed knowing His love is behind it all!

If we trust in anything other than God’s Kingdom we will be shaken and fail because of fear but we can choose now to trust His leadership and trust that Jesus Himself is praying for us that our faith fail not!

He love us and He will ALWAYS  use the least amount of punishment to turn us!  I think He will start with the house of God or at least those that call themselves the house of God that He never established nor does He call them His house so that in exposing them they will become His house!

Lord, teach us how to pray, we need your Holy Spirit now more than ever. We invite your spirit and honor His ministry in our lives and in the church. We want to agree with Your Heart Jesus and partner with you until the End and without offense! We trust Your leadership, we know God You have a plan and we want to be a part of it. Give us the Spirit of Truth and the gift of Discernment so we can align ourselves in faith! Amen!

I want to start by giving some background. As woman who was raised in the sixties when modern woman took on a demonic headship called “feminism” something my born again heart vehemently rejects,  diametrically opposed to everything the kingdom represents I have always found myself involved in the controversy of women.

At the same time I was raised in the effect of racial segregation. Every day as a middle class white student I was bused into the middle of a predominately black neighborhood. My family was racist and I was not, I loved my black friends they were softer of heart than my white friends and perhaps because they were not accepted at home I found the opposite stand delightful because I was standing for something I believed in rather than being told to believe in. Funny, but when really put to the fire most of our formed beliefs are based on someone’s beliefs not our own.

I believe that the racial issue put the woman issue more on the back burner for me and as I entered high school. I was still of a non discriminatory heart until a segment of my black classmates began to carry what I would call a “chip” on their shoulder and though I had a clear heart I was treated as if I didn’t – kind of accused before knowledgeable insight would reveal I cared not your about skin but based my affection on the hearts of people.

I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus until college so there was no truth input into my formed opinions,  just experience. I say all that to say I find the issue of women somewhat the same type of discrimination and the response without Jesus is a “chip” on a shoulder assuming the  discrimination before knowledgeable insight would reveal truth.

I only add that the emphasis of discrimination is most evident in the marketplace where women still today in the 20th century are not offered equal pay. Salary is based on skill and ability to fulfill a job description and be an asset to a company but sadly men are offered the job and pay that women equally competent are not. I worked in the market place more than half my life and found this to be true over and over again. I also found the taking credit of ideas was considered acceptable at the expense of many a sleepless night.

The deeper I found my identity in Christ the less I cared about what men thought of me or my ideas. I found my joy in giving everything to the kingdom and for His glory and no longer was there an underlying struggle. I found completeness in what God thought of me.

But now I find there is a deeper issue in the body of Christ. Unmarried I can not feel the burden of a marriage that is unequally yoked because of a unregenerate husband thinking more highly of himself than he ought. But in what I consider to be the forefront of Jesus’ heart for His Bride is a church that is reflected in marriages and they are NOT telling the truth well.

I titled this blog “Women In Ministry” but sadly when you hear that phrase you think of a woman behind a pulpit. Will we ever be able to erase the Preacher behind a Pulpit mentality as being the showcase example of “ministry”??? Jesus did most of His ministry in intimate discussion with His disciples not in the synagogue. Yes times have changed but really have they? My heart aches for a total restructure of how we do church!

But on the  basis of our corporate gatherings on a Sunday morning across our nation, the women are sadly not in view and yet we believe that in the world, our government, our education, our media that the church should be a voice. I don’t think we will have a voice until we are equally yoked women and men.

Jesus is searching for a bride and He made Himself ready for Her and she is you and I and until we are equally yoked with each other we can not be equally yoked with Him.

We must come into alignment with the mind of Christ, with the word of God get our identity right and then we look at one another and align the same way we do with Him, tender-hearted, open to receive, and  give ourselves completely in surrender. I just think we have yet to do this with women and men because in the place where the view is Christ like there is still an air that because we are women we really don’ t have that much to offer. Oh that we could see rightly! What will it take? Shut the word of the Lord up and only speak through women for a year? That would certainly shake up things wouldn’t it….

Well if the world who has no godly wisdom and the  truth  is dim and self centered and the light they have is their own — what if the world who has no answers and has to look to the church for help? Do you think the Lord will orchestrate things to make this a necessity? Looking at the end times as the scenario we get an answer to that question….

Just in case your wondering…. I am not looking for a ministry or a position, I have found myself at the feet of Jesus to be the BEST place any woman could ever want, I have His ear and He has my total complete surrender, I am the most happiest of all women!

I think the “chip” has been replaced with a loving heart!

In that place of surrender He has filled my heart with His heart for His bride – He wants her whole, unblemished and spotless and in this area we are unequally yoked so I cry out with tears, Lord touch the heart of your men and let them find the worth of your created woman,  in their wives, in their sisters, and in the church so that you don’t have to orchestrate a scenario to force us to see truth, let us find it with tender open hearts of surrender. Your ways are good and Your leadership is Perfect!