God Speaks: from reading Nehemiah 4

I have challenged my cell group members to get a revelation from God while reading passages of scripture. Here's what the Lord has spoken to me after reading the 4th chapter of Nehemiah...


There is a rebuilding going on in individual lives and in our nation as well. We must be aware of the areas in our lives where walls have been breached and start the work of rebuilding these.

Friday night (June 4) God spoke to me about to me about restoration; Sunday night (June 6) Kim John talked about reformation. This is the time to be militant and be aware of the threats to our spiritual security. The devil has not relaxed from his work of sowing seeds of rebellion, disobedience, complacency, hatred, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and offense. Yet we act like all is well and many of us WILLINGLY ALLOW THE DEVIL TO PLANT SEEDS IN THE GARDEN OF OUR HEARTS. We don't even PUT UP A FIGHT!

We need to wake up and realize that the walls of our lives have been breached. We need to realize that God wants to rebuild these walls, but that He won't do it without our cooperation. We have to be willing to be restored and our walls rebuilt if we are to ever live lives of victory against the devil; otherwise the destroyer will keep coming back to steal and kill using his all-access pass through the walls of our garden.

Our God is an awesome, powerful Protector, but if we neglect to take dominion over the open doors and the broken walls of our lives, HE won't be able to help us because HE has already given us authority to tend the garden of our hearts. HE RESPECTS WHAT WE DO WITH FREE WILL.

However, the choice between LIFE and DEATH, BLESSINGS and CURSES has already been given to us. So we will either repair and rebuild the broken walls with God or leave the fortress breached and allow the enemy of our souls to waltz in and out of our lives freely.

YOUR CHOICE!

Keys to Breakthrough in 2010

Paul Keith Davis: A Key to Breakthrough in 2010: A Broken and Contrite Heart
[from the Elijah List website]

Unquestionably, we are entering times of heightened spiritual activity and confrontation. We believe 2010 will be a year considerably different from the past, with measures of breakthrough experienced by the remnant who qualify: those having positioned themselves before God with humility, contrition and who tremble at His Word.

This truth was recently re-emphasized to me while conducting meetings in New Zealand. While there I was reminded of a story recorded in the life of the notable healing evangelist Smith Wigglesworth. It involved a key secret in his walk with God and the release of divine power through this great champion.

In 1922 Wigglesworth journeyed to New Zealand for a series of healing campaigns. At the time, he was unknown to New Zealand's leadership, but with great confidence various pastors rented the Wellington Town Hall to host the meetings. To everyone's delight, the Lord was wonderfully present in power, bringing healing and salvation to scores. The services were so successful that additional meetings were arranged and each was filled to capacity with God healing the most difficult cases of sickness and disease.

At the conclusion of the campaign one of the host pastors, while walking along the seashore with Wigglesworth, asked what his secret was to walking in demonstrations of God's power. Wigglesworth responded, "I am sorry you asked me that question, but I will answer it. I am a brokenhearted man. My wife who meant everything to me, died 11 years ago. After the funeral I went back and lay on her grave. I wanted to die there. But God spoke to me and told me to rise up and come away. I told Him if He would give me a double portion of the Spirit—my wife's and my own—I would go and preach the Gospel. God was gracious to me and answered my request. But I sail the high seas alone. I am a lonely man, and many a time all I can do is to weep and weep."

A broken and contrite heart was the secret to Wigglesworth's success with God. It is written in Psalm 51:17, "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."

As the two men continued walking along New Zealand's seashore, Wigglesworth emphasized what he carried in God was not to be envied, but instead he envied what the last generation will see. Wigglesworth explained that he had experienced three open visions with the Lord. Two of them were already fulfilled at the time of these meetings in 1922. However, he expressed the third would take place after his death. Wigglesworth explained, "Oh it was amazing! Amazing! I cannot tell God's secrets, but you will remember what I say—this revival we have had is nothing to what God is yet going to do."

The pastor to whom these comments were made recorded that he clearly understood Wigglesworth's comments were directed towards the spiritual outpouring within the generation preceding the Lord's return. He said, "It was quite evident that the evangelist had a special vision granted to him of the coming outpouring of the Spirit in an unprecedented effusion in the days just before our Lord comes to snatch away the Church."

Taking it to Another Level

Clearly, Wigglesworth was given a glimpse of God's plan for this present hour. It is also recorded that while in South Africa in 1936, Wigglesworth accurately prophesied what has now become known as the Charismatic renewal. He along with many other prior champions was allowed to prophetically observe and forecast what we as a generation can enjoy in God. Even so, the same qualifications are necessary for us that existed with Wigglesworth and the others.

It is incredibly sad that Wigglesworth lost his precious wife Polly. Nevertheless, it produced something in him that God was able to use to change a generation. Although we may not go through the precise loss that Wigglesworth experienced, our ultimate goal is to present ourselves before God in humility and genuine brokenness of heart because of our condition and the present need for godly character. Such a heart God will not despise and will powerfully anoint with demonstrations of His Spirit.

Following the meetings in New Zealand I felt a profound challenge being placed upon my life and that of God's leadership to take our consecration and devotion to a higher level. He deserves greater than we have been able to present thus far. Clearly there are many who have sacrificed notably throughout the Church to see His Kingdom revealed. Even so, for the most part—on the corporate level, we must aspire to something more.

Our Need for True Leadership

There is a present need for clarity and honorable leadership to emerge with a credible prophetic voice to provide direction and divine wisdom. With an increasing emphasis on the emergence of God's divine government there is an equal demand for Biblical understanding of God's promises for the end-of-the-age generation. There are clear spiritual endowments being imparted to those groomed and prepared for governmental responsibility. Never before has there been greater need for the spirits of wisdom and revelation promised in Ephesians 1:17-19 saying:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

Like Daniel and his three friends in Babylonian captivity, we desperately need the impartation of heavenly wisdom and knowledge as well as intelligence in all manner of writing and literature. We desperately need insight and interpretation of our dreams and visions (Daniel 1:17).

It is my perspective that all true spiritual leadership is birthed out of friendship with the Lord. He once told His disciples that He no longer considered them servants, but friends. From that place of intimacy, God's mysteries, secrets and strategies are imparted that convey the Father's thoughts and aspirations for this generation. Therefore, our foremost pursuit should not necessarily be a spiritual office, but friendship with Jesus. Who we are and what we are called to be will become clearly recognized as we delegate Kingdom authority and walk with God like Enoch.

Supernatural Endowments

I have often studied and written on the life of Daniel; a man highly esteemed and greatly beloved in Heaven. The Lord told me years ago that Daniel was a prototype of the generation he foresaw. In many ways, Daniel and his three friends provide a prophetic picture of the manner by which the Lord will equip His people for special end-of-the-age assignments. The Babylonian captivity of natural Israel provides a forecast of our present condition and the Lord's promise for deliverance.

Daniel 1:17 describes Heaven's special empowerment imparted to these loyal young men. God gave them:

Knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all (kinds of) visions and dreams.

The Lord gave them by inspiration, revelatory knowledge and intelligence in various matters of writing and literature. The Lord quickened in them special skills to apprehend and articulate spiritual understanding and Heavenly wisdom. Daniel was notably gifted with supernatural perception into all manner of visions and dreams.

There was a specific impartation from God that empowered them to excel in the apprehension of wisdom and governmental scholarship. The Lord bestowed by spiritual transference the blessing of unique knowledge and exceptional capacity in literature and all manner of written work.

This pattern will also be followed in this day when the Lord discovers devoted hearts of obedience and loyalty. There are vast storehouses of revelatory insight and supernatural knowledge involving Scripture, creation, science, the arts and many other subjects that will be entrusted to saints who follow the model established by Daniel and his three friends.

A Prophetic Standard

These four young men provide a prophetic standard for the spiritually strong who know their God and carry out great exploits. They will intimately know God and engage the revelatory realm of Heaven. In them will be an excellent spirit granting acute perception and understanding to interpret dreams and visions, clarify revelatory experiences and solve difficult and enigmatic problems. They will be people who apprehend insight from the throne room and respond to the invitation to "come up here" to be shown things to take place in the future.

A few years ago during a prophetic experience, the Lord specifically stated to me that Daniel 1:17 was spiritually linked to Ephesians 1:17. These are parallel passages stating the same promises from different time frames. One is from the Old Covenant outlining God's dealings during difficult times but also pointing to a future day of supernatural intervention into the lives of mankind. The other is expressed in the New Covenant recording for all generations the heritage of the saints.

Despite our perceived personal limitations, the Lord is a quickening Spirit. He has promised to give life to our mortal bodies with His Spirit and grant to us the spirit of revelation that will access mysteries, secrets and revelatory knowledge as our legacy in Him.

Tokens of the Past

Many who attended Maria Woodworth-Etter's meetings at the turn of the 20th century would be caught up in the Spirit to experience visions and revelations of the Lord. These accounts are well documented and verified. Some would be commissioned in their encounter as missionaries to foreign lands and emerge from their visionary revelation capable of fluently speaking the language of the nation to which they were called.

It is the Father's good pleasure to reveal to us the Kingdom and perform awesome deeds that only He can achieve. It was a small thing for Him to rejuvenate the bodies of Abraham and Sarah and quicken them with strengthening virtue. Even after Sarah's death and well over one-hundred years of age, Abraham continued in the strength imparted to him by his encounter with El Shaddai and bore many more sons through Keturah.

Likewise, the Lord is more than able to equip us to access the unfathomable treasures hidden in Him that require supernatural gifts like those entrusted to the apostle Paul. As the Bible also clearly promises, the Holy Spirit knows what is hidden in darkness and reveals the deep and secret things. Light dwells with Him bringing illumination to that which has been set apart and reserved for the generation of destiny (Daniel 2:22).

Even now there are individuals engaging the revelatory realm of Heaven receiving downloads of insight into physics, light, sound and spiritual colors. The visitation of the apostle John to the throne room was both visual and audible. His experience disclosed awesome sights, sounds and vibrant colors surrounding the Lord's seat of dominion and victory. The more understanding we have of that realm the greater our ability to cooperate with Heaven in the demonstration of the Kingdom dominion on the earth.

Mysteries and Secrets of God

In like fashion, the Lord is releasing by the spirit of revelation, keys of understanding and interpretation into Kingdom mysteries and secrets reserved for the Last Days. Passages that have been present all along but with limited understanding will become illuminated and saturated with Spirit and Life. There is now being released from Heaven a spiritual endowment that will provide divine wisdom and revelatory insight. The prophecies of Isaiah point to this saying:

You have heard (these things foretold), now you see this fulfillment. And will you not bear witness to it? I show you specified new things from this time forth, even hidden things (kept in reserve) which you have not known.

They are created now (called into being by the prophetic word), and not long ago; and before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, Behold, I knew them!—Isaiah 48:6-7 AMP

During the days of the early Apostolic Church, unprecedented events were taking place. The disciples were compelled to examine the prophetic writings of the prophets to provide a Scriptural basis for their experiences. No one could have anticipated the prophetic fulfillment that transpired on the Day of Pentecost. The Scriptures pointing to Pentecost were present all along but now the experience itself unlocked revelatory insight into the mysteries of the Kingdom that were imparted during the early Church.

There are notable thoughts and plans resident in God's heart that have been sealed and held in reserve until the appointed time. That day has now arrived and the Lord is releasing spiritual impartations that will be dynamic in their applications. The Scriptural truths and Kingdom mysteries that are imminently before us will have as much impact today as Martin Luther's ninety-five theses nailed to the Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, did in the early 16th century.

Paul Keith and Wanda Davis
WhiteDove Ministries
Email: inquiries@whitedoveministries.org

Breaking Through Into A New Thing

from the Elijah List


John Belt: "Breaking Through Into A New Thing"

Isaiah 43:18-19, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

The Number Three

Three is a very significant number in Scripture. Three times is fullness. Three times represents completion. The Godhead—Father, Son and Spirit, is the fullness of God. We are composed of spirit, soul and body. There is completeness as all of these function together in unison in worship to God.

It was three days when Jesus came forth from the grave. The third day represents resurrection, a divine release of the Spirit and power, for it was the Spirit that raised Jesus after three days. Jesus was tempted three times by the devil, then He was released into His power ministry on the earth. Because Jesus walked out a life of faithfulness to His Father He was launched into the new place of power ministry. As we have been faithful to the Lord, He is taking us and causing us to break through into a new season. God has new things in store. His timing is perfect. He is ready to release a fresh wind and glory of His Spirit.

1 Samuel 2:35, And I will raise Me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in Mine heart and in My mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before Mine anointed for ever.

New Shoes to Run

Hebrews 12:1-2, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith...

God is giving us new shoes to run for His purposes. There is work to be done for the Kingdom of God. For the next round of obedience new shoes are being given. There is something about a nice new pair of tennis shoes. I love the fresh smell of them. There is a nice bounce from a pair that has not been worn. God is ready to put a bounce in our step as we obey Him, forerunning for His purposes without compromise. As we do, His glory will be released, His Kingdom will be expanded, and His Church will be built.

Warriors, Defenders, Purity and Revelation

God takes us on a journey to come to a place of purity, revelation and glory. He is now releasing those who have been prepared as warriors and defenders of the faith. We are to be continually taking ground for the Kingdom of God as we position ourselves in the place that He has called us to. It is a time to be sober, diligent, given to excellence, walking in Godly character, shunning manipulations and corrupt motives of the heart, being filled with grace and walking in the light of His love and goodness.

The pure in heart shall see God. Those who love the pure Word of God, His promises and His Presence, will be those He can trust with the riches of His glory and power.

Psalm 24:3-6, Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

As our hearts are washed in His pure waters the revelation of His goodness, blessing and grace will rest upon us as we continually experience His person, opening our eyes to see from His heavenly perspective.

Revelation 1:10-11, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last..."

Glory

The glory of the Lord will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. We are the vessels of His glory. As His glory, the manifested presence of God fills us, and we act as conduits of the substance of Heaven wherever we go.

2 Peter 1:17-18, For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And this voice which came from Heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.

With the weapons of worship and wielding the Word of His authority, we will war in the spirit to accomplish the purposes of God. He gives us all the backing we need as we place Him first in our heart without common ground with the enemy. It is in this place that we will obtain the victory in our hearts, and then into the earth where He will draw men to Himself. It is all for His plan, Kingdom and glory—that Jesus Christ would be magnified in the eyes of all.

For His Glory!


John Belt
Live In His Presence Ministries
Email: admin@liveinhispresence.com

The FRUIT of the Spirit

A friend of mine and I were exchanging email correspondences last week and she asked me if a person can be considered Spirit-filled if they do not have the nine fruits of the Spirit, as mentioned in the book of Galatians. It was an interesting question that made me go back to that passage of scripture and study and meditate on it.

I told her the following through my email reply:

- - - - -

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." -- Galatians 5:22-23

Since the Bible uses the term FRUIT for all nine, I think it is an all-or-nothing deal. They are part of a package that I believe Holy Spirit gives to us once we receive Him. But like the fruit of earthly plants, some take more time to ripen than others.

So, I believe that we get the FRUIT of the Spirit [all nine of them] when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, with some of the nine maturing faster and manifesting earlier than others. You are a Spirit-filled Christian even if some of the nine aspects of the FRUIT, which I believe are already in you, have not matured yet. You are Spirit-filled because you are filled by the FRUIT of the Spirit, though maybe wa pa lang ni ripen ang tanan.

Remember, we are a work in progress. But God has already given us everything we need for life and godliness [2 Peter 1:3-11]. So that means it's all there already but we just need to cooperate with God to perfect what He has already deposited in us. That's why that passage in 2 Peter encourages us to "make every effort".

Some people may have already matured in the area of patience but may lack the manifestation of joy. That doesn't make them not filled with the Spirit. It just means they need more work in the area of joy. The fruit of joy is in there but perhaps it just needs to mature more.

- - - - -

All of us seriously need to mature in the fullness of the Spirit. It takes time for the FRUIT to mature but if we cooperate with God and allow Holy Spirit to do what needs to be done, we'll get there much faster.

His Promise of Peace

Isaiah 33

Distress and Help

¹ Woe to you, O destroyer,
you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, O traitor,
you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
you will be destroyed;
when you stop betraying,
you will be betrayed.

² O LORD, be gracious to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
our salvation in time of distress.

³ At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee;
when you rise up, the nations scatter.

⁴ Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts;
like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it.

⁵ The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.

⁶ He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

⁷ Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys of peace weep bitterly.

⁸ The highways are deserted,
no travelers are on the roads.
The treaty is broken,
its witnesses are despised,
no one is respected.

⁹ The land mourns and wastes away,
Lebanon is ashamed and withers;
Sharon is like the Arabah,
and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

¹⁰ "Now will I arise," says the LORD.
"Now will I be exalted;
now will I be lifted up.

¹¹ You conceive chaff,
you give birth to straw;
your breath is a fire that consumes you.

¹² The peoples will be burned as if to lime;
like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze."

¹³ You who are far away, hear what I have done;
you who are near, acknowledge my power!

¹⁴ The sinners in Zion are terrified;
trembling grips the godless:
"Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"

¹⁵ He who walks righteously
and speaks what is right,
who rejects gain from extortion
and keeps his hand from accepting bribes,
who stops his ears against plots of murder
and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil-

¹⁶ this is the man who will dwell on the heights,
whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.
His bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail him.

¹⁷ Your eyes will see the king in his beauty
and view a land that stretches afar.

¹⁸ In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:
"Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?"

¹⁹ You will see those arrogant people no more,
those people of an obscure speech,
with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.

²⁰ Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.

²¹ There the LORD will be our Mighty One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship will sail them.

²² For the LORD is our judge,
the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
it is he who will save us.

²³ Your rigging hangs loose:
The mast is not held secure,
the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
and even the lame will carry off plunder.

²⁴ No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill";
and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

Your Hands for War

These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience). Judges 3:1-2

Do not desire to be trained for spiritual warfare if you are not yet able to obey God in laying down your life and all the things you want in life to gain His desires and His plans for your life. The Lord's training for warfare is going to cost you your life -- nothing less. If you cannot follow Him that way, you cannot follow Him at all.

He is the One who trains. He is the One who teaches. If you do not yield to that, you will yield to something else. If you do not submit to the training and discipline of God, you will submit to something else. You are either for God... or for something else.

Who will you yield to? Who will you submit to? Who will you let train you? God? Or someone else?

God will train your hands for war, especially if you have not experienced it before. But you have to recognize that initially it is going to look unattractive, painful and uncomfortable. You're not going to like it at first, but in the end God's training -- the testings that come; the sacrifices required; the obediences demanded -- will strengthen your feeble knees, train your hands for battle and make you the warrior God has designed you to be.

But first be yielded to His will.

This war cannot be won with complacency and nonchalance. The devil has had us blinded for far too long already. Recognize that you are a soldier in God's army and you have a destiny that Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy -- both in the physical and the spiritual. The devil will stop at nothing to eliminate you -- you are a bane to his existence. He wants you dead. And if you cannot even learn to kill your flesh or even control your emotions, the devil will find it easy to toy around with you. If you won't even cry out to God for help, do not expect to put the enemy under your feet. Chances are the enemy will be doing tap dances on you.

God allows hardship into your life not to weaken you or to push you down, but because He wants to strengthen you by causing you to draw near to Him -- not run away from Him. That's how He trains you. Training for warfare is not easy. Understand that. Training is going to be tough. Why? Because the enemy is tough and he's been at it for much longer than you have been. But if in every painful and disappointing situation in your life you choose to run from God and cower in your own corner, how will you learn to fight this enemy of ours?

The Lord knows you are weak, that's why He has sent His Spirit to empower you. But you have got to make the choice to get with the program -- go all the way for God. That's how you win. Decide to follow Him no matter what the cost is, no matter what needs to be let go and laid down. Your present sufferings are called "light and momentary troubles" in the New Testament and compared to the glory yet to come, what we go through in this lifetime is nothing but a breath.

God will train your hands for war. He will equip you to not just survive the daily assaults from the enemy and from the world, but to be a victor at every turn. Just ask for Him to train you. Cry out to God to help you. Be yielded to His ways and then you'll see yourself becoming stronger in the strength of His might. You'll see yourself becoming the conqueror He sees and says you are!

Empty your hands! The Lord wants to train them for war!


"Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?" Psalm 144:1-3

Power Plug

A few days ago I happened to glance at a wall socket. The thought that came to my head was "always plug in to the power source." Immediately the Lord reminded me that without Him I am nothing and that if I am to do the things He's called me to do, I'd have to be plugged in to His presence. It's funny how the Lord speaks to me -- He's so full of variety.

The day after that, while taking a shower, the Lord spoke to me about how we quickly become concerned when our peripheral technological accessories [like mp3 players, PSPs, mobile phones] reach their low battery status. We instantly scramble for our chargers and head for the nearest wall socket to pump some juice back into our tech gadgets. I know this because I also get this way with my cellphone and iPod.

Right then I got the feeling that the Lord was saying, "how many times have you been so quick to notice that your phone or iPod is nearly out of power and promptly remedy the situation by recharging your gadgets? How come you are never as quick to notice that your life is already reaching low-batt status? And when you do notice it, why aren't you are as quick to scramble for the Bible as you do with the charger so you could plug in to the Source of your power?"

Then He ties up the whole thing by bringing back the image of the wall socket he showed me earlier. Talk about visual aids!

Technolgical gadgets are a great help to modern living and a source of amusement but they are not the most important things in life. Yet we are so quick to replenish their batteries and renew their lives, while being so casual with our own lives by keeping it running on low, and sometimes even keep it running on empty.

If we constantly stay conscious and vigilant of the state of our hearts, we should be aware of our need to be plugged in to the Source. God's power is unlimited and as we keep ourselves connected to Him by seeking Him and dwelling in His presence at all times, we will be empowered to live victorious, godly lives and be energized to do that which He has called us to do.

We don't just need a recharge every now and then. We need to always be plugged in to the Power of the One who enables us to do all things through Christ Jesus.

Shouldn't we be more concerned about powering up our lives instead of powering up of our tech gadgets?

DGen Lesson: Adding and Increasing [Part 3]

[…continued from this post; part three of this series…]


...and to self-control, perseverance;...
+ Perseverance – related to endurance, patience and long-suffering – comes after one learns (and continuously receives grace) to exercise restraint in several, if not all areas of life. That should be the case because it takes a lot of discipline to endure hardship, continue in the midst of trials, and move forward when everything in life pounces on you and screams at you to quit.

Perseverance entails consistency, constancy and commitment. All other characteristics in Peter’s list will amount to nothing if perseverance is not combined with faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. This ingredient is important in the recipe of making every effort to grow. All will become useless if we lose perseverance and give up pursuing God.

...and to perseverance, godliness;...
+ Josiah pointed out that the addition of godliness in Peter’s list serves as a goal, an end that the character of perseverance aims for. We need to persevere toward godliness. But I added that we also need godliness in order to persevere… toward godliness [yes. It is paradoxical but I believe that’s how it works].

The pursuit of godliness in our lives gives us focus on what is really important – knowing God and being conformed to the image of His Son. Godliness is the vertical component of our life, relating to God, spirit to spirit.

...and to godliness, brotherly kindness;...
+ Of course, loving God should not just be manifested in our personal relationship with Him. Peter puts brotherly kindness in the mix so that the overflow of our love relationship with the Father is evidenced by our love for our fellow man. Brotherly kindness – when we relate to those around us the way the Lord would have us do – is the horizontal component of our life.

In the same way that godliness should not be a stand-alone character in a Christian, brotherly kindness should not be a separate trait in those who profess to follow Christ. Living totally for the Lord without the benefit of receiving and giving love to others would be incomplete if we don’t live for others and love others out of our love for God.

I found it funny, nay amusing, that on one of my one-on-one sessions a particular Famoso Guerrero was caught speechless, rather tight-lipped, when we discussed this part of the passage. In fact, his silence said more than what little he spoke at the time. But I continued to tell him that brotherly love should not be limited to those who are biologically connected to us (our siblings) but also to rest of mankind, who are our brothers and sisters in God's huge family.

Perhaps Guerrero was getting some insights from the Lord at that time about a particular brotherly (or sisterly???) relationship. I'll never know. He wouldn't tell me... even to this day.


… to be continued …

DGen Lesson: Adding and Increasing [Part 2]

[...continued from this post...]


...and to knowledge, [add] self-control;...
+ You know the Spider-Man adage that goes, "with great power, comes great responsibility"? Well, if knowledge is power, then one needs to exercise great responsibility in the form of self-control when handling knowledge.

As with any other form of power, knowledge -- the acquisition and application of it -- can be abused and misused. It can give a person a puffed up ego [1 Corinthians 8:1]. It can be a source of pride and can therefore lead to one's downfall.

The exertion of self-control over our accumulated information, facts and learning is intended to keep us sober in our estimation of ourselves. We are not the source of knowledge after all but merely conduits of it. And it is God who gives us the ability to receive wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

I believe Peter also urges us to practice self-control in other areas of our lives, not just in handling knowledge. There is a serious need to practice self-control in our speech, in our conduct, in our thoughts, in the way we filter what comes into our minds and what goes out of mouths. Without self-control there is no order in one's life.

As Christians -- as followers of Christ -- we can't just do whatever pleases us and still represent Jesus. If we truly want to let our light shine, we have to have control or exercise control of what little darkness there is left within us. God's word helps us stretch our self-control muscles. The Bible shows us how to do that.

We need to read the Bible -- everyday -- to have the knowledge needed to control our wayward human nature.

This is why adding self-control to knowledge keeps us from abusing what we know, and adding knowledge to self-control makes us better at keeping the bad stuff at bay.


...to be continued...

DGen Lesson: Adding and Increasing [Part 1]

I had a wonderful time discussing 2 Peter 1:3-13 during my one on one sessions with the guys under me in the cell group, and my co-cell leader. It's amazing how such a few verses can bring out such rich revelation from the Lord. Here are some of the things I was able to discuss with the guys...

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness...
+ All that we need for our physical life and spiritual life has been given by God. Everything. There is no lack.

...through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness...
+ Our availment of all the things God gave to us for life and godliness is limited by how much we know Him. If we only have a 10% knowledge of God, we can only avail of that much of the things He has given us. We are limited in how much we received from God by what we know of Him. If we don't know Him as Jehovah Rophe, our Healer, we will never be able to avail of His provision for healing. If we don't know Him as Jehovah Shalom, our Peace, we will never get to know His peace that passes all understanding.

We have to know Him more so we can know what else is included in the all-the-things-He-has-given-us-for-life-and-godliness package, and know how to avail of them and use them. Josiah used the analogy of a medicine kit -- everything is already in there but we have to know what it has in there and know how to use those.

...Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,...
+ This is part of package. This is part of everything we need for life and godliness. And the more we increase in our knowledge of God, the more we will increase in our knowledge of the promises He has made to us. Promises which He will definitely keep. Promises like "I will never leave you nor forsake you [Joshua 1:5]." Promises like "I know the plans I have for you; plan to prosper you, not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future [Jeremiah 29:11]." Promises like "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you [John 15:7]."

...so that through them you may participate in the divine nature...
+ The package God gave us, our increasing knowledge of Him, and the certainty of the promises He made to us, are there to help us partake and share His divine nature -- that of holiness, love, compassion, graciousness, etc. He has promised to sanctify us and make us holy... it enables us to participate in His nature of holiness. He has promised to make grace abound in our lives... it enables us to partake in His nature of graciousness and be gracious to others. He has promised to change us from glory to glory... it enables us to grow and radiate in the fullness of His glory.

...and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires...
+ Those very same promises also enable us to avoid the evil in the world by the killing off of our selfish, carnal and wicked desires. When we receive His promise of sanctifying us [making us holy] through the Holy Spirit, it also enables us to avoid the unholy things that we have the natural tendency to do. His promise of providing a way out of every temptation enables us to escape the corruption in the world. It means that our resilience against the world, the devil and the flesh exponentially grows when we grow in our knowledge of Him -- we are helped in our flight from evil. And there are many more promises in the Word that give us authority and power to overcome the world's corruption.

...For this very reason, make every effort...
+There is a reason why Peter includes this statement. The Christian life is not a passive life. We are not supposed to be sitting down and let God do everything. He already did everything, but God's Word always urges Christians to action with words like "fight", "run", "take", "go". "Make every effort" is no different.

Although God is in control of everything, and Jesus is the the Author and Finisher of our faith, and the Holy Spirit is the One who brings spiritual growth, every citizen of the Kingdom is still required to do their part in getting to spiritual maturity. This is a choice every Christian must make. No one can do this for you -- not your father; not your mother; not your pastor or cell group leader, not even the Lord. This is about choice. We either decide to make every effort to grow or don't make an effort at all. No one can make this effort for you.

...to add to your faith goodness;...
+ We all have a measure of faith given to us when we receive Jesus' Lordship in our lives. The more we feed our spirit, the better that faith grows. But why add goodness to it? Well, the guys spoke to said that goodness is the way we show our faith. The Bible does say that faith without works is dead. Faith is useless if it is kept within with no manifestation outside. That's why we need to let our invisible faith translate into visible actions -- more appropriately, through good works.

...and to goodness, knowledge;...
+ Josiah pointed out that we need knowledge in order to know what good thing to do and how to do that good thing. Ronnie, on the other hand, said that the way we know God affects the way we do good things, which to me means either you don't know God and the good things you do become religious acts, or you do know God and the good things you do become an act of worship to Him.

Knowledge gives goodness focus. Knowledge gives goodness direction. Knowledge gives goodness purpose.

. . . to be continued

Ojos y Alas

The cleanness of your hands can deliver even those who are not innocent.

Even if no one is praying for you.

Go to a quiet place. Get some rest.

Great patience. Careful instruction.

Command and teach.



What to do and how to get there.

If You Listen, You Will Hear

Even in the smallest, most minute way known to man, God speaks. If you pay attention to the subtleties of His communication, you will get what He is saying.

Then there are also none subtle ways that God speaks. But even that still requires focus and determination to hear something from your Creator.

To the best that I can, I always start the day with the Word of God and talking to God. I want to hear what my Father has to say about life, about today and so on. It doesn't take hours, mind you. My morning devotional is a prep for my full day's worth of devotional time to the Lord.

For the past few days He's been speaking. And I have been listening. Here are some of the things He had to say:

"Sow in tears. Reap in joy."

"Let your light shine!"

"Endure hardship as discipline."


Today, He spoke to me about putting feelings aside and letting faith prevail. Sometimes there are things that God asks us to do that we don't really feel like doing. But as citizens of His Kingdom, your choice is just either to obey or disobey. It's a simple as that. And the Lord told me that even when I don't feel like doing what He asks me to do, I must still submit to His will and purposes and do it!

The Bible warns us about hearing His voice and not heeding it [Hebrews 3:15]. We really need to open our spiritual ears and take a listen to what God saying. Because He does still speak to us. He hasn't stopped communicating with His creation. He's still in the business of conversing with us. He's just waiting for us to take notice.


God is speaking to you. If you listen, you will hear.

Flush Your Past

Bob Jones: Past Disappointments and Expectations
[ another prophetic word from Elijah List that confirms what the Lord has been telling me in the bathrooms of the place I currently work - Mike ]

In a vision on August 31, 2008, Bob saw that many people were imprisoned by their lost expectations. What they expected out of their lives had not come to pass.

Past disappointments or expectations for our lives have imprisoned us. And when you look back to your past expectations, you have no vision for your future.

Your failures were steppingstones from your past; steppingstones into His presence and your future. It's time for you to flush your past and let it be gone from you. The Lord is commissioning you - giving you a mission; vision for the future.

There is a remnant left who remain; they really believe God and have kept their spirits and consciences clean. The Lord is not disappointed in them. However, they've become disappointed in themselves. But the Lord says to you that your disappointment was His opportunity.

So our past disappointments rob us from our future vision because God is saying:

"I'm not disappointed in you because of your failed expectations, for they were My opportunity to change your life for My purpose.

"Your disappointments or expectations were stepping stones to My presence and now - I'm going to demand that you flush them and look to the future - not the past, for those who look to the past have no future! I now have My Spirit in many of My people."

In the vision, Bob saw that many of God's saints' consciences (or their spirits) were clean, but their minds weren't. And the Holy Spirit is dealing with the mind of those who have not come to the place where they thought they should be.

God says, "Their conscience is clean and now I'm going to cleanse their soul, because I'm going to use their soul and their spirit to reveal My Kingdom. So now I begin a work of cleansing their soul, so their soul might be a partaker of My Divine Nature.

"You're actually ready in the spirit. Now I'm preparing your soul, for I'm going to use both soul and spirit. And the soul is what I'm preparing.

"I just want you to know that I'm not disappointed in you and I've brought you to the place where your future in Me shall be fruit." Amen.


Bob and Bonnie Jones
The Prophetic Ministry of Bob and Bonnie Jones

- - - - -

ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

Hidden But Not Forgotten

Victoria Boyson: "He Has You Hidden for a Purpose - You Are His Secret Weapon!"
[from Elijah List]


{This prophetic word is a great encouragement for me today because it confirms what I have been feeling in my spirit for quite a while now. God really knows when to lift up our spirits at the right time. He is after all the lifter of our head. -- Mike}


"My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place." Psalm 139:15


At the Verge of Breakthrough

Have you ever felt forgotten by God? Do you feel invisible? Does God seem to be blessing everyone except you? Do your expectations of God seem to meet with cold indifference from Him?

If your answer is "yes," then rejoice, because you are at the edge of a miracle! You are on the verge of a breakthrough! The door to your destiny is about to swing open!

The most difficult time of any birth is the few moments right before you deliver your baby into the world. You are exhausted beyond what you can even endure...you cannot stand it anymore. You have pushed and pushed and have exhausted all your strength. You want to scream, "I can't do this...I can't!" BUT you must! It is at this moment that you must push the hardest and exert yourself the most. You are crying, "I can't," and everyone around you is yelling, "PUSH!"

Then, somewhere deep inside you, strength arises! You have a determination now, where a hopeless feeling used to dwell. Now you cry from the depths of your heart, "I can," and "I will!"

You are at the verge of a breakthrough and perhaps you are tired of believing, but only you can break through to your miracle. Only you can give birth to your destiny! Only you can fight through to your dream's fulfillment. Your God will give you His strength when you have none of your own. When you fall short, He will pick you up because, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" (Isaiah 40:29).

Hidden Miracles and Butterflies

I have felt this way - I have felt forgotten by God. I wondered if the promise would ever be fulfilled - if God would ever open the door. I had been teetering on the edge of a breakthrough for so long that I began to doubt. "Would it ever really happen? Maybe God has changed His mind?" I was tired of waiting, of praying, of hoping in faith! I felt like a butterfly in a cocoon, hidden and forgotten. During that time I wrote this poem:

Someday, I'll Fly...

I've not been myself lately or for some time for that matter.
I'm not sure who "myself" is anymore.
I feel like a caterpillar inside the cocoon.
I'm neither a butterfly nor a caterpillar anymore.
I'm not what I used to be nor am I what I'm going to be.
I cannot go back to what I was,
or what was familiar to me.
I can't rush forward and be what I have not yet become.
It's a miserable place to be.
It's much like a baby in the womb;
you have to wait it out and stay where you are.
I hope every day will bring the end; I know God is almost done working.
I rejoice because the end is near,
but still the pain increases.
It's become too easy to not be anything, just a cocoon.
I want to give up, but You won't let me.
I'm not the caterpillar I used to be
and I'm not the butterfly I know I am becoming.
Becoming a butterfly is scary, painful and exhausting.
I guess I don't want to remain a nothing,
so I'll endure the torturous path out of this cocoon.
And I know, someday, I'll fly!

Years ago, we lived in a house with dozens of trees around it. In the fall, the trees were covered with cocoons. We would walk by them all the time without taking much notice of them. A miracle was taking place before us and we paid little attention to it.

But in the fall, our trees were covered with hundreds of beautiful butterflies. Our children would run through the trees and the butterflies would all take flight. It was a glorious sight to see hundreds of butterflies fill the air, sunlight reflecting off their wings.

Caterpillars are ugly little things, but butterflies are gorgeous. God loves to make something beautiful out of something ugly. God loves to take the ugly things of our past that satan meant for our destruction, and turn them into a powerful weapon He can use for our construction.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Death Gives Birth to Life

God takes you through "ugly" situations only to turn you into something beautiful. The Cross looked like the end of a dream to the disciples. They expected their Messiah to come, overthrow the Romans, and establish His Kingdom on this earth. The death of Jesus looked like the end of all their dreams.

Christ tried to warn the disciples of His impending death, but when He spoke of dying, Peter declared, "This shall never happen to You!" (Matthew 16:22). Christ knew that this must happen. Like a seed planted in the ground must cease to be a seed in order to become a plant, He knew that His life on earth, as it had been, must end or He could not bring forth the gift of eternal life for those who would believe in Him.

"In a little while you will see Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me, because I am going to the Father." John 16:17

His death gave birth to life! "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies'" (John 11:25).

The "cocoon" that you are in right now is the "death" that will give birth to your destiny. The painful situation you are enduring right now could be the launching pad for your future.

If you feel as though you are invisible, rejoice that you are. God has hidden you away to change you in secret, but soon He will pull you out like a secret weapon and show you off to the world.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:16

Your Heavenly Father will declare, "Look at what My grace has done!" The world will praise Him because they can see what He has done in you. You are His trophy! His reward!

Some may argue then, that you have no right to be where God has placed you. But the voice of your accusers will not even reach your ears, because you have paid the price; you have endured and you have overcome.

And "You will soar on wings like eagles" (Isaiah 40:31), and yes, you will fly!

This Could Be the Day

When the expected due date for each of my children neared, I would awaken each day with the expectancy that today could be the day that I would deliver this child. Each day I would think, "Today could be the day." I never thought to myself that it just could not happen today, because I knew my time was coming and that this day could be the day that I would give birth.

As each day ended without seeing the birth of my baby, I would feel somewhat disappointed. But once again, another morning would come and I would arise with hope from Heaven, remembering that this day could be the day. And I was prepared to go at any time; I had my bags packed and gas in the car.

Each day that you serve God and wait on His timing for your destiny's fulfillment is one day closer to its birth. As you near your time of delivery, you feel in your spirit that the time is near. Perhaps today is the day! You look around and see your Christian brothers and sisters receiving the promises of God in their lives - you are happy for them.

But when is it your turn? When will your destiny come forth in the way God promised it would? Each day we must prepare our hearts to believe that, "this could be the day He fulfills His promises to me," and then suddenly He does.

The longer you serve God, the deeper you will trust Him to bring the promise to pass for you. As you near the time of receiving the fulfillment of His call on your life, you can know that every day will bring you one day closer. Today could be the day you receive a great blessing from God. Today could hold the answer you have been waiting for.

Wait in faith through each day as a woman waiting to give birth. God does not bring you to the time of birth just to stop the whole process. He did not bring you this far to leave you now. He will not forget you! It will happen! And remember that "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it" (Philippians 1:6).

"God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act?" Numbers 23:19

If He's promised it, He will do it!

Say this with me: God will do what He has promised. He has not forgotten me, for I am constantly in His thoughts. God is waiting to fulfill His Word through me. It will happen! This could be the day! God cannot lie; He will not change His mind. I choose to believe what God has told me and not the lies of fear and doubt.

He has you hidden for a purpose - you are His secret weapon!



Victoria Boyson
Speaking Life Ministries
Email: victoria@boyson.org



ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

Coming [Really] Soon

He's not a baby in a manger anymore
He's not a broken man on a cross
He didn't stay in the grave
And He's not staying in Heaven forever




People get ready. JESUS IS COMING!

Metamorph

YOU said I would bloom in due season. I believe YOUR word. I believe YOU.

I am metamorphosing!


YOU are changing me.

Preventer of All Harm

He is GOD; the One who keeps me from all harm!


Psalm 121:7 -- The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life.

The Savior is Love

LOVE is the weapon
LOVE is the tool
LOVE is the compass
LOVE is the school
LOVE is the measure
LOVE is the need
LOVE is the distance
LOVE is the seed
LOVE is the silence
LOVE is the rest
LOVE is the vision
LOVE is the test
LOVE is the helper
LOVE is the fruit
LOVE is the purpose
LOVE is the root

LOVE is rehearsal
LOVE is the act
Covenant keeping
LOVE is the pact
LOVE is the paycheck
The labor is LOVE
LOVE is the handle
LOVE is the glove
LOVE is the final
Law of all laws
LOVE is the center
The noblest cause
LOVE is the given
Gift from above
LOVE is the Savior
The Savior is LOVE

Rebuke

"Why do you still worry when you know that I have everything completely under control?"




TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.

Under an Open Heaven

James W. Goll: "Positioned for an Open Heaven"
from the Elijah List


One of the most consistent ways that the Lord speaks to me is through "dreams." Once again, by the grace and faithfulness of God, the Holy Spirit gave me a very vivid instructional dream. The dream was filled with color and emotions, but no words. I do feel that this dream has meaning for me in a personal manner and yet contains truths that are for the Body of Christ. So let me unfold it.

I was attempting to stand in a room where there was a low ceiling. It was an old room filled with religious senses all around it. It was a room representing the Church in its present condition and, in particular, the overall condition of the church where I live in Greater Nashville, Tennessee.

I was standing on the outer edge of the room and I kept trying to stand up. As I would do this, my head would butt against the ceiling, and I could actually feel the weight of the stone ceiling on my head in the dream. I kept trying to raise the roof off by standing up, but it was not working. Then something like a giant, heavenly can opener came down from above and cut a huge hole in the stone roof. The hole appeared in the center of the room. I then moved from the outer edge to the center of the room, and as I did - I looked up.

The sky was filled with the promises of God!

There was now a brilliant "Open Heaven" stationed right over my head. The sky was blue and there were beautiful clouds hovering. I could feel the warmth of the sun upon my body. The atmosphere was filled with faith, hope, love and life.

I then proceeded, in the dream, back to the edge of the room where the ceiling was still intact, and yes, still quite low. Again, I had to crouch down to get under the low ceiling. I attempted to "stand upright" only to feel the weight of the ceiling suppressing me once again. So I stepped back into the center of the room. What a contrast!

Oh, there was clean air to breathe. There was light and no darkness. There was a sense of purpose and destiny fulfilled. I was now positioned correctly under an open heaven, enabling me to achieve the purposes of God. I was centered and walking in the light.

Interpreting the Experience

As I woke up, I had several "knowings" as a result of this dream experience. Again, there were no audible words in this dream. But the feeling dimension was very alive! I did feel a word dropped inside of me, though, as I woke up - "Get Positioned for an Open Heaven."

God wants us each to be properly aligned in this hour with Him and His purposes. He wants to lift the lid off the can, but we must position ourselves properly as this occurs. We must move from the side issues to the central ones. We must be centered on Him.

Walking in Open Heavens deals more with His work versus ours. Our efforts to push through and even "stand uprightly" are acknowledged, but it is truly His work from above that creates a sustained place or Open Heavens for His presence. He has the ability to break through even the hardest of places, circumstances and low ceilings.

Again, in the dream, the Lord saw my efforts and acknowledged them, but then He did the work that I could not. I find it quite interesting that it is more about His work from above than our work from beneath. He does respond, however, to our efforts. But we do not create an Open Heaven - He does. He is the Creator - I am not. I am a responder to His great love and initiative. Yet, what goes up must come down!

Below you will find a short excerpt from my study guide Revival Breakthrough. In it I give some basic Biblical teaching on Open Heavens, so - "Get Positioned for an Open Heaven!" Get into Kingdom Alignment for such a time as this. Step out of the shadows of the side edges and move into the center of His word, will and ways. Be centered in Him - after all, being "centered in Christ" is the best place to be!

Blowing The Roof Off The House

A. Making Jesus At Home In Your House - Read Mark 2:1- 5 slowly as a parable. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring personal applications to your life.

1. Mark 2:1 - Is Jesus at "Home" in your house, family, congregation, city? What would you need to do to have Him be more than the "honored guest" who occasionally shows up?

2. Mark 2:2 - When Jesus is "in His temple," people will gather and revelation will rest on the word of God. May God's house be full to overflowing and may the crowds gather once again to hear the word of the Lord!

3. Mark 2:3 - Some became dissatisfied with the crowds as they were. Four men became desperate for a "breakthrough" on another level. Through the heat of the day they carried their paralytic friend on a stretcher to the house where Jesus was. They worked hard to carry this "dead weight," possibly at a distance. It cost them something to get him there, but they wanted more!

4. Mark 2:4 - They could not get near to Jesus due to the crowds. They could have given up, but instead - they moved from the natural into the supernatural to find their solution. Then hope came. We will tear the roof off the house. So they proceeded upon the roof to tear it open with their hands. Through great effort - they dug a big hole in the roof (Opened Heavens) and lowered their friend into the presence of the living Messiah.

5. Mark 2:5 - Jesus saw "their faith." Whose faith? All their faith together! Then he spoke to the paralytic: "Your sins are forgiven." This results in healing the body. May these words echo through our lives today and the sick Body of Christ be raised up to "wholeness."

B. Opened Heavens

1. Like in Genesis 28:16-17, we need the gates of Heaven opened over our cities, churches and families.

2. Like in Mark 2:1-5, we need to "Blow the Roof Off" our thinking and concepts and believe the Lord for extraordinary works of grace. Desperate times take desperate measures. We need desperate laborers to arise, who are not content with life as it is, to tear the roof off in order to lower another into the presence of Jesus!

THREE KEYS NEEDED

A. Prayer Opens The Way!

1. Testimony of the Hebrides Island Revival in 1952: Two desperate women - Peggy and Christina Smith, 84 and 82 years old - were desperate for a revival on their island off of Scotland. They began praying from Isaiah 44:3, "For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants."

They reminded God of His word. Then they began to claim Isaiah 64:1: "O that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at Thy presence..."

The oldest sister was blind, but she received a vision and proclaimed, "He's coming! He's coming! He's already here!" The Spirit of God fell in a barn that night where seven young men were praying from Isaiah 62:6,7, where it tells us, "On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

Sure enough, God came. This began the great Hebrides Revival under the preaching of Duncan Campbell. A spiritual radiation zone was created and many souls were saved!

2. Testimony of Evan Roberts and the Welsh Revival of 1904: At the age of 13, young Evan began to seek the Lord. At the age of 26, revival came to his hometown. He taught the people to pray two simple prayers. The first, "Send the Spirit now, for Jesus Christ's sake." The second prayer was similar: "Send the Spirit now more powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake." Indeed, God's Spirit came down and 100,000 souls were swept up into God's Kingdom.

Today, a cry is arising: "More, Lord!" Yes, there must be a youth revolution come as it was with Evan Roberts. We must have a "trans-generational anointing" as it was with Peggy and Christina Smith. It is time for prayer to arise and to blow the roof off the house!

WHEN WE CARE FOR HIS PRESENCE

I want to tell you a dream that has recently again gripped my soul. In January 1999, while I was having some forced rest due to a hernia surgery, the Lord visited me with a piercing dream that is helping to set my course of direction right now, and I believe is a clear word to His people in this hour.

In this dream, I was holding long loaves of bread each wrapped in their own individual napkin. I was holding these loaves of bread close to my chest, right over my heart. Then I got our youngest child's (Rachel's) blanket she has had since birth. I now wrapped these loaves of bread in her dear baby blanket. I held the bread close to my heart and just kind of rocked the bread as you would a newborn child.

Then I heard the words, "When My people will care for, cherish, nurture and love the 'Bread of My Presence' like a parent does its newborn child - then revival will come." I then found myself awakened out of the dream only to find my arms were held out as though holding and rocking something. I then heard myself prophesying out loud in the bedroom the same words I had just heard in the dream as the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit was lingering over my body. The Lord was emphasizing these words by having them repeated twice!

This I know - He wants us to cherish and care for His Presence. Pray for His presence. Love His presence. Nurture His presence; after all, isn't this what you have longed for all your life? Isn't this what you were made and created for - to be a carrier of the most brilliant Presence?! Isn't this the answer to the Church's cry for more?

When will revival come? You got it! When we get up in the middle of the night - do the night feedings, hold the child close to our bosom, and wash the child of new beginnings with love and compassion - then revival will come!

Join me as we call forth an Open Heaven and Portals of Revelation to be opened across the face of the earth! May the Church around the world drink deeply from the wells of revival!

Let His Presence comes forth!


James W. Goll and the Entire Goll Family!
Encounters Network
Email: info@encountersnetwork.com

- - - - -

ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250