Getting What We Long For

I was walking into my bathroom to wash something out in the sink and someone’s face flashed into my spirit and the Holy Spirit said to me, “Many of my children are mad at me because they have not gotten what they wanted from me when the wanted it.” I came and sat down at my desk to ponder what the Lord just said to me.

I sat here thinking, if I got what I wanted when I wanted it, I would have missed out on what I needed, even when I didn’t know I needed it. We think we need money, a microphone, a ministry position, a certain job, whatever it may be we think we need, so when we don’t get it we pull away from God.

What if what you think you want or need is not what you actually need? I thought I needed one thing, but in the waiting for what I believe I am called to be, I have found what I longed for and did not even know it.

We were made for intimacy with God. We were made for community with people. We have the ability to hear the voice of God; to speak to and hear from the Living God; this is beyond what we can even comprehend. We have the living God inside of us. Selah.

When we think ministry, microphones, money, men, women, positions, titles, whatever it may be is more valuable than intimacy with God, we pursue those things and miss the most valuable person, position and wealth offered to us. Jesus Christ is what we long for. Intimacy is what we were made for. I have learned He holds back what I think I want in order to give me what He knows I need. I need Him, His presence, His voice and so do you. Nothing satisfies like Him.

I know some people are mad at God because they haven’t gotten whatever it is they think they want, but when we wake up, we will see He is what we long for and He is truly our hearts desire, for He alone is eternally satisfying. #Mondaymusings

Sunday’s Weather

Over the past few days the weather was predicted to be extremely volatile in our area. On Friday morning before the sun rose I was walking the dog and the eery silence was in the air, the calm before the storm. It was palpable in the atmosphere. The wind was beginning to pick up, the clouds were rolling in and everyone was on edge as the radar showed some significant weather that was headed our way.

Now this morning, before the sun rose I was again out walking the dog and the calm after the storm was palpable as well. However, this atmosphere was not eery but peaceful. The birds were singing, the gentle breeze was blowing, the moon was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. Two different days, same weekend and yet two completely different atmospheres.

Reading 1 John 2:8 this morning, the Lord reminded me of the difference in the days I felt and John penned it so well, “The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.” If we build our theology on Friday’s weather, we will miss truth about Sunday’s weather. All day Saturday it rained off and on but the predictions that looked so promising and looming never landed with the punch they expected them to punch.

May we not be ones that build a theology around Friday’s weather, of darkness, death, gloom and doom, but may we be ones who build our lives, speak words and make decrees about Sunday’s truth. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the air is clear and Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. The darkness has passed, the true light is shining and the kingdom of God is at hand. The atmosphere has changed, now we must align our theology with that change.

Circuit Riders 2.0

When I first got saved, I would see a lot of pictures and those pictures would confirm where people were at in their life and it brought hope to them that God saw them, heard them and loved them. The picture might not have meant anything to me, but as I shared it with them, many times the tears would fall from their eyes as they knew what I saw was from God.

In our walk with the Lord the way He speaks to us changes over time, but He never leaves us with only one way of communication. He actually adds ways of communicating to us. We may have a dominant way of hearing, but He is always speaking, if we are listening, there is always something being said that lets us know He is with us in ways we may not even recognize.

While praying Psalm 45 this morning, I had a short film run through my spirit in which I saw people on horseback riding across the USA and I saw in their saddlebags a bible. As I was watching this in motion picture playing out in my spirit, the Holy Spirit said, “Those are the circuit riders of old and they are being released again across the earth again to bring the gospel of the kingdom.”

Psalm 45:4 says, “In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!”

I see circuit riders carrying the gospel of the kingdom all across the nation and the nations for the cause of truth. They are coming in meekness and will be people of righteousness. God is sending them out two by two in order to see people set free. The circuit riders have been released to advance the kingdom of God on earth again. I can hear the sound of their horses hooves coming to a city near you.

Order Is Being Restored

When a nation wins the favor of a king, things change in ways most people do not understand or comprehend. Today is 3/14/25 and as I looked at this date the Lord spoke to me and said, “Today is a day or order. Today, I restore order.” 

He showed me in today’s date the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Then I was reminded there was a blood moon last night, thanks to people who take pictures of the sky when I am sleeping. And today is Purim, which is a feast found in the book of Esther. “Today is a day of order. Today, I restore order” says the Lord. 

I am reading Esther 1:13 and it says, “Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times…” this made me think of 1 Chronicles 12:32 which says, “Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” Here we have Persian wise men who know the times and a tribe of Israel who knows the times. 

What time is it? “It is time to restore order” says the Lord. If God is restoring order this is the decree of the King, so it shall come to pass, but what is out of order. To answer this question we must know what time it is. 

A blood moon is usually a sign to Israel, while an eclipse of the sun is a sign to the Gentile nations. So a blood moon on Purim is a sign that what the enemy intended for evil God is turning for good, a new decree has been sent forth, “God is restoring order!” 

Kings make decrees, but they also throw banquets and give lavishly to their people. When David was on the battlefield with Israel and Goliath (1 Sam. 16), he was told the man who defeats the giant will have no taxes in Israel. King Ahasuerus says in Esther 2:18, after crowing Esther the new queen, “Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.”

God is restoring order and this new order is coming with a new queen, a new feast, a new decree and we are about to see royal generosity. Can you see what I see? “It is time to restore order” says the Lord.

Billionaires Board Meeting

One of the things I do weekly is sit as the study hall monitor for three hours at my son’s school. During this three hours I interact with the students, listen to their stories, monitor their behavior and just thoroghly enjoy their presence.

Watching their personalities, listening to their conversations, monitoring their dance moves and judging their acrobatic feats is such a joy for me. We are usually in the church youth room which has a basketball hoop, jungle gym set, round tables and even picnic benches to sit on. But that room is under renovation this week, so we were moved to the conference room.

For one hour 10 students sat around a board room table and since it was the last hour of the school day, we created a scenario where we were in a Billionaires Board Meeting with one agenda topic, money. I wrote the agenda on the white board, they sat in their high back chairs around the mahogany table with laptops open and we opened our discussion with one question, “If you had access to unlimited resources what would you do with it?”

The answers to this question were wide and varied from buying houses and vacations for family members, to shopping for all the clothes they wanted. But one student, who is challenging at times, spoke up and said, “I would give everyone in the world a million dollars.” The room went silent. I let the silence linger for a moment then said, “Now that is what abundance sounds like.”

From the one student who has struggled in school came the answer about abundance that this mock board meeting was all about. One mom came in the room and asked what class this was and I said study hall. She smiled and said they are sure learning a lot today in this class.

Friends, Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came to give us life and give it to us more abundantly. Abudance is about generosity, and the one student who seemed least likely to understand abundance understood it clearly and revealed the kingdom of God in that mock Billionaires Board Meeting with those students in my study hall. May we have an abundance attitude in every area of our lives.

Living Large

Do you ever wonder why some people live big lives and other people live small lives? Some would say it is an introvert versus extrovert thing; others would say it is based on how much money some has or does not have; but what does the Bible say?

Proverbs 11:24-25 says, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” What if the size of your world is based on the measure you pour out?

The enemy of our soul wants us to believe we do not have enough time or money to be generous. The world tells us when you are rich you can be generous, when you are retired you can help others because now you have more time. The truth is, we all get 24 hours in a day, same measure for everyone, yet some are generous with their time and others are not.

In the kingdom of God, generosity is not a number we see in our bank account, it is an attitude we carry. 2 Corinthians 9:11 says, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” In the kingdom of God we multiply our money by giving it away not by storing it up.

Our generosity causes others to give thanks to God. Then Amos 9:13 adds, “The days are coming, declares the LORD, when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.”

Friends, Isaiah 54 tells us to extend out tent pegs, make room for more. More people, more money, more blessings, more time, more grace, more truth, more of it all. But the more is waiting for us to pour out what we have on others so God can pour out what He has on us. Generosity is the kingdom’s idea of giving.

Voices

Voices…we listen to them everyday. We hear what people say, we hear what God says, we hear what the media tells us, we read books and billboards, voices are everywhere. We cannot escape voices. Loud voices, quiet voices, spoken voices, written voices, social media voices, still small voices. Everyone is talking and everyone has something to say.

Do you know why this is a good thing? God gave us a voice and He did not just give men a voice, He did not just give women a voice, He gave all of creation a voice. Birds sing, geese trumpet, ducks quack, turkeys gobble, bears growl and dogs bark. Trees clap their hands, winds blow, waves crash and fires crackle. Everything that is created has a voice.

Our voice is our ability to utter sounds that communicate messages. Nobodies voice is unnecessary, but not everyone’s voice is beneficial. How we use the greatest gift God gave all of creation, which is our voice, is of the utmost importance. Only you know how you use your voice, because only you are with you 24 hours a day.

Abagail is a woman in 1 Samuel 25 who used her voice to bless king David, so much so it says, “David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition.” The king of Israel listened to her voice and did what she said. She added value to the kings life and he knew it and obeyed it.

My dad told me years ago, whatever you do Lisa, don’t lose your voice. He saw something coming in my life I did not see and I lost my voice for a season. That season was very dark for me, but God has restored my voice and I will never lose it again. Our voice is a gift from God, may we use it to be a blessing to others, to build up others, to add value to others. You have a voice, use it for the glory of God and never lose it, just like my dad said.

Hide and Seek

Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s on the Northside of Minneapolis, we knew all our neighbors. We knew when the street lights came on we had to go home for the night. We knew the sound of everyone’s mom’s voice calling them in for dinner. We spent so much time outside, playing kickball, kick the can, hide and seek, so much fun from the moment we got home from school until those street lights came on each night. We rode our BMX bikes, jumping man holes in the street and we skitched behind the bus on those snow packed streets of Minneapolis. I loved those days with those people.

This memory came to my mind this morning as I was reading Proverbs 8 when it says in verse 14 “You will find true success when you find me, for I have insight into wise plans that are designed just for you. I hold in my hands living-understanding, courage, and strength. They’re all ready and waiting for you.”

Wisdom is playful, she loves to play hide and seek. She doesn’t hide so we can’t find her, she hides so we can show we love the pursuit of finding her. She says of herself in verses 30-31 “I was there, close to the Creator’s side as his master artist. Daily he was filled with delight in me as I playfully rejoiced before him. I laughed and played, so happy with what he had made, while finding my delight in the children of men.”

When we find wisdom we find enjoyment in life. When we discover who wisdom really is, we will find our lives filled with laughter, delight and a childlike joy that others will see in us. Wise people are fun people, they love to laugh, dance, rejoice and they delight in others. If the church needs anything it is wisdom, because wisdom will make us fun to be around. I pray the Lord gives you a spirit of wisdom as Paul said in Ephesians 1.

If you want to join me, I am going to play a game of hide and seek with wisdom; then we will hit the dance floor and sing, I got joy; before ending our day smiling at the people God has placed in our lives because games are more fun with others than they are alone. Come on friends, let’s pursue wisdom, she is a lot of fun, I know you will like her, she adds value to everything we do.

Heaven’s Invasion

The landscape of the world is changing in such a way it will be unrecognizable to those who lived in the world before this change of epic proportions. There are massive earth moving shifts taking place behind the scenes which are going to change the landscape above ground for the better beyond all we could ask, think or even imagine. There are no words to describe the kingdom of God activity happening on earth right now.

No one has seen what is coming, no one can plan it out, prophesy it, or even prepare for it, for this is a God plan not a man’s plan. This is not some past awakening, revival or healing movement, this not anything we have seen in the past, this is a kingdom invasion with a love we have never known before and it is tailor made by God Himself.

Psalm 37 gives us some insight into how to navigate all we are seeing, hearing and sensing. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”

Those who will govern the new world of love God is establishing on earth will be meek (humble, gentle, those who put themselves after others in importance); they will be peacemakers for they are people of peace for they do not fret (burn, blaze up, kinde, angry, zealous or jealous).

Love covers a multitude of sins, that is why Jesus the Prince of Peace was sent as God’s only son as the exact expression of love the world needed. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is the world God is establishing on earth as it is in heaven. We are not going to heaven, heaven is coming to earth. Peace and love is the air we must learn to breathe.

Time To Build

Whenever there is a building project under way, there is a lot of movement. Something’s are being moved out of the way, others things are being brought in to help prepare the way. When you hear of and see a lot of movement that means a building project is under way.

People who have been in a place of stagnancy will be surprised when movement begins to take place. Not because they will not like what is being built, but because they have been lulled to sleep by the narrative of retreat, rather than seeded with the narrative of build and plant.

The awakening is a building narrative of hope, joy, peace, prosperity, truth and healing. In a land where nothing changes, decay advances, neglect is obvious, it takes a minute to make the shift to new life coming forth. Some people are suspicious and out of their mouth comes seeds of suspicion; others are skeptical; still some are apprehensive. These are all natural reactions to major changes.

Not everyone can get a Birds Eye view of what is happening, that is why it is drip, drip, drip of changes taking place in every area of society. Television is changing, government is changing, education is changing, ministry leaders are changing, business is changing, entertainment is changing, the media is changing. It was a slow turn away from one thing, but it is a quick pivot to the new thing.

Isaiah 57 says, “And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near, says the LORD, and I will heal him.”

God is building not tearing down, planting not uprooting, harvesting not rapturing. Everything is becoming new, shake off the old, open your eyes, the kingdom of God is at hand!!!!