Category: Uncategorized

I was on a prayer call very early this morning and during our time of prayer I had a vision of a line of Intercessors with sickles in their hands walking the bushes and brush that was blocking the aisle to the altar. I immediately heard the word “bushwhackers.” Being from Kansas City I knew what Jayhawkers are, but had not studies Bushwackers. I came to learn they were an irregular military force that operated during the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War. Yesterday we toured a historic home and were privy to a private tour with a military historian as our guide who told us all about the Civil War and its battles here in Franklin, TN.

Putting these two puzzle pieces together this morning was easy as they happened less than 24 hours apart. What I see in the spirit is Intercessors taking on a military stance in the spirit to whack the bushes that are blocking the aisle to the altar. The aisle is overgrown with bushes and we are being invited to grab our sickles and whack the bushes, the lies, the strongholds, the powers and principalities that are hindering people from accessing the altar of God. Some are coming to repent, others are coming to commune. But many are being hindered because of the thistles, thorns and bushes that are in the way of the altar and have hindered the ability for people to see the aisle that leads to the altar.

2 Corinthians 10 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Intercessors arise, grab your sickle and whack the bushes so a path is cleared for those how are trying to find the altar of God so they can receive help in their time of need. It is time we become bushwackers in the spirit.

Do you realize it takes no skill to tear down, to destroy, to demolish? Think about it, whenever there is a riot in a city, people who have never built anything are the ones who are destroying, looting and jumping on things. Builders do not destroy things, builders build things. Anyone can be a destroyer, it takes no effort, no strategy, no strength of character, no discipline to destroy. It is easy to destroy what you have not put any effort into building. If you have invested in your family, your friendships, your city, your community, your church, it does not even cross your mind to destroy it, for you are helping build it.

I am reading the book of Ezra right now and it is all about the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The city was destroyed by enemy invaders who had invested nothing in building the city, so had no issue destroying it. But now Ezra, Zerubbabel, Joshua and the Jews were in the process of rebuilding the city. In Ezra 5 it says, “When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.” The prophets were builders not destroyers of the city, the prophets supported the rebuilding of the city.

When I read this I realized prophets are supposed to be building supporters, not nation destroyers. People who claim to be prophesying what God is saying but are declaring the destruction of our nation, are out of season. We are not in a season of destruction we are in a season of rebuilding. God is raising up voices that are builders of people, because cities, churches, communities, families, they are all different names for people. 1 Corinthians 14 says, prophets are builders, edifiers, exhorters, and encouragers and we all are called to prophesy, which means we are all called to build. Friends, we are in a rebuilding stage, not a destroying stage of families, communities and nations. Grab your hammer, we’ve got work to do.

Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and then when you lay back down you cannot fall back to sleep? Does it irritate you that you can’t get comfortable or fall back asleep and therefore, the irritatation just keeps you awake even longer? Do your thoughts go from this to that and that to this while you lay there trying to fall back asleep? Well that is what happened to me last night. Now this is rare for me, but for some reason I sensed the enemy was playing games with me and my mind would not shut off.

I think this is more common than I probably realize for people on a nightly basis. The enemy loves to mess with our sleep for sleep is a weapon of our warfare; rest is a gift from our Father in heaven; and our body resets while we sleep. If this is disturbed for whatever reason, we do not operate by design and it manifests in many areas of our lives. The challenge is the longer we go without sleep, we start to get in a pattern of tolerating this pattern and these thoughts won’t leave us alone, then we accommodate them and don’t realize it. All along knowing the Bible says, “It is in vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, and to eat the bread of hard toil, for He gives sleep to His beloved” (Psalm 127:1).

Last night, while this was happening to me around 3am, I saw a sign in the spirit and heard a loud voice, both saying “STOP!” It was not my voice saying it, it was the voice of an angel declaring “STOP” and as soon as it did, silence happened in my head, my body relaxed and almost immediately I feel asleep and did not wake up until almost 7:30am, which is late for me. One word from heaven silenced all the attacks the enemy was launching at that hour. Friends, you need to sleep, you need rest, it is a weapon of war and I hear in the spirit the Lord saying, “STOP!” Not to you, to the enemy that is against you. It is time for God’s people whom He loves to get the sleep they need for the battle belongs to the Lord. I decree to the enemy “STOP!”

When I lived in Malaysia, my husband and I planted multiple churches and put local pastors over each church to lead it. We knew the best leader of a church was a local pastor for they knew the culture and the people. But we ourselves led a local church as well called The Ambassador’s International Church. Our church had both locals and ex-pats, people living in Malaysia for work. It was a beautiful tapestry of color and cultures because truly the nations were in that room every week as we worshipped and prayed together. I will never forget those days, I was too immature to appreciate what God had given me, but as I reflect on them my gratitude is overwhelming.

I share that with you, because for over a week now the Lord has been having me meditate on Psalm 23. A friend of mine, Sarah even bought me a stone that is quarried from the mountains east of the ancient city Ephesus and it has Psalm 23 etched on it. The Lord was speaking to me this morning about why goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life and it is not so we can experience it and walk away from the Lord, but so we can become dwellers in God’s house. “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Many people believe we will go through suffering, but I believe we already are suffering; others believe things are getting darker, but I believe we have experienced the pinnacle of darkness already; most have been taught we don’t want to be left behind, but I believe we are supposed to be left behind; and most are pursuing goodness and mercy, prosperity and increase, but I believe if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness all these things we desire will be given to us. So, today, as I meditate on Psalm 23, I believe we are about to find goodness and mercy right on our heels and it is going to cause us to become dwellers in the house of the Lord, not ones who flee His presence and His people.

Past moves of God have focused on one thing, one message, one leader, and with it came an unbalanced view of scripture, an unhealthy focus on a man or woman and a lazy approach to preaching. What we lacked in the past moves of God was the whole counsel of God. The five fold ministry gifts were given so we would see a multifaceted dimension of truth that would liberate us, mature us and invite us into intimacy that develops our identity as sons and daughters of God.

The unraveling, the disentangling from history, doctrines of men and abuses of power has been going on for some time, but the acceleration of this has seemed to increase as of recent. We cannot control anyone but ourselves, so to point fingers, blame or in any way rub people’s nose in their error reveals more about us than it does about them. Their sin is on display, but we are not to cast stones at them but to guard our hearts from deception in the future. Repent of our idolatry of man. Return to our first love who is Jesus. And say in our prayers, search me Oh God and see if there be any wicked way within me.

The Lord is going to untether His people from the doctrines of men which have hindered our enterance into the kingdom life He paid the price for. He is going to take us past elementary teachings; He is going to open up revelation in His word we have never seen before; and we are going to realize what the Psalmist said in Psalm 139 “If I say, Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night, Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.” We are going to lose our fear and be baptized a new in faith, hope and love where we will see and hear the greatest of these is love. Real love, God’s love is about to kiss us in a way that sets us free from all that has entangled us. I see people coming to help us remove our grave clothes.

If you have ever been in a battle, of any kind, physical battle with a health issue; relational battle with a spouse; emotional battle with your history; addiction battle with drugs, alcohol or sex; financial battle with your creditors; discipleship battle with your children; you name the battle, it is challenging, it is tiring, and it can be affecting you more than you realize. There is a phrase I have learned recently called “The Fog of War”. I did not realize how battles kick up so much dust it literally can cloud your ability to see, hear or even process clearly. Others can see it on you, but many times you can’t see it on yourself.

One of the weapons of recovery God uses for people who are battle weary is sleep. I have always felt like sleep is spiritual warfare, because when we literally rest, with sleep, our mind is able to reset; our body is able to recover; our mercy is renewed each morning; and our patience is replenished. But many struggle with sleep for the enemy is non stop against them. He keeps us so busy we can’t slow down, watch a movie, go for a walk, have coffee with a friend, or even just listen to the sound of running water. We were made to reset daily, and if we don’t it affects us in more ways than we realize. I was praying Psalm 138 this morning and this one line in this Psalm triggered all these thoughts. Listen to what the Psalmist says, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;”

Oh my friends, God sees the troubles we are walking in, He is not unaware of our frame, that we are limited in everything, but He is abundant in all things. He sees the battle you are in; He is not leaving you in it alone; look around at who is in the war with you. They are not going to leave you, for they see the bullets flying. And God, the LORD Himself is going to revive you and those with you. Fear not for the battle belongs to the Lord, He will revive you. The Psalmist ends by saying, “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting;” If it’s not good, then He’s not done, He’s not finished yet. There will be joy in the morning and there will be those there with you rejoicing in what God did for you.

Songs are powerful. If they weren’t why would the enemy seek to steal the song from your mouth? Why would people not want to worship? Why when our feelings which are shaped by our circumstances demand we not sing for we are not in the mood? It is because songs are powerful. No matter the song, if it is directed to the Lord it has power to change your mood, your attitude and your altitude. Oh the power of songs.

I have certain songs that God gives me that are just between Him and I. I remember what He said the song was for and I sing it, play it, prophesy it. Songs lift our spirits, change our moods and determine our feelings, but we must lift up our voice and sing. Psalm 137 says, “By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How can we sing the LORD’S song In a foreign land?” No matter what land you are in, sing, sing, sing, for songs are powerful.

While praying this Psam this morning I heard the chorus to Tauren Wells song, so I began to sing, “There will be joy in the morning; There will be joy in the morning; If it’s not good, then He’s not done No, He’s not done with it yet; There will be joy in the morning!” If you know it you can’t help but sing it. I do not know what “night” season you have endured or are in, but I am here to sing over you “There will be joy in the morning!” We are not beginning a new night season, the night is over, the wilderness is past, we are entering into a breaking of the day, a new dawn arising. My friends, things are getting brighter and lighter not darker. Come on sing with me, How great is our God!

For over two weeks now whenever I take communion, which for me is daily, the Holy Spirit keeps saying, as I take the bread, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper…”. Then I take the cup and I hear the Holy Spirit say, “No tongue that rises against you in judgement shall prevail.” I take communion daily and the Lord has taught me a lot of things through the communion meal over the years, but this has been a persistent word that is spoken daily as I take communion.

This morning as my communion sat on my desk, I kept hearing the same words from the Holy Spirit, so I finally looked up the verse and it is in Isaiah 54:17 and says, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me, declares the LORD.” My heart melted upon reading, for multiple reasons. One because I just turned 54 on Monday and sensed Isaiah 54 was my chapter for this year, so this verse being in that chapter was a kiss from heaven. But secondly because it says, this is our heritage and our vindication.

Heritage is possession, property, inheritance, occupancy, portion; and vindication is righteousness, justice, salvation. When I put it all together, I sensed the Holy Spirit saying, “Communion is the weapon and the word that declares you righteous and gives you the right to possess justice.” Communion my friends is an offensive weapon we wield against the enemy. Every time we take communion and we declare Isaiah 54:17, we are decreeing vindication and our heritage from the Lord. It’s time to possess what is rightfully ours. From my communion cup to yours, cheers!!!!

I am sitting at my desk this morning, birds singing outside, gentle breeze blowing through the open window on this beautiful spring morning in March and the Holy Spirit whispers to me the words “Setting free!” With these words wafting through my spirit, I immediately see a jeweler “Setting a stone” in a ring. The imagery was obvious, the connection between setting free and setting a stone was stunning. The Holy Spirit then said, “I am setting people free to set them as a precious stone in a setting prepared for them.”

Proverbs 25:11 is the verse that lept in my spirit as this imagery was lingering in my spirit. “Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances.” Setting in Hebrew is Maskith and it means: showpiece, imagination, apprearance, phenomenon. The Lord is setting us free for us to appear as His showpiece for all to see. He is pulling people out of the mud; He is chiseling others out of hard places; He is digging through the ashes to set His precious ones free. Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, His people are pearls of great value to Him and as He sets them free He is setting them up as showpieces for His glory.

The setting type, according to jewelers, refers to the metal base that holds a gemstone or diamond in place. Each setting style is created to enhance both the beauty of the stone and the brilliance of the jewelry piece. The prong setting is bent over the stone for maximum exposure to light from top to bottom. It ensures that the stone gets set at the right height, is completely straight, centered and secure. For very large stones that require extra security and support a double prong setting is used. (Diamondere dot com)

Friends, we are the stones that have been set free and God is setting us in place to be a showpiece for His glory. You are a precious stone of the Lord!

Have you ever drove with someone who is directionally challenged? When you know the way to go, it is hard to remain quiet, when someone you are with is going the wrong direction. In our culture of tolerance that has made us easily offended, we are afraid to share with people, that they are looking or going the wrong direction. There is a joke with spouses that a “man” won’t stop and ask for directions. Is it true, for some yes, for others no. But it is a stereotype in my culture. Thank God for technology, for phones, for Waze and Google Maps. Remember when we used to have an atlas in the backseat with all the roads we were to take? I wonder if that is where the phrase back seat driver came from? Anyway, just some fun memories about driving and needing direction.

I was praying Psalm 133 this morning and the Holy Spirit highlighted to me that the preachers have made people directionally challenged. Now preachers can be books we have read, movies we have seen, or sermons we have heard. The church is directionally challenged and we don’t want to stop and ask for directions, though in many ways we are lost. We have been told, taught, we are getting raptured out of here, that the darkness is getting darker and we keep looking up in order to leave this world that is so corrupt. But the Bible is very clear we are not going anywhere, rather God is sending something down to help us.

Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.”

Friends, we are not going up, oil is coming down! God commanded the blessing, life forever, life came down in the form of Jesus Christ. Healing is coming down with the oil. Joy is coming down with the oil. Mercy is coming down with the oil. Strategy is coming down in the oil. It is coming down, we are not going up in a rapture. We need to stop or get out of here thinking and realize help is coming down so we can be a blessing, we can release life, we can distribute finances, we can speak healing. It is all coming down. It is time to stop and ask for directions, for we are not going up, it has and is coming down. Now that is some good news!!!!!