What Are You Doing in Your Waiting Time and What is God Doing?

I heard my "brother" Robert Morris say something yesterday that greatly encouraged me and I do believe it will encourage you, too. He was recounting and teaching on the story of Joseph. We all know about his life. And lots of people like to point out his "pit to the palace" journey, focusing mostly on the palace. Many people also like to claim to be "Josephs" in their own families. Whether or not that is true, there are some key things we need to remember. Joseph had a God-given destiny and purpose and he chose to honor God with his life. He was not off doing his own thing and pleasing himself. He risked prison, about 13 years of it, because he lived a life of honor.

So what did I hear my brother, Robert Morris say? He said that until the prophetic word over Joseph's life was fulfilled, the literal Word of God tested him. That's what goes on in the waiting time. It's a time when great discouragement, oppression, and depression can threaten the prophetic word and you are tempted to give up and give in. It was true for Joseph and it is true for us as well. And always remember that "[Y]our waiting time is not wasted time." [Pastor Tim Williams of Time Square Church.] 

THE LITERAL WORD OF GOD WILL TEST YOU UNTIL THE PROPHETIC WORD OF GOD OVER YOUR LIFE COMES TO PASS.

And we know it's not just one "word," that is true for every prophetic word that He has spoken over you in a given area. He cannot entrust to you what His Word has not proven in you. He will prove you. David, the Psalmist, more that once  would ask God to prove him, test him, see whether he could be trusted in a particular area. (See Psalms 26, and 139) And we can use the life of David for demonstration. He failed certain tests at certain times yet he humbled himself in repentance and God would give him another chance. After all, God called him "a man after My own heart." Not only that, God established an eternal kingdom in David, in whose line the Lord Jesus Christ was born.

David's Failures

Remember how he arranged for Bathsheba's husband to be killed after he had slept with her. But remember how he withstood the counsel of his men to kill King Saul when he had the golden opportunity to kill him and to be rid of his "Saul" problem. In the end, David passed his many tests, accomplishing his destiny and purpose, and died in dignity and honor before His God. 

Like David, we will pass some tests, and we will fail some. God is proving us, he is testing us in all areas of our lives where He has spoken a prophetic word. And are not be in fear but to be encouraged and move boldly by faith in the One Who gave the prophetic word and Whose literal Word tests us.

We cannot get to the second word without first going through the first. Put another way, you have to "pass" through the first (literal Word of God) before being entrusted with the second (prophetic word of God).

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO PASS THE TEST OF THE LITERAL WORD OF GOD?

LIVE A LIFE THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BIBLE LIVING BY BIBLICAL IDEALS, WITH A BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW, AND NEITHER ACCEPTING NOR COMPROMISING WITH UNBIBLICAL CONDUCT, DEEDS, OR WORDS, REMEMBERING THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR HELPER TO LEAD US INTO ALL TRUTH.

This is simple yet in our daily lives we hit some right on the mark while we miss others. Thankfully, God is faithful because He never leaves us nor forsakes us. We always have access to the empowerment to obey Him. God is merciful as His mercies toward us are new every morning and they endure forever. He is gentle, patient, and kind. I say all of this because while He is an all consuming fire with power that is incomprehensible to us, His attitude toward us is first and foremost -- LOVE, because GOD IS LOVE!

OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED BY THE WORD OF GOD

But before I end this short piece of encouragement for your waiting time. Think of a few individuals from the Bible who failed their 'life' tests and others to passed: 

1. King Saul [FAILED] - the Word of the Lord tested him and he failed and continued to fail, never repenting and dying in disgrace and dishonor. The kingdom of Israel forever ripped out of his hands and the hands of his descendants.

2. Saul who became Paul [PASSED] - He passed his test once he had his "Road to Damascus" experience. He humbled himself and served God for the rest of his life to the point of martyrdom.

3. Abraham [PASSED]- He began as an idol worshipper yet when the literal Word of God from the mouth of God came, he believed God and became the father of our faith.

4. Ananias and Saphira [FAILED] - Ordinary people like you and I who received the Word of God through the apostles under the unction of the Holy Spirit, which tested them. They failed miserably, suffering the instant sentence of death for grieving the Holy Spirit through lying. 

[We could go deeper into the lives of these individuals and it would make a great study, but that is not the purpose of this piece.]

God wants us to know that His Word tests us so that He can prove us until His prophetic word over our lives can be fulfilled. For this we should be very thankful because there is nothing like a premature fulfillment to destroy the one who received the word and those they lead and influence. 

YOU AND ME

So....

What about you? Which story above will be the pattern for your life. Will it be a legacy of victory by living according to the literal Word of God in the Bible or one of failure for ignoring your Hope which is in Christ Jesus? You get to choose.

As for me ... I intend to pass my tests under the literal Word of God so that the prophetic word of God over my life will come to pass. Admittedly, I have missed some, quite a bit, but thank God for grace and second, third, and fourth chances. As we are turned toward God, He metes out to us, showers of His grace to go on to be victorious over the hindrances in our lives that keep us bogged down and tethered to that which is unprofitable. But, God ...! For some of us, it often takes a miracle to overcome the hurdles of impossibility.

Thank God, He specializes in impossibilities! 

You see our lives before God are a gigantic "IF...THEN..." statements. Consider Deuteronomy 28 where God tells the Israelites, if you would do this, then this would happen. If you would obey my commandments (all that I tell you to do), you will be blessed. If not, you will be cursed. Simple.

The WORD WILL TEST YOU. And while some people around us might be fooled into thinking we are sincere, God can never be duped. He knows if you are genuinely His. Our lives are all naked before Him.

Be encouraged, no one wants us to pass His tests more than God does and through the Holy Spirit, the Teacher gives us the answers so that we can all pass our tests!

Let's pass our tests so that we can get to our promises!!

Faith or Law: Which Came First?

In Christianity, the understanding of the relationship between faith and the law is often a muddled one. However, it's becoming one of my favorite topics as the Lord seems to bring it to my attention often. It's as if it's really important for us to "get it." So, I was not surprised when I asked Him what He wanted to share with my mom and I once I arrived back at home from church. As we sat down together, I prayed and He said to read Galatians 3 as it relates to Philippians 4 (the applicable discourse begins at 3:17). I had no idea what the relationship was but we were about to find out. Crucial Scriptures in Galatians 3:17-18, 23-24.

A little background on these 2 letters from the Apostle Paul, who wrote at least the one to the Philippians from the "comfort" of a Roman prison, particularly house arreas. I know this from Paul himself who sent greetings from those of the faith who were of the household of Caesar. But we know from history that Paul was under house arrest in Rome when he penned the letter to his spiritual children. 

I want to keep this short and pertinent to what the Lord was saying to us today and why He led us to these Scriptures. I'll give you a clue: He wanted to teach us about identity and on the one hand and how it plays out on the others hand. How do we walk out this identity in Christ as we live this life of faith free from the subjection of the law. It is important to never deny the importance of the law before the better covenant of faith, but which came first? Both.

Now that I have your attention, let's dive in ...

GALATIANS 3 (New King James Version)

THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT

Justification by Faith 

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? ² This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? ⁴ Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

⁵ Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— ⁶ just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

THE LAW HAD ITS PLACE WITH ALL OF ITS LIMITATIONS

The Law Brings a Curse

¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

THE LONG AWAITED PROMISE WAS FULFILLED IN CHRIST

The Changeless Promise

¹⁵ Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. ¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

THE LAW WAS OUR GUARD UNTIL THE FULFILLMENT OF THE SEED

Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
²¹ Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

OUR IDENTITY THROUGH FAITH NO MATTER WHAT OUR STATION

Sons and Heirs

²⁶ For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+3&version=NKJV)

The reason I said both the law and the covenant of faith came first is because the Abrahamic Covenant was a covenant of faith. "Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness." He had faith in God that He could bring about whatever He promised. But Abraham's faith was not enough to win back the whole world to the Father. That was not his role. Only One could accomplish that "impossible" feat. Yet, he did receive the Promised Seed, Jesus Christ, Whom God would indeed use to redeem the world - winning back His family through His First Son!

This promise came to Abraham 430 years before God gave Moses the law to guard the people from sin until the fullness of time when the Promise Seed, Jesus Christ, would come. So the covenant of faith, as it were, came before the law and was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as was the law. "¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Matt. 5:17). So see that Jesus really is the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega. He was before the Law (the promise of Him), and He manifested in the earth as the incarnate God, after the Law. Is that not good stuff?

Philippians 4  (New King James Version)

4 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

THE HOPE WE HAVE IN THE LIFE OF FAITH: JOY, UNITY, AND THE POWER OF PRAYER

Be United, Joyful, and in Prayer

² I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

OUR THOUGHT LIFE: A CRUCIAL COMPONENT TO WALKING OUT THIS FAITH

Meditate on These Things

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

THE SECURITY OF GENEROSITY TOWARD KINGDOM EXPLOITS

Philippian Generosity

¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
¹⁴ Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. ¹⁵ Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. ¹⁶ For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. ¹⁸ Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ²⁰ Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Greeting and Blessing

²¹ Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. ²² All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.
²³ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Here, Paul is imploring the believers to be and remain united in Christ, with joy, never overwhelmed but always prayerful. He shares that they are to reign in their thought lives and focus only on that which is "noble, ...just, ... pure, ... lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." He does not just say think on these things but "meditate" on them; fill your mind with them." Why? "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7). In other words, you become what you meditate on. 

In summary, we have dealt with our identity as it relates to the law and living by faith through Christ the Promised Seed from the Scripture in Galatians and from the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians while under house arrest in Rome, he shared some practical ways to live out that identity to the glory of God. 

A CAUTION: THE LAW IS NEITHER UNIMPORTANT NOR WITHOUT PURPOSE BECAUSE UNBELIEVERS AND BACKSLIDERS LIVE SUBJECT TO/UNDER IT, WHILE IT HAS BEEN FULFILLED IN CHRIST, AND BY EXTENSION, BY THOSE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST. 

INTEGRATION OF FAITH, "VISIONING", AND KINGDOM WEALTH - PART I

Hi, friends. For those who like to read my posts, so sorry for the long intervals between them. It's been a pretty hectic last couple of months. However, that does not mean that the Lord is not revealing Himself in new ways in terms of wisdom in walking before Him daily. There have been some real gems of late that not only benefits me but for those who would catch what I am sharing here in their spirit, it could and should, revolutionize your view of how God "visions" and "provisions" His Kingdom exploits prepared for your hands. He recently gave me a gem of a lesson and I am sharing it with your hear. Please check out the videos as well. The first one is the teaching on faith and kingdom weath, while the second one summarized and wraps up the whole point again. You can't hear/see this too many times.

Important Scriptures that undergird this word: Habakkuk 2:2-3;

The Just Live by Faith

² Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

⁴ “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.

VISIONING

So God's giving you a big vision. It's big, it's scary, and you know it's impossible without Him. Congratulations! You are the proud "parent" of a bouncing baby vision. But before you celebrate with the "proverbial" cigar, hang on a minute. Don't run out to tell all your friends yet. The first thing to do is to get alone with God for the strategy and the specifics of the vision. I know people who have run full speed ahead after the initial revelation only to fall flat on their faces. Ahem! I would be one of those people. But, there is no shame in it if you learn from it. God knows how to pick us up, dust us off, give us a loving pat on the hind-quarters and lead us on our way again. It's time to quiet yourself before the Lord for however long it takes to get a sense of peace that you have the first part to work on, and your will do it from a place of Sabbath rest - not frenzy. Yes, we are in the end times. Yes, there is a sense of urgency! No, we do not need to panic - no matter what it is and what He has revealed. Obviously, that also depends on what it is. If He is giving you a word about something catastrophic, then that's another matter. I am more referring to a vision for something God wants you to create more that a vision of a warning or something like that. For instance, Tommy Barnett's Dreamcenter in Los Angeles, CA. He said that vision that he thought was dead, took 40 years to become reality. Thank God he did not quite at year 39.

So write the vision in a prominent place where you will see it everyday. At the appointed time, reveal it to others who are on the same page and assigned by God to help bring it about. Don't blab it to everyone. Be led of the Holy Spirit, this is not yours it is God's.

I love the admonition of verse 4, it makes it clear that God is not envisioning the proud person but the humble person who lives by faith. The proud person is unrighteous, and unjust. He has no place before God. The humble, on the other hand, is just before God and will live persist by faith.

Hebrews 11:1-3, and

By Faith We Understand

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

³ By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Haggiai 2:1-9

The Coming Glory of God’s House

2 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: ² “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: ³ ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple^[a] in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? ⁴ Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. ⁵ ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’

⁶ “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; ⁷ and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations,^[b] and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. ⁸ ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. ⁹ ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

God is telling them that He is with them and that they need not fear. Here, God promises the remnant access to His endless resources to accomplish His purpose, Kingdom resources, more glory, so that's advancement and improvement of the positioning of the past, and finally, peace. To put that into modern language, that's money, power and influence, and peace, God's shalom. This is glorious. All of this so that they could get God's house done. This tells us that these things that the world craves, when we obtain them through godly means, they are for Kingdom purposes. Does God want us to be poor and destitute? I doubt it! What God wants is for us to not make something or someone else our little god to try to replace Him. Running, seeking, and hungering after these things will make a person an idolater and such a person cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

INTEGRATION BETWEEN FAITH & KINGDOM RESOURCES

00:26:04

WRAPPING UP FAITH FOR KINGDOM RESOURCES TO COMPLETE THE VISION 00:11:33

PRAYER UNDERGIRDS IT ALL!

00:03:39

The Word Today: When it's Time to Shout, SHOUT, Until then, WAIT

AHH, THE VISION; WHEN, LORD, WHEN?

Perhaps, like me, you are asking this question from time to time. Perhaps, with more frequency of late. "When, Lord, when?" My mom has a word from you today! It blessed me so I believe it will bless you, too.

Today, my mom and I began our time with the Lord after I read Lana Vawzer's word on Habakkuk 2:2-3. So of course, we went to the Word to see what else the Lord would say to us today.

The Just Live by Faith

² Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

⁴ “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.

We know that it certainly takes faith to wait for the vision to come to past but let's take this a "bite" at a time, because this is delicious food.

Here the Lord said to the prophet, Habakkuk, to "write the vision." This was a literal vision that the prophet needed to make known to all of the people for the sake of unity. He said to make it plain on tablets and, most likely, make it plain would mean placing the tablet with the vision in a prominent place for all to see. We have to have it in our sights so that we can remain aligned with it. Write it, make it plain in language and in accessibility. But there is another aspect of making it plain which comes in the phrase, "That he may run who reads it." That would me there is a call to action in the vision, otherwise, why would anyone want to run with it. And that call to action is not just anything, it is motivational, that means the "reader" must buy into the vision. Obviously, if there is no "buy-in" there is no running to do anything about it. So the vision writer has to be a, yes, you guessed it, a visionary as well as a motivator. Let's fact it, visionaries who are not also motivational leaders will never get anything done unless and until he or she partners with someone with qualities that are personally missing. Yet, I still maintain that any leader needs to be both a visionary and a motivational one.

We then learn, that if we wait for that appointed, Kairos, time, the vision "will speak, and .. not lie." It will come about and not make a mockery of either the visionary or the Giver of the vision, God! On the other hand, not waiting on the appointed time can subject the visionary to reproach and shame, if not aborted first. Not waiting on the appointed time, would cause misalignment, and no end of problems, including approaching people before the appointed them when they would have been ready to receive the visionary and the vision with favor.

So the vision is written plainly, it's accessible, and it's motivational. But now that we want to run with it, we have to WAIT!?! Yes, because "the vision yet for an appointed time." This is where we get into trouble, many of us, because we want to run right away. However, if we run ahead of the appointed time, we risk the tragedy of aborting the vision. We would miss out on the necessary season of preparation. The visionary must be prepared as must all who are involved. That's why visions are time-sensitive, because they involve people, and people are locked into time so that God's order is followed.

Then we are encouraged "wait" even though it's taking a while. It will most definitely come about. At the point when all is set, it will no longer tarry and there would no longer be a need to wait. Then in verse 4 it tells us about the proud whose soul is not upright and therefore, not in right standing with God. Pride will always lead to sin, in which case the proud unrighteous person cannot operate in faith. In his pride he will run ahead and not wait on the appointed time. However, the just person, operating before God and man in humility, will live by faith. That is, he knows the vision has not manifested but He knows in Whom He has faith and that God is not like man and cannot lie. With God all things shall be possible, Luke 1:37. Faith is believing in the thing before it has manifested. BECAUSE GOD HAS SAID IT, IT SHALL BE. We learn that pride come before a fall. That means eventually, the proud no matter how high he or she gets, will see destruction.

THE UNFOLDING - THE BATTLE FOR "JERICHO"

Now this is where it gets even more fleshed out and poignant. After reading the Word as we were is God's presence, my mom kept saying, [paraphrased,] "When it's time to shout, then shout! Until then, wait." She kept saying that. And not too long after hearing her say it a few time. The Lord brought my me to the story of Joshua and the children of Israel when they needed to capture the fortified city of Jericho. It was an impossibility for them, the walls were so thick and the people were so sure of themselves. After all, they were safe in behind impenetrable walls. So here is where waiting on God's appointed time came in. Joshua told the children of Israel, they needed to circle the city wall for 6 days IN SILENCE! Can you imagine all of these people walking in circles around the city in silence? That would take an anointing all it's own. But on the seventh day they were to shout out with a loud voice! What happened? You may know the story. Those thick fortified walls came crashing down ON THEIR SHOUT! Of course, they went on the take the city and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now what does mean for you and me and how does it relate to our Scripture in Habakkuk? The waiting is crucial to the manifestation of the vision. In the waiting we draw nearer to God, we learn patience and perseverance and whatever else we need to learn before the Lord will bring about the vision. We also learn obedience, humility, and walking by faith. But, as my mom said, when it's time to shout, SHOUT! Then you shall see the miraculous manifestation to bring about the vision. The Israelites needed to take that city. It was the first of their battles to take the land God had promised them in the land of Canaan. It was needed to accomplish God's purpose. Remember Romans 8:28, all things working together for good to those who are called to the purpose of God. They, as we should be, were aligned and submitted to the purposes of God. The fooled the recipe for success in God's eyes and saw a tremendous miracle and not just any miracle a huge victory in the land God was giving them.

So why wait? It is part of the process in seeing the vision come to pass. The process is...

1) Receive the vision
2) Write the vision
3) Communicate it to the people involved plainly
4) Motivate the people to run with it
5) Wait for the appointed time
6) Make humility a lifestyle
7) Make faith a lifestyle
8) When the command comes to shout, SHOUT!*  (The action in which God is directing you)
9) See the manifestation of the vision

When we get the vision, no matter what your "Jericho" is, let's follow HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO SEE IT COME ABOUT TO HIS GLORY!

PRAISE HIM!!!

Destiny Blockers in Black and White

"NEW" INFORMATION FROM VISION DECEMBER 15 FACEBOOK POST

Friends, we all need wisdom. It's the principal thing but we cannot achieve it without Christ in God. We can walk in wisdom only when we are submitted to Him. Otherwise, we are doomed. But if we come to Him as a child, then He will be to us as the Father we need and will give us constant guidance through the Holy Spirit, Whom Jesus asked the Father to send us. And, boy, do we need Him!" Read Proverbs 8 and 9 but here are some excerpts to ponder before you read the following re-post of my December 15, 2016 Facebook post with the most information from the vision that I had forgotten and promised to share.

WISDOM LEADS US TO LIFE

Proverbs 8:32-36

³² “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³ Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
³⁴ Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
³⁶ But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.” 

 Proverbs 9: 10-11; 13-18

The Way of Wisdom

...

¹⁰ “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
¹¹ For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
¹² If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

The Way of Folly

¹³ A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
¹⁴ For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
¹⁵ To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
¹⁶ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell.

NEW INFORMATION AND RE-POST OF DECEMBER 15, 2016 FACEBOOK POST

This post is for someone specific but I believe it could apply to more than one person. Here is what I saw:

A man, professing believer, has gotten caught up in habitual sin. He has no idea it would become habitual and certainly did not plan it that way. But what has happened over time is that now he is literally trapped behind enemy lines. Sir, I see a wall of demons preventing you from getting away. So at first you are happily doing your thing, completely ignorant that you are trapped on the wrong side of this war for the souls of man - and it's because of your own choices. Then, you suddenly become aware that you are on the wrong side, and you make a gallant try to bolt out from behind these enemy lines. At first, it seems as if you will be able to do it. Then your 2 or 3 efforts become less and less fervent. What you had not noticed was that your decision and subsequent indulgence in habitual sin, was making you weaker and weaker.

NEW INFORMATION:

There were two lines of demons preventing him from escaping. Before, I only mentioned the dark ones who walked him away. What I did not remember, as they almost faded into the rest of the scenery to almost invisibility, was a line of demons/demonized people in white. They were facing him and were essentially his inner-circle of people who are just like him. Whatever they were they were almost invisible. These inner-circle blockers were wearing clothing in the same light gray color as the man. And while there were familiar to him, the did indeed form a barrier to his freedom. They formed that first line of the "fence" that kept him in. It reminded me of the Scripture that warns, even "Satan [can] appear as an angel of light." That means he looks good and makes everything he presents look good, that is, until it is too late.

The whole point here, is that by the time you figure it out, it's too late. In this particular case, I believe the man who is considering himself as a Christian, though he is in habitual sin, is surrounded by others who are like him but they are not for him. Their sole purpose is to block him and keep him bound in order to prevent him from pursuing and completing his purpose for being here. This man is set apart and called out but he stays where he should not stay. And in the vision, as some point, he is able to get past the first line of those in white, but not the second line of, they are the ones in black who are set there to prevent him from returning to God. You see, he has stayed so long that he has past his window and strength for getting out. When the hood is put over his head, it is symbolic for the shroud put over the head of someone who has died. For that person, it is too late. That is why this appeal is going out to anyone who the Holy Spirit is prompting. If this is you, run back to God. He is your strong tower into Whom you run in and are safe.

Please note that the Lord gave the sense that the demons in white represent a group of religious people whom the man thinks are for him but are actually against him as they are working for the devil. What I mean is the group represents those influenced by the religious cluster of pretending, hypocritical spirits that are very good 'hiders.'

[But perhaps your blocker is something you think is harmless and invisible but to God it is a blocker and separator. Could be something you think it's just a part of your personality, hence the white color of invisibility. If you are stuck (you may or may not realize it) ASK GOD.]

What is upsetting is that, at no time, did the man cry out to God, whether it was his pride or presumption, it was to his detriment. But praise God! Thankfully, this does not have to be the case. That is the reason for this warning vision.


THE LAST SCENE

The last scene was heartbreaking and that is where I need ALL INTERCESSORS TO PRAY FOR THIS PERSON OR PERSONS. I saw that you made your last dash with all the energy you could muster but it was too late. The demons who made up the demonic wall grabbed you by the arm put the hood of your hoodie over your head, and marched you off. It was too late and you had waited too long.

We know in Christ we can cry out in repentance for His forgiveness up until our last breath. The only time it's too late is once we have breathed our last. DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN TO YOU. REPENT NOW!!! COME OUT NOW!! CHOOSE JESUS AGAIN NOW!!! PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. NO ONE KNOWS WHEN IT WOULD BE THEIR LAST OR WHEN JESUS WILL RETURN, AT WHICH TIME IT WILL BE TOO LATE.
YOU HAVE BEEN DULY WARNED. GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU REDISCOVER YOUR PLACE IN THE LIGHT! PRAYING

IMPORTANT NOTE:
When I speak about the religious cluster of spirits I am referring to hypocrisy, pretense, lying, witchcraft, seduction, Jezebel, infirmity, fear, jealousy, stealth, et al. And while the victim is being victimized, he/she also manifests some or all of these things and needs deliverance from the trauma and the influence of this cluster. Left unchecked he/she will continue to be hindered and will never reach the level of intimacy the Lord is calling them to or accomplish all that He has set before them.

Please also know, that this is not to scare anyone into non-action but to exhort and motivate anyone who identifies with this vision and condition to cry out to God and HE WILL HELP AND BRING YOU DELIVERANCE!

Finally, in the end, it's all God, as long as we come to HIm, because:

Romans 8:28-30

AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Spiritual Warfare Series: Curses as Earthquakes in the Spirit Realm

MORNING REVELATION ON MONDAY DECEMBER 19, 2016

This is a warning to gossips and those who wish harm and destruction against the Lord's servants the prophets. This is what the Lord revealed this morning.

Those who gossip and spread rumors against God's prophets are attempting to and, in some cases, cursing them. The Lord says, this causes an earthquake in the Spirit realm. And like an earthquake causes much damage far beyond its epicenter so, too, is the damage caused by a curse. The worst part is not the curse itself, however. It is the wrath of God on the "curser" as long as the object of the curse releases/forgives and blesses those who have become their revilers. Until the curser is released into God's hands, to Whom vengeance belongs, that curser remains undealt with to the fullest degree. Additionally, no one can control the effects of an earthquake.

I remember the first time I experience an earthquake while in California training for the mission field in 2008. To a native Californian that was negligible, but to me, a novice, it was terrible because of the absolute lack of control. What can you do when the firm ground you are standing on begins to shake and buckle as if it's about to give way from right under you. That is something you never want to experience twice. However, in the Spirit we stand on the ultimate Rock, Who cannot be moved. A person who claims to be a believer but reviles and hates another is on shaky ground, not planted on the solid Rock, Who is Jesus Christ.

With that said, let's get into a very important lesson the Lord just recently taught me about curses, intense hatred, and the opportunistic nature of the enemy in such situations.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Although this lesson I am about to share came from the Lord, I do not presume to make it as important as Scripture and the theological instruction of the Bible. Only Scripture is Scripture. In addition, my experiences are indeed subjective, because they happen to me, but they are instructive for how we respond according to God's word and how to overcome the works of the enemy, which is what Jesus came to model for us. Please read the Scripture references in depth and do further study on your own.

If you are doing ANYTHING for the Lord, seeking to live righteously, and to teach others how to do likewise, YOU WILL ENCOUNTER SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND INTENSE HATRED. THE KEY IS TO ALWAYS, ALWAYS, RESPOND IN LOVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN REVILED!!!!

CURSES THAT TAKE EFFECT

Curses, and destructive prayers, are the results of demonically energized hatred. They can cause havoc in the life of the one who is cursed, depending on the unique situation and any left-over access the enemy may still have on the life of the one cursed. That access could be in areas of the life undealt with from past generations, life before Christ, or sin in which they still indulge.

That sin, by the way, does not have to be  something  illicit; it can be something as subtle as an aspect of the person's thought-life. For instance, it can be a wrong perception of God based on a lie of the devil. Consider the original lie Adam and Eve believed that precipitated their sin against God. (Genesis 3 :6 ).

OPPOSING, AND SPEAKING AGAINST, THE PROPHET'S ASSIGNMENT IS
OPPOSING GOD HIMSELF

     MOSES, AARON, AND MIRIAM

Back to the spiritual earthquake and speaking against the prophet of the Lord. When you engage in opposing the work the Lord has sent the prophet to do, you oppose God Himself. That means, you are now at war against God. Thankfully, in that war, there can only be one loser - and it's never God. Consider, for a moment, the resulting judgment when Miriam and Aaron gossiped against Moses. She was struck with leprosy; and it was Moses, the target of the gossip, who was the only one who could effectively intercede for her to be healed. See how God set that up? (Numbers 12:1-14).

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. ² So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. ³ (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)⁴ Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. ⁵ Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. ⁶ Then He said,

“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.
⁷ Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.
⁸ I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?”

⁹ So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. ¹⁰ And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. ¹¹ So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. ¹² Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”

¹³ So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!”
¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” ¹⁵ So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again. ¹⁶ And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

      JOB AND HIS "FRIENDS"

Similarly, remember Job and his "dear" friends who for 7  days told him what a terrible person he was; and, essentially, that he deserved his misery. Again, in the end, God told Job's friends how wrong they were in their assessment of his situations, and that He was coming after them. God warned them that they'd better repent and ask Job, the object of their rebuke, for forgiveness as that was their only recourse to avoiding God's wrath. Imagine, they had to ask the object of revile to intercede with God for them. The same God they seemed convinced, they knew better than Job. And we see that Job did not hold them in contempt as He did just as God knew he would. (Job  42:7-10).

⁷ And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. ⁸ Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”  

⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job. ¹⁰ And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

WHAT ARE THE LESSONS HERE?

TO THE REVILED/CURSED

1) Let God take care of your enemies. He is best at it anyway.
2) You still have to love everyone
3) If there is any truth in the criticism, take it to God
4) Seek healing and deliverance for areas where needed

TO THE REVILERS/CURSERS

1) You are fighting God and you will lose
2) You are at the epicenter of the earthquake
3) The one you revile has the answer to your deliverance
4) You are harboring an anti-anointing/anti-Christ spirit
5) Seek deliverance and healing from the areas that cause you to curse and revile the Lord's anointed and anointing
6) Get into God's presence and experience His love
7) Spread His love to all including those you have reviled

Remember, when you gossip, curse, revile others as believers in Christ, you cause spiritual earthquakes that cause years of after-shocks in the soul realm, for which you will be held responsible until you repent and obey God in whatever He tell you to do in remedy if anything.

Finally, God is good, and His love for everyone, regardless of which side of the equation they are on, is exactly the same. None of us are better than the other. And ...

THE SHOCKER

We have all, at least once been on the side of the reviler, and have gossiped and either knowingly or inadvertently, "cursed" someone. If you think you have not, then you are lying to yourself. That is why the Bible says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21). Ouch! Can you imagine eating the fruit of death when loving and speaking death? Put away the idea that you have to be practicing the magical arts to have given into a spirit of witchcraft. First, of all, that is the nature of witchcraft, attempting to manufacture results for selfish ungodly gain by illegal supernatural power. The biblical definition also focuses on the manipulation and control aspects of it to control/steer the future to a desired end. We may use human soulish efforts but that very quickly descends into something demonically energized.

Habitually practicing such things does make a person a witch. And, yes, witches do sit in pews, lead ministries and even pastor churches. Hard to imagine but we live in a day where it is not difficult to gather people and purchase credentials. But that's another matter for another day.

Thankfully, God forgives and His Love saves us through Jesus Christ. Therefore, none of us have to stay where we are regardless of which side of this equation we find ourselves.

MY OBJECT LESSON: GOD PROVES LATER THAT SAME DAY WHAT HE HAD REVEALED/FORETOLD EARLY IN THE MORNING

As is so often the case with the Lord, He solidified this lesson with action. That He would let me know ahead of time what I would face, is the very reason to meet with the Lord early in the morning before facing the world. Goes to prove that the early bird catches something much better than a worm.

You see, the previous day during prayer with a friend, she said the Lord impressed upon her to reveal something she had just learned because she sensed that for me it hit close to home in terms of my moms constant bout with "illness" within the past 18 months. She had bought a book written by a medical doctor, Rebecca Brown, who began having bouts with mystery illnesses. Through some means, it was revealed that the illness were a result of her being the object of intense hatred. The connection is that with intense hatred comes the bad thought and words spoken over a person, which manifests in to curses. Hence, the reason for my opening conclusion. Once she dealt with the issues according to God's recipe, and she did not have to know the exact source, she experienced healing. She sensed my mom was the object of intense hatred and we prayed according to the remedy laid out by the Lord. However, we know that Scripture tells us to bless those who curse us. That releases us from any effects.

       A CURSE WITHOUT A CAUSE

So later in the day after sending off a document that I knew would meet challenges, I was driving and got off my exit and immediately felt like I would pass out, yet I knew it was not due to illness but "something" literally, in the spirit, flying over me and trying to knock me out. I thought something was going on at that moment. I later realized from a communication I saw several minutes later, that it was a curse sent at me, borne by intense hatred. Praise God or deliverance. It could not sit on me and cause the desired effect because it was without cause. I was simply doing God's will.

Proverbs 26:2

Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.

So the Lord taught me an object lesson and fleshed out the Scripture for me to see and pass it on to you. (He had even told me where to find it except for the verse.) If you know you have been cursed in such a way, release your revilers - and yourself - by forgiving them.

SOLVING ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS - NO MORE CURSING EACH OTHER

Friends, the Lord is reminding me that if we but lived according to the Greatest Commandment, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." and the Second Greatest Commandment which is like it:

Matthew 22:37-39

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

 OBEDIENCE TO THESE TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS WOULD SOLVE 100% OF ALL OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS WITH GOD AND WITH EACH OTHER.

PRAYER OF RELEASE FOR THE REVILED AND THE REVILER:

FATHER GOD, THANK YOU FOR REVEALING AREAS THAT GRIEVE YOUR HEART ABOUT OUR DEALINGS WITH EACH OTHER. LORD HELP US AS WE SEEK TO LIVE IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TO YOU AND EACH OTHER IN KEEPING WITH THE TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS. LORD, FORGIVE ME WHERE I HAVE EITHER INADVERTENTLY OR PURPOSELY THOUGHT BAD THOUGHTS AND SAID BAD THINGS INTENDING TO HURT ANOTHER OF YOUR PRECIOUS CREATIONS AND CHILDREN. TEACH ME HOW TO LOVE LIKE YOU DO, LORD AND MAKE ME AN EXAMPLE OF THE WAY YOU LOVE THAT THE EVIL WOULD NEVER AGAIN HAVE USE OF EITHER MY TONGUE OR MY MIND OR MY PHYSICAL BODY TO DO HIS DIRTY WORK. THANK YOU, LORD, THAT I MIGHT NOW WALK IN DIVINE FREEDOM FROM THIS BONDAGE. I RELEASE ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CURSED ME AND BLESS THEM TO RECEIVE OF YOUR FULLNESS FOR THEIR LIVES. PLEASE BRING RECONCILIATION SPEEDILY ACCORDING TO YOUR PLAN, LORD. IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS THE KING AND FOR THE GLORY OF HIS KINGDOM. AMEN!