A BEAUTIFUL COLLISION

This past week I had a collision!  Before I explain, let's ask about what a collision is.... as if it needs explaining! :)

From www.dictionary.com

col·li·sion

1.the act of colliding;  a coming violently into contact; 

2. a clash; conflict: a collision of purposes.

3.Physics . the meeting of particles or of bodies in which each exerts a force upon the other, causing the  exchange of energy or momentum.

My collision was between what I see coming and what I know is!

WHAT'S COMING: THE PROPHETIC

I told my pastor I was having this collision and all he said was....

"Congratulations on your collision."

This was my heart meditation:

We as prophetic people often find ourselves looking forward.

         

God shows us things before they come to pass.  He does it so we can release it from our mouths, sowing the Word seed into earth, into the hearts of people:

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

Anyone that knows me knows I have a love and appreciation for the prophetic! I have loved the gift of prophecy since rededicating my heart to Jesus in 1986 and finding out about the beautiful gifts of the Holy Spirit that were given to build up and edify the saints; yes to profit the church!

Prophetically, I see a great move of God just on the horizon- I can't help it that I see this and it IS in the future- but closer than we think!  God reveals things to us by his Spirit; things to high for our knowledge!  This move of God will be both wonderful and devastating at the same time!  It will shake world systems but turn hearts and minds to the one who matters.  Know for certain God says,

"Once more I WILL shake heaven and earth!"

Haggai 2:5 ‘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, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.

I believe we are in the midst of this move but people have not turned to Jesus in mass as they will.  I say, "What more will it take? When will people realize what they've placed their trust in is sinking sand!"  God will shake this earth until they come to the Desire of All Nations!  As people hunger and thirst and chase after God, they will be filled with his glory, their true desire!

I know this is God- he's coming to me repetitively to reveal it and speak it to my heart and surely he wants it released!

God shakes things up so people will turn to him.  Foundations that are unreliable must shake for people to make the true "Desire of all Nations" their sure foundation!

We also see the promises God has given us and as we prophetically see and hear these things, we desire to see them come to pass in our lives.  This had to be the case of Joseph who was in transition for 13 years, headed to a future God showed him as a boy!  He had to walk through 13 years of processing before coming into the place of authority God had shown him.

We know that we've heard and we know that we've seen and therefore we know there are greater things coming that what our current circumstances are testifying to!

MY COLLISION

I am experiencing a collision between what I see coming as a prophetic person and what I know I have full and complete access to as a born again Christian!

We have this treasure in earthen vessels!

Christ in us the hope of glory!

2 Corinthians 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Colossians 1:26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which[a] is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

We need to know that as we walk through this journey called life, we have access to an unlimited God, who is full of glory! 

We do have to walk through the journey and the processes of life as we pass from season to season and chapter to chapter, fulfilling each purpose God has for us but we don't have to go alone! We have Christ in us and the hope of Glory! We have the very glory of an unlimited God with unlimited resources living inside of us and he surely will see us through every step we take when we follow him!

While we are waiting, we need to also be enjoying!  While we wait for things to come, and while we press forward in faith, we need to enjoy what currently is! 

While we press onward and upward in faith believing for the future we need to be pressing into the presence that is HERE NOW IN THE PRESENT!  HALLELUJAH! 

While we are confident in a future we need to bask in his PRESENCE in the PRESENT.

Moves of God DO come!  Charismatic history bears out the moving of God in waves- some bigger than others and in ebbs and flows, like tides that rise and fall and come in and out!

LET US BE THE CARRIERS OF THE MOVE OF GOD

There was ALWAYS a group of faithful that carried the charismatic gifts of God and the move of God into the NEXT move of God!

THAT'S WHERE HUNGER AND THIRST COMES IN!

Every move of God has been in response to someone's hunger!

THE HISTORY OF GREAT REVIVALS OF THIS CENTURY ARE WITNESSES TO THIS TRUTH!

REVIVAL ALWAYS STARTS WITH HUNGER AND THIRST!

God has always moved in response to hunger!

The hungry ones and the thirsty ones are the ones filled!

Matthew 5:6 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 

An individual has always had the option to be in their own personal revival while others are waiting for a corporate move of God!

Moves of God come and go but the presence of God always is!  He is ever present!

GOD IS I AM- NOT I WILL BE at some future time.  He never says you have to wait for my presence.

In fact it's his presence that carries you through the seasons.

GLORY IN THE MOMENT

We can want our season to change so bad we press in more for that than we do to enjoy the God of the moment!

The best two examples I can give are:

A.     The children of Israel

• They wanted so badly to have things another way that's all they thought about- having things different than they were.

• The children of Israel had the glory of God manifesting on a mountain yet they feared to hear his voice.

• The children of Israel had the voice of God speaking from the mountain yet they wanted Moses to hear for them.

• The children of Israel had the glory of God in a cloud by day to keep them cool and refreshed.

• The children of Israel had supernatural food falling from the sky.

• The children of Israel had bread just appearing on the ground and quail falling from the sky!

• The children of Israel wanted the fruit of the earth more than bread from heaven!

• The children of Israel had the glory of God in a fire by night but still complained!

• The children of Israel had a cloud of fire to separate them from their enemies!

• The children of Israel desired the promised land more than they desired the one who promised!

Can you imagine what a privilege it was to actually live and see God do some of the most notable miracles of all time? 

• 10 plagues in Egypt gave them deliverance
• A cloud by day and fire by night
• Glory on a mountain that must have been so far beyond awesome we can't even imagine!
• An entire sea parting!
• Water from a rock!
• Quail and bread falling from the sky! 

How glorious were the sights they were able to see!

There's nothing wrong with desiring the promised land but there is something wrong with not desiring the PRESENCE IN THE PRESENT LAND!

The promised land is a promise from God and we should be looking forward to possessing all God has promised without sacrificing all God is!

It's the PRESENCE in the PRESENT LAND that gets us to the PROMISED LAND ! We have this #treasure

GOD SAID TO MOSES- "My presence will go before you.... and behind you!" We have this #treasure

B- The example of Joshua. 

Joshua followed Moses up the mountain, desiring to experience the one that was meeting them in the desert.

Joshua lingered in the tabernacle, desiring the present glory!  After Moses and the children of Israel built the tabernacle, they would go there and meet with God.  Moses and all the others left, yet Joshua would linger behind where the glory of God was filling the tabernacle.

Joshua recognized the presence of God in the present circumstance and desired that above anything. He desired that even above being in the presence of Moses- the greatest leader on the face of the earth at that time! Hallelujah!  Joshua wanted to be in the presence of the one leading the leader!

Surely if Moses and Joshua could taste of the glory, we as Glory Filled Christians can!

NOW WE HAVE this treasure in earthen vessels. This is something we don't have to wait for!

The treasure in earthen vessels is more valuable than any increase in salary.

The treasure in earthen vessels is more valuable than any mansion or material thing.

Sometimes we as prophetic people can be so focused on the future we miss out on the presence in the present!

The treasure in us is more valuable than any move of God!  Why?  Because we already have what the move of God brings to those that don't have!

I have had the wonderful experience of being IN revival since 1993 but I can remember when the whole world was waiting for revival I was in my own personal revival.  In fact I can only remember a few years of my entire Christian walk I was not in revival!

My finances were bare to the bone, and my earthly circumstances looked bleak but I was having encounters with the LIVING GOD!

Your earthly experiences can be abased- all while you are encountering the living God!

GREAT JOY COMES FROM HIS PRESENCE- NOT FROM HAVING EVERYTHING JUST SO!

I thank God for the moves of God and I thank God for what I see coming but the thing I'm most thankful for is:

Christ who is in me and who is the hope of glory! 

If Moses can experience his glory in the middle of a wilderness how much more can I a New Testament Christian with the glory of God inside of me taste of his glory NOW?

AMEN, let's get hungry and thirsty and press in for more of God, more of his presence and more of his glory than we've ever known or seen!  He is I AM and his goodness is here now!

Let us look forward to what's coming while fully enjoying what has already come! Let us have a beautiful collision!  Amen!

TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE WHEN GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE PT 2

TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE BECAUSE GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE- PART 2

In the last blog we were talking about how the people of Gibeon in Joshua 9 had decided to enter into a covenant with Israel rather than fight against them as the other surrounding people were.  This angered the other kings who came against Gibeon in a unified front in Joshua 10.

Joshua 10:5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.

Gibeon called for Joshua to come on the scene because they were in covenant relationship.  When you're in covenant, you are no longer an enemy of God and you are promised rights of protection. 

TIME

It seemed like an eternity!

Joshua responded and was on the way to help but to Gibeon it may have felt like an eternity. They were already surrounded and Joshua was an entire night away.

Sometimes we feel surrounded- as if God is a million miles away!  It's at times like that he says, "Do not fear or be discouraged. I will not leave you or forsake you."

THE LORD COMES ON THE SCENE

Time is on your side because God is on your side!

If you are a Christian, you are in covenant with Jesus, Yeshua, Joshua, the savior of the world.  He will come on the scene for you when you call upon him, believe and confess his Word!  Those Gibeonites said, "Save us," because they understood they were in covenant!

Did Joshua sit back and ignore these new friends?  No he didn't.  He ascended- he went to them- he helped them!

Now the bible says Joshua had to come from where he was to fight for Gibeon!

It took Joshua all night to get there!

9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. 

Sometimes it seems in our darkest  hour, that God is a million miles away!

Time is on your side because God is on your side!

Josh 10
7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”

So Joshua stepped out honoring the covenant and then, after he ascended, the Lord spoke!

Isn't it amazing when the Lord speaks?  There's nothing like getting a Word from God in response to a battle you are in!  God said, "Don't fear!  I have delivered them into your hand!"

That's amazing!  Before the battle was fought, God said, "I have delivered them!"  God truly does the end from the beginning and calls things that are not as though they are!  The battle was won before it was fought!

Time is on your side because the battle is already won!

In the same way, when we call upon God he says, "I have delivered them into your hand!"

GOD FIGHTS FOR YOU

When God comes on the scene, you can fight but really it gets easy from there.  This says more died from hailstones from heaven than from the sword of man.  God really did take care of things for Israel.

Joshua 10:11 And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. 

Time is on your side because God is on your side!

With the Lord on our side, who can stand against us?  That reminds me of a song:

The enemies fled and descended!  It's interesting the bible puts it that way. 

Joshua ascended but the enemy descended!  Sure the reason is because Gibeon was on a hill but surely there's some prophetic symbolism there.

Ascend means to go up, spring up, meet and to be superior!  Jesus is superior and he springs up to meet us.  He ascends to give us victory and in fact has already ascended and won every victory in advance on our behalf.  Just as God said here, "I have delivered them into your hand," so our enemies have already been defeated!  Look at a few scriptures about the ascension of Jesus:

We are free because he ascended!

Ephesians 4:8
Therefore He says: “ When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”

Because he ascended he is able to fill all things. Because he ascended the Holy Spirit was poured out and now abides inside of us filling us with the glory of God, something they did not have in Joshua's day.  My how fortunate we are to have been born into this day and hour.

He ascended, set us free, delivered us from all bondage and now fills us and gives us gifts that are all we will ever need in this life! Hallelujah!

Ephesians 4:10
He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Joshua is a type of Jesus.  When you're in covenant with God, no matter what your past, he will jump up from where he's at to meet you where you are and right where the trouble is!  He's a covenant keeping God!  He has already won the victory.  He has ascended, and is seated at the right hand of God as the victor!  He has poured out his Spirit who now lives inside of us.  He has made us more than conquerors!

SPEAK OUT IN FAITH

Look what else happened!  God had said not to be afraid. 

He had spoken to Moses and said not to be afraid.

He had promised to never leave them or forsake them.

He had told Joshua to have great courage and here Joshua had great courage and spoke out in faith!

Joshua 10:12 Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: 

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”

13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to godown for about a whole day. 14 And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.
15 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE

You know, sometimes it seems time is passing by and the battle still hasn't been won but God is a redeemer of time.  Here God even heeded the voice of Joshua and caused time to stand still ensuring the complete victory.  God is a redeemer and it's never too late and the battle's never too intense for God!

If you feel time is passing you by, take courage and speak to the time and say, "Stand still!"  Remind God that he is a redeemer of time and be assured that he is a redeemer of time.

God will go to whatever length is necessary to help you.  He will not forsake you.  He will spring up and come to you at your point of need.  He already has defeated the devil who is your true enemy. 

For you, my friend, God will even make time stand still! Amen!

BLESSING: REPLENISH & FILL THE EARTH WITH THE GLORY OF GOD- Part 1

FILL THE EARTH WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Genesis 1:28
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”(NKJV)

BLESSING:  FILL THE EARTH

Part of the blessing God spoke over man was to fill the earth. We have seen how we fill the earth with all manner of fruitfulness, whether spiritual or natural fruit.  Did you know that when God blessed us he ordained that we be blessed, spirit soul and body.  He spoke a blessing of increase over us in every area.  This blessing was spoken to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and on and on through the generations down David and then through the generations to Jesus who has passed that blessing to us!  Through Christ, we have inherited all the fullness of God and blessings both natural and spiritual.

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

When we were filled with the Spirit, God blessed us in filling us with a treasure that we carry in earthen vessels.  We were blessed with spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:3-13 tells us we are blessed with all spiritual blessings, we are made us holy and without blame, we are adopted us as sons, we are accepted, redeemed, forgiven and given us an inheritance.  It goes on to say we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our inheritance.  The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we are sons of God!(NKJV)

The Holy Spirit is a treasure.  He's a treasure carried inside of us that although our lives are poured out as an offering to him, his life is manifested in and through us.  That manifestation of the life of God reaches out to a needy world and brings life and glory to those upon whom he is poured out!

2 Corinthians 4:7-12  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.(NKJV)

SEALED AND FILLED

The bible says in Acts 2:1-4 that on the day of Pentecost, those followers of Jesus who had obeyed him in waiting in the upper room for the promised outpouring of the Spirit were filled.  This is when the Holy Spirit was poured out.  It was these believers that received this outpouring that went beyond the seal.  Every believer receives the seal of the Holy Spirit but not every believer received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It was these believers that received the infilling and a baptism of the Holy Spirit that empowered them to be witnesses.

Acts 2:1-4  When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (NKJV)

It was at this event that the life of Jesus was poured out upon and into the 120 when the Holy Spirit came upon them! Five hundred had received instruction to attend this event but only 120 had obeyed in waiting.  Is that an indication of a church that doesn't rely on the power of the Holy Spirit today? In another scripture there is a verse that talks about a form of godliness that lacks power.  I hope it isn't the case but there's a reason the bible says only 120 received this infilling.

Every believer has a well of salvation but not every believer is filled with a river of life that flows out of them.  Jesus in John Chapter 4 spoke of a well (a fountain) for every individual but in John 7 he spoke of a river that would flow out of individuals.  It's one thing to drink for yourself and be refreshed with your own salvation but it's another thing to be a vessel poured out!   Upon believing you receive a well of salvation in your innermost being but only upon drinking of his Spirit through a mighty baptism in his Spirit that fills to fullness do you receive a mighty river that flows out of your innermost being!

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (NKJV)

The well above speaks of a fountain springing up to everlasting life but the passage below speaks of a river of living water flowing from an individual!

John 7:37-39 on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (NKJV)

It's the infilling of the Holy Spirit that causes you to speak the Word with boldness.  From out of the mouth of the speaker comes the very living Word of God to bring conviction and life to the listeners.

Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

When's the last time you saw a place visibly shaken by the power of God after believers assembled together and prayed.  This was the model of the early church and there's no "Amen" to the book of Acts.  In the same way the first believers had to rely on the Holy Spirit for boldness and power, we should be relying on him today!  If our meeting places are not visibly shaken by the power of God then maybe we need to re-think whether we're relying on that power!

FILLED TO BE POURED OUT

In the same way the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost filling those that were waiting with power and boldness, he poured out from them to bring the good news of the gospel and the power of God to a world in need of salvation. This power not only gave them the boldness to speak but it was the equipping for signs, wonders and miracles that would bring deliverance from all manner of evil!   In the same way the life of Jesus was poured out in his earthly ministry,  the life of Jesus Christ would continue to be poured out only now it would be through those upon whom the Holy Spirit was poured out.  Be blessed and better yet be a blessing by filling the earth with the glory of God! Amen!


(This was a really long post so I've divided it into two parts: Be on the lookout for Part 2- the demonstration at the Wedding of Cana!)