Crossing Over

April is traditionally the month of "crossing over" in the Spirit. This year, I believe the Lord has spoken that those in the Body of Christ who He has prepared will be crossing over into the Glory Realm. Those who have been qualified by the Holy Spirit have passed the tests of faith He's brought into our lives in recent months and even years.

Following are some of the things I feel He's spoken about the place into which we're crossing:

• This will be a new place of service in His Kingdom
• We are entering into a higher level of operating in the Spirit, including the gifts and callings of God
• The five-fold ministry of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher will be in the forefront
• This will be a time of intense training and new equipping for the coming times of war.
• We are to have an expectation of provision and wealth, including the prophesied transfer of wealth.
• We are to have an expectation of miracles, signs and wonders.
• The promises in Exodus 23:20-33 apply to this time: The angel of the Lord is leading us to our new place. God Himself will be an enemy to our enemies as we serve Him. He will bless our provision and remove sickness from our midst. He will fix our new boundaries.

Nugget of Gold: Let us come before Him with a pure heart, having been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. May our eyes be fixed on the Captain of the Hosts of the Lord as He takes us to a place where we've not been before.

Kingdom Principles

Colossians 1:13 - "For He delivered us from the domain (authority) of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."

The Kingdom of God operates according to a different set of laws than does the kingdom of this world and the world system. In fact, they are polar opposites to one another. The Lord is quickening His people to be Kingdom minded - to make a paradigm shift into thinking and operating in the spiritual principles that govern His Kingdom.

Here are a few of the "ways of the Lord" that I feel He is particularly emphasizing in this season:

1. Supernatural Provision: The Book of Exodus tells us that when the Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He provided supernaturally for their needs. Manna from heaven came as food, water flowed from the rock that was following them (which was Jesus), and the Lord led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Then, forty years later, Joshua led the nation of Israel into the promised land. There, the Lord provided "cities which they had not built, and vineyards and olive groves which they did not plant" (Josh.24:13). When we are in the place that God Himself has appointed for us (church, job, ministry, home, etc.), He will supernaturally provide the material things we have need of! Regardless of whether or not we have a job in the world system, we are no longer to toil under the heavy burden of the taskmasters (Exodus 5:6-11). Instead, we are to look to the hand of the Lord to move on our behalf in our natural circumstances!
2. Giving and Receiving: There's a promise for those who have a lifestyle of giving as the Lord leads (above the tithe, which is expected). Phil.4:15;19 tells us, "No church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone... And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Note that this Kingdom principle applies only to the givers. Do you have need of supply? If you give, expect to receive "abundantly beyond all that you could ask or think"!
3. Levitical Tithe: There is a Kingdom principle that applies to those who are called into full time ministry in the body of Christ (in addition to the pastors). These could be missionaries or others who serve in a variety of ways. In recent months, there seems to be an acceleration in the number of Christians who are being called out of the world system to perform works of service in the Kingdom. The Lord calls these "Levites", and His provision can be seen in the Book of Numbers. Num.18:20&21;24-26: "You shall have no inheritance in their land... I am your portion and your inheritance... And to the sons of Levi, behold I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance in return for their service which they perform." So, we see that provision/support is to come from those in the body of Christ who the Lord prompts to give a monthly gift on behalf of those who labor among us.

Nugget of Gold: At the same time that the citizens of this nation are looking more and more to the government for provision and help, the Lord is requiring His people to look only to Him. This world system is under judgment, and the Lord is calling His people to "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues." (Rev.18:4) This work of the Holy Spirit is accomplished first in our hearts, and then in obedience to whatever the Lord requires of us.

Signs and Wonders

I believe the Holy Spirit is telling us that we are in the season of increased miracles, signs, and wonders. Many in the body of Christ have awaited this day with great anticipation and with the expectation of being mightily used by the Lord in these last days. However, we may have missed one of the chief ways God has been preparing us for useful service with His demonstrations of power.

1 Kings 17:24 - "Then the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.'"

How did the widow know that God's word through Elijah was true? It was because he had just raised her son from the dead! This miracle followed another miracle in which "the bowl of flour was not exhausted, nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah." (1 Kings 17:16)

So we see that two mighty miracles were preceded by the spoken Word of a man of God. Elijah, a prophet, but also "a man with a nature like ours" (James 5:17), was accustomed to speaking the word of the Lord with boldness and confidence. He had a history with God of hearing God speak, and then delivering the Word to the intended audience. The miracles that followed were a sign that God's word in Elijah's mouth was true!

Since the Bible tells us that the "spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus" (Rev.19:10), we know that each born again believer has the ability to speak forth God's word. The Great Commission assures us that as believers go forth, certain signs will accompany those who have believed:

Mark 16:17,18 - "And these signs will accompany those who have believed; in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues....they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Nugget of Gold: The Lord is first training us to boldly speak the things that we hear Him say to those we're ministering to. The operation of the gifts of healings, miracles, tongues, prophecy, etc., are for a sign. He faithfully watches over His word to perform it. Our part is to boldly proclaim the Word, as the Holy Spirit leads. When we are faithful to do this, He will be faithful to perform His word.

Acts 14:3 - "Therefore, they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting that signs & wonders be done by their hands."

Entanglements of Everyday Life

2 Timothy 2:4 - "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier."

We tend to get "bogged down" in our physical lives here on earth - as parent, employee, ministry and church work, friendships, etc. We can easily find ourselves so caught up in our everyday responsibilities, in news reports, demands of children and family, and demands of our jobs (either in or outside of the home), that days, weeks, or even months can go by without really connecting with the Lord and with what He might be speaking to us.

The word "entangle" means to "make complicated or confused; to get wrapped up in, or twisted together." Does this sound familiar?

Nugget of Gold: Intentionally set your mind on "things above", not things on this earth. Though we must go about our daily tasks, let us practice listening to what the Lord would speak to us in and through our daily lives. Let Him impart His vision and high calling to our spirit man so that we may know the plans and destiny He has for each one of us.

Commands of Our Captain

We are in a time of war. Yes, war is in the gates, and the Lord is issuing His commands to the body of Christ.

First and foremost, I hear Him saying over and over, "Awaken......Arise!"
Eph.5:14 - "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
Judges 5:12 - "Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and take away your captives...."

There are many in the church who are slumbering. Just as in the days of Noah, most are going about "business as usual", not discerning the movements of the enemy and the banner that the Lord is raising in this hour. Like the sleeping virgins (Matt.25), these will not be aware of their visitation until it is too late. But for those with ears to hear, the Captain of the Hosts is issuing commands to His warrior bride.

• Jesus is extending His scepter and commanding us to "rule in the midst of Thine enemies". (Psa.110:2)
• He is calling the Deborahs to arise and take their rightful place at the gates. There they will receive God's strategies for war and will empower the Baraks to go with them into the battle. There is a particular and powerful anointing that the Lord is now pouring out on His company of "Deborahs". They may have husbands, as Deborah did (Judges 4:4), but they will occupy a unique place in the Body of Christ. They will arise as "mothers" and will understand times and seasons, as did the Sons of Issachar.
• On December 31st, I heard the Lord say, "STRETCH". I believe this pertains to our inheritance, over which the Lord is stretching a measuring line. We have come out of the wilderness and, after a time of consecration, have entered the promised land of our inheritance. However, there are giants in the land!
• ADVANCE! This was the next command I heard from the Lord on January 28th. Advance means to "move forward; accelerate progress; stresses effective assisting in hastening a process or bringing about a desired end." I believe the Lord is commanding us to move in the direction that He's revealed to us, knowing that He goes before His people to secure the victory.
• ACTIVATE! At the first of March, the Lord clearly spoke that we are to operate according to the higher laws of the Kingdom of God. This requires a paradigm shift in our thinking. So, instead of looking for ways to toil and work for the taskmasters to get out of debt, etc., we are to activate the Kingdom law that says, "The Lord will provide. In the mount of the Lord, it will be provided!" (Gen.22:14). "Give, and it will be given to you....." (Luke 6:38). Instead of accepting the natural law of degeneration of our physical bodies, we are to activate the LAW OF REGENERATION, according to Titus 3:5. When sickness or death is working in our bodies, we are to activate the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE, which will always triumph over the Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2)!

Nugget of Gold: The Lord is doing a new thing in the earth, and we must be aware of it. Chuck Pierce, prophet to the Body of Christ, proclaims that we have entered a new 7-year period of war. But, it's a different war from that which we've known in the past. The Lord has new strategies and new weapons. He has a fresh anointing. The old ways and anointings won't bring the victory in this season. So, let us awaken and be alert. Let us be quick to obey the Captain of the Hosts and assume our proper position in His army. For our battle is not with flesh and blood, but with "the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph.6:12)

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.