July 8, 2005: The Lord has been heavy upon my heart, like an urgency welling up and over, saturating my mind with His presence and a reminder to me that it's time to move out in faith with the knowledge, strength, authority, and truth (the WORD) our Lord Most High has given to us. We are not to squander away in the back of our closets, but to forge ahead with God's work in the Kingdom with all the power behind the blood that He gave to us at Calvary. We are to stand watch and prepare ourselves for the coming of our Christ Jesus (Mark 13:32-37, Habakkuk 1).
We are living in a day where our children, our faith, our workplaces, our schools, our family values and our nations are being assaulted and driven back with the lies and twisted manipulations of the enemy's camp. I don't want to use this space as a soapbox for any political point of view that I have. However, I would be remiss if I did not challenge you, the soldiers of Christ, to stand up, vote, be informed, be a part of your children's lives, and get out of the pews and participate and make a difference (John 17:21-23, Ecclesiastes 11:6, Isaiah 55). The most important thing you can do is PRAY. Pray and intercede for your leaders and those in decision-making positions (Proverbs 20:17, Proverbs 25:15, Isaiah 56). Pray and intercede for your children and families (Proverbs 22:6, Isaiah 59:21 ). Pray and intercede that the Lord will send those to work in the harvest, sowing and planting (Matthew 9:37-38). Pray and intercede for your own Godly wisdom and discernment (Proverbs 8:11, Daniel 2:23, 1Corinthians 15:33). Pray for God to strengthen you (Ephesians 6:10, 1Corinthians 15:58), Pray for faith to move mountains (Matthew 21:21-22, Romans 4:20-21). Pray for the courage to forgive those who have wronged you (Mark 11:24-25) and how to go about correction in a Godly and orderly way (Matthew 18:15-20). Pray for freedom from judgement against your brothers and sisters (Matthew 7:1-6). Pray for an increase in loving your brothers and sisters (Matthew 25:40, Proverbs 25:21-22, 1Peter 4:7-11) and being a light in your world (Mark 9:49-50, Matthew 5:13-16). Tell of God's miracles, grace, and mercy in your life (Luke 8:39, Habakkuk 2:2-3). And if we do not know how to pray, we do know that the Holy Spirit will help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26-27)
I have been feeling a shifting happening in the heavenlies over the last several years. Looking back over the journal that I keep, I see that the stirring has been broken down into different areas, which are still manifesting. I am just starting to post my thoughts and the words that God has spoken to me, here on my site.. to hopefully be an encouragement, confirmation, and testimony of God's graces upon my own life.
What began as a call to the Body as a whole (re: journal entry 7/7/05), I currently feel a strong change of concentration for WORSHIP. The breakthroughs are on the verge of spilling out onto the earth, but we must continue to humble ourselves and pray and turn to Christ in repentance. How awesome is our God! I am waiting, praying, and interceding in anticipation to see what happens in the coming months, as restoration and repentance and forgiveness spills forth like incense up to the heavenlies.. with a sweet aroma to the Lord and in that, He will be pleased and bring about the refreshing that we all so desire corporately. I believe it will be so awesome that it will not be contained to any one or 10 or 10,000 churches.. that it will overlow out to the ends of the earth in revival fire.
Ezekiel 36:33 says this.. a timely word then, and a timely word now:
"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pas through it. they will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited." Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord has spoken, and I will do it."
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This is what God impressed upon me last May 11, 2004:
It's like we've been blind and had to depend on our other senses to function. God has been that other sense for us. We've emptied ourselves of who we thought we were and now we are shells. Well, more like vessels. Everything is out of our hands, from where our next client will come from, to what we will eat, to what God is going to do with our ministries. By being totally out of control like this, I can personally attest that I have never felt more content or available to hear His voice.
So to be more specific, I have been really seeking God's voice in all of the these changes and "growing pains" in the area of worship. I do feel like God is bringing something new. I feel like the Body is about to behold a refreshing like nothing we've seen before. Those who are thirsty will drink and be cleansed, set free, and refreshed, and newly appointed. God is bringing new direction. I believe He is speaking directly to the hearts of His children. And so I confirm these things in my own spirit that have been said to the House. I do believe they are of God and for us in this time. And I've been listening to people say that God is stripping away things from His people, and that many will be separated from the others. They said God is "revealing the heart of man". I believe God is exposing things. I agree.... but not how we might think.
Now, this is where I believe it to get interesting! Up until just days ago, I took all of those insights at face value.. rather, I took that to mean that the people who are not "committed" to worship and "doing it all" will be stepping away. I really thought that the pressure was on to be on top of our game (oh the irony) and more or less prove to the management within our Bodies that we were dedicated to the worship and fully submitted. That's all fine and good and I don't mean that with disrespect, but the Lord spoke a strong word to me and the switch inside me flipped differently. I had revelation and clarity. I had healing.
I believe that God is allowing some of his flock to step to a different side so He can do a greater work in them. The Lord wants to separate so He can equip, strengthen, direct, speak to, appoint, give freedom like never before, and activate... and He's going to do it in those who are feeling heavy burden to step away and cleave from the rest. Not the ones who are still "in the pack.. part of the club". There will be a greater and saturating and on-our-faces stepping aside. For some it will be a physical stepping away. For others it will happen as they continue doing the work in their ministries.
I know that many have been burdened and frustrated and not really in full understanding why things were so far "off" in their spirit. I know many have been grieving a loss of what has been familiar. Something isn't quite right and they can't put their finger on it. They have been feeling out of place or like they were being replaced. I was suffering a great loss from being in a season of waiting and removal. I have shared with those close to me that that I felt like I was a foster child all of a sudden. Or that I was the new kid in school, waiting to be picked for kick ball. To sum it up, I had been feeling that I was totally in the wrong place and disjointed, yet God was not releasing me out of that. He just said to remain still and quiet and open to hear His voice. So that's what I did. A friend said that she sensed that I was grieving like I was dying. That's pretty accurate. The old was dying so the new could be reborn. And through that death of letting go and letting God lead (which is a process I've been in for these several years), I've found that freedom that's as new and beautiful as a baby bird flying for the first time with the realization that it has wings and the world to explore. With me, I'm saying "Where do you want to take me Lord? How can I serve you? How can I be your vessel and mouthpiece?"
I believe that God ordained his hungry worshippers for a reason. He has hand-picked all of His children to do specific things, and He has also called many to be worshippers in strategic places with strategic missions, and to DEPEND UPON HIM and TRUST. He has also called us to work together as a team, each operating in specific functions of the team - all equally and vitally important and necessary. Where one may feel weaker, the others will uphold. Where one might feel less qualified, the others will encourage. We have worked through many different things. We have overcome ourselves and our obstacles, though not completely, as we are still working on this for it is a job never finished and always growing deeper. For those who are seasoned with tenure, if I can use those words humbly, they are sensitive to His leading and the prophetic worship is heavy. I feel a sense that He has a purpose that is specific - all equal voices and instruments in worship - to minister to those He is calling us to. We have been so faithful for so many years and we do not desire anything that is other than true worship. God sees that and He is going to fulfill His promises and the desires of our hearts because we have been so faithful. Even in the times of the past and recent and current when we have been rejected, slandered, or wanted to go against and speak out, He has placed a quiet heart in us. Though we may not agree, we still honor, yield, and lift up. We have done the right things. It's not our fault.
Friends, it's time to get excited at what is coming. What God has begun, He shall finish. Be excited, excited, excited. He is going to restore that stolen joy. I believe the hungry worshippers are going to new places. He will continue to reveal to us what His plans are. And those who are called, no matter the assignment, are not "better" than anyone else. We are not to be conceited. He does have specific purposes in mind. If we remain humble, die to our flesh, and keep ourselves under the authority of the Blood, then we will see the fruits and a greater work beyond anything we can get our minds around.