King Jehoshaphat (יְהוֹשָׁפָט meaning ‘Jehovah has judged’; son of king Asa and himself king of Judah for 25 years; one of the best, most pious, and prosperous kings of Judah) visits the King of Israel (Ahab אַחְאָב  a wicked king) and although we know the King of Israel had 400 ‘prophets’ (1 Kings 22:6) Jehoshaphat asks is there a prophet of the Lord!  In other words the 400 prophets that the King of Israel had gathered were useless as they were simply a bunch of ‘yes men’.

Jehoshaphat wanted a true man of God to speak!

1 Kings 22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?”

The King of Israel says there is one man of God, but he does not like what he says.  The King of Israel wanted his ears tickled, but did not want to face up to the consequences  his own sin and the sins of his people.  He was offended by the word of the Lord because it found him wanting.

1 Kings 22:8 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

Micaiah (מִיכָֽיְהוּ meaning ‘who is like God’; a prophet of Samaria who predicted the defeat and death of king Ahab of Israel) was a true prophet, not afraid to speak the true word of the Lord regardless of what others thought or the consequences.  The King of Israel hated Micaiah because Micaiah spoke the true word of the Lord.  If the King of Israel had repented and turned to the Lord all could have been made right.

We are facing a plethora of critical issues in Australia (Trans and gay agendas, ‘safe  schools’, euthanasia, abortion, prostitution, people trafficking, etc. ) and it is time we the Church need to be the word of the Lord to a nation desperately in need of salvation.

This is the word I felt for Australia, especially the Church, at this time.  I asked the Lord the same question that Jehoshaphat  asked: ‘Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?’.

I felt the Lord say that there will not be a single person to speak, but He wanted His Holy, Apostolic, Prophetic, Bride – His Church – to speak as one.

Sometime ago I saw a vision of leaders in every pulpit in the nation speaking the word of the Lord with power and truth.  Every congregation were on there knees crying out for His righteousness and truth.

The word being preached was without compromise, it was offensive to sinners and some saints alike, the word of the Lord was also life and salvation through repentance and belief.

As the clear word of the Lord was declared in unity across the nation many were convicted and fell to their knees crying out to the Lord for help and salvation.

Now is the time for all of us to be the prophet that Jehoshaphat had asked for, we all need to declare the truth of the word.  We the Church are called to manifest the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  We will not win any popularity contests, but we will be His voice in a dry and thirsty land.

His Church is awesome and powerful, it is truly apostolic and prophetic.  The Lord is calling all of us to rise up and be His voice of truth in a land that has hundreds of false prophets who speak vanities.

Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

In hebrew  בְּאֵר  לַחַי  רֹאִי    Bĕ’er la-Chay Ro’iy  is the
“well of the Living One seeing me” so let’s break down the words and understand the meaning of the place name.  Names have incredible meaning in scripture and we often overlook searching into names to find nuggets of truth.

• Be’er = water well (e.g. Beer-Sheva, Abrahams wells, aka well of seven)
• la-Chay = living one (same root as L’Chaim = to life)
• ro’iy = seeing me (similar to Roeh is a seer prophet)

Isaac found his destiny (wife Rebekah)  by coming the way of the “well of the Living One seeing me”.  It is so important that we travel on the heart journey by way of Beer Lahai Roi thus allowing the Lord to deal with deep heart issues.  Until we deal with our deep heart issues it is impossible for us to reach our destiny.

A well is a place of refreshing, spiritually we need to be refreshed on our journey.  It is the Holy Spirit that brings refreshing to us today. The living one seeing me is the process of refreshing when we allow it.  As we drink of Him we open our hearts for the Lord to see into our heart.

In our times of meditation and worship God looks into us, particularly into our hearts.  He is looking for people after His own heart.  We must travel this way often and ideally on a daily basis.

In the context of our heart journey, allowing the Lord to see into our heart is critical to us finding true identity, relationship, purpose and destiny in Him.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Once we understand the need for us to open our hearts transparently to the Lord  we are then in a place where He can sort out the eternal issues of our lives. Issues include sin, loneliness, anxiety, distrust, and doubt etc.

There are examples of journeys taken by those before us. The bible describes Peter at three different points in his life. In Mark 14:26-31 and Mark 14:66-72, we see a fearful, embarrassed Peter (Simon) denying Jesus three times immediately following his arrest in Jerusalem. A different Peter is seen in Acts 4:5-20 after Jesus was crucified. This much-changed, empowered Peter healed the lame and boldly proclaimed Jesus before the Jewish authorities. John 21:1-19 provides yet another view of Peter’s heart journey. In this scripture, Peter and the other disciples encounter the risen Lord on the sea of Galilee, the third time Jesus had appeared to the disciples after being crucified. Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?…then feed my sheep.”  Peter needed Jesus to see into his heart in John 21 to be restored to Peter the rock and not just be the Simon he had been.

King David also knew this and even when he had sinned grievously knew he needed a complete repentant change of heart that only our relationship with the Lord can produce.

Psalm 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

It is when our hearts are open that we can be healed of the orphan spirit that separates us from Abba Father (Romans 8:15).  This is what Jesus did for us on the cross and is what the Holy Spirit is ministering to us right now.

Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly. My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

The heart cry of us all is to know Him as God our Father. This is true whether we know Him or not. It is only when we are in true heart relationship with Him we are truly free.  So our prayer for you all today is that you would know the Lord and your heart would be His.  We pray that you would come by the way of Beer Lahai Roi and allow the Lord into your heart so that your heart beats in sync with His heart.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 ‘This is the first and great commandment.’ 39 “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’

Does the anointing break the yoke?
Absolutely YES!

Yes, the anointing of the Spirit of God does break the yoke of captivity! As Jesus powerfully declared in the synagogue at Nazareth, the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him because the Lord had anointed Him to “proclaim good news to the poor … to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” ( Luke 4:18-19 and Isaiah 61:1-3 ).

The Spirit’s anointing brings liberty to captives, and that means breaking yokes (see also Acts 10:38 Jesus anointed with power). At the same time, it is a mis-translation in the King James Version of Isaiah 10:27 that gave rise to the saying “the anointing breaks the yoke.”

In the KJV, the end of the verse reads, “and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”

Transliterated from Hebrew to English , the passage reads, “The yoke shall be destroyed because of shamen” (pronounced Sha-Meyn).

What does the word shamen mean? The KJV translators understood it to be the equivalent of shemen [oil], which seemed to lead them to think of oil for anointing, and then to the anointing of The Spirit itself.

Nowhere in the Hebrew Bible where the word shemen [oil] by itself means “anointing”. (it is okay for the KJV translators to equate shamen with shemen as they have the same shoresh (root) but different vowel pointings; the error is when they translated it “anointing”)

So what is the correct translation?
It is best to understand shamen  ( שָׁמַן )  here as “fatness” (pronounced Sha-Meyn), which would produce a literal translation of, “The yoke will be destroyed because of the fatness.”

The New International Version expresses it well:
“In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat.”

So what does this look like?
Here we see an ox with a yoke on its neck, enslaving it to the will of its master, forcing it to a life of servitude.
But eventually, it gets so healthy, strong, bulked up, and fat that the yoke simply bursts from off its neck. That ox is now completely free! This is the freedom that Christ has bought us.

Another illustration is the Marvel comics character Bruce Banner, who transforms into the Incredible Hulk. Imagine Bruce Banner trapped in a yoke, and then he transforms into the Hulk and absolutely smashes the yoke into pieces.

And that is a picture for each of us when we find ourselves bound or oppressed or beaten into submission by the enemy.

We need to feed our spirits with the living Word of God day and night, we enter into His courts with praise, we continue in worship, we pray in faith, and share communion; and little by little we get so healthy, strong, full, and “fat” that suddenly the yoke of oppression has to be shattered. The fatness destroys the yoke!

Three things we need to action to be fat in the Spirit.

First, Psalm 100, especially verse 4 also Ephesians 5:19-20.  We enter His courts with praise and thanksgiving. This is so essential that we praise and give thanks. We need to sing and shout His praises.  Maybe read a Psalm a day if you need help in praise and thanksgiving.

Secondly, we need to feed on His word. John 6:51, 1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:12-14 all show us the need to be full of His word. We graze on His word, chewing it over and over by mediation on His word.  This is how we become fat and strong.

Thirdly, we need to speak the truth in faith. Matthew 17:20 tells us how mountains are moved by faith.  We also need to persist, hang in there, keep knocking, even when circumstances don’t align with His word. Matthew 7:7-8 (ask, seek, knock).  He is faithful and true and we put all our trust in Him.

Now we have the full revelation of this verse we can put it into full action in our daily walk. As we do so we are blessed.

It is time to smash the yokes that are holding us back!

It is a time to see Australia turn around and thousands come to Christ and be set free from the yokes of unbelief, humanism, and materialism.

There is much spiritual warfare in this season. This is evident by assassination attempts, Israel fighting for its survival, fraudulent elections, abhorrent laws being put forward by godless politicians (late term abortion, babies surviving abortions left to die, euthanasia, gender issues, legalising prostitution etc.).  We need to be able to fight, not flesh and blood, but in the heavenlies.

Habakkuk 3 – A Hymn of Faith

Let us look at Habakkuk 3 – a passage entitled ‘A Hymn of Faith’ and in particular v19.  Verses 17 and 18 are well known and a great statement of faith.

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labour of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls –
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician (or Chief Singer) . With my stringed instruments. ESV

A while ago Nel and I were discussing v19 and Nel quoted Habakkuk 3:19 from the Septuagint:

The Lord God is my strength, and He will perfectly strengthen my feet; He mounts me upon high places, that I may conquer by His song.

We also looked and v19 from the OJB:

Hashem Adonai is my strength, and He will make my feet like the feet of a deer, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. 

Let’s look at the last part which is an instruction (don’t ignore the instructions like ‘selah’ etc.) – ‘To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.’ which comes from two Hebrew words:

נָצַח natsach to excel, be bright, be pre-eminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring
a. (Niphal) enduring (participle)
b. (Piel) to act as overseer or superintendent or director or chief

and

נְגִינָה nĕgiynah music, song, taunt song
a. music (of stringed instrument)
b. song
– taunting or mocking song

From drilling down we see idea of going to high places (where our authority and victory are). This is done via a song and music from the chief singer which in itself carries the idea of authority.  We have the ability to be the chief singer in our lives and metron (the realm of authority we are given by the Lord). This is worship (thanks and praise) which we know is key of Da’vid.  All the time we spend in worship brings forth His agenda and entering into His authority.

We also have the powerful idea of mocking our enemy.  As we worship the Lord the enemy is mocked!  We are seated in heavenly places with Christ! We enter into our rest, power, authority, all the promises we have in Christ when we are in Him; we connect via worship.  We are independent of our circumstances!

This is the word for this season.  We mock the enemy with a song of faith, thanks, praise and worship.  By doing so we mock the enemy as we overcome in Christ!

Eight Keys to Standing Strong in God’s Steadfast Authority

Psalm 144:1 Praise be to the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle

1. Abide in Christ – As you abide (rest), you are able to pray the things that are on God’s heart (agenda).  This is our starting point.
2. Mix praise and thanks and prayer together – Worship is the atmosphere where truth dwells. There is power released in worship warfare. God is greater than all enemy attacks.  This is the key of Da’vid.
3. Be steadfast in prayer and ready for battle – Know that you are in enemy territory, and you are here to fight for God’s Kingdom in prayer. Watch for those fiery darts, hold up your shield of faith, and put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6).  Hang in there!  The Lord is with you.
4. Stand upon the promises of God – Do not listen to the enemy. Speak God’s promises over your family, neighbourhood, city, and nation.
5. Know and Pray God’s Word – The Bible is filled with Scripture you can pray. Declarative prayer is a key way to exercise your authority in prayer. Try praying Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:3-19.  Declare the promises from the Pauline epistles.
6. Focus on God during times of warfare – The enemy will try to discourage you as to your authority. Focus on God instead of the things you see happening in the world. Remember, we have all authority in Christ.
7. Practise fasting on a regular basis – Fasting gives us spiritual power and strength to steadfastly stand against the enemy.
8. Let God’s peace rule in your heart – Come in the opposite spirit of the world system. An attitude of peace and joy in the midst of darkness is powerful (Colossians 3:15).  The shalom of the Lord comes as we spend time with Him.

This is how we battle, this is how we are victorious, this is how we prevail in prayer!  Singing our high praises and worship to the Lord.

We win by changing our focus from the issues to focussing on the Lord Jesus and our standing in Him.  We also must do this both individually and corporately as the Ekklesia.

Join Together for Prayer

If you do not have a good regular corporate prayer connection please consider joining us on the regular Canberra Declaration Zoom prayer meetings. Normally Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday nights 8.00pm AEST (Sydney Time) and other special prayer times.

It is really important that we pray together – the Kingdom is not about lone rangers; but that we should be one together.  This is where we gain power in prayer especially when dealing with major community and national issues. We support and encourage one another when we are family.

[Updated September 2024, Hebrew Elul 5784]

We are coming to a time of transition into a greater authority and visible victory. We will see people and situations set free by the hand of the Lord. We will see the Lord in His Glory.

Let’s look at the scripture directly.

2 Chronicles 20:22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

We (prayer networks/Ekklesia et. al. in the region and nations) have been praying, interceding, repenting, and above all worshipping in 2022.  The Lord is using that high praise as a weapon on our behalf.

The battles over life issues seem to have been difficult. Abortion laws, euthanasia, the rainbow and gender bending ideologies, and the agenda to destroy families and especially vulnerable children via confusion and lies has been plainly evident. At times things have looked grim.

Ablaze

We have not been idle, the Gospel of John project (thanks Jane B and Marty W and all who have helped) has got the word out (1.25 million and growing) and this continues. The ACL also with their distribution of the Gospels have been wonderful.  The Northern Rivers outreach with the 72 hours of continual prayer and worship was a model of prayer covered evangelism.

I want to thank all of the Canberra Declaration zoom prayer team – you are mighty worshipping warriors. Let’s also thank the Australian Worship Network (Josh and team), The Worship Connection (Charlotte and team) and all who have led worship. Your leadership before the throne of grace has been awesome.

For all who have been politically active, expect fruit from your labors, we are in for the long run to  see Godly righteous government.

The good news is that many humbly have cried out to the Lord, spent time in worship and prayer; and the Lord has heard our cry.

2 Chronicles 20:23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

The Lord will cause His enemies to destroy each other!  The battle is the Lord’s. 2 Chronicles 20:17

I see a year [2023] of breakthrough, turn around, especially in the proclaiming of the Gospel of His Kingdom, planting of local Ekklesia, the Ekklesia rising in authority, a voice of hope for the lost, a voice for the downtrodden and helpless, a voice for life.  We need to expect to see the agenda of death be overturned.  This is an ongoing process.

Sadly, many will keep trying to bring the agenda of the enemy. Why? John 3:19-20 – people choose darkness. But! We prevail when have the Lord’s agenda and strategies.

Our job is still to pray and proclaim the Gospel, to worship the Lord, and to take authority over principalities and powers in the awesome name of Jesus as we worship and pray.

We do this as the family of God, His body, His Ekklesia that Jesus is building.  Our strength is in Him and being His family.  I cannot over emphasize that we need to build relationally, connect as family (not just meetings), and really trust and love each other.

Being grounded in His family that we are born into by the Holy Spirit is the foundation of our authority.  It is who we are, not what we do that gives us authority to pray.

So for 2023 be encouraged, don’t waiver in your faith, but continue to look to the Lord for he is our salvation and victory.

Notes:

Ekklesia: The word translated “church” in the English Bible (“gathering of those summoned”). Ekklesia in ancient Greece was the assembly of citizens in a city-state with authority. Jesus said I will build My Ekklesia. Matthew 16:18

Canberra Declaration  – Regular National Prayer on Zoom
8.00pm Sydney Time (AEDT) Regular: Sun, Mon, Wed
ZOOM 776 881 184 LINK: https://zoom.us/j/776881184

1. Agenda – are we in the Lord’s plans or our own?

Joshua is confronted by the Lord and comes to see that he needs be on the Lord’s side, i.e. it is not whether God is on our side but that we are on God’s side of things.
It is His agenda not ours that matters.
Joshua then worshiped on holy ground which is where we come to hear the Lord’s agenda on issues.
The Lord is calling us into deeper relationship, worship, and holiness.; from this place we have divine alignment for divine assignment.
We cannot hold on to our own agenda and goals, we must hear the Lord in all things and go with His plan, calling, and His purposes.

Joshua 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”
15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

2. The battle is the Lords, and He gives us the victory.

Good news: we are not David !!! {I have shared this point previously}
Ref: 1 Samuel 17
We are taught to identify with David and his overcoming of Goliath.
But in reality often we don’t beat the Goliaths in our lives, whether they be sickness, poverty, depression, opposition etc.
This leads to disappointment, sometimes on a grand scale.
When we realise that David is a type of Jesus and that He fights for us we have victory.
We can identify with the Children of Israel and see that David fought on their behalf and that Goliath is truly dead.
In the new testament it is Christ in us the hope of glory that enables us to overcome.
Bottom line it is only Jesus that brings victory.
We have hope as He has overcome the world.
It is time to come to the Lord and let him rule our hearts and minds so He can fight for us.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

3. Perseverance in faith and trust.

2 Kings 13 relates the story of Elisha and King Joash and how Elisha asked Joash to strike the ground with the arrows, which he only did three times.
If he had persisted Joash would have had a complete rather than partial victory.
Too many times we only see partial victory when the Lord wants us to win completely.
Sometimes we go through difficult times, trials, and tribulations.
The Lord is always with us and even carries us in the most difficult times.
His love for us is endless.
Nothing we can do will make Him love us more than He does already.
We just need to persist is loving and trusting Him; again allowing Him to reign in our lives so He can fight for us.
Putting our trust in Him is an act of faith, we choose to trust Him in all things.
Abba Father is there for us at all times – He is completely trustworthy.
He is love and loves us.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

His Journey on that day was an incredible prophetic statement about everything that was about to transpire.  Let’s look at the journey Jesus took on that day.

We sang Hosanna to the Lord this morning in church and it was a wonderful time of worship.  The Lord reminded me of His complete journey and to reflect on what it meant.

Bethany

Jesus was staying in Bethany, which means house of figs, and it was the town where Lazarus was raised from the dead. They key understanding is that Jesus started in a place of fruitfulness and new life which is where He normally lives.

This is a good place to be; but is also only the start of bigger things.  We should always start from a place of peace, rest, and blessing.

Bethphage

He asked the disciples to get a young colt from the next town, Bethphage meaning house of unripe figs.  We see that this represents Jesus’ humility as He is lowering Himself as a man on earth to be our Saviour.

The photo above shows a donkey in Israel. The photo was taken on the Jericho road.  Jesus was humble and this is how He entered the Holy City. He did not ride a great white steed or wear Kingly robes, but came in humility to show us God’s love.

Mount of Olives

Mount of Olives is, of course, where Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords will soon return.  This is where the people cried out “Hosanna in the Highest”. This symbolically speaks of Jesus’ ultimate triumph and His eternal reign.  This is also a place where we worship Him as our Lord.

The people of the day were expecting someone to rid them of the Romans and allow Israel to stand as a free people; they missed the greater eternal issue of Jesus dealing with out sin once and for all.

This is the place and time we look forward to. It is a place of celebration and declaring final victory.  But we also look at the journey to achieve this victory.

Down into Kidron Valley and through the Garden of Gethsemane

The next part of our Lord’s journey was to descend into the Kidron valley and  pass through the Garden of Gethsemane.  This speaks of passing through the valley of the shadow of death.  It is also where Jesus prayed in agony sweating blood on the night He was betrayed. Jesus knew what was coming, but still He pressed on.

We need to recognise that sometimes we do pass through the valley of the shadow of death. We all face major issues from time to time. But, as we read John 16:33,  we know we will come through in triumph. Our ability to overcome is based 100% in His grace.

This is a place of holy consecration where we pray ‘Not my will but thine‘. We must not fear the valley or the garden, but recognise we are transformed through these experiences to be more like the Lord.

East or Golden Gate a.k.a Mercy Gate

The Mercy Gate is critical on Jesus’ journey. We refer to Psalm 24:1-10 and ask the question ‘Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?’ The answer is Jesus!

This gate represents both His mercy for us and His resurrection and His ascension.  We see that Jesus has left the travail of the Garden of Gethsemane and now goes forward to His full purpose and destiny.

The Temple

This is the place from which Jesus will rule and reign! It is a consecrated and holy place representing the manifest presence of God. It is easy to see that this is where we all end up.

This is symbolically both Jesus and our final destination, our final place of rest and also our eternal purposes of ruling and reigning with Him.

Understanding

It is good for us to reflect on Jesus’ journey on Palm Sunday. I have only briefly covered the elements of His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Please take some time to reflect on what the Lord has done for us and how this journey showed what was to come (and is still coming).

Scripture

The Triumphal Entry

Matthew 21:1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

All photos © Kym Farnik.

The deep longing and desire for us to have a significant and meaningful relationship with God and each other is a major driver for our lives.  This is a God given call in our lives.  When we have genuine connections with God and each other there is real joy.

We then (sometimes) play at church; we sit in a pew looking at the back of someone’s head, sing a few songs, shake hands and say God bless you. But! How often do we walk with people through their troubles, how often do we get to heart issues and really carry each other? 

Derek Prince stated that the central purpose of the local church (local ekklesia) is fellowship supported by these 4 points:

1. 1 Corinthians 1:9 — We are called to the sharing together of Christ.
2. 1 John 1:3 — The New Testament was written to bring us into the fellowship of the apostles, sharing with them the fellowship of the Father and the Son.
3. 1 John 1:4 — This fellowship brings full joy (compare 2 John 12).
4. John 3:6 — Out of this fellowship the Holy Spirit brings to birth the purposes of God (compare Acts 2:1; 13:1–4). Without fellowship there can be no spiritual birth.

Local church is great! And a good worship service and a good preach is great value; but if we do not have real relationships then it is a game.   If we don’t open our homes, wallets, and hearts then we are missing the true purpose and connection between Christians.  When we get it right then there is purpose, life and joy.
Ref Matthew 7.

Obviously the level of relationship with people will vary, it can’t be the same for everybody, but if we don’t have some deep connections we are in big trouble.
If all our Christian relationship is contained within formal meetings then we are missing God’s love.

If we do not really know some of our brothers and sisters journey, including the ugly bits, then we are not living as Jesus has called us to.
If we have no-one to share our journey with, including the ugly bits, then we are missing a fundamental foundation.

We need to have people to speak into our lives, people to share our lives with and people we are speaking into.  Over the last few years Nel and I had the privilege of spending time with some global leaders including some from the Chinese underground church.

What made all of these leaders different was the very genuine heart relationship that was obvious and opened up for us.  There were true fathers and mothers in the faith and lived a reality that we in the west desperately need.

Above all we need to have the foundation of our Father’s love underpinning all our relationships. We love because He first loved us.

So why don’t we have these sort of relationships? This is the pressing question of modern western local churches.

In a word, fear!

We fear rejection and emotional pain!  It would seem we are scared to be open, because it means from time to time we will be hurt.
We need to take a risk! And be open and even allow being hurt.
When we get hurt, we learn to forgive and heal. It is (in part) how we grow.

Not having pain means not growing.  This is the price of maturity.  When we take relational risks we find that there are people we can share life with and our calling and purpose become manifest.

When we are hurt, we have a healer – the Holy Spirit who carries us when needed; we also have good people that God has put into our lives to help in the healing process. But if we don’t have the right relationships we are alone – which is so wrong.  But in relationship we have the life of God and things really start happening.

John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has to do with punishment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.

Being alone is the worst situation we can be in; we have been designed to be in relationship.  We need to build our relationship with the Lord and each other.  This is not a chore but fun!

Fellowship is not just church meetings, it is about just hanging out and being together. We need to make time for each other beyond formal meetings.
It is the only way we can build meaningful relationships!  We have real relationships with several small groups and in turn connect with the wider Church in this city and nation.

Once relationships get real, Papa God will enable a whole bunch of fantastic things to happen!

On to fathers and mothers in the faith

Being fathers and mothers in the faith is where we all need to get real.  This is the natural outworking of relationships in the body of Christ.  Without this relational base to our walk with the Lord forget any aspirations to revival etc.

1 Corinthians 4:8 For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

I would have one real father than 10,000 teachers/instructors!  We are privileged to have some genuine fathers in the faith.  In our most difficult times and when we need these fathers are there for us.  Also they celebrate our good times and we theirs.

This blog is a call for fathers and mothers in the faith to rise and turn their hearts to their children.  This is the imperative of the last verse of the old testament.  Without the reconciliation of generations, reconciliation of intercessors and church leaders, reconciliation of first nations in the land and so forth we cannot really progress.

Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

When the Lord’s reconciliation comes, and we pray, He will move in our land and the nations!  Now is the time Malachi 4:6 is being fulfilled.  The age of the Church, the Bride without spot or wrinkle is here!

How do we make this happen?

It is very simple!  We can start by spending regular time with other Christians, have a meal, or a tea/coffee, talk with each other, and even pray together.  Just be real with each other.  As Danny Silk said “If you minister to someone they might feel loved. If you love someone they will be ministered to”  In other words don’t try to be ‘spiritual’ just be a friend first.  Everything else will flow from loving each other.

The word Moed (Hebrew: מועד, “Festivals” also “appointed time”) provides specific instructions for the rituals, observances and laws related to holidays and festivals. It also carries the idea of God’s dynamic powerful appointed time. Kairos is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment.

This Pentecost has been such a time and represents at launch pad for the Ekklesia (Church). We are in a Chronos time by calendar but also Moed / Kairos appointed dynamic God time!

Which raises the question of what is this specific Moed / Kairos time?

It is HARVEST TIME!

Pentecost (feasts of weeks) celebrates, among other things, the end of barley harvest and the start of wheat harvest. In Bible times, barley was much more widely cultivated than now and was the main food of the poor. It was always valued less than wheat (2 Kings 7:1 ; Revelation 6:6).

Biblically wheat is associated with rebirth and resurrection. It is also used to describe the harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)

Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn (Matthew 13:30)

God greatly values this wheat, which is how he sees the lost right now, as valued people! So valuable He sent Jesus for us all. It is the appointed (Moed / Kairos) time for us to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, of The healer, The deliverer, The provider, and above The Saviour Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamaschiach.

We prophecy that this wheat harvest is a rich harvest, a quality harvest, a bountiful harvest! In the parable of the sower our Lord speaks of grains of wheat which in good ground produce a HUNDRED-FOLD. So, we pray for both good soil and workers to be sent into the white harvest fields. There has been much preparation in prayer, equipping via initiatives like https://go2020.world , online outreach via the #hopestory hashtag with 60 second testimony and much more. It is time for the reaper to overtake the sower and see this end time harvest come into its fullness.

To bring in this harvest requires us all to be activated as ministers of the Gospel. It will be in the streets and shops the harvest will come in. Large meetings/rallies may happen, but the bulk of the harvest is up to us to reap in the form of every believer evangelism. Every believer is a witness.

We are already getting daily reports of new converts via hope stories and others just sharing Jesus with people in their daily lives. This is being multiplied over the planet, but is somewhat hidden as we don’t see mega meetings. Hundreds of millions of people have heard the Gospel in May this year alone.

We are launching into a great season of harvest. Those that recognise and understand the times and seasons are seeing this now and going forward this year and beyond.

The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. (Joel 2:24)

Notes: Pentecost 5780/2020 (Shavuot – Feast of Weeks) was sunset, 28 May – nightfall, 30 May
Celebrates the end of barley harvest and the start of wheat harvest.
The word Shavuot means “weeks” and it marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. Its date is directly linked to that of Passover; the Torah mandates the seven-week (49 days) Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover, to be immediately followed by Shavuot.
The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover (the 16th of Nisan) for Orthodox Jews , and ends the day before the holiday of Shavuot, the ‘fiftieth day’ hence ‘Pentecost’
Ref: Leviticus 23:9–21 and Deuteronomy 16:9–12

Let’s consider what the true Passover is. First, it is the story of the final plague of Egypt (Angel of Death) passing over the Israelites who were captive in Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13) All who had the blood of a sacrificial lamb painted on the door posts were saved from the death plague. It is in the Passover Lamb we are delivered.

Secondly, we need to also understand Yom Kippur ( יוֹם כִּיפּוּר ), the Day of Atonement. It is the most solemn religious fast of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur held on the last of the ten days of penitence that begin with Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year). It is the day when a lamb, and other blood sacrifices, were made by the High Priest to cover the sin of the Jewish people.

Our understanding starts in John 1:29 where John the Baptist announced Jesus as the Lamb of God.  John was the final Old Testament prophet, the son of a priest, and as the chosen forerunner of Christ. He declared Jesus as the Passover Lamb of God. This is an absolutely powerful, complete, and transforming truth. Think of the awesome sequence of events God had planned just on the day of Christ’s crucifixion. On the day Christ died on the cross for our sins, it was the fourteenth day of Nisan, A.D. 33 (best understanding).

At the third hour (9:00 AM), Israel’s High Priest placed the paschal lamb on the altar for sacrifice. At that exact moment outside the city walls of Jerusalem, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was nailed to the cross.

For six hours both the paschal lamb and Jesus the Lamb of God, awaited death. Finally, at the ninth hour (3:00 PM), the High Priest ascended the altar in the Temple and sacrificed the Passover lamb.

God the Father allowed the total sin of the world to descend upon His Son Jesus and it was at that exact moment, from the cross, Jesus Christ’s words cried out over Jerusalem and echoed to the whole planet, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Passover the most pivotal moment in all of history, as it is the work of the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice that frees us from sin and death.

Three days later, after burial, descent into Hades setting the captives free, and His resurrection; that we have healing, deliverance, provision, and above all salvation in Christ Jesus.

This is our prime focus, His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection. He is the Lamb of God. It is from this place we have been given eternal life and all the benefits of the Cross which include healing and healing of the nations.

Our response is simple: recognise our wretchedness, sin, and our need for God’s forgiveness; then we repent from our sin believing in Him, receiving His grace through faith.

We proclaim the incredible Good News of God’s forgiveness to all the world, lifting up the Name above all names, our Lord Jesus Christ.

With all this in mind and celebrating Passover (aka Easter) in a few weeks, we pray that the current plague will pass over.  We (the Ekklesia) stand in the gap and repent for the sins of our nation, and as grievous as those sins are, we ask for God’s mercy and grace at this difficult time.

We declare Passover for Australia.

We call Australia to repentance, faith, and salvation.

We call Australia to its Joseph anointing, a provider of things physical but more so a nation sending the Gospel of Jesus into the region (South Pacific) and to all nations.

This is the time for us, the Ekklesia (body of Christ), to shine, because we are salt and light, we have the answer to all the world’s issues, and that answer is complete in Jesus Christ, the crucified Lamb of God.

• אֲדָמָה Adamah – out of the earth God created  Genesis 2:19
• אָדָם (aleph, dalet, mem) Adam – man
• אָדַם Adam – the red (i.e. red earth) [same spelling, one different vowel]
• דָּם (dalet, mem) Blood (dam) – contained in the name Adam

Did the Lord God give a random and meaningless name to his first creation?  Of course not!  The combination of both ‘bloody’ and ‘earthly’ aspects form the original components not only of Adam’s identity, but of the Lord’s message to His creation: this ‘flesh and blood’ man.  We know that the Bible shows the significance of the blood ‘dam’ of living creatures, but it all starts here, in the name ‘Adam’.

What struck me was the idea that salvation through the blood of Yeshua (Jesus) was embedded within the very beginning of our creation.  It is only by the shedding of blood there is forgiveness and salvation (Hebrews 9:22).

When Esau traded his bloodline birthright for some red lentil stew (Genesis 25:29-34). Esau traded that which was holy (his bloodline birthright) for that which was from the earth (literally give me the red (ha adam)).  This answers the question raised in Roman 9:13 as to why God hated Esau.  We must never trade what is holy for earthly flesh.  There is nothing more holy or precious than the shed blood of Jesus.

Leviticus 17:11 tells us that life is in the blood, and atonement comes by  blood sacrifice.  Hebrews 9:11-15 reveals that the blood of Christ sacrificed once and for all is our eternal redemption.

Let’s consider seven times Jesus bled for us, His blood was shed for all of us and for all our needs.

1. Luke 22:44 It was in the Garden of Eden that Adam lost his authority over earth when he sinned and ate fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was also in a garden, the Garden of Gethsemane, we find the first shedding of Jesus’ blood for us.
2. When Jesus acknowledged that He was the Son of God they spat in His face and beat and slapped Him with their fists (Matthew 26:67-68 ref Isaiah 50:6). From Psalm 133  we know that the beard speaks of unity. It is through this we come together as one.
3. Matthew 27:26 The Roman Governor, Pilate, ordered Jesus flogged. Jesus paid for our healing from all disease. Isaiah 53:5
4. Matthew 27:29 The crown of thorns was mockingly pressed onto Jesus’ head and so he bled. This precious blood gives us the pathway to a renewed mind and Godly decision making, healing of depression and other mental illnesses.
5. Jesus bled when they drove spikes through his wrists/hands into the cross. Again, this is reflected at the beginning in Genesis 39:3.  We are also the recipients of this blessing: for with our hands we have the power of Jesus to bless, heal and take authority over all things in the name of Jesus.
6. Jesus bled  when they drove spikes through his feet into that Golgotha cross. With our feet we can take dominion over every place the sole of our foot touches (Deuteronomy 11:34) and with our feet we can exercise the Great Commission of Mark 16:15 where we are commissioned to go into all the world.
7. Finally, Jesus bled when the soldier drove a spear into His side to make certain he was dead as John 19:34 shows that blood and water poured out. By this time Jesus was dead. He had given up His spirit and laid down His life to redeem us, being made a curse hanging on a tree. He died in physical pain and agony.  But he also died in unbelievable suffering under the weight of our sins, for the first time in His life, he felt the total and absolute separation from His Father.

We can truly sing there is power in the blood of Jesus!  From the very beginning of creation of man (Adam) the blood has been embedded into history where ultimately it was God’s own blood that bought us out of hell itself.

Here is a wonderful worship song by Joshua Aaron in Hebrew and English which we hope you will sing.

Oh the blood of Jesus, Oh the blood of Jesus It washes white as snow
Ho damo shel Yeshua, Ho damo shel Yeshua K’sheleg malbeen

There were many prayer initiatives around the nation. Many groups, congregations, and individuals have prayed for the  election and the issues surrounding it.  A cry for the innocents killed by abortion, moral issues, and a cry for righteous Government.

There has been more prayer by more Christians in unity for this one main issue than ever before in this nation.  Coupled with things like the Graham Tour and Awakening Australia there is a spiritual change in the nation.

I have written previously on politics and what God is doing.  I am so thankful there is a turn in our nation.
Refer: Prophetic word on elections Israel and Australia (April/May 2019)
and 2019 – A year of conflict, yet great overcoming
and Christians and Politics – a discussion about God’s Kingdom

The Israel Folau saga has shown how our values and freedoms are being assaulted.  The pro-death (abortion, euthanasia, pro-drugs, and corrupt moral  sexualisation of children, gender bending etc.) agenda of the left is tragic.  Identity politics is shouting down genuine discussion.

Even issues like care for refugees have been distorted from genuine people fleeing war to those who want an easy life.   When, in fact, the LNP had increased our intake and stopped deaths at sea; yet lies were told saying they were ‘racist’ and cutting intake.  Such lies form the Labor/Greens/Left agenda and are being told over and over, and they even sound compassionate but are not really.

Personally, I want to keep it simple; I like my Government small, my taxes low, my economy vibrant, my borders strong, and my religion and speech free.

Looking at the The Canberra Declaration/Warwick Marsh/Margaret Court evening Zoom calls 21 Days of Prayer as an example, there are some significant observations.  We noticed that the prayer went through three clear phases.

1. Repentance, travail, and a cry for forgiveness for the sins of Australia
2. A militant powerful declaration that the Lord reigns over Australia and the election
3. A celebration of the Lord, and a change of prayer tone to declare of the Gospel of Jesus and revival/transformation
   * This is God’s endgame; not the election which is a temporary situation; but the Gospel being made clear to the nation
   * Recognising our sin, the need for repentance, and His grace and forgiveness through Jesus and the cross

My feeling is that similar things happened in all the prayer groups/initiatives to one level or another.

It is very important that we recognise we have been given three years of grace and it is not a time to relax.  Australia has a call to be a Joseph nation providing physically and also a place from which to send the Gospel to all nations.  The left agenda is to thwart that calling.

The evening Zoom group started in unity of task and purpose and it quickly became very much a group in oneness (i.e. having the same heart).

There have been thousands praying across Australia in this season, in fact, this election has brought the largest united prayer effort ever in this nation.

What is important now  is how to continue this with a view to the ecclesia rising up to her fullness in Christ and seeing Australia come into a full awakening and national transformation!!

As part of this we must better engage the under 35 NextGen in prayer and spiritual leadership.  We must be fathers and mothers to the NextGen, loving, caring, releasing, and empowering the emerging ministers of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

The election outcome is a beginning not an end. There is much land still to possess. I have been reading Chronicles and the story of King Josiah is a key – especially 2 Chronicles 34:33 where he held Israel faithful all the days of his reign.

It is absolutely crucial for all to understand that we are in ‘the fullness of time’, so we can exercise the opportunities and authority we are being given.
NOW is the time.

The Federal election is still subordinate to God’s plans and purposes which are repentance, reconciliation, redemption, restoration, and a ruling Bride. Australia is won in travail, intercession, thanksgiving, praise, worship, and speaking the word of salvation.

We are not alone, there are so many who have prayed and are praying. There is an army, the ecclesia rising into its rightful place as the Bride of Christ.  Sometimes we feel we are alone or just a small group.  It is important to see that the Lord has raised an army.

1 Kings 18.18 “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’

This is a call to continue in prayer, to give thanks and praise to the Lord, to speak up, to engage in society for God’s purposes, and above all proclaim the name of Jesus over Australia.

Here is the relevant part of Chronicles:

Josiah Restores True Worship

2 Chronicles 34:29 Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 The king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord. 31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
32 And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers.

Some of this word may apply to you or not; we trust that the part the Holy Spirit quickens what you need to hear.

Here is a quick study on the name Deborah and what I felt the Lord is encouraging this generation of women of God to pick up.

Deborah in Hebrew is Dev·ō·rä’ דְּבֹרָה

The name Deborah is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Deborah is: Bee. Deborah was the Biblical prophetess who summoned Barak to battle against an army of invaders.  After the battle she wrote a victory song which is part of the Book of Judges ch 4 and ch 5; please have a read of this mighty account.

The Hebrew meaning of Bee can be:

1. an ordered set of insects
2. a place of order
3. things brought into order.

The shoresh (Hebrew root) of Deborah is Dabar – dä·var’ דָּבַר
which has a complex meaning: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, to lead away, put to flight, or sing.

From this understanding I feel this is what the Lord is encouraging mighty women of God with:

First, each of you has been raised as a commander and are bring order to people with great gifts that don’t have a constructive way to use those gifts. You are ordering things for Kingdom purpose, arranging people so they are in the right place, with the right support, at the right time to fight the battle, but also to build the house of the Lord in an ordered and glorious manner.

Secondly, your song and command has great power.  Understanding the shoresh (Dabar) of the name Deborah is a key. There are hidden attributes and gifts in each of your lives that need to be brought forward. Those hidden promises of the Lord are either ripe and ready or soon will be. It is time to speak His word to people with great power and authority.

Thirdly, you are giving good wise counsel and judgement to people in your care. This is the mother’s heart; you are mothers in Israel. People will come to you seeking advice, you hear from the Lord and always guide them to the Lord. The Lord is looking for hearts open to Him and wants an even more intimate relationship that you can also impart to others on their journey.

We pray your are encouraged and built up in your faith through this word.

Judges 4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.  5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgement.

Judges 5:7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel.

I felt the Lord speak to me this morning with a completely different perspective in that the fire is a prophetic sign to The Church (His Body).

These are the thoughts I sensed.

• The destruction of a man made religious edifice shows the Lord does not want our works but our hearts (our best works are are never enough, our heart is)
• Human pride is being replaced with a godly humility and full expression of His love
• The fire is a sign of His fire that He wants us to have; we need to baptised in fire; it is only is His fire that we have strength
• The fire is also a refining fire, burning off impurities and bringing His Church into the fullness of the image of Christ
• It is a time to be available for Him regardless of whether we think we are ready or not; old systems of man are being replaced by those that worship in spirit and truth

I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it… Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. (Galatians 2:19-21, The Message)

The transformational nature of the Lord’s fire brings a holy and consecrated life.  It is His grace that sets us free.  It also gives us the freedom to take up our cross daily.

Jesus preached the shortest sermon ever “Follow Me” and that is the call now for us to follow Him wholly and holy.  So will you follow Him?

• How Australia prays and intercedes for the Israeli elections (9th April) will affect our election in May (Maybe 18th)
• There is a spiritual linkage which is the Anzac spirit and the liberation of the Holy Land in WWI also Tobruk etc WWII
• Australia has supported Israel consistently since 1947 (the original UN vote etc.)
• Now is decision as to whether we Aussies are sheep or goats

Joel 3:14 says, “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”
Many evangelists have drawn from this passage to challenge audiences to “make a decision” for Christ. Others view this valley of decision as a time of judgement when the Lord decides the fate of the nations.
Which is it? An invitation or a prophecy of doom?
Either way it for us to choose and pursue the Lord and His ways.
It is time to pray for both nations and that righteousness reigns in both nations.

The focus of Joel 3 is on the soon coming Day of the Lord. This time will include a gathering of the nations (verse 2), a judgement on wickedness (verse 13), and astronomical signs (verse 15). Joel’s prophecy of the valley of decision finds its counterpart in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse and the judgement of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46).

This is a Holy Call to the Church in Australia to seek His face, to stand on the walls, to sound the alarm, and stand in the gap and repent for our national sin. 2 Chronicles 7:14

It is also time to pray from Heavenly places. Psalm 2 is a key understanding.

The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom
2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”?

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”

7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

The battle is the Lord’s however He calls us to participate and to the level we enter into His call is how much we will receive. It is a choice. Choose HIM !!!

The Lord has given us (His Church)  the nations (for the gospel), but we need to appropriate His word, declare His word, and walk it out in prayer, intercession, and even travail.  Our thanks, praise, and worship is our best weapon. This call is more about lifting up the name of Jesus (Yeshua HaMashiach) than the politics going on at this time.

The political landscape will appear to be a moral and ethical bloodbath as people generally keep heading away from God and his righteousness.  Sounds terrible doesn’t it?  Yet in this we (the Church) will rise up glorious as the Lord brings His life and salvation to anyone who will listen. 

Psalm 2 is a call to repentance for the nations.  This is a key passage that shows the truth of what will happen in 2019 and onward. The Psalm is titled ‘The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom’ in the NKJV and is need to navigate our lives in turbulent times.

The first three verses Psalm 2:1-3 talk about the pride of man and kings; how nations rage and plot vain things; how leaders purposefully rail against the Lord.  This is  a clear picture of the anti-God agenda being thrown at us via the media, Godless politicians and the #leftist immoral agenda.

The next three verses Psalm 2:4-6 tell the truth of the power of God in the face of vain earthly kings.  The Lord laughs, holds them in derision; then He speaks to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure.  Ooops! How out leaders have it so wrong.

The next passage Psalm 2:7-9 tells of Messiah’s inheritance of the nations and His rule of the whole earth.  How incredible and powerful is He!  These evil rulers will be broken with a rod of iron.  This is also our right as His bride, the Church.

The final passage Psalm 2:10-12 shows His mercy when we repent and the blessing we have in His salvation as we trust in Him fully.

This leads to the obvious question, how do we appropriate the overcoming victory in the mess that our society is at this time?

First, we need to be centred in Jesus and our living relationship with Him. John 16:31-33 gives us the hope we need.

Secondly, we need to pray like Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18 and 2 Kings 19 (these chapters should be read in full).  Hezekiah was facing a huge threat as the Assyrians were planning to invade Judah and destroy Jerusalem.

The Assyrians tried to bribe and threaten the people of God but Hezekiah stood strong and took the letter the Assyrians had sent with its unholy threats to the temple (the main place of worship), the courts of the Lord, and laid that letter before the Lord.  He also called on the prophet of the Lord (Isaiah) who gave Hezekiah God’s word.

So in humble prayer, in the presence of the Lord, acting on God’s word, Hezekiah called out for his nation.  The Lord answered!  2 Kings 19:35-37 one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians were destroyed.  Hezekiah and Isaiah had sought the Lord and had a huge victory.

We need to use the key of David (Isaiah 22:22 and Revelation 3:7), that is we need to worship and praise the Lord; and then we overcome.  The battle is the Lord’s, we just need to obey Him and His word.

2019 will appear to be a bad year from a natural perspective, yet as we stand in Him and on His word there will be awesome breakthroughs, salvation, healing, miracles, and a national transformative work of the Gospel of The Kingdom.

Here is the mechanical translation of verse 25.

He~will~make~LIGHT(Verb) (יָאֵר / ya’eyr) YHWH (יְהוָה / YHWH) FACE~s~him (פָּנָיו / pa’naw) TO~you(ms) (אֵלֶיךָ / ey’ley’kha) and~he~will~PROVIDE.PROTECTION(Verb)~you(ms) (וִיחֻנֶּךָּ / wi’hhu’ne’ka)

YHWH will make his face shine toward you and he will provide you with protection.

The Hebrew word for face is paniym ( פָּנִים ). The word paniym appears several times in the Old Testament in combination with God or the Lord. In most cases, the face of the Lord is a reference to God’s presence. For instance, when Moses asked God to assure him that he, God, would go with the people to the land of Canaan, God told Moses: ‘My face shall go before thee’ (Exodus 33:14 DRA). Most modern translations use the word ‘presence’ to translate the Hebrew word for face, but face is so much more than just His presence.

The root of  paniym is panah ( פָּנָה ) which means to turn towards or away from.  So we have in this case God turning his face towards us in blessing.  We know in the Old Testament people could not look upon the Lord and live. Under the New Covenant Jesus has made a way where we can behold His paniym (face) and worship in intimacy.

In Exodus 33:15 Moses says (my paraphrase) if your presence (face) does not go with us I’m not going anywhere! This maybe the smartest thing Moses ever uttered.  Moses knew that without the Lord’s favour, blessing, and face towards himself and Israel there was no point to anything.

The word for light/shine is ‘owr ( אוֹר ) meaning to be or become light, to be illuminated.   The same word is used in the following verse.

Psalm 119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

So we see a connection to his face (presence) shining on us and both His word and us worshipping Him.

It is in the intimacy of worship and meditating on His word we see the Lord’s face turned toward us and we can behold the beauty of His holiness.

The second phrase of verse 25 is ‘and be gracious to you’ which is better translated as ‘and He will provide you with protection‘.  This is such a powerful statement.  As we are in His presence, with His face turned towards us we have protection from all the attacks of the enemy.

This concept ties in with the keys of David and the tabernacle of David which are the ways for us to overcome in praise and worship.  The more time we can spend in praise and worship the stronger we become in Him. We see the manifestation of verses such as  Colossians 1:27 Christ in us the hope of glory.

This blessing which is often used as a benediction at the end of Church services is much more than a way to close a service, it is a direction for our lives!

I close with this verse:

Psalm 21:6 For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

PS: The photo at the top of this post is the Oasis at Timna in the wilderness of southern Israel.  This is a place of rest in the harsh southern desert.

First, I saw the word stability and also saw a picture of a strong lighthouse in a storm. The lighthouse was firmly anchored on a massive rock and was unshakeable.

I then saw a dawn light come and the words ‘Peace, be still’ … and then the storm fizzled to nothing. Then I saw a glowing light from the heavens as His glory shone onto what had become a glassy sea around the lighthouse.

The sea was teaming with fish. Soon many large boats came guided by the lighthouse and the dawn Glory light. Nets were trawled and soon were full of fish. The boats were then overflowing with a catch like no other and the fishermen are amazed.

In the vision I saw the fish transform into people. Men, women, and children from many nations. The boats transformed into massive troop carriers full of people singing praise to the Lord.

There was great joy in every boat in the fleet.

This vision is self explanatory so I won’t add any discussion.

The SR-71 is capable of Mach 3+ speeds (3x the speed of sound) and a 80,000+ feet operational altitude. It has never been intercepted by an enemy. It overflew the Soviets, Chinese, North Korea, etc. The SR-71 still holds speed and altitude performance records. It carried cameras with incredible resolution so it could detect enemy activity with impunity.

Daryl Crawford-Marshall was preaching on ‘new levels’ last Sunday and I knew why the SR-71 was being highlighted to me.  He had mentioned Mach 1 in his sermon and I felt the Lord saying the new levels would be much more and we were to be at a SR-71 prophetic levels.

The SR-71 flew so high that the crew could see stars even in the daytime as they were flying on the edge of space.  This is symbolic of us being in the heavenlies and seeing things from the Lord’s perspective.  The high resolution cameras on the SR-71 speak of very clear understanding and discernment of God’s word.

The Lord then said that the new levels mean the following changes in mindset in the Church:

• From: ‘God loves me’
• To: ‘God loves the world’

• From: ‘What is God’s plan for my life?’
• To: ‘How does my life fit in God’s great plan and His Kingdom agenda?’

• From: ‘God bless me or God Bless you’
• To: ‘How I be a blessing and release God’s blessing to others?’

• From: ‘How do we grow the Church?’
• To: ‘How do we expand the Kingdom?’

When Joshua was confronted by the Lord (‘The Angel’ is this passage is what is known as a Christophany  i.e. Jesus) in Joshua 5:13-15 he asks if you are for me or his enemies. The answer is astounding He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’  So it is we should not be concerned about God being on our side, but rather are we on God’s agenda.  Our focus changes from ourselves and issues to His Kingdom.

The SR-71 was rare in that it used less fuel at high speed and altitude to to its ability to reconfigure its engine to operate as what is known as a ramjet.  In other words the SR-71 could do more with less effort.

Going to new levels means relying more on the Holy Spirit and less on our abilities and skills. We will be able to do things we thought impossible with His strength and power. Romans 8:26-27 and Zechariah 4:6

It is a season for doing great exploits, we are bringing the Gospel of the Kingdom and salvation to many; we are carriers of healing and deliverance to those that are bound and oppressed.  This only happens when we are in a place of dependence on Him and His power.

Here is an very amusing story about the SR-71  Speed Check which shows how we really are; i.e. powerful in Christ. Colossians 1:27

God reveals a powerful truth in Isaiah 55:8-9.  First, that his thoughts and ways are very different to ours.   Secondly that his thoughts and ways are higher than ours.

How does this work?
We find the answer in all the previous verses of the chapter.  In all that God has promised in free forgiveness and grace, and what he has offered in blessing and love, which is all far beyond our human understanding and experience.

Forgiveness does not come easily to us.   Human forgiveness is almost non-existent even for small offences and transgressions, but God, who has been injured so greatly by us all (humanity), is ready to love us and forgive us and freely pardon us.  How open are the arms of God to all, even the deepest of sinners – Come … Come … Come … Come … is the repeated cry in the two verses Isaiah 55:1-2.

God has opened his arms to us such that there are no conditions which would make it difficult for us to come, and there is no cost which would exclude us.

How wonderfully loving is God in that he has made it possible for our sin to be forgiven without any injustice or denial of his holiness or law.  It is virtually impossible for us to understand high thoughts and ways.

How much higher than our thoughts and ways is this eternal covenantal promise spoken of in Isaiah 55:3, which was God promising Himself to die in our place in the person of his Son, and suffer all our deserved pain. Christ when he went to the cross did not count the cost but set his face firmly to go to Jerusalem. He submitted to the will of the Father without any question even though the cost was an eternity of Hell that He had to suffer.

How high and wonderful is God’s actions that in this way he made himself near to us and able to be found ( Isaiah 55:6 ) and so full of mercy and pardon to all who seek him.

How wonderful is God’s way that to seek the Lord is to find him, because he is ready to be found and is near.

There is nothing in the wisdom of man that could conceive such sure and complete means of blessing; and nothing in the heart of man that could conceive such blessing and love; and there is nothing in the will of man that could act in such self-sacrificing love.

It is Australia’s time to come to the Lord, it is a season of His grace.  We as a nation are morally bankrupt, we are poor in spirit, yet it is an awesome season of grace; it is time for us to repent, believe, and be saved.

It is time! Just just to prophesy and speak the word of the Lord (which we do); but also a time to see the fulfilment of the word.

An Invitation to Abundant Life

55 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the Lord your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

12 “For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

I saw a long line of people standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder, dressed in white but also wearing armour, each holding a large sword.
I then saw the faces and I recognised many of these people being members of our home group, local congregations, and others from the prayer houses etc.
Each looked strong and carried a look of love and joy, faces shining with God’s glory.

Then in front of the line was a dark seething mass of darkness full of demonic activity including dark snakes hissing. This was the most horrible tangled mess of depravity.

Then as one, the line of saints stepped forward, the darkness started screaming. Then another united step forward as one. Each step forward caused the dark mass to recede. On each step forward various scriptures were being declared as if the word was being released over the darkness.

As the line stepped forward there were people trapped in the darkness being set free. They rose up, were cleansed, and came in behind the line and then joined in. Many many people were being set free.

I had a great sense that this vision was an insight into the wave that is happening in Australia (Awakening, Graham Tour, etc.). That we need to stand side by side in oneness prophesying and declaring the word of the Lord. It is a time to stand together as one in Christ.

AMEN

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה), literally meaning the head (beginning) [of] the year is the Jewish New Year (Rosh = head; Ha = the; Shanah = year)
2018 dates Sunset, Sun 9 September – nightfall, Tue 11 September – start of 5779

Here is a short video explaining the blowing of the Shofar for the new year.

The Jews get a bit legalistic, they end up blowing the Shofar 100 times to make sure they meet the legal requirements, overkill to the max as they only need 30 or possibly 3

The reasons for blowing the Shofar at Rosh Hashanah are:

• It is a time of Judgement. First to confuse and minimise the prosecution satan, secondly, strengthen the mercy of the judgement from the Lord [interesting in terms of the Courts of Heaven]
• It is a time of cleaning our hearts and repentance [to me is also the Holy precursor of REVIVAL]
• It is to remember how Abraham brought Isaac as a sacrifice and that God provided
• It is to celebrate that the LORD (HaShem) is King

Don’t forget we are not under law, but His grace!! We can learn from this but have zero obligation to do it.

Prophetic understanding of this new year

The year 5779 Hey, Zayin, Zayin, Tet – is the end of the 8th decade and here are some thoughts on this year.

There are nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. This will be a year to look and see how genuinely we have produced them.

There are nine gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) Word of wisdom, Word of knowledge, Faith, Gifts of hearings, Miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing between spirits, Tongues, Interpretation of tongues. The will be a major increase in the operation and flow of the gifts in the Church.

This will be a year to look and see how much you believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. A heart that speaks from unbelief cannot declare thy Kingdom come. Let the sound of this year be, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

This 5779 year will be the culmination of everything God’s been preparing us for to step into the next season – “Pey” (8th decade) the decade of the mouth, speaking and declaring the Kingdom into Earth.

5779 will also be a year of deep revelation. God has been inviting us to “see” what He is saying, and this will increase this new year. We will also have deep understanding of the enemy snake and the Lord will give strategies to enable us to have full overcoming victory. Worship will increase and be the main weapon.

We are speaking and declaring the Gospel, the word of the LORD, new life, blessings, healing, truth, freedom, godly prosperity, and release of captives.
Declaring the Lord and His Kingdom to the nations.
As we speak things happen in the heavens and manifest on earth.

Jeremiah 33.2 Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name):
3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

The word mighty is Batsar in Hebrew meaning inaccessible, hidden, fenced off, cut off.

Subsequently I received the following word during worship this morning:

The LORD is saying He is opening things that can only be accessed in Him.
Doors open that have been closed.
Things legally cut off restored.

Impossible made possible!

In Him in His grace in His purposes all things mighty are normal, open, and free.
We are in the beginning of fresh open heaven.
The wave of His Spirit is increasing.

Amen!

Then both sermons today had a high level of faith teaching and impartation. It is time to grab hold of the things the Lord has promised.

Gideon’s 300 shouted “the sword (word) of the Lord” and the Lord won the battle for God’s people by turning the enemy on itself.

Today we face battles for our families and nation, and the Lord is saying it is time to be ready and shout and decree His word of the Lord to all these situations.

• We have a shout of victory! and not despair
• A shout of faith! A shout of hope! A shout of His power!
• A shout of deliverance that set the captives free
• A word of wisdom like that of Solomon in confusing situations
• A shout that releases the anointing of the Lord our healer for healing of spirit, soul and body
• A shout of the victory of the shed blood of the Lamb and the work of our Lord Jesus on the Cross
• A shout of resurrection power in the name of The Lord!

Rise up and SHOUT unto the enemy using the sword of the Lord which is His word!

It is time for breakthrough and victory, a time for salvation, a time for healing, and a time for deliverance.

Judges 7:19 So Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” 21 And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. 22 When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the (ememy) army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

Prophetic Symbology of my Sword of Solomon

I recently acquired a ceremonial sword that is called the Sword of Solomon. This sword has various symbols on it the I have explained below.  1.22 metres in length (48″) and is quite heavy.

King Solomon was the second son of Uriah the Hittite’s wife, Bathsheba, whom his father, King David, had married after orchestrating his death.

King Solomon reigned in Israel between 970 and 931 B.C.E. and was known and respected as a wise, fair and powerful king. King Solomon raised the Israelite monarchy to the maximum grade of peace and prosperity. King Solomon built the Jerusalem Temple, and a wall around the city as well as cultivated the sciences and the arts.

The bible records that there was a case in which two women were fighting for a child and King Solomon, in order to find out which one was telling the truth, King Solomon gave his sword to a soldier and ordered him to split the baby in two, giving one half to each of the women. The real mother begged the king not to kill the child and to give him to the other woman. In this way, King Solomon knew immediately which one was lying, showing great wisdom and fairness.

The sword is two edged and in the shape of a cross.  We know swords are talked about many times in scripture and generally speak of power, authority, and action.

A sword represents authority. A sword qualifies you to fight. A sword is not a shield. A shield is defensive, but a sword is offensive.  The gospel preached is offensive to a sinful world.

The sword is the only item listed by Paul that serves in an offensive capacity. Even if we have all the rest of the armour equipped perfectly, without our sword, we amount to little more than heavily armoured moving targets.

Spiritually a sword speaks of the word of the Lord and speaking the word of faith.  By this means we fight and have victory in Him.

Star of David on the pommel

The star, or more correctly Shield of David, is on both sides of the pommel.  The shield historically is the shape of six sticks tied together in a star shape that then had layers of wet animal skins stretched over them to make a shield.

This is a symbol of our faith in the Lord and an impartation of the gift of faith. We live by faith and the shield shows the protection the Lord gives us.

The Star of David reminds us that despite our efforts to accomplish in this world, just like God decided that King David would be successful in defeating armies much greater than his own, so too, will God help us accomplish our goals. This is why we say, ‘Blessed are you Lord, Shield of David’.

David took the sword of Israel’s enemy and used it to remove Goliath’s head.  The Lord has given you a sword (His word) and in doing so will strip away the weapons of the enemy.

Menorah

On one side of the cross piece is a menorah ( seven-lamp candelabra) which is a symbol of the Light of God (the gospel) and the seven spirits of God. [Revelation 5:6, Isaiah 11:2-3]

The Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirits of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge and of fear of the Lord. These  are the seven Spirits, which are before the throne of God.

Ark of the Covenant

On the other side of the cross piece of the sword is an image of the ark of the covenant which symbolises the holy presence of the Lord.

The ark also symbolises the mercy seat of atonement which is the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world.

The Ark was at the very centre of the Tabernacle. To reach it, the high priest (note: today we all now have access through Jesus) had to walk through the host of Israel and past the Levites. He had to enter the courtyard and past the Brazen Altar, the Laver, the Table of Shewbread, the Candlesticks, the Golden Altar, and through the veil (now rent in two). The coverings of the Tabernacle, the incense of the altar, the blood of the Atonement surrounded or covered the Ark. Holy anointing oil was sprinkled upon it. The Ark was at the centre of the Tabernacle, and the Tabernacle was at the centre of the nation. Almost always the Ark was kept in the very centre of the camp – even when the nation was moving. And the Ark was the place of meeting with the Lord.

The ark is the place we meet the Lord in intimacy.

Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Revelation 11:19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

Winged Lions, wearing Kippahs

At the ends of the cross piece of the sword are winged lions with the face of men.  These are a Persian symbol but they are each wearing a kippah.  Jews were a kippah to signify that they are under God’s ultimate authority.  Thus these are a symbol of the world systems being under God’s ultimate authority.

This also symbolises the authority that the believer has in Christ Jesus. Using the sword (the word) by faith we speak with God’s authority.

Matthew 10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Significant scriptures that speak of swords (reference)

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Revelation 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

1 Kings 3:23 And the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ” 24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”
26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!”
But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.”
27 So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”

Exodus 17:13 So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Joshua 11:10-12 Then Joshua turned back at that time, and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms. They struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was no one left who breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded.

Joshua 19:47 The territory of the sons of Dan proceeded beyond them; for the sons of Dan went up and fought with Leshem and captured it Then they struck it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and settled in it; and they called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their father.

Judges 20:17 Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were numbered, 400,000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war.

2 Samuel 24:9 And Joab gave the number of the registration of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

2 Samuel 23:10 He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

1 Samuel 21:8-9 David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.” Then the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

2 Samuel 23:12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.

2 Samuel 1:14-16 Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?” And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died. David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’S anointed.'”

1 Samuel 15:33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

1 Samuel 17:51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

1 Samuel 22:18-19 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword.

1 Kings 19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

2 Kings 19:37 It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

Joshua 6:21 They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

1 Samuel 31:4-6 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me ” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid So Saul took his sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.

Acts 16:27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Genesis 3:24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Numbers 22:21-23 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab. But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.

Deuteronomy 33:29 “Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places.”

Leviticus 26:6-8 ‘I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. ‘But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.

Ezekiel 32:11-12 For thus says the Lord GOD, “The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. “By the swords of the mighty ones I will cause your hordes to fall; all of them are tyrants of the nations, And they will devastate the pride of Egypt, And all its hordes will be destroyed.

Psalm 45:3 Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, In Your splendour and Your majesty!

Micah 5:6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory.

Exodus 5:3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

2 Chronicles 20:9 ‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgement, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.’

Psalm 7:12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.

Isaiah 31:8 And the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of man will devour him So he will not escape the sword, And his young men will become forced laborers.

Jeremiah 50:35-37 “A sword against the Chaldeans,” declares the LORD, “And against the inhabitants of Babylon And against her officials and her wise men! “A sword against the oracle priests, and they will become fools! A sword against her mighty men, and they will be shattered! “A sword against their horses and against their chariots And against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her, And they will become women! A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered!

Ezekiel 11:8-10 “You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you,” the Lord GOD declares. “And I will bring you out of the midst of the city and deliver you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you. “You will fall by the sword I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 21:3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.

Ezekiel 33:2 “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,

Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

In the well known chapter 1 Kings 19  we find the account of what happened after fire fell on Mt Carmel in chapter 18.  After calling down fire and seeing God’s power demonstrated Elijah ( אֵלִיָּה meaning my God is Jehovah) started complain to the Lord as Jezebel was after him (1 Kings 19:14).

The Lord then told Elijah to get up and go v15-16 and anoint a couple of Kings (as you do) and also call Elisha  ( אֱלִישָׁע meaning God is salvation) as his successor.  The Lord also told Elijah in v18 that he was not alone as there were 7,000 who had not compromised and bowed to Baal.

In Australia at this time there has been significant compromise on moral issues by the people and sadly many Christians as well.  But the Lord has a significant number who have not compromised to the modern day Baals. We need to be encouraged by this fact.

It is time for this generation Fathers and Mothers to find their Elisha(s); that is their spiritual sons and daughters.

This current Elijah generation is aging.  It is time to go and find our Elishas. That is our spiritual sons and daughters.

There is a generation that God is raising up, an Elisha generation that carries a double anointing, a double mantle, and a double impact.  This is anyone under 40, it is time to start connecting into the Fathers and Mothers in the faith.  This is turning the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and Children to the Fathers.  Be that Father and Mother to empower the younger ones, love them, build them, release them … RELEASE them!

You will need to invest time, not just a prayer in a meeting, but real time, sharing meals, talking, and doing things together.  Encouraging them, hearing their stories, empowering and releasing this next generation, this Elisha generation.

To the under 40’s you are the Elisha generation.  You will come into a double anointing, a double portion; find your Fathers and Mothers in the faith.  1 Corinthians 4:15 says you have 10,000 instructors but not many Fathers.  Find your Fathers and Mothers in the faith, be released by them. Find those that will love you, support you, build you, and release you in your gifts and service.

As a family we should walk together, encourage and build each other, particularly this next generation, that 7,000 that have not bowed to baal. This next generation will reach out to many, many, many others.

The Lord is wanting us to genuinely connect and build, and build, and build.  Because He is building His Church, but this is how He is doing it.

1 Kings 19:11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?‘

14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’

15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’

And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?’

21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

I received two words “Bigger Vision” then the Lord gave me two passages of scripture… (both are well known)

First Isaiah 54:2-3 (from the Message)

Clear lots of ground for your tents!
Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big!
Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep.
You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family.
You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities.
Don’t be afraid—you’re not going to be embarrassed.
Don’t hold back—you’re not going to come up short.

Then 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

But as it is written: (Isaiah 64:4)
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.
For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

Then the Lord said:

Trust Me, know My Love, I have called you all for my purposes.
It is time to stand and go forward, walk then run as I lead you.
Do not go ahead of Me or lag behind, but go with Me and see My Kingdom established in your midst; I am building My Church and the gates of hell have no power.
You are My Precious Loved ones; you are My Army.
Go forward in the victory I have already won.
Show forth My freedom and set the captives free; heal the sick; let the blind see; declare My favour.
Call forth repentance, and show My Love and Forgiveness.
It is time to rise up in My strength and do exploits in My name.

I have a great sense that it is a now Kairos time for expansion of vision and also practical expansion.

Today is the start of new Breakthrough and Breakout.
It is time to push forward and take new territory.
Breakthrough in victory in the name of the Lord (Hashem Adonai)
Breakout of limitations and things holding you back.

As we connect with His Heart and Holiness we will find new strength in Him.
The Lord is present with us to empower us for His purposes.

Even as the lepers went out to find the Lord had already won the victory
(Refer: 2 Kings 7) there is a radical change for the better right now.
The work of the enemy has already been destroyed.
It is time to take the spoils from the enemy and give thanks to the Lord!

I handed Dexter a bottle of anointing oil which he used on Todd and Rachel. The oil was from Bethlehem Israel and scented with frankincense, we had brought it home from our last trip to Israel.

As papa Dexter was praying the Holy Spirit reminded me of the significance of this particular oil and what it meant for Todd, Rachel, and Field of Dreams Church.

First, frankincense is symbolic of things royal, holy, kingly and priestly.  This represents, in part, the calling on Todd and Rachel, also the purpose for the City of Dreams vision.  There is a huge push forward for the Kingdom of God as the body of Christ comes together in the city.  This push will see captive and bound people set free as they come into the power of salvation in Christ.

The release of the captives brings them into a royal, holy, and righteous place where the most downtrodden is lift to a place of honour.

Secondly, Bethlehem (Beit Lechem בֵּית לֶחֶם – House of Bread) is the more significant point of this word.

There was a great sense that City of Dreams was to be a House of Bread and that bread is the Bread of Life (Yeshua) .

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

There will be an abundance of bread to be given freely to those in need under a Joseph anointing of provision in a time of famine. People will come to the Lord’s house to receive abundantly and then go out again to provide to others.   This is both a spiritual and physical provision.  The Lord is calling people to the House of Bread to release and distribute the Bread of Life to the city, nation and the nations.

Isaiah 55:1 Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

The bread and drink the Lord is providing meets the deep longing people are crying out for; it truly satisfies and is without price.

City of Dreams is a house of bread, a place to eat and drink freely of all the Lord has to give; and then to release this blessing to all in need.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

Here is the mechanical translation:

HEAR {שְׁמַע / shê’ma} Yisra’eyl {יִשְׂרָאֵל / yis’ra’eyl} YHWH {יְהוָה / YHWH} Elohiym~us {אֱלֹהֵינוּ / e’lo’hey’nu} YHWH {יְהוָה / YHWH} UNIT {אֶחָד / e’hhad}

This then unlocked a stream of revelation from Holy Spirit which I will unpack here.

The first thing to note is that Elohiym is a plural word.  This is very significant in understanding the trinity but I will leave that for a later post.

Secondly, one  {אֶחָד / e’hhad} is unit, not just a singular one.  The word is strongly connected to the word unity {יְחָד / yakh’·ad} in Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Holy Spirit then showed me a picture of army units, a section, a company, a regiment, a brigade, a division, and a complete army.  Each unit was tasked with an objective, each working together with other units for a single overall purpose of defeating an enemy and establishing sovereign ruler-ship. Whilst any sub-unit may have a specific task and goal, the overall purposes are the same.

I then saw each army unit being specialised ministries, home groups, local congregations, movements, and ultimately the whole body of Christ working together for the Kingdom purposes; ministering salvation, healing, and freedom for the captives.  As a unit we are one; God’s power manifested as a force to transform our region, city, state, and nation.

The next thing that Holy Spirit reminded me of was 1 Corinthians 12 and that the body is one (unit) but many diverse parts. All the parts contribute to the unit objectives.  All the parts are vitally needed.  So whether you are an up front ministry, or a prayer warrior in the quiet place; or on the streets, on the mission field, or working in any of the seven mountains you are vitally important to His Kingdom.  There is no difference between the calling to ministry or to the market place.  In fact all the 12 disciples were market place people.

Finally we are reminded of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-21

‘I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.’

We see here that the oneness is that of a unit and is very much the nature of God to reconcile and bring people together in Him.

It is out of being one in unity with each other and the Lord that we have true power over the forces of darkness and are able to manifest the Kingdom and God. The Lord commands a blessing when we are one unit (in unity) (Psalm 133:3).

Opportunities to bless and manifest the Kingdom are not limited to what takes place among gatherings of Christians (local Church).  The Lord calls us to serve Him in many ways. As Colossians 3:17 teaches, ‘And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.‘
So as a unit (with other brothers and sisters in Christ) we have many ways to manifest the Kingdom of God!

First, 2018 be a year for return and restoration

People that have be away or distant will be drawn back to the Lord and will return to their true calling and purpose. The hearts of the fathers being turned to the children and children to the fathers. The outworking of return will be restoration of relationships in right order before the Lord.

Fathers (and Mothers) in the faith need to connect with their children. We need to empower, restore, build, encourage, guide, love, teach, and release the children the Lord has given us.

There will also be a return of things stolen and a restoration of right. This will outwork in both health and finances. Where things have been destroyed, damaged, stolen, or demoted the Lord will bring His justice and redemption.
Expect to see miracles of restoration.  Restoration will not be just same for same, but will include an overflow abundance that will include the David’s spoils of war (ref 1 Samuel 30:16-20).

Healing gifts will be restored and released. When you pray in faith expect miracles to minister to those you are loving and praying for.

Seek to love people!  As Danny Silk said ‘If you minister to people they may be loved, but if you love people they will be ministered to’.

Secondly, 2018 will see a return to Holiness in the Church and a restoration of the Church’s authority in society

2018 will be glorious, but we need to live this year with penitent, broken, and humble hearts that seeks the Lord and His Kingdom above all else. We cannot received the personal return and restoration promised without fully embracing His holiness.

The Church has lost much authority over the last 50 years, we have let significant moral issues be stolen by evil people and agendas in society (SSM, abortion, euthanasia, porn, divorce, adultery, and compromise).  These sins are fully manifest in the Church, both in leaders and the people. We will start regaining our authority through deep repentance and recognising His true Holiness.

Some reading this post will feel uncomfortable and/or challenged, if you do, then cry out to the Lord now for His holiness and truth to come into your life, those around you, and into our nation.

A catch cry of the SSM proponents was ‘love is love’, but the truth is love is holy. We cannot have God’s love without His holiness. This is a key we need to to grab hold of!

We have a short window of time to cry out to the Lord in repentance.  In many cases parts of the Church need to own up to grievous sins (child abuse, financial misappropriation, abuse of authority, and all sins of immorality, porn, etc.).

Australia is on a trajectory of destruction, darkness, and death.  The Church of our Lord Jesus is the only answer, but only from a place of Holy repentance.

Again 2018 will be glorious as we lay hold of all the Lord has for us.  It is His purpose that His Church rise up and take its rightful authority and see transformation of our nation into righteousness.

He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

For some it maybe time to grab the horns of the alter in prayer.
This is a 4 horned alter at Tel Be’er Sheva in Israel today.

I have a sense that the Lord has something for Revival SA/AHOPFAN, Lutheran Renewal/Overflow, and all city wide community focused groups/congregations.

1. Building the Kingdom via reconciliation and relationship.

The body of Christ needs to come together in unity more than ever. It is time for barriers and differences to fade and be replaced with genuine relationship. This may mean reconciliation and repentance.

Reconciliation is only the first step as reconciliation becomes cooperation; then cooperation becomes covenant. The Lord wants us in relationship with each other to the same standard as our relationship with Him and the Father.
Leaders need to open up to each other and congregations need to start working together on a regular basis. There are some groups moving in this direction very strongly and others that need to get on board.

The outline of this Psalm of praise is sharp and clear; the call to praise (verses 1-3), the cause for praise (verses 4-19), and the conclusion (verses 20-22). The call is directed toward the righteous, for whom praise to God is fitting. The cause for praise is twofold: The Lord is dependable in both word (verses 4-9), and work (verses 10-12), and the Lord is just and loyal in dealing with His children (verses 13-19). The conclusion is an expression of the joyful hope of the godly in the Lord.

While meditating on this Psalm two consecutive passages spoke strongly to me.  First, verses 8-9. Secondly, verses 10-12.  These two passages have particular relevance in the current moral issue situation in Australia.

The first part I felt the Lord saying that we need to stand up and position ourselves from His perspective.  The battle is always the Lord’s!  He is awesome and all of creation bows before Him.  It is from this place we should seek Him, pray, and declare His righteousness and love.

In the second passage I felt the Lord saying He is is complete control.  We must put our trust in Him and call out for Australia to make Him Lord of all our land and peoples.  This is a distinct prayer strategy given of the Lord for this seemingly difficult time.

Whilst many activities are being executed by godly people to declare family, righteousness, and life into the moral debate (these activities are needed and good), the Lord says the battle is won in praise and worship of Him.  The prophets chamber, houses of prayer, and corporate congregational prayer are the real battle ground.

It is time for the Church to rise and call on the Lord for things on earth to be as it is in heaven which is the Gospel of the Kingdom mandate.  The Lord is encouraging all who are praying and hear the call of this message to be bold and fear no man; but to now stand and declare Him Lord of all.

In Joshua 5:13-15 we read the account of Joshua asking The Angel of the Lord ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ to which the Lord replied ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come!’. In other words we are not asking if God is on our side, but are we on the Lord’s side of things.  This is the key to winning the battle, we must align with the Lord and His word.  We must seek Him and His righteousness and from that place of humility we will find His victory regardless of circumstances.

The Sovereignty of the Lord in Creation and History

Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skilfully with a shout of joy.

4 For the word of the Lord is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deep in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
15 He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.

16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.

Hebrew letters are not just ordinary letters. Each letter is a symbol, full of many inner meanings, from literal straightforward meaning, to deeper spiritual meaning. Understanding the letters provides a wonderful insight into the deeper meanings of the Word.

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Background understanding

Let’s have a deep look at two key words in this verse, brethren (אָח – ‘ach) and unity (יַחַד  – yachad).  [read Hebrew right to left]

The word ‘ach has the meaning of:
Noun:
– brother of same parents
– half-brother (same father)
– relative, kinship, same tribe
– each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

The word yachad has the meaning of:
Noun: union, unitedness
Adverb: together, altogether, all together, alike

The Hebrew letters for the word ‘ach are Aleph אָ and Khet ח which have the root meanings of strong and wall. Thus the root image of brethren is a strong wall.

Yachad contains Khet ח and Dallet ד. Dallet has the root meaning of door. Thus the root image of unity is a wall with a door.

Insight

True brothers and sisters are a strong wall that is a place of strength, covering, protection, and provision.  In the body of Christ we are to be that place of love, acceptance, and strength to each other.  We know that the world will know we are His disciples by our love.

Jesus is our older brother who is the ultimate strong wall and fortress that we can run into.  He is our first and best example of brotherhood and unity.

The greatest love we can have is to lay down our lives for each other as Jesus modelled to us.  There is a cost that we are called to pay to love one another.

Understanding that unity is pictured as a wall with a door shows us that unity is about connection and relationship.  Unity must become practical on the ground not just some theological concept.  The outworking of unity will be laying down agendas, control, selfishness, and then to serve one another personally and corporately.

When another person or congregation has success or is stepping out in a faith initiative we come and support, celebrate, encourage, and sow into them.  The time for jealousy, criticism, selfishness, and doubt is over.

On a personal level we need to ensure we have good relationship with other brothers and sisters in Christ as far as it is possible for us to do so.  It is time to heal hurts, release, forgive, and above all love.

It is time to genuinely love one another, not just seek ministry. As Danny Silk once said: ‘If you minister to people they may be loved, if you love people they will be ministered to.’  #KYLO (Keep Your Love On)

On a corporate level the Church, made up of many congregations, needs to come together as brethren in unity and each local congregation needs to support other congregation in a local geography and beyond.

This unity is beyond just the occasional joint event, but leaders in regular fellowship and prayer, then local congregations relating and working together for gospel transformation of their geographic region.

Psalm 133:3b For there the LORD commanded the blessing – Life forevermore.

The end of Psalm 133 has a commanded blessing when brethren dwell together in unity which is ‘Life forevermore’.  Unity is not an option, but is an eternal mandate.  It comes from us being a strong wall to each other and being connected in both an agape (God like selfless) and phileo (brotherly)  love for each other.

Prayer

Abba Father ! We pray as Jesus prayed…

John 17:20-23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

We ask that we all receive a deeper revelation and understanding of brethren dwelling together in unity.
We repent of selfishness, control, jealousy, denominations, agendas, and above all not loving one another.
We repent of not fully recognising Your body the Church.
We ask again for the gifts and blessings we need to serve one another in love.

We declare that we are one in Christ Jesus!

We bless the reader of this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen!

Numbers 6:23 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:’
24 ‘The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’

A much fuller translation of the blessing based on the full Hebrew rendering is:

24 Yahweh will kneel before you presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection.
25 Yahweh will illuminate the wholeness of his being toward you bringing order and he will give you comfort and sustenance.
26 Yahweh will lift up his wholeness of being and look upon you and he will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.

This full translation gives us a deep insight into the heart and ways of the Lord.

In this part 1 I will unpack verse 24.

Two phrases stand out in vs 24 – bless you (בָּרַךְ baruch) and keep you (שָׁמַר shamar).

First, the full meaning of baruch is to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit).

The idea of the Lord kneeling before us is very confronting, and when I first considered it I felt that I should be kneeling before Him and worshipping Him.
I felt the Lord say that I needed to let Him to wash my feet, and as soon as I knew that I realised that it was exactly this that Jesus did at the last supper.
It is the nature of the Lord to bless and then in turn, as we receive His blessing, we are then well able to bless others.

We need to humble ourselves to allow the Lord to bless us! He wants to bless us and we often are too hung up with issues that prevent His blessing. Don’t reject the Lord’s blessing, receive it with humility and grace and then give it to others.

If you want a really good understanding of blessing check out Richard Brunton’s book ‘The Awesome Power of Blessing’.

James 1:17 Every good gift (blessing) and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Of course blessing is outlined in Matthew 5:3-11 (the beatitudes).

Secondly, the full meaning of shamar is to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, observe, to preserve.

As we come into His blessing we also come into His protection. This protection of the Lord is something we need to actively receive and apply in our lives.
When life issues come along, we need to run into His protection. He wants to guard us, but often we go outside His boundaries and protection.

We can stay within his protection by simply following Him. The shortest sermon ever was when Jesus said ‘Follow me’. When we obey that call we come into His protection and have the ability to deal with anything in His grace and His strength.

Proverbs 4:6 Do not forsake her (wisdom), and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.

Psalm 5:11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Prayer

Dear Abba Father
We humbly pray for people reading this that You will kneel before us presenting gifts and You will guard us with a hedge of protection!
Allow our hearts and minds be open to Your word, Your truth and Your life.
Let us humble ourselves and receive all that You have provided for us.
We bless the reader in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; amen!

Releasing the Aaronic Blessing – Part 2

This video from the Ancient Hebrew Research Centre will bless you…

I saw myself walking down a red dust track, an ancient path, in the middle of Australia.  Then just above the horizon I saw a giant set of scales. The scales were being held by the what I knew in the Spirit to be the Judge of all nations.

The Judge placed the whole continent of Australia on the right hand side of the scales looking from my perspective, on the left hand side from the Judge’s perspective.

The side of the scales that Australia was on rose, i.e. she was found light, without Godly substance, and found wanting; lacking righteousness, compassion, and holiness.

Then many intercessors, a seeming army of prayer warriors, cried out in identificational repentance for God’s mercy on Australia.   Numbers of preachers and prophets arose, who were unafraid of men and feared the Lord; they spoke the complete word of the Lord with great boldness, the gospel was preached in its fullness without compromise.

I then saw a Holy light and Holy fire come down onto Australia as she laid on the scales; the Holy fire burned off wood, hay and stubble which indicated sin, human Godless endeavour, and other evil things.  Great conviction, repentance, change, healing, and salvation manifested across the whole continent.

Then the scales started to level off as Australia was restored to the Lord.  The judge then started to smile.

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

We desperately need to know that Father God is so much more about restoration than punishment. The wages (and consequences) of sin is death, but the Lord wants us to receive His life and restoration via repentance and belief in the Lord.

The word restore means ‘to return someone or something to a former good condition, place, or position.’

If we think about cars and furniture, two things you often hear about as being restored. At some point in the past, every car and every piece of furniture was brand new. But, with use and wear’n’tear, they will become worn out and sometimes degrade into a state of disrepair.
If they aren’t restored, they often end up in the Sims scrap metal yard or the rubbish dump left to rust and rot away.

The are skilled people who restore old cars and furniture. We have seen rust buckets turned into show cars (with some significant TLC). We have seen restoration shows on TV where rotting furniture is brought back to life and use by the hands of a skilled restorer.  Jesus is the ultimate restorer.

Sometimes Christians fall into a useless state due to sin and failures. Long after the joy and zeal of knowing Jesus has faded, and after we’ve allowed sin to cripple us, we find ourselves in need of restoration.  Sadly, once we reach this point, we often allow Satan to accuse us and shame us into thinking we could never be of any use to God’s kingdom. ‘Look at you,’ he says. ‘What good are you? You’ve sinned/failed/crashed, you haven’t followed, and you’re worthless. God will never use you again.’

I’ve been there.  We’ve all probably been there.

Thankfully and graciously the Lord doesn’t see things this way. In John 21:15-19 we see the restoration of Peter after he did what he said he would not, that is he denied the Lord.

Jesus can and does restore the worst of us to a brand new life, holiness and usefulness.  I’m totally convinced that the Lord desires for those of us who’ve failed, slipped, messed up, and crashed to live completely restored lives.

In John 21 Jesus asks Peter three times ‘Do you love me?’.  The the first two time Jesus asks Peter, the Greek word for love is agape, i.e. Do you love me with God’s sort of selfless love.  Most of us understand this.

The third time Jesus asks Peter He uses the Greek word phileo or do you love me as a brother.  My Australian paraphrase of this is ‘Are you my best mate?’.
This is really important to understand.
Most of us get the idea of God’s sort of sacrificial selfless agape love; but the Lord also wants us as His best mate! He wants us in a relationship of intimacy, love, meaning, and hope.

In our culture we understand what a best mate is; it is the person we can trust in everything, we can rely on our best mate, our best mate will be there when we are in trouble, and they will be with us when we celebrate high points in life.  Jesus is, and wants to be, our best mate.

We need to have both sorts of love. First the sacrificial selfless agape love of the Lord. Secondly, a deep relational ‘best mates’ kind of love.  The Lord has our back at all times, He is there even when we have crashed and burned.  He never leaves us even when we turn our back on Him.  He always wants to restore our souls.

When our love is flowing in the ocean of His love we are restored.  It is only in His love that we can be restored.

My prayer is that we all would simply turn to Him and receive His love and let Him work whatever is needed to change us to be more like Him.

Judges 4 tells the story of Deborah, Barak her General in charge of the Army of Israel, and Sisera the General of the enemy Canaanite army.  The Lord delivers the Canaanites, who were attacking Israel, into Barak’s hands and he defeats them in battle, but the enemy General Sisera escapes but is delivered in to the hands of Jael a woman of Godly honour.

Deborah was a mighty woman of complete authority who led Israel against King Jabin’s army led by General Sisera.

General Barak led Israel’s army under Deborah’s orders to a great victory over the Canaanites.  God won the battle by confusing the enemy who were destroyed except for Sisera who escaped (he literally ran away from the battle and his Canaanite forces; he was a coward).

There is much that can be learned from this passage of scripture, but we will focus on Jael’s part of the story.

Jael was a wife and mother, honourable, faithful to God, faithful to her husband and family.

When Sisera came by her tent he was desperately trying to escape from the battle he had just lost (the Canaanites were completely humiliated by Israel).  He was parched from the battle and was running away for his life, so he asked Jael for water.

As Jael’s husband (Heber) was away fighting on side with Israel, taking a strange man into her tent was risking her honourable reputation.  But she did it anyway.  Jael then gave Sisera warm milk to drink, a very wise thing as it put him to sleep so she could easily deal with him.

It is important to note that the Canaanites were very evil and had been oppressing Israel for some years. (We know they performed human sacrifices, self-mutilations and other horrific things).  They are symbolic of all satan is about; i.e. one who is but a thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy.

Let’s look at Jael’s character as defined by her name.  Jael (Ya’el   יָעֵל  ) in Hebrew means ‘mountain goat’ or one that is swift and dwells in high places.

[This picture of a mountain goat taken by Kym at Ein Gedi, Israel]

Hunters will tell you it’s hard to catch a mountain goat, for they dwell on impossible high cliffs, are very cunning, quick, and extremely intelligent.

A mountain goat is unlike other goats. Regular goats forage in the rubbish around the camp or village; the mountain goat lives on clean fresh vegetation in the high places, and drinks pure mountain water.

Living in the high places speaks of living continually in God’s presence. Eating the clean vegetation and drinking pure water speaks of feeding of God’s word,  drinking of the Spirit, living a holy consecrated and prayerful life. We can take from this that Jael while seemingly ‘just’ a wife and mother, was in fact a mighty woman of prayer and knew the Lord and His ways.

This name Ya’el also speaks of a woman of faith, integrity, strength, wisdom and who is close to the Lord in worship (high places).

Jael enticed Sisera into her tent and he quickly fell asleep. While Sisera was asleep Jael hammers a tent peg through Sisera’s head into the ground, and we get in scripture “so he died” – D’oh!   {God’s great understatement }

So it is that Jael was the one who took out the enemy general, she is not a warrior in the natural sense but is a mighty warrior in the Holy Spirit.  Culturally it is a great shame on the Canaanites that women (Deborah and Jael) are responsible for their downfall.  Even more so that a ‘simple housewife’ would kill the great enemy general.

God uses the seemingly weak as His mighty warriors.

This is the word of the Lord to the women, wives and mothers that serve the Lord today:

You are my chosen ones, as I call you into deeper worship and intimacy with me I will deliver great victories to you as I did with Jael.

I have seen your quiet faithfulness, do not feel insignificant or consider yourself of little importance in My Kingdom, for I have called you and equipped you with My Spirit.

Lift up your eyes and see the victories I will bring.  You will see strongholds fall and people set free by My hand through your service.

Women of faith rise up!  As you pray I will hear and take action!

You are called as workers to bring in my harvest.  You will speak forth My faith and life bringing healing to those in need. You are called to love like I love you.  Be strong and secure in My love.

You wives and mothers will stand together with your husbands and be strong in Me says the Lord.  One will put to flight a thousand but two will put ten thousand to flight.

Know that you are Mine and I have called and equipped you to show forth My Glory and manifest My Kingdom.

Above all know My love is given to you, and you are My dearly beloved.

On a lighter note:

When I say I want a biblical wife …

What people think I mean: I want a wife who is passive and subservient.

What I really mean: I want a wife who is totally willing to drive a tent spike into a tyrant’s head should the opportunity arise!

You are warriors !

First, the vision was that of an Wedge-tailed Eagle soaring in the sky riding the winds watching with a sharp eye.
The word ‘audacious’ then came fresh to me which has a latin root audax (bold).

Secondly, I saw a view of Australia from high above and a giant Wedge-tailed Eagle wings outstretched from Cairns to Perth.
The eagle was soaring towards the north-east.

The interpretation of this revelation came in more detail today.

First, the Lord is calling His church to greater audacity in stepping out in faith for the impossible, and also speaking with boldness in preaching the gospel.
This audacity is not random, but very sharply aligned with the Father’s agenda and purposes.
The Lord will show us very specific impossible situations that we will take on and see His power manifest in miracles, healings, signs and wonders.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit is over Australia. He is calling to believers to come under His covering and empowerment.
We can do nothing without Him. The Holy Spirit is so awesome that the whole land is under the shadow of His wing. (Psalm 91)
He is asking us to look up and see Him and fall into line with His purposes to reach the lost and to bring glory to His name.

The north east direction speaks of north being His seat of  authority; and the east is telling us of the King of Glory coming in through the east gate and east also signifies a new day.
In other words this is about seeing His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven and the revelation of Jesus and the King of Glory.

Over the past week since Thursday 2017-04-06 there has been a significant word coming which I believe to be for the prophets in Australia.  It has three aspects and pictures to it which I share below.  I pray this word will encourage the prophets, the prophetic gifts, and challenge you all.

The three things that were shown are:

• the word Influence
• a skilled military sniper
• a very accurate arrow splitting another arrow that had already hit a target (like Robin Hood) and also Zechariah 9:14

Influence

First, I saw the word influence in the form of a very large 3D white letter word, a bit like the Hollywood sign in LA but bigger and brighter.

The Lord was saying that His prophets are coming to a time of great visible influence.  First in the church, and then government and business.  Where the word of the Lord, and the prophets themselves, had been rejected in the past  His word will now be received with honour.

Note: Rejection of the prophets has really meant a rejection of the Lord Himself in some areas.

Influence has started and will increase in both local and targeted remote situations.  The words that come will be accurate and very precise.  This influence is of the Lord and comes from a place of hearts surrendered to the Lord in humility, forgiveness, and grace.

The words delivered will be specific and accurate as the Lord reveals key and intimate details of situations.  The word of the Lord will convict and in many cases bring people to repentance and forgiveness.  These people will be leaders in the church, government, and business.

Sniper

The next picture was that of a skilled military sniper.  Then the thought of the sniper motto ‘one shot, one kill’ came; then the Lord said ‘one word, one life’.  A sniper kills, but the word of the Lord is life. (John 6:68).

The picture of the sniper is that of the word of the Lord hitting important, influential, and significant targets (i.e. people) who are in desperate need of the Lord in difficult circumstances.

The phrase ‘surgical strike’ also came indicating specific effective prophetic words that bring healing and restoration to hurting people.  There is an expectation significant signs and wonders will follow as the Lord speaks.  Do not be afraid to step out in faith expecting the Lord to perform miracles.

Snipers usually are deployed to hit ‘high value’ targets.  The Lord’s way of valuing a person is not by rank or position, but by the heart.  The prophetic words coming are targeting deep heart issues.

A sniper is unknown to his target, yet a sniper has great impact on the target.  The prophets who have been hidden in the quiet place with the Lord are arising with power and impact. The prophets are having influence and impact, from the Lord, for His Kingdom purposes.

Arrow

The third image was that of an arrow hitting a target splitting another arrow and then the scripture Zechariah 9:14 came to me.

Zechariah 9:14 Then the LORD will be seen over them,
And His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet,
And go with whirlwinds from the south.

The picture of the arrow shows the prophetic word being so accurate that it hits the heart of the matter repeatedly.  It is also a very powerful arrow which signified words accompanied with signs, wonders, and miracles.

Zechariah 9:14 shows that the Lord will overshadow His prophets at this time, the presence of Lord is the vindication and not any efforts of man.
His word will be proclaimed with great power as demonstrated by lightning.  Lightning is a significant word in scripture that declares God’s awesome power. People will notice and listen as prophetic words are delivered with powerful anointing.

The verse also shows that the Lord will make a loud noise being the trumpets which signify both a warning and notice of something significant in the land.

Lastly the whirlwinds are the Lord stirring up things that need stirring.  Whirlwinds also show righteous judgement from the Lord.  The whirlwinds being from the south speak of the things of man being stirred up. The sides of the north the city of the Great King indicate the Lord’s truth and righteousness.  The south being a sign of the opposite of the north, i.e. man’s efforts, works, and the flesh.

The prophets are speaking the word of the Lord and declaring the truth of His Word with great power.

Future

The prophetic words coming will continue to challenge the ways of man, and in the place of man’s way will be a call to the heart, holiness, righteousness and forgiveness.

The prophetic word will always seek to bring life and the Lord into situations. This new wave of prophetic words will bring healing to people and the nation.  In essence the prophets will be part of the ongoing global proclamation of the gospel of Jesus  but in a more powerful way.

The time of prophetic frustration is coming to an end for many prophets.  While the word of the Lord will at times be rejected, you prophets will know the Lord in a deeper way and have refuge in His presence.  It is time to let go of frustration and disappointment.  The Lord wants your heart above all else, and He will lift you up as He sees fit.  Trust in the Lord.

Prophets, do not be afraid to speak but more-so to move in signs and wonders.  It is about lifting up the name of the Lord.

1 Corinthians  2:4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Cherie is a friend who has a significant prophetic gifting.  This was first posted to KFCA and Cherie has given permission to share it publicly.
_____

I sense that there has been a spirit of discouragement come against the Body of Christ this last few weeks, especially against Leaders in the Church. The sort of discouragement that leads to loss of hope and faith.

I saw a picture/vision of many people being stuck in mud. They grew weary trying to escape and some just gave up and laid down while others kept on fighting but grew weaker and weaker. Some would take a few steps and think they were free but they would sink down again in the next mud hole ahead. I could see their despair in their eyes as they cried out to the Father for help.

There were many Blackbirds (Crows) overhead screeching and flying around. They began to dive bomb the people below who were stuck, as they were easy targets, and the birds would fly at their face and peck at their eyes. This whole vision was in black and grey and very dark and dismal. I sensed that the people including Leaders, were looking around at both the deep holes that were appearing and the birds flying and attacking. They were being distracted in their journey by looking at these things.

However, up ahead was a path which was straight and clear. It was lit up with an inner light and had greenery all around t contrasting starkly with the darkness around. A man appeared on the Path and began to rescue people and help them get free of the mud. I realised it was Jesus. As the people looked to Him the Glow around Him became brighter and it became a beam of light that hit the Black Birds overhead with a searing light which made them disappear.

As people became free they started rescuing others from the mud and soon everyone was working together to help one another. As more got on the path, it widened and became even lighter. As the light touched the ground, new growth appeared all around and soon the landscape became verdant and green.
The great throng of people linked hands and began singing and praising God. Up ahead, leading the crowd were the Leaders who had been bowed down and beaten with the cares of life. What a contrast!! Now they were living and thriving once more. I could see the joy in their eyes now instead of despair. They had a great love for those following and spoke gentle words to them. There was much rejoicing and singing as the Body came together to Praise God.

The Leaders went amongst the people, encouraging them to do great exploits and occasionally they pulled others to the front and prayed over them to lead the people and speak words of wisdom. As they travelled down the path, they would come upon groups of people who were chained and gagged and some who were living in snake pits. They freed them with gentle words of encouragement and they became one with the others. There was a wonderful feeling of unity, peace and love in this part of the vision.

Prophetic Word

Many of God’s People are being distracted from their walk with God through heavy attack from the enemy. The Crows in this vision represent evil spirits who are trying to take away spiritual sight from God’s people which causes death. This is sucking out their joy and their very life. When they look at their problems in the natural, then they are going to feel ‘stuck’ (ie in the mud) and discouraged. When they look unto Jesus the author and perfector of their faith, then they will gain fresh spiritual insight in this hour and fresh vision for their future. They will gain new strength to withstand every fiery dart of the enemy.

As they re-enter the purposes of God for their lives, then there is immediate expansion in the area of their destiny as they birth the seed that the Lord has given them. (the path expanding)

There is a greater unity and love coming onto the Body of Christ as they look to God for answers and not to man’s solutions. The empty religious practices in many of our congregations has brought darkness and death to people’s souls but as they look to the True Light, not only will they be transformed, but the whole earth will be renewed and made whole with the Light of Christ.

Leaders who have been given a new lease on life and are working with others will begin to see an expansion of their ministry and there will be a new birthing throughout the Body of Christ as they fix their eyes on Jesus and come into unity. We have been in Transition but now it is time for a new birthing of those seeds planted long ago. They have been dormant for many years but now the Lord is saying it is time to give birth to your dreams. It is time to enter into your destiny! It is a time of expansion and growth! It is time for Leaders who have been bowed down by many cares to be free once more and to give new hope to those around them with encouraging words that will bring new life into the Body.

No longer competition, but Completion. A completion of all things, a culmination of the ages. A completion of all things coming together at the end of this Age, both in your lives individually and corporately. It is time for the Corporate Man to arise in love, power and new life.

I am injecting new life into My Church says God and I am causing a restitution for all that has been lost and out of favour. A restitution upon My Church and upon My People who have been lost and hurt. I am birthing new Shepherds in this hour who have My Heart and they will shepherd My People with Love and Care and they will restore all that has been lost. They will heal the broken hearted and bring restoration to My Body and a Transformation across the nations of the earth so that all men might glorify Me says the Lord God Almighty. Some of these will spring up like new grass in a spring rain. They will have no name or lineage but it is I who promote, not man, and I am birthing new shepherds that will seemingly arise from nowhere. Yet I tell you, says the Lord, that they have been tried in the furnace of My affliction and they are totally sold out for me; the things of the world hold no sway over them at all.

When My Body comes together in unity and peace then the rest of the world will know Divine Love as they see the Churches unite in purpose and love and follow Me with their whole heart. I am sending My Spirit ahead and He will bring many to justice and He will begin to soften hard hearts and bring true awakening and transformation in this hour.

So be bold! Be strong! Be patient and persevere under affliction because this is just birth pains before a great and mighty outpouring I am bringing on the earth in this coming season.

Background:

Shittim – Hebrew for Acacia, also known as Wattle in Australia.

In Exodus 25 the Ark of the Covenant and its poles, the table of showbread and its poles are described in detail and states that they are to be made of Shittim Wood from the Shittah Tree. Many of the structural features of the tabernacle were constructed of Shittim Wood. The brazen altar and its poles,  and the incense altar and its poles, all the poles for the hanging of the curtains as well as the supports were made of Shittim Wood.

There are roughly 1,300 species of Acacia worldwide, about 950 of them native to Australia, with the remainder spread around the dry tropical to warm-temperate regions of both hemispheres, including Africa, southern Asia, and the Americas.

Wattle is the national floral emblem of Australia from where we get the Green and Gold worn by our Australian sports teams.

Word:

A fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of the Wattle,
and shall water the valley of La Australia del Espíritu Santo
and shall water the valley of The Great South Land of the Holy Spirit
and shall water the valley of that is Australia

The Lord will pour out His Spirit as a fountain through His Body, the Church, and from this outpouring the valley of the Wattle will be watered.

Even as Australia needs water in time of drought, her people need the person of the Holy Spirit flowing out from the Church – the Body of Christ.

We the Church – the Body of Christ – need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit so we are able to minister to the lost and preach the good news of Jesus.

The fountain will spring forth from the Church who will lift up the Name of The Lord Jesus.  As He is lifted up, Australia (our land) will be healed.  Those that are lost and don’t yet know the Lord will be saved.

Multitudes will cry out for mercy as they repent of their sin.  The Lord will hear them, heal them, save them and refresh them.   They will cry out to the Lord with a heart of worship as the Holy Spirit comes to them.

The people will say “Surely this is the Lord”.

This word has been stirring in my spirit for some time and this is a summary of what I have sensed in the Spirit.

The Lord has been saying it is time for us (His Church) to move forward in greater healing and miracles.
Healing and miracles will flow freely when we have humble, broken, contrite and willing hearts.

There is a direct link between our hearts and His pouring out of great and wonderful miracles.
This is not works!
This is grace as we simply need to open our hearts to His love for things to happen; it requires nothing of us except our openness to God.
Faith is part of being totally open to God; faith fully based in knowing His grace and love.
We can pray and believe and then see things happen because we KNOW He loves us with an unending love.

The Lord is not looking for a hyped up faith; but faith completely based in knowing His heart and His love.
We need time in His presence to know God and His heart.

In each of the three scriptures (below) the Lord has highlighted there are conditions on healing and miracles.
The conditions are simply the condition of our hearts.
(Exodus 15:26) To do right in His sight is to Love with His love.
(1 Corinthians 11) We can humble ourselves, search our hearts, judge ourselves and repent.
(Isaiah 53) We who are sheep gone astray come back to His love and His presence; His whipping (stripes) bring healing when we allow Him to take our sin and iniquity.

Everything that happens will be because of Jesus’ work in the cross and will to to the glory of God!

Not one thing is dependent on anything we do in the sense of works.
Only believe!  Only love God!  Only have our hearts totally open to Him in worship!

Go out from the place of worship, pray the love of God onto those in need, demonstrate His love, and then command healing in Jesus mighty name.

Scriptures

Exodus 15:26 If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you.

1 Corinthians 11:29 For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

More than anything else the Lord had called (and is calling) Israel to consecration, i.e. the Lord wanted Israel’s hearts.

So it is the Lord is calling us (His Church) to a deeper consecration, a deeper heart relationship, a more intimate worship to Him.

I see a person kneeling and praying “I have nothing to give you Lord, except my heart.”
The Lord responds, “Your heart is all I’ve ever wanted.”

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There is a fresh call to deeper consecration, holiness, intimacy, worship, love, unity, and holy apostolic community.

Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service of the Lord’s desire.
We do what He wants without reservation.
He wants our whole heart.

When the Lord has our whole heart He will use us to release captives, restore lives, and rebuild houses of worship.
This is His heart to work through us.

Be ready for Him with a clean heart.

1 Kings 3:9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?
So we find in 1 Kings 3:12 that he Lord gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart because of Solomon’s request for an understanding heart.

The word in Hebrew for understanding is ‘shama’ which has quite a deep meaning of which three elements are:
a) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
b) to understand
c) to obey, be obedient (obey the Lord)

These are key things a leader needs.
a) to hear the Lord and His people. Being quiet and listening to the Lord is so important to be calibrated to His heart.
b) to have divine understanding of people’s needs and understand each situation they face. Our understanding can fail, but when we received divine revelation and understanding we can be Jesus to those in need
c) to obey the Lord and know and live in His ways.  Obedience of the heart, not just a mechanical following of law. This is so much about knowing Him and His ways. It is about having a heart like David, a man after the heart of God.

The idea of an understanding heart in leaders draws together two other thoughts that have been emphasised in the last couple of years.
These other thoughts are:
1) Leaders need to be shepherds first (2 Sam 5:2 Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’) Pastor Mark Baker taught this idea powerfully in 2015 at the Gathering of the Generals in Kenya then Uganda.  King David was to be a shepherd then to be a ruler.

2) You can’t be a shepherd unless you are also a Father.  (John 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.) John 10 shows that Jesus the great shepherd is also manifesting the Father’s heart. (spiritual dad Graham Taylor asked me some time ago to think about the connection of shepherds to fathers, and John 10 became the key to this study)

So bringing all of this together we as leaders need to be fathers, shepherds; and to lead with a hearing, understanding and obedient heart to the Lord.

Further, Solomon had a conditional promise in 1 Kings 3:14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. This verse can be broken down into the following:
a) walking in His ways – this connects with the idea of Moses knowing the ways (heart) of God and Israel knew the acts of God. Solomon was to know God and the His heart.
b) keeping the Lord’s statutes and commandments which is summed up by Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40.  We are to love the Lord with everything and also our neighbour. Having a loving heart is essential.  This also implies a humble, forgiving and repentant (soft and changeable) heart before the Lord.
c) as your father David walked – David of course was the LORD had sought for Himself a man after His own heart.  Again leadership is a heart issue.

So beyond the ‘shama’ understanding heart, there is the idea that we need to know Him more and that all Wisdom comes from knowing His heart.   We cannot have a wise and understanding heart without seeking Him and His ways.

I feel that the Lord is calling leaders to a deeper connection with Him so they might be more effective fathers and shepherds to the people God has given into their care.

The Lord is calling for the hearts of the fathers and the hearts of the children to be reconciled and again turn to each other. Malachi 4:6 has been a huge prophetic theme at this time going back a couple of years.  Reconciliation, repentance, and restoration are ministries of the fathers of the faith.
In a society where Godly morals and values are crumbling fathers and mothers in the faith are rising up in love, power, and strength to bring healing and restoration to lives.  Each of us are called to this purpose.

City and national transformation will come as the fathers and mothers in the faith bring the hearts of the children before the Lord.

*** As a side note (thanks Graham Taylor) we need to stop using the word mentor and use the word father/mother.  Let me explain.  Consider the following three models of teaching.

1) Guru/disciple (as in maybe a buddhist or other situation). If the disciple messes up (sins) then they get the left boot of fellowship and the relationship ends.

2) Mentoring. This is a secular business term. If the relationship between the mentor and mentee is strained, then they both just walk away. There is no deep abiding commitment in mentoring.

3) Father/son heart relational. As a father when my child sins I will continue to reach out in love.  Consider Luke 15 and the prodigal; the father never stopped looking for the return of his son, and when the son returned he was loved and restored.  The son can always turn to the father when things go wrong and be restored.  Sons need the input of love and discipline from their fathers.
So stop being a mentor and start being a father to those who God has put in your life.

Here is a blessing prayer for fathers and mothers in the faith!  I pray this for you all.

(More on blessing prayers here: The Awesome Power of Blessing – free book )

Abba Father I bless each father and mother in the faith in Jesus mighty name!
I bless each of you with a ‘shama’ understanding heart the you might lead with love, grace, and wisdom.
I call forth the Spirit of reconciliation, repentance, and restoration over your lives as Holy Spirit shepherds you on your journey by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I bless those fathers and mothers who have taken upon themselves, the responsibility of parenting many sons and daughters in the faith, in Jesus name!
I bless you fathers and mothers with vision, direction, protection, health, healing, compassion, care, love, fulfilment, prosperity and all that God has for your life.
I bless you fathers and mothers with all that God has for you in this next year and beyond; may His purposes be complete in your life.
I declare that you fathers and mothers are blessed and called of the Lord for His good purposes.
May you to be great speakers who do not flatter, but speak truth in love that is received.
May you be a fruitful bough by a clean and pure well, and may your branches run over the wall.
I bless you with forgiveness for people, mercy to be in your heart, and passion for the Lamb of God and Yahweh Almighty.
May you have intimacy with the Father in heaven and that this will lead to knowing His heart in all matters.
May grace flow from your family line in the favour of God.
May your bow remain in strength, and the arms of your hands be made strong by the hand of the Mighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in Jesus Christ’s Name.
May you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit clearly and obey at all times.
May you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour more deeply with a love built on the Heavenly Father’s Precepts.
I bless you each one in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Don’t give up!
Christ in you, the hope of glory!

Don’t give up!
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us

Don’t give up!
The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

Don’t give up!
Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

Don’t give up!
And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God

Don’t give up!
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Don’t give up!
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Don’t give up!
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Don’t give up!
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Don’t give up!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Don’t give up!
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Don’t give up!
Because he has called you and loves you with an everlasting love!!!

This is what I sense from the Lord about these words…

First, at a personal level; many believers have been suffering the effects of ‘D’ words, especially in their minds and bodies.

The Lord wants to encourage us to treat the ‘D’ word situations as ‘dry bones’ and to speak/prophesy His life to these situations.  Ref: Ezekiel 37:1-14 (below)
There is a Holy Discontent that the Lord uses to bring us deeper into relationship with Him; and that we would call out to Him as our complete sufficiency.

The Lord says to trust Him in all of these situations, and to draw near to Him and His purposes.
Speak life, healing, blessing, shalom peace, wholeness, and deliverance to your ‘D’ word situations.

When the ‘D’ word situation involves people who have hurt you, spoken against you, or are acting against you then the Lord says forgive, bless, and love them.

Give yourself room to grieve and heal if you have been hurt so you may forgive effectively.
Trust the Lord to deal in their lives and heal their hurts and their ‘D’ word situations.
These people are in fear and pain; and are acting out from deep hurts (often from wrong perceptions – lies from the enemy).

As we draw near to the Lord, He will heal our hearts, minds and bodies.
He is our strength and He loves us so we can love others.
The Lord is simply deepening our love relationship with Himself.

Secondly, at a Renewal Movement and Revival level the Lord says to apply the same principles to those who are objecting.

There are many fears and ‘D’ word situations at work in the lives of those opposing renewal.
These people are not fighting renewal but are in fact ignorantly rejecting the Lord’s good intents and purposes for them.
Fear of change and losing control are driving ungodly behaviours.

The Lord say to speak His Ruach HaKodesh (holy breath) into those who are dry bones (with flesh but not yet with breath).
We do this by forgiving, blessing, and loving them.
Verse 14 is a promise … I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord.

The Lord says He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and that this promise is true today.
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and have purified hearts, you double-minded.

The Lord is using the ‘D’ word situations to cause people to seek Him.
He is in complete control and just wants to commune and fellowship with us more deeply.

Ezekiel 37:1-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Dry Bones Live

37 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’”

refer:  The Awesome Power of Blessing and in the context of the Paris conference 2017-01-15

Papa God thank you that we can come to You and present these requests!
We worship and praise You because You are the Lord God of Israel!

We bless Jerusalem and all the people and land of Israel in the name of Yeshua HaMashiach!

We bless Jerusalem with Shalom peace according to Psalm 122:6 in the name of the Prince of Peace!

May the people of Israel to come to know their Messiah, Yeshua according to Psalm 40:7 and Isaiah 53; in the name of Yeshua the Lamb of God!

We bless Israel’s borders that they may be secure and extended to all that you promised according to Exodus 23:31 in the name of the as Captain of the host of the Lord! – Joshua 5:14

We declare Exodus 23:27 “I will send my terror before you, and will destroy all the people to whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs unto you.” over the land of Israel and her people.  We declare this to the UN and Paris meeting of nations.  No weapon that is formed against Israel shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17)

We declare Jerusalem and the whole land of Israel to be united and protected from being divided according to Joel 3:2 and the name of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

May the nations understand the depth of God’s wrath against those who don’t follow Him according to Isaiah 60:12 and they repent from their wicked ways.

We ask you Lord God Almighty to keep a watchful eye over Your People, and bind the schemes and resources of their enemies so they can do them no harm according to Zechariah 12:1-5 and Psalm 91!

We bless Bibi Netanyahu and all Israel’s leaders that they will first be shepherds and then to rule (2 Sam 5:2), so Israel’s citizens can live in Shalom peace and they will come to salvation (1 Timothy 2:1-4) in the name of Jesus our saviour.

May the Government of Israel be just and give their country stability, and be free from corruption (Proverbs 29:4)

We bless all the leaders that they would ask God for wisdom and follow His word and leading according to James 1:5

Community blessing for Israel
We bless every household in Israel.
We bless every marriage and we bless the relationships between family members of different generations.
We bless Israel health and your wealth.
We bless the work of your hands.
We bless every wholesome enterprise Israel is involved with. May Israel prosper outrageously!
We bless the pupils at your schools; we bless them to learn and to understand what they are taught.
May they grow in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man.
We bless the teachers in Israel and pray that school may be a safe and wholesome place, where belief in God and in Yeshua HaMashiach can be comfortably taught.
We speak to the hearts of all the people who are in Israel.
We bless them to be open to the wooing of the Holy Spirit and to become more and more responsive to the voice of God.

May the people and nations take this Scripture to heart and bless Israel, thus receiving a blessing and not a curse according to Genesis 12:3!

We bless you Lord! Bless the Lord O my soul … and we forget none of Your benefits; according to Psalm 103

We as intercessors stand together before you Adonai and we Bless the Land and People of Israel in the name of The Most Gracious Father, The Son Jesus and the The Mighty Holy Spirit – AMEN!

I shared this Sunday 1/1/2017 at Life Church at the 10am service.

A good friend gave me the single word “Victory” just before Christmas [thanks Richard Brunton].
This really resonated but also raised a big question of: How?
This sat with me for more than a week and became clear on Sunday morning.

This is what I received from Holy Spirit and share with you now.

First, the how is by His Grace (unmerited favour) through Faith (trusting in Him) in His Strength (again just trust Him).
Victory is all about the Lord and what He is doing and for His glory.

Secondly, things need to be in right order for us to see His victory in our lives.

The Lord showed me that we need to be in the right place of fellowship in right relationships; so that we will fit and function where we are planted.
Right relationship means being His sons/daughters and also rightly connected in His body The Church.
The fit and function will be specific to each believer, for some this will be bible school, others missions, others community outreach, others children’s work and so forth. Seek the Lord as to where you need to fit and function.

It’s a time of realignment before assignment. We need to be in the right place, which may not be where you feel comfortable, but it is the place of His choosing. It might be uncomfortable but know it is the Lord has placed you where He wants. You will find you fit and relate and function when you are in the right place.

It is a year of open doors; but you must rise up but you must rise up and walk through in His steps as He orders.
Do not try and open the doors yourself, in you own strength, let the Lord open the right doors.
The right way is His way. Don’t try and force things to happen otherwise you end up with an Ishmael. Not in your effort or strength. Trust your Good Father. In faith obey Him!

Radical and powerful miracles are part of the victory in 2017. Radical and powerful miracles!
Even now we speak healing to those who need it in Jesus name.
All power and all miracles are all in Him.
Victory is not something we do, but it is what He does in and through us.
Be open to be used by Him!

2017 is a breakout year for many.

Be prepared to pay the price in prayer; and by grace and by faith see victory.
Don’t underestimate the time on your knees in prayer before Him.

Love Him. Trust Him. He say “I want you to love Me and be in Me above anything else”.
If we are not in that place of closeness to Him we can’t do anything; get that right first.

Know that He is just. We decide to follow Jesus, we also need to decide He is totally just in everything.
This means whatever happens around us, no matter how bad it might look; He has got it in control and He is doing the right thing.
That is total trust in Him. Decide to trust Him and know He is just.

He is faithful! He is really totally completely faithful!

He will do it!

2017 a year for victory and breakthrough.