“But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt till another king arose who did not know Joseph. This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.”  Acts 7:17-19

The deliverance of an entire nation is not impossible, nor would it be a first.God sought out a people for Himself, gave them His blessing, and began leading them into the fullness of that blessing, including a land in which to dwell—a land of blessing, the Promised Land. Difficulties arose. The people wrestled against God’s authority. They doubted and struggled to trust a God they could not see while the peoples around them had visible expression of their gods—many gods, many idols. One expression of their idol worship included killing children for various ceremonial sacrifices. Ultimately, God’s people were required also to sacrifice their young by the pagan ruler of the land through which they were passing. But God rose up a deliverer in a man named Moses, who, born into the generation of marked babies, emerged through years of preparation to lead the entire nation out of a bondage determined to destroy them. The rest, as they say, is history. Exodus 1:22 Acts 7:17-19

Today a cruel anti-Christ, anti-righteousness, anti-family taskmaster grasps for power in the spirit realm. Families are influenced in countless ways to risk their children’s very lives on trendy, philosophical ideals. Blinded by the conflict, parents fail to teach their children and allow the family altar in the home to go silent; as a result, many children have gone to pagan altars of sacrifice, “exposed, so they might not live.”

It’s time to cover them! Establish an altar—guard them with prayer, instruct and disciple them. Declare concerning your children that they are taught of the Lord and their peace is therefore great; declare they are a posterity that men will see and say of them that “they are the Lord’s, a posterity raised to serve and worship Him only.” Isaiah 54:13 Isaiah 61:7-9

Amen – so be it!

The Lord stirs His people at specific times—otherwise, there would be no voice in prayer, His face would be hidden and iniquity would consume the land. It was such a time that Isaiah called the willing forth, those who would stir themselves up to take hold of God’s leading. Isaiah 64:7-8

 In response to the stirring prayer of Isaiah, the Lord does rend the heavens, He does come down! In fact, He opened the heavens once and for all in the finished work of His Son! He speaks even to non-believers like King Cyrus, who was stirred in wisdom by “the LORD God of heaven” and became willing to build according to the leading of God’s Spirit. Isaiah 64 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 Ezra 1:1-4 

In every generation there is a company of the willing, those who respond to God’s stirring, outclassing strange gods and the opposition common to a given territory. His grace is sufficient at such times–specific times, times of salvation when grace swallows up offense and accusation.

Today we receive the baton from those who have gone before us and who were stirred by the Lord in specific seasons for specific tasks. Remembering their purity we are stirred to imitate their bold faith. Deuteronomy 32:11-12 2 Corinthians 6:1-3

Today specifically – now, we can make a solid case: The Lord is stirring, marking those voices who will call on “the Name of the LORD”, men and women who will stir themselves up in prayer and action that iniquity [twisting] will not consume the land. Haggai 1:14-15 Exodus 35:21-22 Exodus 36:2 2 Peter 1:13  2 Peter 3:1

 Amen.

“To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.” (Mark 9:12-13, NIV)

Christians believe the Elijah who comes first is John the Baptist who came “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” Many agree the spirit of Elijah remains even now among us and that, as God’s end-time people, we are carriers of that same spirit and power and, like him, we are heralds calling for the restoration of all things: We pray that all things will be restored according to the Lord’s end-time plan; we declare restoration for our homes and nations; we focus on things above—declaring Godly inspiration for the home and divine guidance for the leaders of each nation; we invite the spirit and power of Elijah into the borders of our authority—our homes and nations.

Amen – so be it!

Who can accurately measure the wealth that God conveys in sending truth-bearers to us? Though confrontation means humiliation for the moment, the benefits are far greater. Getting seeds of destruction out ensures our future… knowing someone is watching for us affirms our unique, eternal value.

               A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
               In settings of silver.
               Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold
               Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear. 
                                                    Proverbs 25:11, 12, NKJV

A “wise rebuker” is sent to one who has an “obedient ear”. Throughout the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a speaker, sent to stand in the center of things, calling out for those who have wisdom to follow the instruction of God who is wisdom. The nature of wisdom is instruction, affirming right choices and correcting crooked paths so that order is restored.

Perfectly matched to anything spoken in wisdom is the ear determined to hear. God releases His wisdom without delay and without limits so that wisdom’s wealth is received on the hearing end through simplicity and humility. Included in God’s wisdom is the wisdom of rebuke—discerned by hearing hearts, determined to obey, possessors of wealth that cannot be measured.

Amen.

Proverbs 25

There is measurable distance between what is believed and what can be demonstrated. If I believe something, I certainly can speak that belief, though a demonstration—action that supports what I speak, is another matter. To demonstrate what I say I believe I must have more than belief alone. Critical to my ability to demonstrate belief are things like assurance, confidence, trust, corresponding thinking, corresponding actions, and conversation that is ordered—reflecting my hope and expectation. All these “things” come from purposed study of God’s Word.

Belief is activated once faith is established. God’s Word contains the faith of God, so if I am to have the same faith as the One giving it, my faith-source will likewise be God’s Word. The faith God possesses is transferred into His people through the hearing and speaking of His Word. All that we speak and declare is carried to completion on the basis of God’s Word operating from the spirit within. Even apostolic and prophetic announcement must be matched by revelation of God’s Word.

King David wrote the secret of keeping our lives on track: Your Word, O God, have I hidden (stored up, invested over time) in my heart, so that [Your Word] acts as a protector and wall of separation between me and sin—keeping me from sin, convicting me before I sin, protecting my life from the harm caused by sin. Daily time in God’s Word is critical keeping our faith on track.

Amen.

Romans 10:9, 17
Psalm 119:11

God’s people are His strength in the earth. He empowers them for His work, establishing His Kingdom in places of human authority. Combining human authority with God’s authority brings heaven to earth and gives men the enviable position of living as heirs of that Kingdom.  

So we lead. We set the pace. We challenge. Hope anchors the soul and the joy of the Lord is strength. He that began a work will complete it; with Him, we are more than conquerors and no weapon can prosper against us. We are created in His image to do like works as He, and we overcome enemies today by the blood of the Lamb and our testimony. Our portion is not limited but vast; by His own hand He delivered us from darkness into HIS marvelous light—we have been given the Kingdom.

So we lead.

Amen.

I believe the Lord is pointing to a mandate in the Spirit. From a biblical perspective, there should never be an oppressive global challenge sufficient to overcome the Church; if each member holds the line according to God’s equipping and placement, the Church is the prevailing Spirit against oppression.    

As individual members of the Church we do not accept a position where we merely get by, squeak by, get through the day somehow, just barely make it by the skin of our teeth; we do not operate from that mindset, culture, movement or religion. Instead, we have the Lord’s perspective, a spiritual mandate concerning the challenge: “A lion has roared… the Lord has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” Amos 3:8 John 10:10

And isn’t that our mandate? That today, each one answers  up or down, “yes or no” to heaven’s roar-call for righteousness—to being on the Lord’s side in the debate with a response to steady and puts things that are out of order back in order. We do what He asks us to do, prophesying—stating with authority—what He has mandated in the Spirit for us—already!

Amen.

In Matthew 28:17-18 “all authority” is the subject—a distinctive of the believer who is a disciple. Jesus said all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him and that He “therefore” was sending His disciples out with that authority. We are sent – apostled.

And watch for this: The more of God’s authority demonstrated and the less fear of man, the degree to which confidence in His word permeates word and deed and therefore the level to which the Holy Spirit leads, so you can also predict opposition from men. Such opposition is meant to break you – your resolve, your commitment, your stand.

It’s the authority thing—God’s, not yours. You are wearing it. It is recognizable to those who want nothing to do with its source. You are the target they see. So, yes, the flood is certain but you are a container ordained to carry His Presence right through—you are that ark! The time is short until others will see what you have seen all along. Vindication!

Amen.

Matthew 28

We understand the importance of “making disciples” since Jesus gave the mandate, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations.” Spiritual fathers teach us—mentor us—in this truth as a vital link to personal power and an extension of power into the congregation. Matthew 28:18-20

Listen—we do not have to be prophetic to understand why we do what we do—the assignment is to make disciples; and because we are prophetic, we insist discipleship is the priority to successfully build mature congregations, made up of individuals trained to do according to their gifting and call. Every one—not one or two or some, every one!

As Christians we believe every person is uniquely gifted for personal accomplishment to both create personal benefit and also build the Kingdomof  God here, on earth as it is in heaven!  The idea of such possibility is itself unique. Philosophies, religions and belief systems abound but none come close to this powerful Christian proclamation, Christ in you the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27

In fact, opponents of the Gospel are offended by the idea that men and women possess something on the inside that acts like a platform for greatness – every person, not some, not the educated or affluent or positioned ones only, but each one. Divinely inspired, wonderfully made, and with redemptive potential—each one is prophetically qualified, each one destined for excellence according to their gift:  

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14

Amen—that’s good!

Strength to accomplish spiritually those things we know we are to do, is strength we cannot manufacture; this strength is an endowment—multi-faceted and full of God’s Spirit, a gift. For disciples, this strength gift becomes leadership and we “put on” the Lord’s prophetic nature; many disciples are prophets—voices of the Kingdom, its power and glory.

Having strength for life and having received this prophetic inclination—an inspiration, a knowing—spiritual fathering is vital. We realize this value, those who watch for us, shepherd and counsel us. They possess a wealth and we won’t stop gleaning until we’ve gleaned right down to the smallest detail of what they carry. 1 Corinthians 4:15; Galatians 4:1-2

We are privileged to have the Lord in our lives and to have sent ones who speak into our lives—fathers, mentors, nurturers in the faith. We are so personally changed by the divine influence that we continually reach with our faith to keep up with the depth change and how much like the Lord we have become… that nature taking over, transforming someone who is no one into someone, for such a time as this!

Amen.