Month: March 2024

Perspective can try and determine reality, but perspective is based on our interpretation of what we see. Perspective is based on our history, our reality, our database of truth. Perspective matters, because it comes from thoughts and informs thoughts. But what if there was something greater than perspective? What if there was a higher level of understanding that wants to influence our perspective? What if our perspective is earthly, linear, one dimensional and there was another measure of which we had not considered?

Experiences, opportunities, situations all have a way of changing our perspective on reality. I spent over 10 hours this weekend watching Season 4 of The Chosen in various movie theaters. I had never seen one episode, so yes, I was thrown into the middle of a story, I know from reading in my Bible, but did not know on the silver screen. I had no history with this movie, which gave me fresh eyes to see things others may or may not have seen; to hear things others may not have heard. I had a different perspective, because I had no history with this movie. Yet, my life will never be the same again after this weekend for I had a major perspective change from what I saw in those theaters this weekend.

Jesus of Nazareth is about to change our perspective on who He is and what He can do. Jeremiah 32:27 says, “Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” What we see as not probable based on our history is about to revealed as easily doable for the God of Creation, the Lord of every Nation. He still can save a nation in a day; He still heals the sick; He still opens blind eyes; He still puts coins in fishes mouths. Today, like no other day is a great day to remember there is absolutely nothing too difficult for Him. He rose from the dead, what can He not do?

As in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the son of man. The days of Noah were about many things, not just one thing. It was about the obedience of a man who had never seen rain yet built a huge boat. It was about a generation that was wicked in a way we do not understand. It was about a deluge of water that washed away the wicked and established the righteous. It was about a renewed covenant between God and man with the sign of the rainbow. It was about a vineyard and three sons; a raven and a dove. It is not just a nice story, it is rich with revelation, just like the son of man, Jesus the Christ, who is the embodiment of the word becoming flesh. Oh the depths and riches of God, they are truly unsearchable.

I was reading Acts 10 this morning and the Lord said to me, “I am washing away the dirty doctrines inside of my people.” Dirty doctrines, what a phrase. I know it is God when I have never heard it before. Peter, in Acts 10 has a vision, and it is of unclean animals that he is told to rise up, kill and eat. Peter says, no way, never done it, not doing it. But then, “A voice came to him, Get up, Peter, kill and eat! But Peter said, By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean. Again a voice came to him a second time, What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy. This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.”

We are filled with dirty doctrines of men and God is coming with a flood of revelation to wash us clean of these dirty doctrines, but so often, we like Peter are holding on so tight to what we have been taught we can’t hear what God is saying. Peter was locked into the law of Moses and could not embrace fully the kingdom of God. We are no different. A flood of revelation truth is building and about to be loosed on the nations, for we are in the days of Noah, but we must be willing to be washed clean of dirty doctrines. Dirty doctrines we have come to hold very dear. This will not be easy but it is necessary for our feet need a fresh washing and Jesus has the basin full of water ready to be poured out.

In October 2022 the Lord spoke to me and said, “Watch April!” Confirmation after confirmation came to me that this was a word from the Lord. I shared this word with many people privately and even spoke about it, hashtagged it and was all in that we were to “Watch April” 2023. But God did not say which April, He just said, “Watch April!” April 2023 came and went and I was so disappointed because nothing happened, there was not anything to watch in April last year, but another month come and go.

Prophetic words can be challenging because we assign a time to them, out of our own desire for something to happen right now. But prophetic words are eternal, they linger in the atmosphere until they come to pass if they were truly from God. Abraham and Sarah receive a prophetic word in Genesis 12 about having a child that would lead to generational legacy, but it did not come to pass for 25 years. The word lingered in the atmosphere for 25 years before the time for that word came to pass. The Bible says in Psalm 105:17-19 “He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons; Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.” Prophetic words are not instant potatoes, they linger in the air until the prophetic time aligns with the prophetic word.

It is now the end of March 2024 and for the past three weeks the Holy Spirit has been whispering to me, “Watch April!” I have been shy to say anything because of what happened last year when I said, “Watch April!” But this morning the Lord was clear, I needed to make it known again, the Lord is saying, “Watch April!” What are we going to see, I am not sure, the Lord did not tell me, but what I do know is we are to “Watch April!” The atmosphere is ripe for a manifestation of God of the likes we cannot comprehend, so anything is possible. All I know is we are to “Watch April!”

Risking the religious label that I am out of touch with reality, that I am a pie in the sky teacher, that I can’t see or face reality, I want to share with you what I see in the spirit. I was reading Acts 6 this morning about Stephen, a man full of wisdom, grace and power, who was falsely accused by the religious leaders of preaching against the temple in Jerusalem and the Law of Moses. This was a huge accusation for those who loved the current temple system and were bound to the law of Moses. To be Jewish you had to love the temple and the law. Stephen, a Jew living in Judah, believer in Yeshua, the Messiah and operated in power. This was a threat to the system that was still standing, so they falsely accused him, which was common practice for the religious leaders of that day.

Reading this chapter and the challenges Stephen is facing it says, “They stirred up the people; they put forth false witnesses; but his (Stephen’s) face shone like an angel.” As I read that, the Holy Spirit showed me a spiritual spa treatment the people of God are going to be given. It was likened to me in the spirit like the 6 months of beauty treatments Esther underwent before she went before the king. This is not a girl thing, men get manicures, pedicures, spa treatments as well. What I saw is a weather worn, storm tossed bride, who is hardened by the many challenges she has faced. It is not that she wants to be this way, her circumstances have put her in survival mode and she knows no other way. I felt the mercy of God on the people of God, because they have gone through some really tough stuff.

I see a spa treatment coming for the people of God, it will soften our faces, so like Stephen we look angelic. It will heal our hearts, so our words penetrate with kindness, love, joy and peace. This spa treatment will give us the fragrance of Christ we are lacking that will draw people to Him, not push them away from Him. This spa treatment will take a while to penetrate us because many will not believe they deserve it. Sin will fall off us as the spa treatment does its exfoliating work. The toxins will leave us as the epsom salt baths do their work on us. It will put the bride of Christ in a place of rest she has longed for but did not know how to obtain. This is the Lord’s idea, it is the Lord’s doing, for He loves us and sees us and knows what we need. Softening us is what we need, for we have been hardened by the circumstances of life. We are entering into a spa treatment season.

A day, 24 hours, it seem so insignificant in light of weeks, months, years, decades or even generations. However, there is great power in a day. In a day things can change forever. People get married in a day, people die in a day, promotions are spoke in a day, cataclismic events happen in a day. A day has so much power, so much history, so much value, yet as we wait for the day, whatever day we are waiting for, it can be laborious.

Then the day happens, it feels like a suddenly, because the day has finally met the promise, the day has revealed a problem, the day oh the power of the day. People try to predict the day Jesus is going to return; others are watching what will happen on the day of the eclipse; still some are waiting for the day they get their big break. It is no wonder Jesus said, “Today is the day of salvation!” And the Psalmist said, “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts!” And Solomon will not be left out as he said in Proverbs 27 “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

If you were to map out your life up to this day, you would find not weeks, months or years, but days that have special significance in your history. The day you were born, the day you got married, the day your child was born, the day you gave your life to Jesus, the day you graduated, the day, the day, the day, the day. My friends, do not squander the day, do not curse the day, for today is the day where anything is possible. I am not sure what you are believing for, waiting for, longing for, but as long as it is called today, anything is possible. Rejoice with me today, for today could be the day that changes our life forever.

When the Holy Spirit speaks like one of the beatitudes, I open wide my ears and take heed. Here is what I heard, “You have heard that it is said people want to be seen, heard and loved, but I say people need to be healed, sealed and revealed.” Since being in Tennessee this phrase seen, heard and loved is pervasive, I had never heard it before, but here I hear it all the time, so when the Holy Spirit said this to me, I knew what He was talking about.

Friends, can I be honest with you…humanistic Christianity does not transform a life, only the power of God can do that. What my husband says is, “One touch from heaven changes everything!” We go for years of counseling so we can feel seen, heard and loved, but many people have no transformation that is lasting from counseling. If we could experience once touch from God’s power, our lives would never be the same again. I have experienced the power of God. I remember feeling like I was lying on an operating table as I laid on a prayer floor and God did surgery on my soul. I did not just fall down, I got back up a new person. I can’t explain it with words, but I know my life has changed forever because of the power of God.

Humanistic Christianity sounds good, feels good, for a moment but it has no lasting effects. We must experience the power of God. God can heal you with a word, seal every breach in you with a touch, and reveal to you who He is in ways that are indescribable. Life coaching sermons, seen, heard and love declarations, do not transform you. They may comfort you for the moment, but only power can eradicate anxiety, fear, depression. Only the finger of God can cast out generational spirits, demons and tormenting voices. Church, we need the power of God to heal us, seal us and reveal to us who He is. We do not need to be seen, heard and loved, yet again by another person, what we need is to die to ourselves and live for Him who sees us, hears us and loves us. We need to repent of humanistic Christianity and return to biblical Christianity.

I was out walking Hunter, our dog, this morning and the breeze was blowing at a perfect speed, the clouds were moving at the pace of the wind, the sun was beginning to rise and the temperature was cool enough to enjoy a morning walk. The birds were singing, the squirrels were playing, the other walkers were talking with their friends and I was talking to God. Many days I start my prayers with praise and thanksgiving, but today I started it with “How are you doing, Lord?” My mind struggled with this question, for He is God there is never a bad day with Him, but still the honor in the question felt right, so I waited in silence in case He wanted to answer. No answer came, but still the question felt right as the way to start the day.

After navigating in and out of neighborhoods; up and down hills; and meandering through parking lots, I came upon a grassy field with what looked like an altar in the distance. I said in my heart, Lord, is that an altar? The closer I got, on this church property, the more it looked like an altar, not a man mad altar, a God designed altar for those who had eyes to see it as such. For some it was just a stack of rocks, but to me it was an altar. As I knelt down in the grass by that altar this morning, I gave my life to the Lord afresh and anew just like I did in 1991 as I knelt down in that Lutheran Church in MN facing that old wooden cross. No fireworks then, no signs in the heaven then, and none today, just a sense of saying, after all these years, I am still yours and You are still mine.

While kneeling there, looking up at the sky, in wide open spaces, I gave my life to Him again. Not to be sen by men, not to be heard by neighbors, not to be loved by people, but just because I wanted Him to know I see the altar you set before me; I know the words that say, we are to be a living sacrifice; and I want you to know I love You, I see You, I hear You. No worship team led me to this place, no prophet gave me a word, nope it was just a spontaneous moment with me and my God. I pray you find moments of intimacy with God, in places you would not expect, for He is not in a building made by the hands of man, He is Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is the mystery that is rooted in history and is going to change our trajectory forever.

Ever since the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost on those 120 men and women in Jerusalem, Peter declared this was the fulfillment of Joel 2 that God would pour out His spirit upon all flesh. This meant sons and daughters, men and women could and would prophesy from that point on. To prophesy has many meanings, it can be a future prediction, but it is also proclaming good news or according to 1 Corinthians 14 it is for comfort, exhortation and encouragement. Everyone can prophesy, for it is the speaking forth of words to other people.

In Nehemiah 6 we read of Nehemiah completing the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem so there were no breaches any longer. This angered the enemies of Nehemiah, so they falsely accused him of many things, but none of it stuck, so they tried a new tactic…intimidation/fear. But they did not come to him directly, for they tried that and it did not work, so they hired “prophets” in order to speak things that would put fear in Nehemiah and fear then would stop him from restoring the walls around Jerusalem. The enemy hired prophets to speak to Nehemiah. They did not hire people who Nehemiah did not know as prophets, they hired prophets in Jerusalem, ones Nehemiah knew to be prophets.

Nehemiah says in 6:12-14 “I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me. Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.” Prophets of fear are hired prophets, seeking to stop what God is building.

Friends, God does not use fear to get us to do what He wants us to do. Fear paralyzes us. God uses faith to motivate us, encourage us, empower us to succeed in what He is inviting us to do. We must perceive what a “prophet” is saying, for if it causing fear, anger, frustration, in you that is not a prophet sent from God. We need to perceive clearly what the “prophets” are saying for more are hired than we realize. Nehemiah was not moved and neither should we be.

Hmmmmmmmm…..deception is deceiving; it blinds our eyes to the truth that can set us free; it is subtle; it is sneaky; it is stealthy; no wonder we don’t recognize it upon arrival. One of the tactics of the enemy is to get us to parrot what we hear because we are so busy we don’t slow down when we read; think before we repeat what we hear; and consider what we are being told. It is as though auto-pilot is the desire of the enemy for us, because then we live in deception and don’t even realize it; we fight those who speak the truth to us because it does not align with our preprogrammed thoughts; and then we remain in bondage and don’t even see it, nor do we want to hear it. Things that make me go hmmmmmmmmm!

Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.” The question we don’t ask because we have been told the thief is the enemy, but who is the enemy, who was Jesus actually speaking to in John 10 when He said “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy?” The thief Jesus was speaking about was the Pharisees. They are the people He is speaking to and about. John 10:1 “Jesus said to the Pharisees…” John 10:6 “Jesus told the Pharisees this parable even though they didn’t understand a word of what He meant.” John 10:7, “So Jesus went over it again…” The people He was speaking to were the teachers, the religious leaders, of the people of God. The thief Jesus was referring to were the teachers of God’s word. What were they robbing the people of God of?

John 10:9 says, ‘I AM the Gateway. To enter through Me is to experience life, freedom, and satisfaction.” They came to steal the people’s freedom, Jesus came to set the people of God free from the religious system that had them bound, but they could not see for they had been programmed to believe they were free. Oh friends, there is a mass exodus coming and people are going to flee the religious system in droves, not to go back into a newly packaged but same spirit system, no they are going to hear the truth that sets them free and they are going to hear the truth that keeps them free. Babylon is falling!!!!!

The Lord spoke to me as clear as day moments ago and said, “I give the money to the apostles, so they can distribute to all who have need. I am looking for apostles that will be distributors or wealth not builders of buildings.” Immediately I knew it was in reference to Acts 2 and Acts 4 which says, “With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.”

The Lord is not going to be giving money for building projects, but for the building of people. Everyone is speaking about a new wine skin; a new blueprint; a new model; the next revival; another great awakening. The reason none of that language is landing, none of that is going to be reality is because it is not going to be something we have already seen before, heard before, or done before. If what has been done worked, then why is it not in operation right now? Revival is not some short term pick me up. Awakening is not some alarm that startles us into action. God is wanting to transform us into His likeness. The problem is we are in the way, we love us too much, we want our way, our preferences, our desires, our goals, our dreams. We love us, we don’t want to die to us in order to follow Him.

The days of building projects are over, we have enough “church” buildings, stadiums, barns, event centers, to house a move of God, what we need is a brand new breed of people. Ones that love God, that love people, that are distributors of all the resources of heaven for the building up of people not another brick and mortar structure to host people once in a while. Friends, the new wine skin is an ancient idea and the money is going to be given to the apostles who will distribute it to those who have need not to those who want to make a name for themselves, build a building for themselves, or start another ministry for themselves. The Lord is looking for those who have died to themselves, those are the ones who will be the distributors of heavens resources. And it is so much more than money. Apostles are distributors not church planters.