A precious lady went home to be with her Lord and Savior and to join other family members in heaven on Easter Sunday morning. Family and friends of Ethel Eckelmeyer gathered together on Friday to celebrate her life of 100 years. In prophetic circles the number 100 represents fullness or a full reward. It is fitting that Aunt Ethel lived to be 100 years old.
At the memorial service, as family members described Ethel's life, it became obvious that she left behind a legacy for all of us. She handed down to us an example of a life lived connected to God. In his eulogy, her son Ken referred to John 15. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit..." (Verses 4-5) Ethel's life bore the fruit of her relationship with the Lord. She was led by the Spirit of the Living God and the fruit of that intimate relationship was manifest in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Her son, his wife and her granddaughter all testified to the beautiful relationship that she had with her husband Ray. Ethel and Ray were happily married for 67 years until his death in 2008. Ken told us that he never heard a harsh word come from either of them in all the years that they were married. There was never a fight. Instead they chose to live out Ephesians 5:21. "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." The pastor who presided at Aunt Ethel's memorial service remembered how she served God through her service at the church. As a Sunday school teacher she shared the Gospel with her charges. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) With Ethel, the key to sharing about God's love was demonstrating it. The pastor quoted St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach Jesus, and if necessary use words." Aunt Ethel did not have to use words; she exhibited love to everyone around her. The love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that Ethel carried changed the atmosphere around her. All who knew her will testify to the legacy of love that she left behind. We would do well to follow her lifestyle. Leif Hetland, author of Transformed by Love, talks about the transforming power of love. "To transform the world, to bring change to every place on this planet, we need to first become so full of His love that we spill over. Only from this place of overflow can we transform cities and nations." Aunt Ethel overflowed with love and left us a legacy to which we must aspire. As Jesus rode a colt down the road from the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem, "the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.' Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said of Jesus, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples.' 'I tell you,' He replied, 'if they keep quiet the stones will cry out,'" (Luke 19:37-40) Indeed, all of creation seems to respond to Jesus in amazing ways.
The four gospels recount the way creation responded during Passion Week. We learn that creation itself recognized the King of kings. Yet many in Israel did not realize who Jesus was or they would have never crucified him. Rick Renner, author of Paid in Full, says this about Jesus and His relationship with creation: "I find it amazing that although Israel rejected Jesus and the Roman authorities crucified Him, creation always recognized Him! During His life on this earth, the waves obeyed Him; water turned to wine at His command; fishes and bread multiplied at His touch; the atoms in water solidified so He could walk across it; and the wind ceased when He spoke to it. So it should come as no surprise that Jesus' death was a traumatic event for creation. The earth shook, trembled, and shuddered at the death of its Creator, for it instantly felt its lose." The writers of the gospels along with several historians describe the darkness that covered the earth during the three hours (from noon until 3:00 p.m.) that Jesus was crucified. Simultaneous to the time when Jesus was being crucified, the high priest would have been in the temple courts slaughtering the unblemished lambs for Passover. One lamb for every household was slaughtered. The sacrifices of the lambs would have been finished about three hours later when Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) When Jesus gave up His spirit a violent earthquake occurred. Here is how Matthew describes what happened to the earth at Jesus' death. "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split." (Matthew 27:51) Rick Renner explains that the word "rock" is the Greek word petra which means huge, large rocks. They were violently torn apart. Likewise the veil of the temple. God Himself was making a way for us to enter the Holy of Holies. And yes, creation responded when Jesus rose from the dead. Matthew 28:2 tells us "There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it." Rick Renner explains: "Just as creation shook when its Creator died on the Cross, now the earth exploded at the resurrection of Jesus." The reality of the death of Jesus, His blood spilled on the Cross and the glorious resurrection of Jesus requires a response from us. In Romans 8 Paul talks about how we are heirs of God who will share in His sufferings and His glory. He says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed...We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (Romans 8:19, 22) We must join with creation in our displays of power and love that reveal our Maker to the world. Rich Renner puts it this way: "Just as the earth quaked when its Creator died on the Cross, the earth exploded when Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of God the Father. Now creation is waiting for you to walk in the reality of the victory Jesus purchased for you with His own blood." John the disciple paints a picture of heaven with his words in the book of Revelation. Worship of the Lord never ends in heaven. We read that the four living creatures and the 24 elders fall down before the Lamb. "And they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seal, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’" (Revelation 5:9-10)
We, as Believers, can look forward to the time when we will reign as kings and priests alongside of the Lord. Here is what the apostle Paul told Timothy. "If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him..." (2 Timothy 2:11-12) Paul told the people of the church at Colassae that he was praying for them, that they would be "growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that they might have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1:10-12) Our inheritance with the Lord is glorious; our responsibility is clear. Consequently, we will find ourselves in situations that require us to endure. The word endurance includes long suffering, tolerance, courage, perseverance, fortitude and guts. We are being trained to reign during our time here on earth. Jesus told His disciples what to expect in life. He said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) During the past six months the Lord has been consistently drawing my attention to Jeremiah 12:5. "If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near Jordan?" I have observed how the Lord has trained and raised up individuals who are meant to reign with Him. Their life circumstances have been difficult and have required them to persevere through extreme hardship. Every trial will raise them up and train them to endure and prevail during end times. Jeremiah came before the Lord to present a question to God that we might ask Him today. "You are always righteous, O Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your injustice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?" (Jeremiah 12:1) As we see in verse five, God's answer to Jeremiah is in the form of a question. He is reminding Jeremiah that the circumstances that are difficult have a purpose. They are meant to strengthen and train a person so that they will prevail during even more difficult times. For those who endure there is a reward that includes being part of the Lord's end-time army. It means reigning with Him as we receive our glorious inheritance. The times we live in present many challenges. We who know the Lord personally are up to the challenges! As we face them, God will use them to build us up and draw us closer to Him. The day will come when we will reign victorious with the Lord. In the meantime, let us endure, and "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) It is so important to God that we understand the times and seasons that we are in that there was an entire tribe in Israel (Issachar) who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. (1 Chronicles 12:32) I believe that it's God's desire that the Body of Christ have a greater understanding of His times and seasons. There are certain blessings from God that seem to be more readily available in specific seasons, and we need to be aware of them. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
We are about to enter a two-month time frame on the Hebrew calendar where praise is to overcome heaviness. We can see a link between the last month of the year, Adar, and the first month of the year, Nissan. Deliverance is at hand! Just as God delivered His people from the curse of Haman on Adar 13 and 14 and delivered them from the bondage of Egypt on Nisan 14, His grace to bring about our deliverance from the bondage of our day is readily available. Monday begins the month of Adar, which means strength. It is a time to celebrate the goodness of God with joy that overcomes worry, depression, and despair. It is a time when we should be identifying the gifts that God has placed within us so that we can walk into our destinies as overcomers. It is a time to reverse the curses spoken over us with decrees of truth written by the hand of God. He wants to bring forth the identities by which we are known in the spirit realm and is looking for agreement on earth to activate His power/strength in us. When we align ourselves with God we open the way for Him to deliver us from the bondage of our circumstances so that He can set us on a path that will lead us to our Promised Land. We have authority in the name of Jesus Christ to reverse wrong decrees and break the curses spoken over us. But, we must take the authority and be bold in our actions to take hold of the freedom that is at hand. Queen Esther demonstrates how faith can overcome fear through her actions to save her people from destruction. The book of Esther is interesting in that it never mentions God by name. Yet it is obvious that God is working behind the scenes through key people who make Him and His people a priority in their lives. Esther and her Uncle Mordecai settled in Persia during the Exile of the Jews. Because of her great beauty, Esther was one of the women selected to be a member of King Xerxes' royal harem. Her beauty and charm won the heart of the king, and he declared her queen. Esther's Uncle Mordecai was a God-fearing man who refused to bow down to anyone other than the One-True God. Haman, head of all of the nobles in Xerxes' kingdom, was the most powerful official in the empire and was offended by Mordecai's dedication to God. He wrote a decree, sealed by King Xerxes that ordered all Jews to be killed on Adar 13. Mordecai sent a message to Esther asking her to go to the king and beg for mercy. Appearing before the king without a summons could mean death for Esther. However, Mordecai's message compelled her to act. The message was, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) A three-day fast for all of the Jews of Susa was called. On the third day of the fast Esther went before the king. She was welcomed as Xerxes extended his gold scepter to her. At a banquet table, Esther revealed Haman’s wicked plot and her identity as a Jew. The king ordered Haman to be killed and gave Mordecai and Esther authority to write "another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews..." (Esther 8:8) On the very day that the Jews were to be killed they were permitted to strike down their enemies. Adar 13, 14 and 15 were declared days of celebration and remembrance. This is the month "when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration..." (Esther 9:22) I encourage you to courageously put on "the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair" (Isaiah 61:3) and seek God for the word He has spoken over you. Then declare that word for all of creation to hear and watch as the Lord delivers you from bondage and propels you into your God-ordained destiny. Have you ever noticed how God frequently waits until 11:59 to show up? In my experience this seems to be true, yet He is always on time. He stretches my faith as far as it will go. Just when things are as dark as they could be He comes as the "bright Morning Star" to signal the dawn of a new day.
Since the beginning of February, I have been following Chuck Pierce's daily devotional. It is called "21 Breaking of the Day Watch Prayer Focus." He describes the "Breaking of the Day" as the time period from midnight until three in the morning. Midnight is described as the "womb of the dawn" or "turning of the morning." "It is the time when the hours stop moving into darkness and begin moving toward light." It is the time for hope to arise. One of my favorite books in the Bible is Ruth. The story of Ruth and Naomi demonstrates God's way of starting to redeem and restore at the midnight hour. It takes place during a very dark period of time. Naomi, her husband, Elimelech, and their two sons had to leave their homeland in Bethlehem in Judah due to a severe famine. They went to live in Moab, east of the Dead Sea. Historically, the people of Moab had not treated the Israelites kindly, so we can infer that conditions must have been extremely bleak for them to make this move. The situation became bleaker for Naomi as Elimelech died. In addition, her sons married Moabite women--Ruth being one of them. Then, about 10 years later both of the sons died, leaving Naomi alone. After hearing that God was providing food for her people, Naomi decided to return home. In a sacrificial act, Ruth accompanied Naomi back to Bethlehem so that she could help to care for her. She told her mother-in-law, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay; Your people will be my people, and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16) Her faithfulness to Naomi set her up for God's favor to be poured upon her. (We should never lose sight of the fact that in this story Ruth represents the Church who is faithful to Israel.) Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem during the barley harvest, which gave Ruth the opportunity to gather grain that was left behind by the harvesters. She learned that she was gleaning in a field owned by Boaz who was a relative of Elimelech. Hope arose when Naomi discovered where Ruth gleaned. She instructed Ruth to go to the threshing floor in the evening and to lie at his feet. "Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet." (Ruth 3:8-NLT) "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer," Ruth said to Boaz. (Ruth 3:9) Boaz replied, "I will do for you all you ask." (Ruth 3:11) Here the Lord demonstrated how He does, "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20) In their midnight hour--the darkest hour--the Morning Star appeared bringing great hope for the future. Not only did Boaz marry Ruth, but she had a son, the grandfather of King David and part of the family line of our Messiah. The Lord addresses His Church in the passage found in Revelation 22:16. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." Even when we are in our darkest hour we have hope for a new day. Our Kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus, is awake at midnight. The "Light of the World" comes to dispel the darkness. When darkness rolls in to try to steal our inheritance and destiny He is standing by, rising in the darkness and setting into place His glorious plan of redemption and restoration. He is faithful; let hope arise!
Every ingredient used to bake fresh bread and the right time for adding it to the mixture is important. An expert bread maker knows the perfect way to put it all together. We have such a person at my church. Marti has been baking bread for years. Those of us who know her look forward to the times when she treats us to her outstanding bread. Last weekend I had the privilege of smelling Marti's warm bread right after it was baked. I could hardly wait for her to slice it. Eating Marti's bread is truly a heavenly experience. As I was eating this bread, thinking it is probably the best bread I have ever tasted, I was reminded of when Jesus talked about how bread comes down from Father God in heaven. Everything we need is supplied through the bread that comes from heaven. This truth was introduced to the disciples, as we read in John 6. Jesus reminded them that their forefathers ate manna in the desert--heaven-sent bread. The Lord told Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you..." (Exodus 16:4) The people did not recognize the form of the bread, and they called it manna, which means "What is it?" However, it fed and nourished them for 40 years until they were ready to cross over into the Promised Land. About 1,500 years later, Father God decided it was time to send bread to His people again. It would come in a form that no one would recognize. However, He gave us hints of what He was doing through the place where this bread would be birthed and the circumstances surrounding it. God carefully orchestrated the timing for each ingredient in the family line that He hand-picked. He chose a virgin named Mary, pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David, to nurture and bring forth the Living Bread. The Holy Spirit would overshadow Mary to place within her the Son of God, whose name was called Jesus, meaning Jehovah (Eternal One) is salvation/Savior. (Luke 1:27-37) Joseph and Mary found it necessary to go to Bethlehem, the town of David, to participate in a census. It was a timely visit as Mary would give birth to Jesus in the very place whose name means "House of Bread." Every detail of this story was meticulously planned to speak of what God was doing--giving us Living Bread. God's plan would be confirmed over and over again in gatherings where Jesus would reveal His identity as "Bread." During the time that Jesus walked the earth bread would have been baked daily. It was a staple of life. Consequently, it was used in certain aspects of worship. Bread, both leavened and unleavened, was offered to God as a firstfruits or peace offering. The Bread of Presence was displayed in the temple next to the Holy of Holies. There were 12 loaves of unleavened bread (one for each tribe) as a reminder of God's covenant with His people. Jesus multiplied bread at the feeding of the 5,000. He fed everyone with five leaves of barley bread. No one went home hungry. Some began to connect the dots and thought that Jesus could be the longed-for Messiah. In John 6 we can read how Jesus confirmed to His disciples that He is the "Bread of Life." He told them, "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world...I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:33, 35) Jesus demonstrated to the disciples how he would have to die for our salvation by breaking bread at their Passover celebration. He said, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19) Indeed, His disciples did not recognize Him after His resurrection until He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. (Luke 24:30-31) From the time when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness we can see God's intention to have us feed on "spiritual bread." Jesus tells the devil, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) And when Jesus instructed His disciples on how to pray they were told to say, "Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11) In this season of Advent, let us remember to give thanks for the One who was sent by God to be our daily bread--the Living Bread--who daily nourishes our souls and looks forward to the time when we will live with Him forever. We have entered the eighth month--Cheshvan. Eight is the number of new beginnings and eternal revelation. It is associated with the Hebrew letter NUN, symbolizing the Messiah. Consequently, Cheshvan is called the month of Messiah. This month aligns with the tribe of Manasseh (meaning one who causes to forget). Manasseh was Joseph's son, born during a time of abundance. Joseph was thanking God for helping him forget many years of pain and loss in his life through the naming of his first-born son.
Manasseh would become one of the 12 tribes that camped around the Ark of the Covenant and marched to war. This next-generation tribe, along with Ephraim, was included as one of the 12 tribes so that they gained experience for the future battles they would need to fight. The tribe of Manasseh was learning what was holy and how to guard and defend it. This was their job when Israel went to war. We are studying about Gideon during our Sunday morning meetings at Church. This is timely since we are in the eighth month and Gideon was a member of the tribe of Manasseh. Sadly, this man whose very name means warrior and feller, forgot the lessons of his tribe. His identity was in the weakness of his tribe. Because he had his eyes on his mistaken identity he lived in fear and suppressed the very person he was born to be. God had eternal revelation for Gideon and called him out by the name that was given to him before the foundations of the earth were laid. In essence, the Lord told Gideon that it was time for a new beginning. Here is the declaration made from heaven: "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior...Go in the strength (meaning capacity) you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" (Judges 6:12, 14) Gideon's tendency was to look back but the Lord was calling him into his prophetic destiny. The Israelites were being attacked and suppressed by the Midianites. The root of the name Midian is strife and contention, and, indeed, Midian was creating conflict and struggle amongst God's chosen people. Gideon had to shed the erroneous image he had of himself and clothe himself with the Spirit of the Lord. (Judges 6:34) It was time for him to embrace his identity in Christ. As Gideon stepped into his identity and walked out the call on his life he would help all of Israel walk into theirs. The false idols in his life had to be destroyed before he moved forward in victory. Along with ten of his servants, Gideon demolished the altar to Baal, cut down the Asherah pole, and built a stone altar to God upon which he sacrificed a bull from his father's herd. (Judges 6:28) The Lord was with Gideon so that he and only 300 Israelites defeated the Midianites. (Judges 7) Cheshvan is the month to deal with your root issues and take in new revelation from the Spirit of God. The Israelites would have seen the constellation Scorpio in the night sky during the eighth month. It is a sign that God has given His people power and authority in His name to "tread on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy..." (Luke 10:19) We will also overcome the enemy as we cast down the idols in our lives and focus our eyes on Jesus. Like Gideon, the Lord has anointed us to preach good news to the poor. He has sent us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recover of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Luke 4:18-19) This is the time for us to step into our destinies by cooperating with our Messiah as He leads us into a lifestyle that will transform us into His image. Land developers are required to build retention ponds to receive the water runoff from the impervious surfaces they create in a new development of homes. Huge earth-moving machines come on site and dig out the soil from several acres. Landscapers then plant reeds at the edge of the area that will receive and store the water runoff. As the rain water begins to fill the depression in the ground a new environment is created. Eventually, the reeds that were planted take over the retention pond.
I recently stopped by a retention pond in Newtown that had been built several years ago. The change in the landscape caught my attention. I was interested in the new life that took up residence at the pond. I could not see any water because the reeds were so thick, but the animals that lived there showed me that it is at the base of the plants. Red wing black birds flew around the area and toads had taken up residence by the pond. God began to use this picture to make a point: When you change the topography you change the environment making it conducive for new life. How do we change the topography of our lives so that they bring down the environment of heaven? I believe it is through the things that we agree with. Our mouths are like the earth moving machines that transform the topography and, subsequently, the environment around us. Bill Johnson makes an interesting statement in the June 15 entry of his devotional, Hosting the Presence Every Day. He says that the devil "is desperately searching for open doors of agreement where he can plant and cultivate his lies." We have been given power and authority to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. Jesus called His disciples together, and "He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." (Luke 9:1-2) Jesus modeled the way for us to defeat the enemy when He was in the wilderness. Satan tried to get Jesus to sin by presenting a twisted truth. However, Jesus knew the Word. (He is the Word!) Three times He said to Satan, "It is written," and then He declared the pure truth. The result of His declarations demonstrate how the Word of God transforms the environment. "Then the devil left Him and angels came and attended Him." (Matthew 4:11) Heaven came to earth! The Lord has put into place a process for us to follow. It starts with evaluating what is happening around us and the thoughts that enter our heads. It requires determination, patience, discernment and follow through. It is described in 2 Corinthians 10:5. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." It is also described in James 1:19. "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." After determining the godly course of action we should release the words that agree with God's Kingdom. Through this process we open the way for heaven to come to earth. We are planting Kingdom seeds and cultivating truth that grows a heavenly environment around us. Just like the earth movers change the topography so that the ground can collect the rain water, we need to use our mouths to change the topography of our lives so that we can collect the rains of heaven to grow God's Kingdom on earth. One of the first signs of new life erupting in nature is that the buds on the trees and shrubs begin to swell. The entire silhouette of the trees has been changing for the past two weeks. This is a sign that they will burst out in new growth within a short time. This sign is an assurance that the plant community will bloom again.
As I contemplate this sign in nature I see a similar swelling, so to speak, in the Christian community. As all of nature prepares to burst forth in bloom, the community of faith in Jesus Christ is swelling through their prayers and fasting for our nation that is in desperate need of a great awakening. Sadly, the Church became ineffective when complacency set in, and the enemy of our souls filled the void. Our nation has become like a parched desert, in desperate need of living water. God addresses this issue in the letter to the Church in Laodicea. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent...He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:15-22) There are powerful leaders in the Christian community who have heard from the Lord and have been willing to sacrifice their lives to rally the troops to turn America back to God by uniting us in prayer and fasting for our nation. Such leaders as Dutch Sheets (Appeal to Heaven), Lewis Hogan (United Cry DC16) and Lou Engle (The Call Azusa Now) have been sent by God, like Elijah, to prophesy over our dry bones and to call forth breath into our very being that we may live the way God intended for us to live. The remnant of God's people is pregnant with anointing to break the yoke of oppression, to set the captives free and to restore righteousness to our land. We are like the people of Israel when God told them through the prophet Isaiah that the burden of the Assyrians would depart from them. "In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat." ("because of the anointing." - KJV) (Isaiah 10:27) I hear the Lord calling us to abundant life. I sense His desire for deep intimacy with us. I remember that Jesus came to earth as the Redeemer. I wonder if this might be the Kairos time for the Kingdom of Heaven to break into earth in its fullness. We are in the midst of the year of Jubilee, a year meant for freedom, redemption and restoration. Could it be that we are on the earth for such a time as this? I believe that the remnant of God's church is being called to join the movement to restore our nation to its godly foundations. We are pregnant with the purposes of God, like the swelling tree buds that are preparing to break forth and are a sign that the time is drawing near. We want to be part of this remnant to restore our nation to its godly inheritance. The labor is not easy, but we do not want to miss this opportunity to birth the purposes of the Lord here on earth. The word of the Lord goes out from His mouth. It will not return to Him empty, but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which it was sent. (Isaiah 55:11) I hear Him saying, "The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom, it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy...'Be strong, do not fear, your God will come...' Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert." (Isaiah 35:1-6) |
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