Lisa Great

Restoration can take longer than we originally thought. Restoration is a process of uprooting some things, tearing down some things, destroying some things, planting some things, building some things, reviving some things, and even removing some things.

Flipping houses has become a known concept that was made popular by Chip and Joanna Gaines. Taking what is delapitated and making it beautiful is the process of restoration. Restoration is the ability to return to original design.

People restore furniture, they restore cars, and God Himself restores lives. Restoration takes time, we think it will be done in a week, a month or even a year, but some restorations can take years. If you believe in restoration you cannot retreat when the restoration does not happen in your desired timeline.

When the Lord says He is restoring something, who are we to want to see it removed from our lives; removed from the agenda; removed from the situation.

Restoration takes place under cover. We restore cars in garages; we restore marriages in private spaces; we restore houses on the inside; much of restoration is done out of sight, but as the restoration happens we get glimpses into something is being restored.

Psalm 80:3 says, “Restore us, O God, and cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved.”

While restoration may be private, the reveal of what has been restored is public, visible, for God shines His face on what He restores. God has been restoring nations secretly but they are about to be seen publicly as restored.

I do not know what God has been restoring in your life in secret, but when the restoration is revealed it will be a public display for His glory. For the story of restoration is a story of salvation and God is going to go public with all He has been restoring. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Do you realize the presence of God is in you, but it feels like it is in the room, because people in the room are opening up their hearts, to release what is in them in the room? When you get a group of people who are willing to release the spirit that is in them, the room is filled with the presence of God.

This happens all the time, when someone is angry you can feel the tension in the room. When someone is mourning you can feel the grief or heaviness in the room. When someone is scared or anxious you can feel the fear in the room. The spirit we are agreeing with fills the room, that is why we say this or that spirit is in the room.

Have you ever thought about why one of the marks of revival is longer services? Have you ever considered the reason people do not want to leave an atmosphere or environment is not because people are such great musicians or preachers, but because of the presence of God coming out of the people in the room?

Genesis 2:7 says, “Then the Lord God formed man from thedust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being.”

Sunday morning services do not experience revival, because the clock determines the end time not the spirit in the room. College campuses can experience revival for they are not clock driven. Revival means to live again or to restore breath. Breath is spirit, spirit is presence. Presence is the only thing that will restore our breath.

When the presence of God is coming out of the people of God in the room, you don’t want to leave. It is not about longer services, it is about breathing again. What if the clock is hindering us from living again? Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Positions of authority, leadership and power are places of great responsibility. Many people who have never been in these high level positions do not realize the temptation to compromise that comes. It takes great courage, structural integrity, and resolve of the likes many do not have to stand in certain positions and not compromise.

The desire to be a leader, to be seen, to be heard, to hold the microphone, to be on television, to lead the room is strong amongst people who do not know the cost of such a role. When we are young we do not realize how hard it is to lead, because of the great responsibility given, which is people.

The apostle James said, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1). Yet turn on social media and what do we see?

I was at a topical bible study, which taught some scriptures out of context to match the topic. Verses were excluded, context was not honored, but subject was incredible. It was an eat the meat spit out the bones event.

The fear of the Lord came on me as I realized how easily we can lead people astray. One degree off from truth can take our whole theology, end times views, biblical understanding off, way off. I wept in the car on the way home, with the fear of the Lord on me, for I learned things I did not know and heard things taught out of context to match the topic.

If I was to tell my younger self, who was called to ministry at age 19, one thing, it would be, do not be in a hurry to teach, be humble enough to spend years learning, listening, watching, for leadership is a weighty responsibility in the kingdom of God on earth, not just in church but everywhere.

Psalm 82:1 says, “God stands up to open heaven’s court. He pronounces judgment on the judges. How long will you judges refuse to listen to the evidence? How long will you shower special favors on the wicked?” Bible teachers and national or Supreme Court judges, God does not take lightly what we say, how we lead, what verdicts we declare.

The fear of the Lord is to keep us in truth, for people are depending on us to tell them the truth, leadership is returning to truth and the fear of the Lord is not His wrath or anger, it is His protection of His people. Be slow to lead, quick to learn. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Let’s talk prosperity for a moment on this Saturday morning. Have you ever wondered why some people prosper and others don’t? Have you ever considered the prosperity of one nation and the seeming poverty of another? Is it because of something they did or is it because of something they are called to do?

Psalm 35:27 says, “May those shout for joy and rejoice, who take delight in my vindication; And may they say continually, “The Lord be exalted, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.” (NASB)

God delights in our prosperity, but what if the reason one prospers and another doesn’t isn’t because God has favorite people or favorite nations? What if work ethic is only part of the equation? I know a lot of people who work hard, who have degrees, who have started businesses and they have not prospered.

The Lord was discussing this issue with me as I walked the dog and what He shared with me was not new information but it refreshed a revelation. God always speaks in now time and uses what is happening our world to speak to us so we can hear. America is a distribution nation.

The Lord showed me that prosperity is not meant for personal lavishing, extravagant living, but for distribution and training. If we distribute without training, we are giving people a hand out and actually keeping them in poverty. If we distribute with training we give them a hand up and then they begin to prosper.

We have seen ministries give hand outs, we have witnessed people live extravagantly while others struggled, but where are the places, the nations, the people, the churches, that will train people and distribute to people?

We have a King who is prosperous, He generously gives to us, He trains us, now He wants us to be like Him. Prosperous and generous. Training and distributing.

We must train people to be generous, for we are called to be distributors as individuals, churches, nations. God gives more prosperity to those who distribute, not to those who hoard or spend on themselves. We must be taught how to distribute generously so we can live prosperously. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

THERE IS A RAPID READINESS TAKING PLACE FOR THE RELEASING OF GOD’S GLORY ON EARTH. God is rapidly reading people who have an anointing, a calling, a heart that is crying out for something they have not seen before. God is rapidly reading people for the releasing of His glory.

Psalm 80 says, “O Shepherd of Israel who leads Israel like a flock; O God enthroned above the Guardian Angels, bend down your ear and listen as I plead. Display your power and radiant glory.”

There is a cry in the hearts of leaders who used to be but are not right now; for those who once did, but have not been doing; who are mature, experienced, anointed, called and yet are still waiting. They see from experience, they understand from maturity, they are awake but not shouting, not pushing, not jockeying.

Oh mature ones, I see you, I hear you, I know what I put in you says the Lord. Maturity does not come from time it comes from processed pain, healed hurts, scars that show a battle happened but no longer hurts. Mature ones are rapidly being readied for the releasing of His glory.

Culture honors immaturity and flash, but God honors maturity, humility, those who have been processed, who declare with the apostle Paul, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Glory is weighty and it is not easily carried. Glory takes resilience, authority, perseverance, time tested people to carry it. You are not forgotten by God.

THERE IS A RAPID READINESS TAKING PLACE FOR THE RELEASE OF GOD’S GLORY ON THE EARTH. Can you feel it happening to you? You were not sidelined out of punishment, you were protected, prepared and now are being readied to carry, communicate, demonstrate, and experience the glory of God in the land of the living. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Mysteries and puzzles, parables and symbols are a few of the ways God speaks to us. It is not to hide something from us, it is to reveal things to us we could not know any other way. His voice is truth, it is spoken with clarity, but the joy is found in searching out the mystery, putting together the puzzle, pondering the parable and trying to decode the symbols of what the Lord is saying.

Mature people get bored with straightforward statements, what keeps us alive, keeps us seeking, keeps us pursuing it the intrigue, the wonder, the awe of a God who is active in the lives of people. He is orchestrating the outcome of nations. He is judging the hearts of men and women so He can reward us, bless us, correct us, liberate us, reveal His love to us.

God is a revealer of mysteries is what Daniel said; He is a speaker of parables is what the gospels tell us; He is a speaker of things we do not know is what Amos declares; He has thoughts that are higher than our thoughts is what Isaiah understands. Oh the joy of walking with a God who loves to lead His people into truth.

I was awakened this morning at 3:00am to the words, “Plowshares and pruning hooks.” Three prophets speak of these two harvesting tools. Isaiah 2; Joel 3 and Micah 4; all share the same word from God. God’s judgment brings peace. Then at 4:56am I was awakened to the words, “The horse is made ready for battle.” This is Proverbs 21:31 which ends by saying, but victory belongs to the Lord.

Putting this together, revealed a truth that God, who is Judge of all the earth is rendering a judgment to bring peace to the nations by removing the enemy who has stirred up division. If we fear peace, we will miss what the Lord is doing right now. Peace is not our enemy, chaos is and God is judging chaos.

Remember what Micah 4:10-12 says, “You shall go to Babylon; there you shall be rescued. There the Lord shall redeem you from the hand of your enemies. Now many nations are assembled against you…But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither do they understand His plan, for He shall gather them as the sheaves to the threshing floor.” God is threshing the enemy and granting peace to nations. We are witnessing victory over Babylon, can you see it? Can you hear it? Www.apostolicreourcecenter.org

We walk with the visible, we trust people, we lean on numbers that tell us we are rich or poor; even though people lie to us, numbers change constantly, we still get up and trust again. I know we shut down, we close off, we isolate, but something in us cries out to love again, believe again, trust again, so we take a chance again.

Everyone one of us knows we were not meant to do life alone. That is why we grieve when a spouse dies, weep when a friendship ends, get angry when a promise is broken or promotion does not happen. These are all realities of walking with the visible.

We are citizens of earth, which is why we walk with the visible. We are also, citizens of heaven, which is why we are called to walk with the invisible as well. We have dual citizenship. God is real, yet is invisible. Many people struggle to walk with the invisible God, for it means we need to have a strong ear to hear, while walking with the visible is having a strong eye to see.

Walking with the invisible God is what Israel did and they struggled with it. Psalm 78 says, “They didn’t believe in God or trust in him to care for them, even though he commanded the skies to open—he opened the windows of heaven— and rained down manna for their food. He gave them bread from heaven! They ate angels’ food! He gave them all they could hold.” The saw the manifestation of the invisible, but still didn’t believe.

We say we need another revival, more miracles, another financial breakthrough, but the truth is, we are just asking for more visible signs, for our strength is in what we see. Jesus is alive, He speaks, His voice can be heard and to walk with the invisible you must have a strong ear to hear the voice behind you saying, “This is the way walk ye in it.” (Isaiah 30:21). Remember, you have dual citizenship. It is time to strengthen your ear to hear, just like your eyes can see. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

We must win the war of words in our own hearts and minds, then in our culture, our country, our churches, our companies. The war of words is a narrative war that is the reason for broken relationships, national division, so many denominations, and many of the emotional challenges people experience.

Anxiety is a war of words, depression is a words war, fear is about what we believe, anger is from a narrative we hear. Oh the list goes on and on. The influence of the enemy always begins with words. In Genesis 3 it was a war of words between what God said and what the Serpent was saying. That words war changed humanity forever.

We are in the same war. It is a war we see throughout the word of God, which is why I believe Jesus is called the Word that became flesh (John 1). In Daniel 7:20-22 it says, “The horn with the eyes and the loud, bragging mouth, the one that was stronger than the others. For I had seen this horn warring against God’s people and winning, until the Ancient of Days came and opened his court and vindicated his people, giving them worldwide powers of government.”

The war is about words, who controls the narrative, which governments words will rule the earth. The kingdom of God is a government and it rules with words of life, words of hope, words of peace, words of grace, words of truth. The tide has shifted, the war of words is not being won by the enemy culturally, but it must be won in you and in me individually.

We are at war with words inside of us, we must stop blaming those around us for the war that is in us. Is it any wonder we are called to take every thought captive and make it subject to Christ? The war is over what narrative we will believe inside of us. Truth wins the war, but many have asked, what is truth? Words war.

Friends, keep reading your Bible until the only words you hear are the words of God. Not the words of someone’s sermon, someone’s doctrine, someone’s opinion on what it says. Keep reading until you hear the voice of God in the word of God, His voice will win the narrative war inside of you. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Our church here in Nashville suffered a great loss this weekend with three of the four men who died in a plane crash when to our church. These men were well known in our church and also very influential as business men in our city. One in the field of lumber and the other in the field of auto mechanics.

Needless to say, we did not have “church” as usual yesterday as we were mourning as a family together. These men and their families are family to us and we felt it in the room, the loss we have suffered.

Pastor Dustin asked Josh Baldwin to lead worship for us, and we spent the majority of the time together in worship. It was powerful as we in this moment of grief as a family, focused our attention on the One who is life and life abundantly.

During worship, I had an open vision of the likes I will never forget. I stood in silence as the church sang, I listened to their voices as God Himself filled the room with His presence. While standing there I saw in the spirit our worship like a waterfall going upwards. As I continued to watch this rush of water go upwards, I saw that it was going up the train of the Lord’s robe.

Once the water reached the neckline of God’s robe, I saw the water coming rushing down the train of His robe and it went out in all four directions of our building. I kept watching this and was stunned by the sight. I then saw our congregation in the spirit as a kingdom choir. As our worship went up like rushing water it came down His robe like waterfalls and out it went from the building.

Revelation 14:2 says, “I heard a sound from heaven like the roaring of a great waterfall or the rolling of mighty thunder. It was the singing of a choir accompanied by harps.” As I read this today, I realized this is what I saw yesterday in worship.

We lift our voice in worship, God releases His voice like waterfalls and His voice waters the land in all four directions, while we worship the One that really matters. Kingdom choirs in the earth are here and their voices are like rushing water running up the robe of the King. Sing my friends, your voice is in a massive kingdom choir. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

Jesus used parables of everyday things that the Hebrew people would have understood to communicate messages about the kingdom of God. He spoke of sheep and shepherds, lost coins, lost sons, wheat, tares, wineskins, fish and nets. Parable after parable after parable trying to communicate kingdom realities to a people who had eyes but could not see and ears but could not hear.

The Lord often does the same for us today. He uses parables, symbols, numbers, whispers to get us to understand a message He is seeking to communicate to us, that we tend to miss for whatever reason.

I pulled out an old journal the other day dating back to 2014 and when I was removing a few pages, out of the binding fell three little keys. Two bronze and one silver. I have been reading Daniel so my mind drifted to the statue in Daniel 2. But it did not resonate, so I have left those keys sitting on my desk all week long.

This morning the Lord whispered to me, “Keys are for locking and unlocking doors. You like doors that open, you like to open doors for people, but keys also shut doors, lock doors. I know you do not like to shut and lock doors, but some need to be shut, some need to be locked.” I looked down at those keys and realized what they have been saying to me all week, lock some doors.

Isaiah 22:22 says, “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” Matthew 16:19 says, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Keys are both for locking and unlocking doors; opening and shutting doors. I am not sure which you have a propensity towards, whether it’s locking or unlocking doors, but the Lord is inviting us to know that keys are for both. Knowing which He is asking us to do is needed in this hour, for not every door is to remain unlocked and not every door is to remain locked. We have been given the keys, now we know need to know what to lock and what to unlock. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org