Author: lisagreatenebeli

If you are political you will struggle to be spiritual. The reason being, because politics has to do with parties, people and policies, but the spirit has to do with atmosphers, heart postures and kingdom principles. Every nation has leaders people do not want in office and political people struggle to say nice things, pray powerful prayers, for political people who do not align with their politics. Politics is polarizing, divisive and destructive to families, churches and nations. But when you are spiritual you are not political.

I was reading Psalm 71 this morning and the Holy Spirit asked me how many people are praying this for the leader of their land? “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!”

When you are political you cannot join the psalmist and say, “Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day! May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field! May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!” But if you are spiritual you can pray this for whoever is in office.

Friends I do not know your political leaning, but I am asking you to be spirtual. Whether you like the politics, policies or personality of who is in office or who will be put in office over your nation is irrelevant. When you are spiritual not political, you pray Psalm 71 for that person, for they have been put their to lead your nation and when we pray God moves powerfully in our lives, in our nation and in their lives. Don’t forget Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” Pray friends, pray for the leader of your nation, God is making ginormous moves right now and they are about to manifest.

Building are places where people gather and depending on the name of the building determines what they are gathering for. If you see a building with the name Wal Mart on it you are gathering with others to go shopping. If the name on the building is Red Robin you are gathering to eat a meal with other diners. If the name on the building is Starbucks, you are gathering for a cup of coffee. And if the name on the building is church, temple or synagogue you are gathering with others who are wanting to know God.

While walking by a church in my neighborhood today the Lord and I began to discuss the building and the Holy Spirit said, “The building is a gathering place, people gather here because they want to hear about me. The name on the building tells people what they are gathering for.” I stared at the name on the building longer than normal today, because the conversation the Lord and I were having was so enthralling to me. It is only a brick and mortar building when no one is there, but it is a place people come to meet with God.

These thoughts led to the Lord sharing with me that I am a tent of meeting and so are you. A tent of meeting is a place where people come for a certain reason. Acts 7:44-50 says, “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?”

The question the Lord ended our discussion on was when people meet with you, what are they coming for? What are you known for? Friends, you and I are a tent of meeting, people gather around us, go to coffee with us, call us, because of who they view us as. What are you known for? What is the name of your tent of meeting? You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, you are the mobile meeting place of God and people are wanting to meet with you, because you are known for….

When you are in a relationship with someone, the more intimate the relationship is, emotionally, the more you clearly you know their voice, but not just the sound of their voice, the tone, the nuances of their voice. This happens in marriage, this happens with best friends, this happens with parents and children. There is so much more to hearing the voice of God than just sound, proximity matters, for you can hear the nuances of HIs voice, so you know the context of what He is saying.

The other day I was walking the dog and the Holy Spirit said in a matter of a fact, not mad, but very clear way, “The currency of earth is not silver and gold, it is faith. Didn’t Jesus say, when He returns will He find faith on earth?” I love the voice of God, it speaks to me about our relationship, it tells me He loves to share HIs thoughts with me. This thought did not surprise me, but I knew it was also not for me but to come through me. So, I am sharing it with all of you.

Luke 18:7-8 says, “And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

I believe God is looking at earth right now saying, where is the faith? We have people pursuing silver and gold as this looks like the new currency coming, we have a petrol dollar system obviously ending and the transition will have an impact, but friends of faith, the Lord is asking us, when He comes with His next move, HIs next visitation, His next awakening, will He find faith on earth, will He find faith in us? We say we have faith, but honestly until something we trust in shakes, falls or is a mystery, we realize our faith is weaker than we realized. But the good news is, God is always wanting to put us in situations that build our faith not destroy our lives. I sense a faith building time is fast approaching. It’s in you, but it is about to be strengthened and you will be glad God loves you and wants you strong in faith and financially prosperous.

Fire is a purifying agent; fire is a light that shines in the darkness; fire is heat during the cold seasons; fire consumes; fire demands you take notice of it. I love how God describes Himself in Hebrews 12:28 as an all consuming fire. Fire burns fields so the next harvest can come in. Oh how I love the power of a fire. If you have ever sat by a fire the bigger it gets the further back you move. The flames dance, the colors change and the delight it brings to those of all ages is obvious when you sit around it. Fires bring friends together to sit outside and chat; it brings families together at campgrounds where no phones or iPads are needed. I love the imagery of a fire as a picture of our God.

I was reading the prophet Obadiah this morning and it says, “The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame.” A fire is a group of flames. Jacob was the father of twelve sons, by two wives. Joseph was the first born son by the second wife, who was supposed to be the first wife. I love how the Bible does not leave out the scandals that happened in families. The idea of Jacob, the father being a fire and the first born son of the second wife being a flame, is such a picture of how God takes all his children and makes them flames, so together we can be a fire with our Father in heaven.

Psalm 104:4 says, “He makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.” And in Acts 2 it says, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.” From Obadiah to the Psalms to the book of Acts, to Hebrews, we see throughout the word of God, when flames gather a fire is there.

As you go to church this morning, remember you are a flame who is joining with other flames to become the fire on earth as your Father in heaven is an all consuming fire. Let’s turn the heat up in worship this morning as we the flames of God join together with God who is the fire!

The enemy loves to make us anxious by lying to us about who we are, who God is, and about what God can do. It is long past time we stop giving the enemy airtime in our heads, for he is the accuser of the brethren. It is time to trust only the voice of God our Father, who always sends help right on time.

Circumstances are screaming at many people right now, saying “you are going under; no one is going to help you; what are you going to do now!” The enemy loves to rub your nose in your poor decisions, but God is our Father and He has not left us to fend for ourselves, to figure it out, or even to get ourselves out of this mess, whatever that mess may be. No, our God is not trying to teach us a lesson with these current challenges we are facing.

Psalm 68 says, “Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity!”

I do not know what challenges you are facing, what circumstances are screaming at you, what difficulties you are trying to navigate, but this I do know, the enemy is a liar, God is our Father and we are His children. He will provide, He will heal, He will deliver, He will open the door, He will create the path, He will, He will, He will!

The song I am singing daily is by Elevation Worship and it is called Another One. Here are some of the lyrics in case you want to sing with me, “You do everything on purpose; I can feel Your Spirit stirring; I’ve been praying, You’ve been working; Working it all for good. So fan the flame and keep it burning; You’re refining in the furnace; So all the waiting will be worth it; Cause You’re working it all for good. Miracle after miracle; Open door after open door; Here it comes; So get ready for another one; Cause another one is on the way!”

Dear Intercessors, Prayer Warriors, and Spiritual Warfare Specialists,

We are very well acquainted with the spirit of delay. We know what Daniel 10:12-13 says ““Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days.” Because of our familiarity with this passage and this spirit, we tend to default to it when something does not manifest as the Lord has declared it would. But remember our enemy is cunning, deceptive, and also perceptive. We cannot get lazy in our spiritual warfare learning and leaning into what God is saying in now time.

One of the names of God is Lord of Hosts, or Lord of Angel Armies. We are not partnering with the angelic from a defensive posture, for the victory is already won, but the manifestation of that victory is still in process. What has been launched against the earth is a spirit of piracy. Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship. The goal is to steal cargo or other valuable goods. The spirit of piracy released a sniper attack on this first day of Sivan (Hebrew Month).

Sivan is connected to the tribe of Zebulun, who’s symbol is the ship, and who’s theme is giving, and who’s call is to business men and women. It is a strategic interception that has happened, for the timing is obvious. Piracy happening on the first day of the month of Sivan. Intercessors this is a call for us to stand guard during this month, for Yahweh is releasing resources but the spirit of piracy is seeking to steal them from those who they have been sent to. We decree RESTORE (Joel 2:25), RETURN (Proverbs 6:31), RECOVER ALL (1 Samuel 30:8) in the name of Jesus.

Do you think God enjoys you or do you think He just tolerates you? I was walking the dog this morning talking to the Lord about two friends of mine who have “big” days today. One is on the final step of a huge breakthrough and the other is awaiting some really big news. As I was praying for them and thanking God that He delights in them, thoroughly enjoys them and is giving them the desires of their hearts, I had the thought cross my mind, do we really believe God delights in us, enjoys us, actually loves everything about us?

As this thought remained in my thoughts for most of my walk, I saw parents with their newborn child in my spirit. Their absolute delight at the sight of this new life made both their hearts smile. I then saw the Lord and the smile on His face as He looked at my two friends receiving great gifts today, was just like those new parents. Friends, God smiles at us more than we realize. He is not mad at us. He is not just tolerating us. He actually enjoys us and loves everything about us.

We as people are so used to be “whacked” by peoples words and actions, we struggle to receive God and other peoples enjoyment of us. We need to celebrate each other more. We need to enjoy one another more. We need to realize circumstances are hard, the world system is rough, but we as people can still find the gold in each other and enjoy one another.

Just because God created you in His image and in His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27) is reason enough for us to enjoy each other because He is enjoying us more than we realize. I even think when we are spit fire mad, He is smiling at us, realizing we have such a limited view of situations, but it is not a mocking smile, it is a smile that says, oh son, oh daughter, this is a small thing, this too shall pass. I pray you enjoy people today and everyday, for they need to know they are celebrated by God and us!!!!

When I was younger I wanted to be older. I saw how many seemingly more opportunities my older friends had. They could drive, they could get a job and make their own money, they looked so much more free to me. When I became old enough to drive, I realized with freedom comes responsibility, with a job comes discipline. Once I got to where I thought I wanted to be it did not look as glamorous to me.

Many people want to be somewhere they are not, for they see the old days as better than the todays; or they are searching for the eternal fountain of youth because they don’t like how they look in their current season. Contentment is such a gift and so many people are not content, so they are not happy. Being content means living in the moment you are given right now. Honestly, most people are not worried about the things you are worried about when you look at you.

When I was younger I used to hate silence. Silence meant alone which evoked loneliness. But now that I am older I cherish silence. But what I have learned is that there are people who love silence but it is so loud in their head, they never really enjoy silence. Silence is not an outside experience it is actually an inner reality. You can be on the the busy streets of NYC and still be in silence. You can be floating in a salt spa in a dark room and still have no silence. Silence comes with contentment, it is what the Bible calls rest.

I was reading Psalm 65 this morning and it says, “There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God, And to You the vow will be performed.” Silence is a heavenly reality. Even in the midst of praise there is silence, because silence is an internal reality or stillness, the absence of worry, fear, anxiety, etc. Silence is not a sound outside of you, it is a reality that comes from trusting the One who lives inside of you. I enjoy silence everywhere I go, and you can too. Trust is the access code to silence.

Did you know the enemy decieves you into giving away your strength in a variety of activities, so you lose your ability to hear the voice of God? When you are tired, worn out, exhausted, you lose your ability to hear the voice of God, not because God is not speaking, but because you are too tired to hear. People that are going through serious challenges wonder why they can’t hear God, it is because the enemy has so wore them out with other things, hearing the voice of God is very hard, for biblically to hear is to obey and the enemy does not want you to obey God.

Daniel 10:18-19 says, “Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

There are four things in this passage God wants to say to us. Number one, you are greatly loved! Let that sink it, God is not mad at you, He loves you greatly. I know the voices you hear, but the truth is, you are greatly loved by God and by so many other people. Number two, the Lord says, FEAR NOT, if God be for you who can be against you. There is nothing to fear, you have a Father in heaven, who is the Father of Lights and He sees everything, Fear not. Number three, I declare shalom over you. Peace be still to every storm, shalom in your home in Jesus name. Peace is your portion, for the prince of peace lives inside of you. Number four, Be strong! I know that sounds easier said than done, but our God is mighty to save, be strong in your convictions, your passions, your faith, for God is not a man that He should lie, be strong my friends.

Daniel ends by saying, “When He spoke to me I was strengthened and said let my Lord speak!” He wants to strengthen you today so you can hear Him speak. You are love, fear not, shalom and be strong. Love you friends and have a great week.

When I lived in Missouri I worked as an editor for a newspaper called the Pleasant Hill Times. My friend Connie bought the newspaper and asked me to help her out, so I did for about 9 months as she was launching this new endeavor. While doing that, I met a couple that owned a bird rehab sanctuary. They had owls, peacocks, parrots, finches, horses, chickens, cats, all the things. It was a mini zoo in the city called Pleasant Hill, MO.

One day I was at her house to take some pictures and do an interview of her and her husband to highlight them in the paper, as I was doing a series about some of the incredible people who lived in that small town. While there she let me hold an owl, and at one point there were multiple macaws on my shoulder. I remember her telling me we needed to move slowly or it would spook these large gorgeous birds.

I remembered this time in my life as I was reading Matthew 3:16 today, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.” One thing I have learned is that the spirit of God is not in a hurry. He is never darting here and there as though needing to rush in any way. There is a rhythm to the Holy Spirit’s movement.

In a culture that is continually in a hurry, I remember the instructions of that woman in the bird sanctuary that told me not to make any swift moves or it would spook the bird. If we want the Holy Spirit to rest on us, we must not be in such a hurry. God is not anxious, He is not worried, He is not running late, He is not going to miss anything and neither will we if we let the dove rest on us and we don’t try to rush here and there. Shalom my friends, God never misses anything, ever!