Lisa Great

How many of you know God as a starter? He starts dreams, ideas, goals, plans, purposes, thoughts, callings, salvations. He is the God who starts, that is why one of His names is Alpha.

There is something about starting something that is so energy driven, passion-filled, love infused. Think of starting a new friendship or romantic relationship. I was with some friends the other day and I told them about the day, my now husband said to me, we are to be more than friends. Lightning went through my body, what a start.

Think of that business idea you started with on paper, on the white board, on the notepad. Anticipation, excitement, wonder, awe, oh the joys of the start we all know so well.

Remember when you first got saved. The colors were brighter, the smells were undeniable, the love you felt for people you could not shake, and the sense of being clean was real. I remember I was working at a Car Wash and I told everyone in that car wash what happened to me. The whole place got saved and started coming to my youth group. What a start.

We know the God who starts, we know the Alpha, but how many people stay long enough in the process to know the God who finishes, to know the Omega God. He is not a God who starts something and does not finish it. We may quit, but He never does.

Omega is the God we have yet to know. Omega God is not death, it is finishing what He started. Finishing a season, finishing an assignment, finishing a relationship, finishing a project. The finisher is like crossing it off the list, marking it as done.

Many people quit, they don’t finish. We as people struggle to stay because the honeymoon of the start, the Alpha has wore off, the measure of our patience in the process wains, so we quit. But if we stay, if we remain, if we continue, there is an Omega, Finisher God we meet and He is just as good as the Alpha that started it.

I pray you don’t quit, for He is not just a starter, but a finisher and the finisher is as enjoyable as the starter. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

One degree is the reason we are not seeing what the word of God says we should see. One degree! My friend Jana Alcorn said this weekend at FORGE, if you are one degree off on your flight path, your desired destination of NYC will end you up in Amsterdam. One degree is the reason for a completely different destination.

One degree is the reason we hear such great sermons but they do not produce great impact in people’s lives. One degree is all it takes to be off and that one degree has caused so much disappointment fatigue, people have become apathetic. One small degree.

Many many many, I may even say most messages we hear from pulpits, on social media, or in conferences are one degree off of what scripture is actually saying. The reason is, we are not reading verses in context, we are pulling them out to match a thematic message. One degree off is why we are not seeing the harvest for the many seeds sown.

Here is a great example. We have heard people says, don’t touch God’s anointed, and do God’s prophets no harm. Great exhortation, but it is not talking about you or me, individually. In context it was speaking of a nation in Psalm 105 “He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant. He permitted no man to oppress them, And He reproved kings for their sakes: Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”

The other place we read touch not God’s anointed is in the context of David saying this about the king of Israel, Saul. “David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?” One degree off and we have people who are fearful of those who claim to be God’s anointed. The context is about a nation and a king of a nation.

What if we applied this correctly? Then we would be more careful with what we say about our President, whether Democrat or Republican? Maybe we would watch our mouth about Putin, Xi, Netanyahu or even the King of Saudi Arabia. Friends, in context, we have many who are touching God’s anointed and doing God’s prophets harm, for nations are God’s inheritance. In context this should bring the fear of the Lord. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

There are certain days in our lives that mark us forever. Today, March 24th marks an anniversary of the Smithton Outpouring. Some have never heard of it, others have had their lives changed forever by it.

During the revival season in the 90’s where Brownsville and Steve Hill were having salvations in Florida and Randy Clark was having a healing revival happening in Toronto, Canada, a third less known move of God was happening in a little country church in Smithton, MO a town of 532 people.

Pastor Steve Gray was the senior pastor of a congregation in a town with one gas station, a few stop signs and was in the middle of a cornfield. He was offered a job years earlier in the music industry at a big church up north, but when he presented the idea to the Lord, and asked Lord what would you do? The Lord said, I would raise the dead. This kept Pastor Steve in Smithton, MO.

Little did Pastor Steve or anyone else know that March 24, 1996 would change all of their lives forever. A day that would begin history. It was just another Sunday, Pastor Steve comes walking through the same side door into the sanctuary he walked through for over 12 years, but tonight was going to be different.

When he went to greet his wife on the front row, before he could hug her, the power of God struck him like lightning and he began to jump up and down, next the congregation began to jump up and down. All of them by the altar, jumping up and down as the power of God was poured out in that one moment and it changed the course of history for many people.

Now 30 years to the day later, myself along with many others have been powerfully impacted by Pastor Steve Gray’s yes to God, saying yes, I will host a move of God. Host he did and host he does. I came in September 1999 and my life changed forever in one weekend in that little country church. Small beginnings big impact. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” (Zechariah 4:10) Happy 30 year anniversary to the Smithton Outpouring. My life will never be the same again and I will never change my mind.

On Thursday morning during a women’s bible study I lead, we were in Acts 19 and the question was posed in the text, what baptism did you receive? The response in scripture is, the baptism of John. The conversation continues and says, John baptized with water for repentance, then they proceeded to baptism them in the Holy Spirit and they spoke in tongues.

These verses led to a discussion about the three baptisms noted in Matthew 3:11 John says, “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Three baptisms, water, Holy Spirit (wind) and fire.

This weekend at our Forge event, the Lord spoke to me through Zechariah 13, where it speaks of a fountain opening up for the house of David, a removing of the false prophets and unclean spirits (wind) and refining like silver and testing like gold (fire).

Now yesterday in our home church group, worship took us into the presence of God like we had not experienced before in that room, and I had a vision of water up to our waste and angels rushing over our head (wind), so I asked the Lord where is the fire and one woman said, I can sense the fire of God blazing inside of me. Water, wind, fire. Four days in a row.

Friends, I believe we are seeing a convergence of the three baptisms as noted in Matthew 3:11, water, wind and fire. Water people are converging with wind people and both are converging with fire people. Water for repentance, wind for spirit filled living and fire for refining, forging. The Lord is bring together a water, wind and fire baptized people. All three happening simultaneously.

This is the order of the spirit of God for His house, we must be immersed in water for repentance, wind for an infilling and fire for forging. Water, wind and fire, here we go. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

We are a part of a kingdom of rewards. God is a rewarder. This may be the hardest shift for people to make. We are so accustomed to earning wages, we do not know how to accept rewards.

Under the Old Covenant, it was a works based religion. They worked the law they were blessed, they broke the law they were cursed. But the Bible says, the Law was a tutor, until we came to maturity, then we no longer needed the Law. It also says, the Law is for lawbreakers.

The question then becomes how to we live a life without Laws to obey? This is what we need to learn. We need to learn to love. Jesus said, there are only two commandments, Love the Lord your God and Love your neighbor as yourself. Love is the command under the New Covenant.

The question is what does Love look like? It looks like Jesus, for Jesus is God and God is Love. Love lays down its life for others; Love serves doesn’t sit; Love gives generously on all occasions; Love is stated in 1 Corinthians 13; Love is seen in 1 John and the gospel of John.

Works earn wages, love receives rewards. Hebrews 13 says, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We seek that which we love, not for reward, but we are rewarded for seeking, for in seeking you find. Find what? Find Him, He is the reward of diligently seeking Him.

Proverbs 22:4 says, “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.” We all know God opposes the proud and exalts the humble, but did you know there is a reward for humility?

Oh the joys of discovering the rewards found in being apart of this kingdom of love – kingdom of God. Friends, we must learn to receive rewards, for they are a response from a very generous God. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

We are in a famine and many do not even realize it. People are hungry for truth, but they do not know where to find it. People are thirsty for the authentic but they do not know where to look. Others are famished in the spirit, but do not even realize it until a trial comes, a financial challenge hits them.

We go to church every week, or we do not go to church at all. We attend conferences, we listen to social media preachers, but we do not realize we are starving for truth that will set us free. Is it possible we have gotten so used to not eating the truth, that when the truth is served, we do not know how to respond to it?

Amos 8:11-12 says, ““Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it.”

What if the days are not coming, what if we are living in these days and have been for longer than we realize? Did you know you can get used to singing songs, giving offerings, hanging out with people and not have an appetite for truth, a hunger for God?

We have been living on a diet of preservative filled truth, that when we are given real food, we do not have a taste for it. We are so accustomed to boxed sermons, canned worship, packaged scriptures, that we no longer enjoy what is fresh, what is real food. We are in a famine and only God Himself is going to be able to wake us up.

There has been a physical food revolution and the people in it are passionate about it, but the truth is, we are not any healthier because of it, due to the reality that our famine is not chemicals in the sky or in a can, it is the famine of the Truth in our Judeo Christian culture called the West. If only we could see what we really look like in the spirit. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

How fast is your obedience? You know when you hear the Lord speak to you, how quickly do you obey what you heard? How soon after you heard the voice of God do you do something about what you heard? We love prophetic words, but how many people do anything with what they hear?

Reading Genesis 22 this morning and it says, “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”

Do you see that, Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey. Instant, next day, obedience to what God asked him to do. When you hear the voice of God, when someone prophesies over you, what do you do with what you hear? How soon do you act on what God said?

I hear a lot of people crying delay, unanswered prayers, where is God? But my question is when is the last time you did what God told you to do? How quickly did you do what He asked of you?

I know He is God and we are not, but we are one with God and so when He says do something we need to do it immediately, and when we ask for something you will find Him do it sooner rather than later. We are one, us and God are on the same team, why would He delay and He wonders why would we.

Friends, when God speaks it is because He is not wanting us to just ooohhh and aaaahhhh over the prophetic word, it is for action. Do something with what you hear. I heard God say, you and Jana are going to do something together and I saw the back of our two blond heads together, so I called her and told her what God said, now tonight we are doing FORGE. It started with what I heard about 6 weeks ago and now here we are.

Don’t wait, don’t hesitate, do something with what you hear. Prophetic words are not for journals only, they are for action on earth, for people need what God has put in you. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

When I was a kid we used to take chalk and create a hop scotch board on the walkway in front of our house. We would leap on one foot from square to square, until we hit the two squares and then we leapt on one foot again until the end. Oh the simplicity and joy of childhood games that bring back such good memories.

Whenever I see a chalk laden hopscotch board on the ground, I cannot resist one foot leaping through it. I am not as young in body as I used to be, but this childlike heart will always be there for moments that bring back such great memories.

I was thinking of this today as I was reading Colossians 2 that says, “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”

You may ask how do these two things relate? I think many people are hopping along on one foot in their life and then wondering why they are not living an over-comers life, a life of victory.

We have done the first part, we have received Christ Jesus the Lord, but very few are doing the second part which is being firmly rooted, built up, established and overflowing with gratitude. This is the second part of Christianity. This is where both feet hit the ground and we walk out our Christian life.

I know many people who have received Christ, but very few who are established, rooted, overflowing. Friends, the Lord is inviting us to stop hopping only and put both feet in this walk with Christ. Put the second foot down, read your bible, join a prayer group, find a mentor, start a small group, put your second foot down, it makes walking with Christ easier. No need to hop along any longer. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

I was on a walk with the dog this morning and almost immediately the Lord began speaking to me and kept speaking to me throughout the whole walk. It was like I was being trained by the Holy Spirit very early this morning and what He showed me I believe will help many of you with relationships you are in or ways you operate in relationships.

When someone gets hurt, wounded, misunderstands, or has a conflict we have two choices of how we are going to respond. Not instantly, over time. The Lord said this is a Jeremiah 6:16 picture. “Thus says the LORD, Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.”

Here are the two paths…one path is the path called The Need To Be Right. This path is paved with pride, leads to isolation, becomes self-protection and some think it is just a personality trait called introvert, but God says it is pride because they need to be right.

The other path is called Desire To Be Reconciled. This path is paved with humility, leads to community, becomes a place where we are surrounded and some think it is just a personality trait called extrovert, but God says it is humility because they desire to be reconciled.

The Lord showed me these two paths relate to our relationship with God and with other people. Everyone of us gets hurt, wounded, misunderstands and has conflict, but the path we chose reveals our heart to us and others. Jeremiah tells us to stand by the ways, see the two paths, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it.

We cannot hide from the truth God is laying out for us, we know what path we are on, and so does the Lord and honestly so do others. Now we get to chose, will we remain in pride, or will we enter the ancient path of humility and be reconciled to God and others. The choice is still yours. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

What if your words were either light or darkness as they came out of your mouth? Imagine this with me for a minute…imagine you can see the words that come out of people’s mouth. Imagine you can see what comes out of your mouth. We know words are seeds, but did you know they are seeds of light or seeds of darkness?

I was picturing this as I read in Psalm 97:11 “Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart.” It as as though I saw white Christmas lights coming out of people’s mouths as they spoke words of life, words of hope, words of encouragement. But it was like I saw these black orbs coming out of people’s mouths as they spoke words of death, destruction, disaster.

I wonder if the darkness is getting darker because of what we are speaking, what we are sowing. What if your words are making the world darker by what you are saying, what you are sowing? And what if your words were adding light to darkness when you speak and it is actually giving someone hope?

Proverbs 17:22 says “A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul. But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression.” What if your words of joy spoken were lights shining in people’s dungeon of darkness, depression, sickness? Can you see how what you say is either adding light to the world or more darkness to it?

In John 8:12 Jesus said He is the Light of the world, that means His words were light beams that pierced the darkness, so others could see. Then in Matthew 5:12-14 Jesus said, “You all are the light of the world” that means when we speak we pierce darkness with words of light that come out of us.

What is coming out of you, words of light or words of darkness? Are you piercing the darkness with light or adding to the darkness with your words? You can’t escape, so you might as well add light to the world, since that is who you are called to be. But if you are living in darkness, then we need to add light to you. Church, Christ in you is the Light of the world, so Christ coming out of you should be light words. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org