Extreme Weather

Matt.16:2,3 - "But He answered and said the them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?"

The Lord is speaking to His church through nature and recent weather events, and we need to both understand and heed the signs.

On September 7th of last year, I had a dream in which I was traveling to be with my family. When I arrived, the weather was calm and peaceful. However, when I left a few hours later, I found that it had snowed so much that everything was literally buried in the snow, with snow drifts so deep that you could easily drive into them and be lost. It was treacherous. I then got into a small boat to cross a body of water. The seas, which had been calm, were now churning with huge waves and a great storm over the waters.

The Lord reminded me of the above dream/night vision, which takes on new significance in light of the recent record-breaking snow this country has seen in various states. He prompted me to review a more recent night vision, in which I saw approaching storm clouds. I remarked that the conditions looked ripe for a tornado to form. Others in the house scoffed at my observation. Suddenly, a huge tornado formed and headed directly for us. I tried to get the people in the house to the basement where I knew we would be safe, but they were mesmerized by the sight of the tornado and couldn't seem to move. I thought we would be hit, but the tornado turned away from its path at the last minute and we were spared. I declared that God had given us a warning that we would have to heed the next time.

The Lord quickened to me that we tend to "spiritualize" many of the things that He shows us, and so we are not prepared for very real circumstances that can come into our lives. However, we have entered a time of increased "birth pangs" in which natural events are increasing in frequency and intensity as the time grows near.

The Lord warns His people in dreams and visions, through His prophets, and in a still, small voice. I believe we will see the following natural calamities in our nation this year:

• One or more major hurricanes that will strike our U.S. coast(s), with devastating results.
• Tornadoes in diverse places that will cause greater destruction (and possible loss of life) than ever seen before.

Nugget of Gold: The Lord has a place of safety for His people (as depicted by the basement), but we have to heed His warnings. I believe the Lord is calling His people into a heightened state of watchful prayer and alertness, and He has planted us in His body, the church, to be in close fellowship with one another.

1 Thess.5:6 - "So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober."

Manifestation of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the manifestation of the Godhead on the earth today. He both discloses what the Father and Jesus are saying and doing, and He implements or manifests those things in this physical realm.

Webster's Dictionary defines manifestation as "that which can be outwardly perceived by the senses, especially sight; also, materialization, or the assuming of physical/bodily form."

Thus, we see the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove at the baptism of Jesus (Matt.3:16); tongues of fire on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3); a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). He was also with God at the creation, manifesting that which was spoken by the Father.

Gen.1:1-3 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light."

Prov.8:22-31 - "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth. When there were no springs abounding with water.... Then I was beside Him, as a master workman....."

Nugget of Gold: The Lord is calling His church to walk in a much higher level of awareness, understanding, and cooperation with the Holy Spirit. We are to actively engage the Holy Spirit in everything we do for the Kingdom, expecting to see and experience His manifestation in our presence. Just as in Genesis, He is still creating that which is spoken in Heaven by the Father. That which is spoken by the Father will be disclosed (revealed) by Jesus and then manifested upon the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we walk in proper alignment with the Lord.

1 Cor.2:4,5 - "And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."
1 Cor.12:7 - "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

These are the days of miracles, signs and wonders. It is the activity of the Holy Spirit that produces such demonstrations of power in our midst, so let us be quick to acknowledge Him, thank Him, depend completely on His presence, and walk in constant fellowship with the Spirit of the Living God.

It Will Be Given!

As I was talking to the Lord today about provision, I began to seek Him regarding the activities and work He would have me put my hands to. I was looking for the ways that He would have me go out and get the money that is needed. Suddenly, these declarations rose up in my spirit, and I began to proclaim them:

IT WILL BE GIVEN;
IT WILL BE PROVIDED;
IT WILL BE SENT;
IT WILL COME TO ME!

Luke 6:38 - "Give and it will be given to you....."
Gen.22:14 - "In the mount of the Lord, it will be provided."
Joel 2:19 - "Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them."
Isa.60:5 - "The wealth of the nations will come to you."

The Lord began to show me that we are in a new paradigm (pattern) of His provision for those who are walking in obedience and in covenant with Him. He has brought us out of Egypt and we have entered into the inheritance He has for us, into a land "flowing with milk and honey".

Deut.11:10 - "For the land into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you used to sow your seed and water it with your foot... "

We are to walk in the "Blessings of Abraham", which include His favor and goodness, life, health, fruitfulness, riches, and plenty.

Deut.6:10-12 - "Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied..... "

Nugget of Gold: We are no longer in "the house of slavery" in Egypt where we are subject to hard toil and labor at the hands of the taskmasters (Satan and the world system) in order to earn a living and provide for our needs. The Lord has brought His church into a place of freedom and blessings, but it requires a completely different mind set in order to receive all that He has for us in this season. May our minds be renewed to the new thing that God is doing in our midst!

The Father's Blessing

The Lord is calling forth a generation of "fathers" in this season, mature believers who have His heart for the two generations that follow. For those who answer this forerunner mandate, He will release the spirit and the power of the prophet Elijah.

Luke 1:17 - "And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

I believe we are living in the days that will see the return of Christ to the earth. There are always at least three generations alive at one time (sometimes a fourth will overlap these for a short time). God reveals Himself as the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (three generations). The blessing is given by the fathers to release both the plan of God and His covenant provision to the subsequent generations.

Genesis 48:9 - "And Joseph said to his father, 'They are my sons, whom God has given me here.' So Jacob said, 'Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.'"

Genesis 49:1 - "Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, 'Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what shall befall you in the days to come.'"

We see Jesus Himself, who was a Son, releasing His Father's blessing to the children:

Mark 10:13-16 - "And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them ..... And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them."

Nugget of Gold: These are the "days of Elijah", the days of the forerunner generation. God sees "fathers", "young men", and "children", according to 1John 2:13,14, regardless of gender or age. It is the fathers who will be anointed with the "mantle of Elijah" to prophesy to the young men and children, with power and signs following, in order to prepare the Body of Christ for the soon return of the Lord.

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Life and Health

3 John 1:2 - "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers."

I believe the Lord is releasing abundant grace this year and this decade to heal and restore life, not only to the body of Christ, but also to a fallen world. He is releasing knowledge and wisdom for new cures. He is also bringing a fresh revelation of His ways and the spiritual principles that will bring health and healing to our bodies, when applied by faith.

• REGENERATION: While praying last October about a constantly aching knee, I heard the Lord say, "regeneration". Vines Bible Dictionary defines this word as "new birth; bringing about new life by the operation of the Word of Truth and the Holy Spirit." Titus 3:5,6 - "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." The Lord was revealing an effective way to pray for bodies and body parts that were in need of new life: arthritic hands, feet, joints, etc., as well as other degenerative effects of living in our natural bodies.
• STASIS/HOMEOSTASIS: As I was asking the Lord about a general feeling of being tense and not at peace, I heard Him say "stasis", and then, "homeostasis". I had to look these words up, and found the following: Stasis indicates a slowing or stoppage of the normal flow of a bodily fluid, or the slowing of the current of circulating blood. Homeostasis indicates a return to a stable state. Here's what the Lord quickened me to pray: "I command my body's electrical, magnetic, and chemical systems to come into alignment with the Word of God. I command my blood to flow without obstruction throughout my body, in accordance with God's perfect design."
• Bless the Lord, O my SOUL: The Holy Spirit quickened to me that I needed to repent of "not judging my body rightly" (1 Cor.11:29). I was guilty of judging something that He was not judging. Once I repented, I then commanded my SOUL (mind, will, emotions) to Bless the Lord and proclaim all of His benefits!

Psa.103:1-5 - "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.....And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compasion; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle...."

Nugget of Gold: The Lord is revealing the way to prosper in matters of life and health. There will come a time when we will not be able to rely on the current medical system, and He is extending grace to "wean" ourselves off of our extreme dependence on a world that is increasingly coming under His judgement. May we heed His voice in this hour and walk in the truth of His Word!

Be Ready

The Lord is both exhorting and warning His people to "Be Ready" in this new year. Being in a state of readiness implies both mental and physical preparedness for some experience or action.

Matt.24:42-51 - "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will....... Blessed is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he comes."

Of course, the above is referring to the Second Coming of Christ, but it also has application on another level. What are the times and seasons that the Lord has revealed for 2010? Has the Holy Spirit impressed on you that you will see a particular event, relationship, ministry, etc., come into your life this year? If so, what are you doing to be ready for it?

Nugget of Gold: I believe the Lord desires to give us specific "action items" in order to prepare for what's coming into our lives - both personally and corporately. Just as Esther had 12 months of preparation with oils, spices, and cosmetics, so too are we being shown the particular ways in which the Holy Spirit will make us ready for the blessings and favor He has appointed for His bride this year. However, we must be quick to obey and diligent to do those things He reveals to us. Then, when He comes, those who are ready will enter in to the promise; but to those who have not prepared, the door will be closed and the opportunity lost. (Matt.25:10).

Rich Toward God

Luke 12:15-21 - "Beware and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.... So is the man who lays up treasure for himself (on earth), and is not rich toward God."

At the outset of this new year, the Lord seems to be talking a great deal about true riches and wealth. He's certainly not opposed to Christians having money; in fact, He loves to bless His children. It was said of Abraham that the Lord greatly blessed him, "so that he became rich and was given flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys." (Gen.24:35) Isaac "became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy." (Gen.26:13) The Lord "restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold." (Job 42:10)

Scripture tells us that the prerequisite for being entrusted with "true riches", though, is faithfulness with money usage:
Luke 16:11 - "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?"

Faithful use of mammon includes tithing (ten percent), generous giving above the tithe, and Godly stewardship of the money entrusted to us. For those who argue that the tithe is a product of the Law, and therefore, the Old Covenant, I would point out that the New Testament actually establishes sacrificial giving and being totally sold out as the new requirement. We see this in Jesus's words about the widow's mite (Mark12:41-44), the parable about the rich young ruler (Matt.19:21), and the Book of Acts.

Acts 4:34,35 - "For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need."

Nugget of Gold: I believe the Lord wants to bless His people with increased wealth this year. However, He is looking for people who are rich toward God. Are we in that number? We can answer "yes" if we are growing in our relationship and knowledge of Him. We can answer "yes" if we are diligently pursuing love, "yet earnestly desiring spiritual gifts" (1Cor.14:1); if we are "disciplining ourselves for the purpose of godliness" (1Tim.4:7,8); if we are pursuing God's wisdom, which is more profitable than silver, gold, or precious jewels (Prov.3:13-16).

May our testimony be that we are rich in the things of the Spirit, with an abundance to give to the work of the Kingdom in this hour!