Lisa Great

People that pursue God remain humble (teachable) because when you pursue God, you see God, you hear God, you get to know God and you realize there is no end to learning things about God. This is why humility is the fruit of someone who truly is seeking God. Humility is not abasement, it is not thinking low of yourself, it is being teachable, it is not thinking you know so much, it is confidence in God, not in what you know or think you know. Humility is being teachable and consistently pursuing God.

People who are proud, who are religious, who think they are scholars in the things of God, stop learning once they master what they believe about God. Jesus ran into religion consistently and in Mark 2 it says, “When the religious scholars and the Pharisees found out that Jesus was keeping company and dining with sinners and tax collectors, they were indignant. So they approached Jesus’ disciples and said to them, ‘Why is it that someone like Jesus defiles himself by eating with sinners and tax collectors?’ But when Jesus overheard their complaint, he said to them, ‘Who goes to the doctor for a cure? Those who are well or those who are sick? I have not come to call the ‘righteous,’ but those who are sinners and bring them to repentance.”’ Jesus did not speak like this to the crowds He was teaching but to the religious leaders and scholars who were clueless about what He was doing.

I lingered over these verses today as the Holy Spirit revealed to me how repentance was teaching people about the kingdom of God so they could change the way they think about God and His kingdom. The crowds/sinner were “ignorant” in the eyes of the religious leaders, but they were teachable and open to the words of Jesus. The crowds want to know the truth that will set them free, the same was true then and the same is true now. The enemies of the gospel of the kingdom are not the crowds, the sinners, it is the religious who think they know too much.

There are so many things people ask other people to pray for. Healing, prosperity, family, marriage, children, company, church, you name the issue the request has been asked by us and to us. Praying for others is a joy, because when the answer comes God winks at you and you smile as you listen to the testimony of what God did for someone else. The cycle of blessing that comes from praying for people is a joy that is hard to describe it must be experienced.

One of the prayers that many have prayed for our nation is that people would wake up. We as a nation have a history of awakening, revival, healing, deliverance and salvation. We have seen stadiums filled, streets filled, churches filled with people who are hungry to worship, pray and know the word of God. Our history is rich with the desire for God and those seeds are still in the soil of this nation; still in the hearts of people all around you, despite what you see and hear on the news and social media.

I was praying Psalm 24 this morning and the Passion Translation speaks in such a way that it stops me in my reading to enjoy the presence of God. Listen to verse 7 “Wake up, you living gateways! Lift up your heads, you doorways of eternity! Welcome the King of Glory, for he is about to come through you.”

A nation is about to awaken and when it does God is about to come through her in a way that will even shock her. Friends, if you have never experienced God coming through you, it is an experience of the likes nothing can compare. John 4 says, “Rivers of living water will flow from your belly.” God coming through you is because God is in you. He is about to open doors in your belly that is going to water the nations and you will be in awe of what God does through you. You are the living gateway and the King of Glory is about to come through you, because He is living in you.

E-motions are energy in motion. No matter what e-motion you are feeling it is a positive or negative energy in motion. If you are angry, anxious, fearful, lonely, happy, surprised, in love, no matter the e-motion you may experience today, remember it is energy in motion. Now the question is what energy are you releasing into the atmosphere in which you reside? The reason I ask is because our emotions are affecting our atmosphere and the atmosphere of those around us.

Now we all have positive and negative e-motions that affect atmospheres. Nationally we have e-motions and it lingers over our heads and then we wonder what is happening in the atmosphere. Some have even said, there is something in the atmosphere. Not everything you feel is from you or because of you, it can be atmospheric.

Now, the question is how are we not affected by the negative e-motions launched into the atmosphere? Thank God for David who penned Psalm 23 and who Brian Simmons articulated with such poetic truth is causes our hearts to smile. “Fear will never conquer me, for you already have! Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near. So why would I fear the future?
Only goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life.”

Friends look behind you, what is following you will comfort you, just as the atmosphere is seeking to tell you the future is something to fear. Friends we have been conquered by love, with goodness and mercy following us. We are truly surrounded, now that is an e-motion, that will shift atmospheres. Love of God for us is the most powerful e-motion the nations will ever know.

Only those who are truly powerful do they want to render powerless. If you had no authority, no power, no ability to overthrow them, then why would they even bother trying to deceive you; intimidate you; confuse you; control you? Insecure, fearful people always seek to minimize the powerful in order for them to feel powerful. But truth is a trumpet that sounds an alarm that wakes up those who have been given authority to overcome the darkness with light, and the lies with truth.

The feast of trumpets is happening in the beginning of October and it begins the high holy month for the Hebrew people with Rosh Hashannah, the head of the year; the Feast of Trumpets; the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. The month of October 2024 is going to announce the message of being an overcomer and will break the spell of sorcery off of the nations. As the trumpet sounds, it is going to announce the kingdom of God is at hand. The enemy is already anticipating this announcement and is taking cover, for the days of darknesses rule is ending and the day or righteousness ruling is beginning in October.

1 John 5 says, “You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world. So who are the world conquerors, defeating its power? Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Faith in Jesus Christ is a power that cannot be overcome. Faith is rising in people’s hearts as God has prepared people for this hour in history in secret and when God goes public, there will be no stopping the rush of righteousness coming into nations around the world. Babylon is falling (Revelation 18); the kingdom of God is rising (Daniel 2); and which kingdom you are aligned with is your choice, but one is coming down and one is rising up. Remember, we still are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.

You know you are standing at a gate when the intimidator is taunting you because you are so close to obtaining access. We are at the gate of abundance, how do we know, for the spirit of intimidation is screaming at many people right now. If we were not at the gate we would not hear this taunting, tormenting, troubling voice of intimidation trying to get us to back off, to quit, to go back to where we came from. But not this time, we have been at this gate before individually, nationally and internationally. Today is a new day, there is courage in the people at the gate, they know this enemy they are not backing off.

In the days of Nehemiah, Sanballat and Tobiah did not arise until Israel began to rebuild the walls; in the days of Elijah, Jezebel did not rant and rave until the altar of God was rebuilt and the people returned to the Lord; in the days of Moses, Pharoh was not concerned until the people started believing the signs God sent through the plagues upon Egypt; in the days of Jesus, the gates of hell were not worried until Peter was given the keys of the kingdom to bind, loose, open and close. Friends, you know you are at a gate when you hear the voice of the intimidator trying to get you to back up.

Money is an intimidator, small amounts taunt you by saying, “Look at how little you have, you are not going to make it, you are broke, you are going under.” Large amounts of money intimidate you by saying, “You can’t afford me, you will never access me, you will use me for the wrong reasons, you will destroy yourself if you gain me.” Money is an intimidator and it starts screaming its taunts when you are at the gate.

The truth is, greater is He that is in you than money, than Sanballat, than Tobiah, than Jezebel, than Pharoh, than the gates of hell. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit; the King of glory lives inside of you; you abide in Christ and Christ abides in you. And Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:6-7 “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” You have nothing to be intimidated about, you are at the gate and this time you are going in, no turning back at the gate, it is time to access abundance.

If we are more used to oppressive leadership than we are benevolent leadership, we will be suspicious of any good news. The challenge is, when we are suspicious, we miss the gift that is being sent to us from heaven. The Pharisees did not see Jesus for who He was, because He came as a different kind of leader. The people and the leaders were used to oppression, so when benevolence showed up, they did not know what to do. They longed for it to be true, but their actions revealed they had a hard time believing Him to be as good as He said He was. They were not afraid to eat the bread and fish he provided or listen to him teach for hours, but follow Him with their whole life, that was not something they were prepared to do, for He seemed too good to be true.

Our history and current reality is oppressive, so when we hear good news we tend to resist it rather than receive it. Not because we don’t want it, but we don’t believe it will last. Reality has trumped faith in our ability to believe what the Bible says is happening. We find verses to match our judgmental, oppressive, nothing is going to change, everything is getting worst end times theology and then wonder why believers are miserable, broke, sick and angry. Last time I checked the Bible is called the gospel which means good news. Not sure how we lost the ability to preach, prophesy and teach good news, but I threw myself overboard off of that ship a long time ago and I will not get back on board there ever again.

John 16:33 says, In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world. The world is hard, it is challenging, we live in the world but are called to not be of the world. Therefore, I remind myself I am the light shining in the darkness and the darkness cannot over the light in me. And when things get hard, I remember what David said in Psalm 20 “May Yahweh give you every desire of your heart and carry out your every plan as you go to battle. When you succeed, we will celebrate and shout for joy. Flags will fly when victory is yours! Yes, God will answer your prayers, and we will praise him!” I don’t know about you, but that is some good news and it is not too good to be true, it is the truth and I am declaring it today for me and for you. He is truly that good, that benevolent, that kind, and that powerful.

What a unique place to be. Standing between the night and the day. Walking this morning, the full moon was to my right and the rising sun was to my left. I was literally standing between the ending of the night and the beginning of the day. This picture in the sky this morning sparked a word from the Lord that I had not thought of in this way before. We are in a pivotal point in history. We are literally standing between night and day.

In this place in history with the night and the day happening simultaneously, some Christians are looking at the night, prophesying judgment, doom, gloom, fear and warnings. Other are looking at the day and declaring fresh start, new beginning, everything is coming alive. The direction you are looking determines what you are saying. But there is only one mediator between the night and the day and that is Jesus Christ.

What has been most amazing during this time in history when we are standing between day and night is how people view Jesus. They say He is redeemer, savior, good all the time, but they prophesy judgment, wrath, and fear. How can Jesus be so good and God’s judgment coming be so harsh? I thought Jesus said if you seen Me, you have seen the Father? (John 14:9). Notwithstanding, the truth is, whether you are looking at the full moon and the night, or the sun and the breaking of a new day, this one truth remains…

Genesis 1:16-18 “God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness.” God is governing both the night and the day. I am a light looker, so I see light in the night (the moon) and the day (the sun). Have another look, there is light everywhere.

There are three groups of people in the Old Testament that were “anointed”; the priests were anointed, the kings were anointed, and Israel was called God’s anointed. The word anointed means they had oil poured upon them and were set apart for an assignment. The assignment of Israel was to be the people of God as a display of Yahweh to the other nations. They were to be a people whose God was their king. Kings were anointed to set them apart for a specific service as king of a nation. And priests were anointed to be set apart for use in the tabernacle or temple for service to God.

All three groups of people that were anointed were set apart to be used by God alone. The anointing distinguished them as ones who belonged to God alone. We know Israel worshipped other gods, so they did not honor the anointing of being set apart for God alone. Many of the kings “did evil in the eyes of the Lord”, therefore they did not remain set apart for God’s use only either. And the priests from the golden calf to worshipping idols in the temple, did not remain set apart for God’s use only. What a tragedy, more so than most people even understand.

When God anoints you, it is first for Himself, He is setting you apart for His use only. If you don’t want to be set apart for His use only, there is no need to be anointed. Number two, the anointing is for an assignment and that assignment is other people. If you want to be anointed to be all about you, you are not anointed, you are proud. Finally, the anointing empowers you to serve those to whom you have been assigned, not to sit in a specific chair in church.

We are not to worship the anointing or the anointed, we are to worship the Lord. When those who once were anointed are made known to have done some things that reveals they did not value the anointing or the assignment, don’t cast a stone, let it be a reminder to you to honor the anointing on you, for Christ, the anointed one lives in you, so you to are anointed and set apart for God’s use only. It is long past time we honor the anointing we have been given for it is for an assignment to be set apart for His use only.

One of the beauties of reading the Word of God is hearing the various authors use their language, their experiences, their culture to share who they have encountered God as. From the historical facts of the Torah to the poetic prowess of the Psalms; from the wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs to the prophecies of the major and minor prophets; from the varying personalities of the gospel writers to the apostolic oration of the apostle Paul; from the short sweet correction in Jude to the call to love by the books of 1, 2, 3 John; it is a tapestry of truth that speaks to each and every hearer who chooses to read it.

This morning while praying with Psalm 17 verse 15 jumped off the page to me. “I will see your face until I see you for who you really are. I will be satisfied in an awakening of your likeness in me!” We speak so much about an awakening, revival, shakings, and all words that are catchy, comforting and hope inspiring. But today, the Holy Spirit said, “The awakening is already here, people are awakening to who I am in them!”

Friends, we are so used to looking for a revival in some church, in some city, all hoping it is ours but the reality is, God is awakening people to the reality of who He is and it is happening all over the world all day everyday. I stood in a kitchen the other day as my friend shared the awakening she is having. The beauty of watching someone awaken to a truth that sets them free because of what God is doing in them is like no other joy we can know. This is happening everywhere.

We are in the great awakening and it is not happening in a church building it is happening in the hearts of humanity. Even the awake are awakening to the truth of the gospel of the kingdom. The love of God is healing hearts, setting people free from old mindsets and doing a work only He can do, because Christ in us is the hope of glory! Welcome to the awakening, we are in it!!!!

Have you ever wondered practically how to apply James 4:6-8? “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

Submission is not a word that people like to hear because it comes with a fear of someone harming us, not coming to bless us, promote us or protect us. But this says submit yourself to God. if you know anything about God, you know He is not a punisher, He is a protector; He is not angry, vengeful, He is loving, He is kind; He is not cheap or stingy, He is abundantly generous. So, when it says submit yourself to God, you are submitting yourself to a Father who is perfect and has no darkness in Him at all. And Jesus said, If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. So we are very safe submitting ourselves to God.

Next it says, resist the devil. The devil is invisible, how to do you resist him? Well I had an experience the other day in the grocery store parking lot and the Lord said, that is how you resist the devil and what it looks like when he flees from you. I was backing out of my parking spot and I did not see this black Mercedes coming down the row I was backing into. He honks and I stop, no issue, but then he stays right behind me, won’t let me back out. I thought, I didn’t see you, I wasn’t maliciously trying to hit you, I made a mistake, what is the problem. But that is not what he was thinking, he would not move and was making a statement I was in the wrong. I already knew I was in the wrong, but he was going to rub my nose in it.

The black Mercedes finally moves after literally a one to two minute stand against me, and he parks in the spot across from me, where I was pulling out. So, I pull up behind him, waiting for him to get out. I have my window down, I am a girl, I am in a Hyundai Santa Fe, nothing intimidating about me, but he will not get out of his car. I am shocked, the same guy who minutes ago would not let me out of my spot now won’t get out of his. I stay there for a minute or so and am pointing at myself and mouthing to him, my mistake, I apologize. No movement he will not get out of his car.

I am driving away and the Lord says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Friends, the devil is a coward, he may act tough in his black Mercedes, and try to intimidate you for making a mistake, but when you submit yourself to God, humble yourself before others and let them know you were wrong, then he will reveal he is all smoke and mirrors and won’t even get out of the car to hear you say, I was wrong. I will never forget this experience as it showed me how, not the man in the black Mercedes, but the devil acts tough, but it truly a coward when confronted by anybody, even a girl with humility.