Time To Be Tapped

I see people like kegs, full of rivers of living water, full of Holy Spirit power and authority, but if you know anything about kegs, they can be 8 or 16, full of something to consume but sealed off. Kegs are wonderful containers, but without a tap they never release what is inside of them. I see people like kegs, they have been filled with gifts, words, songs, rivers of living water, but they have not been tapped, so they don’t realize how much is inside of them. I see 8 gallon kegs, 16 gallon kegs, I see them, they are sitting in churches around the world, they are standing in pulpits, they are working in companies, they are raising children, they are retired in the natural. Kegs, kegs, kegs, I see them everywhere.

The thing about kegs is they just sit there until partnered with a tap. The tap is what breaks the seal and opens up what is inside of the keg, the tap is attached to the keg, but until the tap is pumped what is inside the keg is still just sitting there. I see taps being placed on kegs and the tap is coming with someone to pump what is inside of you out of you. There are rivers of living water inside of you. Jesus said in John 4 rivers of living water will flow out of your belly. You are a keg, you are a well, you are filled you just need to be tapped, pumped, activated.

I see the Lord releasing activation to the kegs, the well, to the church. It is like the church has been a warehouse filling up people with the word and worship and prophesy day after day, week after week, revival after revival, but now God is about to tap you, pump you, activate you. You are about to release rivers of living water from inside of you. There is more in you than you realize, because you have not been tapped. The days of waiting at over, it is now time in the kingdom of God. We are about to experience the sound of rushing water, for the people of God are pouring out rivers of living water.

Enough Talking, Time For Power

The church is people and the kingdom is people. Words we use frequently can become in thought a building or a government. Which is not wrong, for the building in which we as people meet is called a church building; and the kingdom in which we are apart is called the government of God. But we must never forget it is people, not a building, not a government. For God so love the world (people) He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life. This is not an idea it is a person, Jesus Christ, who died for people. We must never lose sight of people in the midst of kingdom things that are about to bust wide open. The kingdom is people, the world is people, the church is people.

Our church has been doing what is called Host 90. As a group, we are reading together one chapter of the Bible a day, as families. Today is Day 56 and we are reading 1 Corinthians 4. As I was reading it this morning, verse 20 jumped off the page, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.” I have heard this many times, I know this verse, but today, it was highlighted to me in living color. Here is how I heard it in the spirit, “The people of God are not talkers, they don’t operate by their mind alone, but they are people of miracles, abundance, strength and excellence of soul.” As I heard this, I asked myself the question is this true of us? I have no control over anyone but me, but I am apart of a “church” locally, Nationally and Internationally, who I am inidividually effects who we are corporately. Therefore, I had to stop and ask, am I a mere talker or do I operate in power?

I believer we all need to ask this question of ourselves.

In this month of Elul, the final month of the Hebrew year, we are invited to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. The question before us today is are we “talkers” or are we ones who are operate in “power”? The best thing about this question is if we don’t like the answer we honestly give to ourselves, we can repent of being talkers and ask the Lord to release His power to us, through us and in us. For we are the temple of God! We are His church! Have a great Sunday.

It’s Bait, Don’t Bite

I was driving to have coffee with a friend yesterday morning when a text message came in, the only line I could see was the preview that came up on my phone. Immediately, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Don’t take the bait, this is a familiar enemy.” This person has a history of pouring out bitterness upon me if I do not comply with their demands. Boundaries are hard for people who are unhealthy. Notwithstanding, the Lord was very clear, bait was dangling in front of me and I was not to take the bait, because this was a familiar enemy.

Hebrews 12:14-15 says, “Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.” David said in Psalm 120:6-7 “Too long has my soul had its dwelling With those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.” Bitterness is a bait and familiar enemies arise when God is about to release a breakthrough for you. Don’t take the bait, this is a familiar enemy.

My friends, people are not our enemies, but the enemy manifests his plans to destroy us through people. We must be aware of the familiar enemies and don’t take the bait. It keeps your heart pure. Be quick to forgive them saying, what Jesus said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Forgiveness is your weapon, not reading what they write is your protection, for their root of bitterness comes through their words like venom and poisons your soul. When I got to my meeting, I had my friend read the text and tell me if there was anything in there I needed to hear and she said, nothing not one thing, can I delete it for you so you are not tempted to read it? I said yes, please do. I will not allow the venom of bitterness in my soul, for I want to remain a person of peace. Don’t take the bait my friends!

Changing Atmospheres

The wisdom of the age does not teach you how to know God. What is the wisdom of the age? For our generation it is religion, politics and science. All three of these areas of society have operated in natural humanistic thinking and all three of these areas have amplified voices in order to keep us natural, when God has created us to be supernatural. One of the questions people ask me is, how come miracles happen in other countries more easily than in ours? One of the reasons is because culturally, the West is very scientific in our approach to life, whereas in other nations they do not have the luxury of “higher education” or “the best hospitals” so they rely on the Holy Spirit and the power of God to heal their bodies.

The cultural atmosphere over a nation actually hinders or helps release the manifestation of the kingdom of God. As believers we have been given authority to “bind and loose”, which means our words have power. When we echo what the political, religious or the scientific narrative of the age is declaring, we actually give it permission and authority to operate in our nation. Our words are that powerful. The reason revelation, demonstration and manifestion, does not happen is not because God does not want to release it to us, it is because we are loosing through our echo, the narrative of the nation, not binding it by not echoing it.

Jesus commissioned us in Matthew 28 to disciple nations, one way we do this is by not echoing the narrative of the age, but the narrative of the kingdom. Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 2 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” Our call is to echo the narrative of the kingdom, in prayer, decrees, prophesy and every day conversations. This is how we bind the narrative of the age in our nation and loose the gospel of the kingdom. My friends this is how we change the atmosphere over a nation and see more manifestations of healing, deliverance, and salvation.

Huge Wealth Transfer

There is a financial transfer of wealth of the likes I cannot even describe and it is fast approaching. The Lord sent Sharon Ward Shirley and I to Jekyll Island, GA on August 9, 2022 to declare “Babylon is fallen!” (Revelation 18). Since that day I have been listening for the echo from others who have an amplified voice and in the past few days it has been everywhere. Here are just a few of the echo’s that confirm we are living in days like no other and it will include financial changes that will bless us beyond what we could imagine. Let me know if you hear what I hear.

On August 8, 2022 Tim Sheets preached and said, “The audit is complete, you’ve been tried and found wanting, the writing is on the wall.” It was a nod to Daniel 5. Then on August 22, 2022 Wanda Alger (prophetess) sent out a word that said, “The upside down kingdom is at hand. Rewards are coming to the faithful. …Treasures from the deep are about to flow through those who have simply been obedient and steadfast in faith.” (Www.wandaalger.me) Then this morning, August 25, 2022, I went to walk Hunter and on the ground right outside our neighborhood is a dollar bill on the ground. I pick it up, put it in my pocket and keep walking. The Lord speaks to me and says, “Prophetic echo!” I got home flip the bill over and it has four 2’s on it. Of course it does. This for me is a nod to Daniel 2, Isaiah 2 and Isaiah 22. All speak of the wealth transfer.

I then sit down to type this blog and the IRS cancels $1.2 billion; Dutch Sheets names his Give Him 15 today, Treasure Mountain; I open Facebook to type this and my friend Clay Sikes is at Jekyll Island; then while typing my friend Amanda sends me a message and says “Student loans are being cancelled.” One thing after another after another. Think spiritually and not naturally and you will hear what the Lord is doing financially. Natural thinking will create fear, spiritual thinking will create faith, hope and joy. I am telling you, we are coming out of Babylon and coming into the Mountain of the Lord! Mark my words, I hear the echo, so I know it is true!!!

He Is Watching

I took my dog (Hunter) on a walk this morning, which I do every morning, but today was a little bit different. As we headed out, there were three young deer in the grassy area across the street from the house. My dog is a dachshund, he’s not the tallest dog in the neighborhood, so he did not see them, but I did. They had a keen eye on me, but they were three babies just enjoying the morning breeze.

Then when Hunter and I returned from our walk, the same three deer were near our house, but this time in another grassy area across the street from our house. I said to Hunter, “Do you see the deer?” His ears go up and the deer begin to run. I knew the mom of these babies was not far away, but she was definetly out of sight. The dad is a 8-10 point buck, we saw him one day as well. The dad is a big man, for our little neighborhood.

Hunter and I come around the corner to go into the house and there is the mom on the side of our house, just staring at me, with her three babies eating peacefully just a few feet away in our neighbors front yard. When Hunter finally saw them for there was a direct line of sight, he lurched toward them on his leash and the four of them pranced into the woods where there is a river for them to drink from.

I share this with you, because God speaks in so many ways, today, He spoke, we are babies in this earth, but though the enemy might not see him, He is watching us very closely, making sure nothing is happening to us. It is no wonder those three babies were content eating grass with us in view, they knew their mom was near by. The same is true for us, we need to enjoy life, knowing full well, the Lord our God and Father is near by watching over us. Enjoy life my friend, your Father is watching over you.

Incoming

There is a sound in the spirit of movement like we have not seen or heard. To a biblically illiterate generation it is easy to impress them or intimidate them by what is said. The show on platforms looks so good and they call it God. The preaching comes with passion declaring purpose and yet there is no power. What I see is God coming with His presence into our space and it will reveal the gimmicks of man. The spirit of deception will disappear in the presence of the spirit of Truth. I see it, I hear it, I know it’s coming to set us free, to break the spell, and to open our eyes.

A great awakening of the likes we can’t describe in advance is fast approaching. The prophetic words are rushing toward the time God has determined for its manifestation. I see the calendar of God with a day marked and the prophetic words drawing near that day. It will be a convergence like no other. When it happens our eyes will open, unbelief will break and confidence in God will soar in the hearts of people. Everything will change at point of contact between the calendar and the prophetic words.

It’s not a wish, a fairy tale, a want, it is the design of God for this generation. Prayers, decrees and prophesies are seeds that have been sown and harvest season is fast approaching. Fear not, the end of this long battle is almost over. The manifestation of truth will change everything.

Isaiah 66:1-2 “Thus says the LORD, Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being, declares the LORD. But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

Here As A Cardiologist

The difference between the old and new wineskin is easily identifiable to God, for we are the wineskins. Old wineskins are those who had fresh revelation at one time, but decided that is the only revelation they need, so built their life and ministry around that revelation. When new revelation is released they are the ones that fight it, for it does not match the revelation they received. The challenge for old wineskin people is that they resist the new revelation God is giving therefore, do not move in continual power, life and joy in the Holy Spirit. Remember, Jesus told the disciples when He called them “Come follow Me!” It was and still is a call to mobility. The Bible says, the glory of God is an ever-increasing glory not a ceasing glory. We need to be on the move with the Spirit of God as He has not stopped moving.

Paul was giving a defense of His life and ministry before some governmental officials in Acts 26 and he said the Lord told him this, “Get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;” Not only to the things you have seen, but also to the things which I will appear to you. Paul could have set up shop on what he saw in Acts 9 on the road to Damascus, but there was more. The same is true for us, we have seen some stuff but there is more, new wineskins are open to the more, even if they have not heard or seen it before.

Yesterday morning in worship, I had an open vision. I saw Jesus walking around the room in a white robe and everyone in the room thought He was coming to heal their bodies, but as He turned, His back was to me, I saw the words CARDIOLOGIST written on the back of His robe, which looked like a physicians coat. I then heard the Holy Spirit say, “You all are looking for physical healing, but the Lord is here to heal your hearts.” The Lord is revealing to us, we are looking for Him to come and do one thing but He is coming to do another thing. He’s coming in a new way and we must be open to what He is doing right now, not only looking for what He has done before. He is coming to healing hearts, He is here as a cardiologist.

Fleeting Versus Establishing

It has been said, what has been said cannot be unsaid. Words are eternal, once you speak them they cannot be retracted. That alone will put the fear of the Lord in you, to guard your mouth and be slow to speak. But that is not the reason for this blog this morning. Today I was reading Proverbs 21 and it says, “A false witness will perish, But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever.” All words do not carry the same weight, even though all words are eternal. Some words, false words, lies, exaggerations, fabrications, the Bible says will perish, they will fade away, they will be heard no more.

Have you ever noticed that lies tend to be the first narrative we are told? This is because truth is weighty and it does not rise as fast as the fireworks of lies, but truth also does not fizzle out as quickly as it shoots up. Truth is solid, unshakable, undeniable, it is weighty and it will prevail while lies will perish. Is it any wonder, we are told by James 1:19-20 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Lies make us angry, it is our first response when we hear them, and honestly that is the goal of the one speaking the lie, to get a quick reaction out of you. But what if you slowed down and listened to all sides, all evidence, before you reacted?

As believers we have the authority to bind and loose (Matthew 16), which means what we speak is established and what we don’t is forbidden to rule on earth. What if we quit echoing the lies we are hearing and starting waiting for the truth to come out and then shouted that? You know what would happen, we would forbid the narrative of lies and loose the narrative of truth that sets people free. Your words are powerful, your echo is powerful, your reaction is powerful, that is why we are called wise if we keep our mouth shut until we know the truth about any given situation. Speak truth, it will establish a narrative in our nation that can’t be denied.

Rewards Ahead

Do you ever have days where the reality of the battle takes center stage in your mind? It is like the weight of the wait feels heavier than usual; the length of time seems to be longer in that moment; it is as though grace lifts for a brief moment and the enemy takes advantage of it in order to discourage you, distract you or to tempt you to detour, quit or deny what God has promised. We all have minutes, days, or even weeks like this, but then in what feels like a split second, someone says something that causes the dark clouds to move on, the heavy weight to lift, the voices to be still. God uses people in ways they do not even realize at the time to speak life by just being who they are and it changes everything for the one who was feeling battle weary.

We as the body of Christ need each other, we cannot do life alone, we are a team. Standing with each other, encouraging one another and helping lift the load is critical for each of us, no matter how strong or weak someone seems to be. As I was reading 2 Chronicles 15 this morning, verse 7 struck me as a word for the moment for many people and I wanted to highlight it to you this morning as I am sure 2 Chronicles 15 is not your go to chapter when you are struggling, but it might be after you hear this. “BE STONG AND DO NOT LOSE COUARAGE, FOR THERE IS A REWARD FOR YOUR WORK!” I sensed the body of Christ needed to hear this today, I know I did.

All the prayers we have prayed, all the prophetic decrees we have made, all the stands we have taken, it can feel like the battle that never ends, but God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19) and today He wanted to remind us, there is a reward for our work. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” My friends, keep believing, keep praying, keep prophesying, keep decreeing, for there is a reward and it is closer than we can see.