Month: February 2021

The Emerging Army of God For a New and Intensified Season of Spiritual Warfare!

 

Recently God reminded me of a vision that He gave me at a conference in November 2019; as an indication of a move that He had begun, its progression over 2020, and its present significance in 2021. I was in Ann Arbor Michigan, at Shekinah church, under the leadership of Apostle Barbara Yoder. Dutch Sheets was one of the Speakers and Steve Swanson was leading worship. The name of the conference was ROAR, as we had just entered the decade of pey, which in Hebrew means the mouth. The conference began with a ROAR and ended with a crescendo of HEAVEN’S ROAR uniting with the church’s ROAR. While in worship, I received two visions, that I believe are significant to the revelation that God is presently giving me. In a word I published at that time, I shared:

“The first vision I received was on the Friday night. I have been in many meetings at this church when worship moved spontaneously into prophetic worship. This night surpassed anything I had ever experienced…however, it was far more than an experience; something significant was initiated by Heaven that night and the following day! Worship began on a supernatural note that continued to build in power to an ethereal intensity. The sound continued to build to such a degree that it became difficult to not be completely overwhelmed and overtaken. There was a period that commanded the absolute silence of all voices…there was just the reverberation of the ROAR of sounds. Suddenly the emphasis shifted from worship ascending to Heaven, to Heaven descending and invading the sanctuary!

As I was caught up in the worship, I was taken into a vision; it began with Jesus taking hold of my hand and pulling me into swirls of Glorious blue—this I believe signified revelation. As I passed through the blue I then looked and saw thousands of white horses, each jostling to get into formation. A line was formed stretching as far as the eye could see. Suddenly the scene switched, and I was now seeing the church sanctuary filled with these horses and their riders from wall to wall. On the platform was a great white horse with Jesus sitting on it, with a banner in His hand. A few horses were on either side of Him. He sat there looking, as the room filled up with these heavenly riders.

The scene then suddenly switched again to an open field of green with trees lining the far side; the horses were again in formation galloping as swiftly as the wind. As they passed by me, a white cord suddenly was wrapped around me like a lasso; I found myself lifted high into the air and firmly planted on the back of one of these horses, riding fiercely with this army. Later I saw that the vision was timed perfectly with what was happening during worship. I then understood that the Armies of God—that are the saints of God, along with the angelic hosts of Heaven, were being released together in unison, from the sanctuary into the fields! After the time of awe in the silence, Apostle Barbara stood and released a confirming word to what I was seeing in the spirit, she prophesied:

“There is an army, that is right now being commissioned from Heaven. It is arising with the strength that Moses had, that his strength didn’t fail, and his eyes didn’t go dim. They are arising to the tune of Heaven and as they arise to the tune of the sound of Heaven, they are going to march in a coordinated effort across this land… and God said I am going to deliver the victory into their hands. But you must stand, and you must get into your formation, for God says I am on the move, and I am initiating a brand-new movement. And this movement will not be stopped, for I am releasing and imparting My strength even right now to go beyond what you have ever gone before. For God is putting the sword of Gideon in your hand, the sword of victory, the sword of the Lord and of Gideon! Shout to the Lord! …This is a brand-new day and God is doing a brand-new thing! I am mustering My army. My forces shall not encounter defeat! The Lord says you cannot and shall not be defeated! The Lord says My forces cannot and shall not be defeated, they shall break all the way through to victory, for even now there is a new thing happening and there is a swirling of the Winds of Heaven.

The following day the atmosphere and dynamic of worship continued, and God took me into a second vision: This vision began with the color purple, which I understood meant royalty. I then saw an enormous Throne with a magnificent and ornate golden chair with One seated on it. It was God the Father! He had a large golden crown on His head with jewels embedded in it and a scepter in His hand. I could not see His face. On either side of His throne stood a line of trumpeters with extremely long golden trumpets; they were all blowing with their trumpets lifted high into the air. The line of them on either side went on and on, again, as far as the eye could see. I then noticed that God the Father was not seated on His Throne; He was now standing; I thought this was unusual, but He was observing us intently. I then saw a large fearsome lion swagger out in front of the Throne; He stopped and stood there exuding immense power and strength, His eyes blazing with the intensity of what was about to take place. As the trumpeters blew their horn, I heard the Father

Announce: “IT HAS BEGUN!” At the time I wrote, It now seems clear that we are no longer waiting for God to move—HE HAS MOVED! The people of God are suddenly sensing a RISING in their spirits coming upon them and a shaking of the ground beneath them.” Apostle Barbara then again began to prophesy:

“The trumpets are sounding! I have now commissioned and empowered my remnant. They are arising as a mighty army that cannot be defeated. They are arising, they are advancing, they will break through and victory is in their hands. Let the roar arise and run to the battle!”

God reminded me of this encounter as an indication of the initiation of the move He had begun, and of its significance to this present time. I saw that at the end of 2019, the Army of God was released in preparation for what was about to occur in 2020—the clash and warfare that was coming between the Light and darkness. In the spring of 2020, after Covid-19 had begun, the Body of Christ experienced some Holy moments of integration in fellowship, that brought with it a new sense of unity between many streams of His Ekklesia, and a repositioning for transformation into a new wineskin.  Things intensified throughout the year especially regarding the U.S. election, as saints around the world understood the significance of what the outcome would mean for Christians and the people of the world—and we began to pray and intercede Globally, as a mostly united Body. The Army of God began to emerge and take its place on the frontlines of the battles, as we recognized that the world had entered a new and intensified season of spiritual warfare!

Over the last week God began to bring to light the process and the progression of the training, equipping, and the maturing of His army. He had taken a divided, ragtag army and began to work to transform it into a disciplined, powerful, and supernatural strategic force.  I sensed that He was saying that we were on our way, but not there quite yet!  Through the battles of 2020, we cleaned up in measure, came together and learned to fight as an army. I believe God is pleased with our desire to commit to intercede in newly formed teams and streams, and the willingness to move out into the fields.

God has said in His Word that, “To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven…a time for war and a time for peace.”  God has made provision for His purposes in the season of war, we have entered! This war is not over! It is a comprehensive Campaign, comprised of many battles. The definition of the word campaign in regard to war is, a series of military operations intended to achieve a particular objective, confined to a particular area. We are presently positioned in the midst of this campaign, with many battles to come, as the objective has not yet been achieved!

We have just come through an intensely fierce battle and many are confused about the outcome, with many not understanding the times, and judging things before their time. We cannot afford to become battle weary—there is too much at stake.  Many are weary from the length and intensity of the fight and some have even given up completely. However, my sense is that God has given a measure of rest to become re-energized in His Spirit, and to refocus with fresh revelation and understanding. We cannot be like the Pharisees and the Sadducees who could not discern the times, and what was right before them; Jesus said to them: “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matt16:3).

These are not days to be compared with the past few decades; we have entered a wholly unique and unusual time, God will use for a reset to His purposes, and to save the world from spinning totally out of control. However, it may get darker before light begins to break through. The word that God keeps highlighting to me is from Isaiah 28, (see previous word on this).

“For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—That He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act.” Isaiah 28:21

Perazim means to breakthrough and to break forth, and the significance of the Valley of Gibeon is that five kings came into collusion to attack the Gibeonites who made peace with Joshua; it is also the place where God intervened with an unusual work and made the Sun stand still for Joshua to finish the defeat of the enemy. We are about to see God again do unusual signs and wonders that will see the defeat of His enemies. I believe God is now saying, for 2021, that it is time to refocus and it is time to get back in the fight! Intercession for the exposure and uncovering of sin, is being answered; intercession for walls to come down is beginning to bear fruit, and we are beginning to see signs of the enemy’s walls of protection begin to crumble. God is about to release His mighty and unusual acts on the Earth as His people continue to press into prayer. It is time to find your rank and get back into position.

Get ready for God to do some unusual things! 2020 began an unusual season where anything can and will happen. We will see supernatural occurrences, and power displays begin in the people of God. Those who are grounded in the love of God, will not be shaken by the shakings of 2021. In 2019, there were many words I wrote, and others also, where God was saying “Get ready!” and “Ready or not here I come!” He was giving us warning that things were about to change; and to be grounded and anchored in Christ as our safety net.

In the 1940’s, during the great Hebrides Awakening, Duncan Campbell said in his book The Price & Power of Revival, “The secret of power is separation from all that is unclean; for me there is nothing so unclean as the liberal views held by some today. We dare not touch them! I am stating what to me is a deep-seated conviction: “Come out from among them and be ye separate…and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you and I will be a Father to you.”

It is interesting that he refers to the liberal views of the 1940’s, I wonder what he would think about them today! Also note that he did not say the secret of salvation, as salvation is a free gift given to those who believe! He said that the secret of power is to separate from uncleaness! It is in repentance and turning away from sin, that our sin is cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, our capacity for Christ then increases, and we receive His power. At salvation God gives us all of Himself but does not necessarily receive all of us! In our repentance, we are then positioned to repent for the sins of the land, to remove the enemy’s platform and defenses. We can then attack with Holy Ghost bombs of the Word of God, specifically released by the Lord to hit the target, possessing the power to destroy the strongholds. The enemy cannot attack where the blood has removed their right to attack!

Jesus Christ is our warrior King and is the Firstborn of many brethren who are fashioned in Him to move out in the power of His Spirit. As rulers having dominion on earth, He gives us access to the councils of heaven, where we receive His Word and enact the will of God. Jesus said that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His Ekklesia, as we are the Lord’s government on earth administrating His will. We are an army created to demolish the enemy’s offensive. Jesus is Lord of all! As He binds the enemy and releases His power in situations—His brethren, the sons of God will do the same. In 2021, our mandate is to occupy and advance the Kingdom of God on Earth. This is not the time to retreat—we are to regroup and advance. As we keep pressing on in the fight, we will see victories in the battles, and in God’s timing, we will win the campaign!

Jesus declared that the world would hate us because it hates Him; it hates what we stand for in His name, as we stand together in Him as one Body. The world is presently resisting Christ’s Lordship, His rule, and His authority over creation. The Ekklesia cannot abandon its mandate and become like the world and get wrapped up in the things of the world—the pride of life, the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh. We are also not a social club, without power and having little strength. In the Ekklesia of the city of Antioch, the apostles and prophets were fasting, praying, and ministering to God (Acts 13:2). This is our mandate first and foremost—fasting, praying, and ministering to God—the Holy Spirit then shows up with direction!

 Jesus is saying in essence: “All authority is given to Me. You work for Me! Go now and disciple nations, ask of Me and I will give you nations. Go on the offensive and fight. Be the overcomers I created you to be and rule them with a rod of iron as I said to you in Revelations 2:27. This mandate was first given to Me and is now given to you in Me.” God has set His Ekklesia on Earth to be a threat to every crooked governing system.

Sons of God are a Christ sent apostolic company—an apostolic representation of Christ on earth. We are supernatural, eternal beings, born again of the Holy Spirit. We are God’s Kingdom enforcers representing His rulership on earth. Our position is to be seated in Christ, moving, and having our being together in Him. We have been made kings and priests before God—kings rule! As the Ekklesia, we are to be on the offensive, as we have been called to conquer and occupy until He comes. Fraud, theft and deception is apparently the order of the day, and so far they have gotten away with it, however, the scriptures say that the thief will have to return seven-fold what has been stolen!

We are not finished; we are just at the beginning of the fight. We have been learning in the fight to become the Army of God over 2020, and will continue to grow into the supernatural Army of God, moving in sign and wonders. God has a plan! Evil does not get to win! God’s plan is perfect in wisdom and takes into account our victory. His word now to His enemies, again can be found in Isaiah 28 says:

“…I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it.”

God’s timing is perfect; when He begins to move, everything will shake! Jesus warned that the house built upon lies will not stand…the rains will come, the floods will come, the Wind will blow, the earth will shake, and that house will surely collapse. Jesus also assured us that the house that is built upon the Rock that is Christ our Lord—that house will stand!

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Is it Time For The Sons of God?

 

The world is presently swirling in confusion and chaos, and many are people losing hope and are desperate for good news—Good News the Body of Christ is in possession of! We are on the edge of a Great Awakening that will usher in the greatest Harvest the Church has yet seen. The need of the hour is for a Church mobilized to work with the Lord of the Harvest and occupy the Harvest fields.

Over the past week I have been sensing in my spirit that we are on the edge of an event that will bring change causing a shift to the dynamic of this season. I have also been seeing the phrase the sons of God highlighted in my spirit. In Romans chapter 8, Paul speaks of a remarkable event that will come upon the earth in a unique season of time. This supernatural occurrence is the revealing of the sons of God. Paul tells us that this event is underscored by the groaning of the whole earth in a significant and exceptional travail to bring it forth.

The revelation of the sons of God, is an event that God has prepared for, from before time; it is the ultimate fulfillment of His heart’s desire—the chief end of all His work. His transcendent plan! The word reveal is the same as to manifest or to bring forth—to take off the cover, a pulling back of the veil to reveal this marvel. God is about to take off the cover to reveal and to show off His kids to the world and to principalities and powers.

The sons of God, rising out from this generation will walk in the righteous character of the Lord, clothed in the armor of God’s Glory. They are armed with His Power to withstand the demonic assaults on Christianity that is growing and will characterize this decade! It is vital that God has a people prepared and positioned with Divine revelation and understanding of their Call, on this notable hour of His-story. A people equipped to begin to move out in strength, courage, and boldness to do exploits and advance the Kingdom of God on earth!  This generation is responsible to steward the purposes of God in this season they have been assigned to. Yes, God has created and fashioned us for Himself—for His pleasure, however we are also created to accomplish specific tasks in His work, to complete His purposes in Christ. We are told in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” 

God is a strategic Leader and has prepared a strategic task force for this hour; it is comprised of the sons of God and theangel armies of Heaven, united in His divine purpose. He is bringing these forces into divine alignment to administrate His will on Earth. God is working to prepare an apostolic, prophetic government as the leaders who will oversee the crucial work of this hour. The government of God’s house must be established on God’s foundation of order, as a safe place for the harvest.  It would not be conducive to bring large amounts of people into disorder and confusion. God will have fathers and mothers secured in position, conformed to the image of Christ, having both His mind and His heart to oversee and administrate this season.

Jesus said that He was building His Ekklesia on the revelation that He was the Son of God. Paul later received the revelation that he was a son of God when Christ was revealed in him.  He understood that he was being fashioned in the likeness of the Son of God, to move with Him in His power and great authority. Jesus is the Son, and we are the sons of God created in His likeness and conformed to His image. This is the generation that will see the sons of God who have been crucified with Christ, rising in His Resurrection Glory. They are fashioned in fire to withstand the demonic forces unleashed on earth. Our God is a Consuming Fire, and we are being fashioned in His Fire, that we may live and move and have our being in His Presence!

“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9-10 

There is a great struggle underway between Light and darkness. Recognition that this is our time to shine is vital to becoming the history makers God intended us to be.  This is the hour to prove God by holding Him to His promises and testing Him in His Word. An army manifesting the likeness of Christ, is now being positioned for their release to manifest Christ in the marketplace. This apostolic, prophetic army of God being positioned in its place, must now be ready to go!  It will be said of them as it was said of the early disciples, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6).Let that be said of you and for your city and your town and your nation, as God’s fiery disciples come to town. The people of God have been entrusted with a weighty and critical mandate for this hour.  Saints living today have been chosen by God and handpicked for such a time. They are called forth to meet the present cry and demand, the Earth is putting on creation, in response to the encroaching defilement of darkness on the land. When the defilement on the land reaches its limit, God will move to cleanse His land. The land occupied by Governments and its state and capitol houses have been defiled in America and many nations, releasing gross deception on the Earth. The land has its limits to evil and according to God’s word will expel  those who continue to defy His  laws: “‘Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.” Leviticus 20:22

Many unique factors to this hour, are presently converging to create the conditions for a perfect storm, factors such as the brazen collusion of big tech companies and social media to limit free speech; the collusion of leaders of national and supranational governments and corporations to orchestrate dominion over the peoples of the Earth. Massive buy outs of farmland by oligarchs and billionaires to control the world’s food supply, granting them decision over what and how we eat; leaders positioned with the intent to release chaos in societies and produce wars, to give themselves power in the name of bringing peace; the restriction of religious freedoms, particularly Christianity, such as Biden’s latest executive order promoting homosexuality and transgenderism as a key feature of its foreign policy, with the allowance of his Global Equity Fund to blacklist religious leaders who speak in favor of the natural family.

There is a massive power grab underway that is far too great for anyone to fight in the natural—but for God the situation would seem quite bleak and dire! There is but one way to take down these giants, and that is in the Spirit of Almighty God. We are told in Zechariah 4:7, that mountain moving capacity comes not by might nor by power, but by the Holy Spirit. God is looking for the people, who like Joshua and Caleb, believed that they could take down the giants in the land, in the power of God; Caleb said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”(Num. 13:30).

God alone holds the strategy, the power, and the wisdom to move the mountains in the way of His purposes and destroy the strongholds in His paths. Caleb did not see the mountain as an obstacle before him, but rather a mountain to occupy, he said: “Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day…” (Josh. 14:12).  For Caleb, the mountain of God was magnified far greater than any mountain before him. The Earth is travailing for such courageous governmental leaders, to stand firm and to fight.

Is it time for the revelation of the sons of God? Is the world ready for this revelation? Are we Spiritually ready for God to be revealed in us? For Christ to manifest Himself in us? In the book of Acts, an event occurred that changed the course of Christianity and took it from a little band of believers in a city, to spread like wildfire across the continent of Europe. That event was the beheading of James. Many noteworthy occurrences, of 2020 have moved the saints out of a place of stagnancy to begin to mobilize as an army.  More occurrences may be on the way to move us further into the supernatural ministry of Christ, where we will be called to stand for the Gospel and for God’s purposes in all spheres of society. God is fashioning His army within these fires to be representatives of His Word and His Kingdom.

World changing events will be breaking into and shaking the human situation, and the political and religious situation. No society can endure, whose foundations are built on deception. Truth will break in to shake the weak and rotten foundations. A wind will come that crashes everything. We are at such a precipice. There are forces attempting to build a new world order on foundations of deception and manipulation of norms, with the intention for control and dominance. Every Empire over history has fallen, however, the empire spirit is as active today as it has ever been, seen as recently as in Britain, Germany and China who is now flexing its muscles. This attempt will fall before it even gets off the ground. God will not allow His will to be side-lined by demonic actors in the political realm. He is positioning His people for a a great awakening on the horizon.

God is preparing a clean vessel to pour Himself into, a vessel fashioned from a God possessed people. Secured foundations and the intensity of our desire for God, reveals our capacity to contain Him. The people of the Hebrides, prayed fervently for a long time to see the glory of God and revival in their land; Duncan Campbell the main leader in this significant revival, said in regard to this:

“How they longed and how they prayed and how they waited and how they cried, “Oh God rend the heavens and come down,” and all the time God was dealing with them, and the process of cleansing went on until the moment came when angels and archangels looking over the battlements of glory cried, “God the vessels are clean, the miracle can happen now.” I believe that with all my heart; it is the deep conviction of my soul that they are ever gazing over the battlements of glory and waiting for a prepared people. It is one thing to shout it, it is one thing to sing it, it is one thing to talk about revival, but give me a people on their faces, seeking to be rightly related to God, and when that happens, we will soon know the impact of God-realisation in our country.” (taken from The Price & Power of Revival).

If our desire is to see the power of God break into this realm, we cannot afford to be people who say they fear the Lord, but serve other gods. intentionality about pursuing God in His truth, in His beauty, in His holiness, in His righteousness, is the altar upon which the fire falls. Jesus became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). Let us become a people recognizable to Him as a place of habitation by becoming a living sacrifice for His glory. A fresh revelation of Christ in Glory, in His majesty, will cause every knee to bend and declare that He is Lord.  Lord give us such a revelation. Give us such a desire to dwell in your Holy Fire. Let the blood of Jesus destroy every sin and bondage that keeps us bound to a life of carnality, that we would cry out as Isaiah did when he received a vision of the Lord:

“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah 6:1-5

The God Who Answers By Fire!

As I was praying recently the Lord spoke to me and said that more shaking was about to come, that this was a good time to posses the Spirit of the fear of the Lord! Before I go further, I would first like to build on the topic of fear that I touched on in a recent article, as fear can be both a good and a bad thing, depending on who or what you are fearing. In my last article I said in essence:

We never have to fear the enemy or anything when we are living inside of the will of God; nevertheless, if we are living outside of the will of God, we should fear! God created fear to keep people from things that would harm and hurt them. Fear can sometimes be a good thing, especially when it draws us to God and causes us to become obedient. Hebrew 10:30-31 says that God will judge His people, and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! God will sometimes use fearful situations to awaken and mobilize Christians, to move them out from a place of complacency or danger.

God designed humanity with a hormone called adrenaline for times of crisis; it increases blood flow and prepares the body to act in an emergency. This is good fear! Another good fear to have is the fear of the Lord that the scriptures say is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord keeps us safe in a position of awe before an awesome and holy God. The fear of the Lord provides protection and prevents us from straying into sinful situations that lead to our harm. To maintain a healthy fear of the Lord, is to remain safely tucked away in Him. When living and moving and having our being in Him, He is magnified before us in His might and His power above all, and we will therefore not fear anything but Him. The enemy holds no power whatsoever to intimidate and cause fear, as He has no power unless given to him through sin and disobedience. His power to steal, kill, and to destroy is founded upon disobedience to God!

We have entered a season of war and are moving through times of trial and testing on the Earth. The enemy is fighting to win and is making great inroads. As I said previously, most Christians are not fighting at all, except with each other! This must stop for us as a corporate people, as it distracts us from recognizing the dangers and the pitfalls ahead. We are not to fight in the flesh, for God has given us weapons to fight that are not carnal but they are mighty in God to pull down strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4).

There is a dichotomy to Christ depicting the two differing sides of mercy and Judgment—the double-edged sword. Many leaders, ministries, and individuals present from one or the other of these perspectives, some leaning heavily on one of these two characteristics. The opposing views of mercy and judgment have created some discord in the Body of Christ, as many aggressively taken their stand on one side or the other. However, God would have us understand that the double-edged sword comes forth from one source—from one mouth.

In Scripture, Jesus is presented to us as the Lamb that was slain and as the Lion of the tribe of Judah—He is both. All facets of Christ come from one heart and one mind. The key truth important to note, is that all that God is and does, is founded on His Love. His mercy pours forth from His heart of love, and His judgment is embedded with His wisdom and His love.

When I first got saved, after the initial honeymoon season of God’s love being poured out on me, I was quickly assigned to Boot Camp for intense training, refining of character and understanding of the spiritual warfare that began to target me ferociously. At the time, it felt as if I were running the gauntlet, with attacks and fiery arrows coming at me from all sides. For over two decades, I lived through God’s refining fire; yet through it all, I have always known the intensity of the Father’s love for me.

The scriptures teach that the Father disciplines His children (Heb. 12). In a typical family the father is usually the disciplinarian and the mother, the comforter, showering the child with love. Both are needed in the child’s growth and development. A father will relate to his grown son in a far different way than He would with his four-year-old or adolescent child. It is the same with our Heavenly Father, He is now looking for a high level of maturity to be revealed in His sons and daughters, from all He has sown into our lives over many years. The Father is looking for a return on His investment—He is looking for the revelation of the sons of God!

During the boot camp years and through an extremely painful and difficult trial, I sensed the Lord’s surpassing love and concern for me; however, He did not offer pity as I was prone to self-pity. He did not even offer me comfort, as at that time, I was in the midst of learning one of the most valuable lessons of my life. Instead, I heard the still small voice of God, the voice Elijah heard in the cave, after his spat with self-pity; the Lord said to me, “You have fallen under the weight of this trial…when it comes around again, rise above it.” At that moment, I didn’t need pity or loving arms, I needed to understand that I possessed the ability in Christ to rise in His authority, to overcome in this trial, and send my enemies fleeing. I was being trained to stand in conflict. That became one of the most important lessons I have learned to date. I was determined from that day, in the strength of the Lord, never to allow circumstances to overwhelm me and destroy me again, when I possessed the supernatural power in Christ to change it!

Understanding how God is moving in any given situation, at any given time has a multifaceted dynamic to it. Our knowledge, in a carnal sense, is limited to one perspective of a process that is in motion. We stand at a fixed position in time, in any given situation, viewing a moment in God’s transcendent and fluid process of transformation—our knowledge and understanding is limited, and can therefore only be ‘in part.’

There are so many layers of consciousness hidden from our view, in the tapestry of God’s handiwork, whether globally, in a nation, or in an individual’s life. If we understood this, we would see that to choose one facet of God to depict Him—as in mercy over judgment, or love over discipline, would be to miss the surpassing, multifaceted, treasure of a triune, omniscient being, presented to humanity as the one and only true God.

Many church leaders keep their people locked in an adolescent stage, dependent on them, never allowing them to grow into the mature, courageous, warrior leaders God intended—needed for this hour. Some leaders pile on the unsanctified mercy, and unsanctified grace, providing people with the permission to remain in a state of immaturity. They remain stagnant in regard to growth in righteousness that leads to strength in character, and a life that is deeply rooted and anchored in God—this is the life that cannot be shaken! Many Christians in my time of trial, with good intentions, would have comforted me, offered me Christian platitudes, like God will make a way—when what I needed was some tough love to shake me out of my stupor, caused by unbelief and self-pity, and a reminder of who I was in Christ.

When you have truly known and experienced the love of God, most would be willing to give all for Him, some, may even be willing to lay down their lives for Him. Peter thought that he would be willing, until his love was tested in the Fire; when he heard the rooster crow three times, he ran. When things do not go our way, we can become offended in God, giving the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of our disappointment or disillusionment. Enduring love is love that has been tested by Fire in crisis, tempered by discipline—as steel is tempered in fire to increase its strength. Elijah said to the people at Mt. Carmel, “…the god who answers by fire—he is God” (1 Kings 18:24). Be assured our love will be tested.

Many of this present generation have been pampered or neglected by parents, given few boundaries, indulged by society, provided with everything, with nothing required in return. We are now all suffering the consequences of this, as they now act out on society. The frightening thing is that many of them now occupy important leadership positions in government. Unfortunately, this may also be true for many in this generation of Christians, grown up with too much grace and too little discipline—many abandoning the church when they become offended. Many, never having been taught the foundational principles of scripture, of obedience and humility, submission, and accountability. Yes, we can all sing, shout, and dance—and personally, I do love all of that! But when the shaking begins and the fire heats up, the question remains, will faith be there to uphold us? In the fire many are shaken and become offended in God. Even John the Baptist, who spent years in the wilderness had his doubts about Jesus when he was put in jail; he sent to ask if Jesus was truly the One. Jesus answered him, “…blessed is the one who is not offended in Me.”

I am putting an emphasis on discipline, the fire that refines, and the fear of the Lord, because during a recent time of prayer, the Lord brought these things to my attention. He said that more shakings were about to come, and the fire would be heating up; that shakings would be coming like travail upon a woman, increasing in intensity, that will bring forth a birthing, an awakening that is His Great Reset—a reset back to the knowledge of God and to the fear of the Lord! This Reset will be the love of God coming in a great wave of discipline on the earth. The Father is about to give His children and the Earth a spanking. Those who fear God will bow. Those who do not will be offended and fall away. The earth will be given the choice either to rebel or to seek out the face of God. Much of the world has been turned upside down, but God is about to set it right again—but it may come with some discomfort.

God is saying, to choose today whom you will serve. Will you to stay on God’s side and not be offended? Will you fear man, or will you fear God? The scriptures declare that our God is a Consuming Fire. There was a time when God instructed me to read Isaiah 33; verse 14 asks the question of, who can dwell with the devouring fire, who can live with everlasting burnings? It answers, he who walks righteously, and goes on to reveal the reward of living such a life:

“He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off.” Isaiah 33:16

We see this ability to dwell in fire also depicted in the account of Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-Nego, whose courage, born from a disciplined life, chose the fire rather than to bow to idols and gods. They told the king:

“…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18

The fire was heated up seven times for them, but they were not burned, as a fourth man was seen with them in the fire. If we choose to go through the fire of God voluntarily, we will find that it burns nothing, other than our chains and bondages of sin. God is looking, and the Earth is crying, for a new breed of saints who have been trained in fire, who are devoted to a righteous life, firmly anchored to the love of God. James provides us with particularly important instruction to take note of in these times of viral opinions, as we will be called to account for every idle word we have spoken before a holy God.

“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way…the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” James 3:1-10

I believe God would  say to many: “Which part of touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm, did you not understand? What part of listen to my prophets and you will prosper, did you not get? I chose this word 2 Chronicles 20:20 for the year 2020 to release the Word of the Lord for this critical hour. This was not a coincidence; it was by Divine design to test you.”

We have little understanding of the spiritual realities at work in the many spheres of God’s divine unfolding plan.  As Paul said, we should judge nothing before its time!