This past year has been the culmination of a season of pruning for those marked for leadership in the body of Christ. All of us who press on into the upward call will find ourselves in and out of these seasons of pruning, where God is removing dead works, and unproductive clutter, out of our lives. Often times, we are so preoccupied with expansion, and growth, we overlook the necessary principles of maintaining healthy, and stable, businesses, ministries, and relationships. This season of pruning, for many, has resulted in cut backs. Ministries, outreaches, businesses, and perhaps even a loss of these things, leaving those who have gone through this, a sense of bareness, but it is for our good that the dead things that have no fruit in them are cut away. There are going to be abrupt changes taking place, in so much, that literally, we will find what was relevant one day, not at all the next. Looking back a year from now will seem such a faded distance away. Change is in the air. God sees down the line a lot farther than we do. He will get you ready if you're willing. The baggage we throw our world into, will take wings. WE must put all our trust in Him.
Those destined to serve in divine government have been sorely pruned. The missing branches, taken out of our lives, and ministry, that we thought would fulfill us, were ill equipped, or incapable of producing what will be needed in the governmental authority God is preparing us to rule in, as we move into 2012 and the decades to come.
The weakened, fruitless, or diseased, branches that would betray us under the pressure of appointment, and position, were cut off, to make way for a stronger, and more productive branch, to take its place. What seems to be loss is preparation for great gain. This is 2011, this is 2012. Subtracted from, to be added to, in preparation for government rule.
Philippians 3:13-14
New King James Version (NKJV)
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The Kingdom of God Suffers Violence, And The Violent Takes it By Force
However, there has been another kind of assault against those marked for ruler-ship in the kingdom of God. And this one is of the kind that David and his men suffered in 1 Samuel 30. It is another kind of "removal or subtraction" and that is one of a healthy limb, cut off, or taken by the enemy. A malicious separation by the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
In David's story we see an aggressive campaign to restore what has been stolen, and a lesson learned regarding a militant watch required on the home front, even as we are off in foreign lands working for the Lord. The story of David and his men (that I encourage the reader to review) speaks of those who are left to watch over the home front receiving like honor, as those in the field.
One area that will bring much healing in the body, and already has, is this subject of honor. Giving honor to those to whom honor is due, will continue to be the healing balm of restoration, and unity for the Body of Christ, as we move forward into a new church era.
The Davidian Rule takes back the lost and stolen. It gives honor to whom honor is due, recognition to whom recognition is due. It Sees the part everyone has in the whole, and rewards it. 1 Samuel 30:21-31
2011 A Sum of All Our Yesterdays, the Beginning of All Our Tomorrows.
For many of the faithful, 2011 has become a year of realization. The realization that they have suffered unjustly, to often, for to long. For the older saints who still have a few years of work ahead of them, they are seeing, what seems to be no end to it, no retirement possible, in the natural, to even do the things they wanted to do for the kingdom of God. Their years of spiritual warfare, and the wrong decisions that others have made, has taken from them momentum, time, and money ... the actions of others taking from them what should have been stored up for their latter years.
Now many are seeing a world that has sown to the wind, and is reaping the whirl wind. The result of sin, and disobedience, how it has impacted there own lives even though it wasn't from choices they made. As David, they have come home from work, from ministry, from obedience to God, only to find their family members in captivity, their finances depleted, their house, and wares worn out; surrounded by comrades who themselves are angry, and disenfranchised.
The answer to much of this is walking in the revelation that the bear market has nothing to do with the kingdom of God's economy, but we ,also, have to remember we are living in this fallen world and the murderer and thief is still at large.
The good news is, Satan cannot win, and even when he does seem to win, that is when he really looses! It is God's good pleasure to restore to us what has been stolen.
Campaigns To Retrieve the Lost and Stolen
Now is the time to pull all stolen resources out of the camp of the enemy. Calling them out in the name of Yeshuah. (The God who saves) Just as David and his men went after their family and wives who were stolen from them while they were out to war, so there are those in the body of Christ, who have been out doing the Lord's work and have come back only to find their home pillaged by the enemy. The weakest link in the family/body being zeroed in on to penetrate walls of defense, to get in and raise havoc.
You may not see how it was persecution, but I assure you that for many, that is exactly what it is. You did nothing wrong. A weakness that had nothing to do with you was exploited to the hilt, not because of your wrong, but because of what you were doing right.
Yes, some of us make messy beds we have to sleep in and God is merciful, but this I am talking about is something that would not have been exploited like it was had it not been for WHO YOU ARE.
You will need all that the enemy has taken from you back, for the days ahead. And it is there for you to retrieve, if you will believe. This translates into that which has been stolen from our homes, finances, and families, our church families, and even God's people through out all nations, for those who are believing for the lost on that level.
Pent up justice, and that thing stolen- from those who have been faithful, is held up for that day of exchange that God has assigned, in a time when it will be needed most. The riches of the wicked, and illegally obtained wealth, is laid up for the just. You have been waiting to long. Now is the time for you to mount up for battle, and demand the thief to restore all that has been stolen- with interest!
Our Own Experience
A few months ago we did just that, we began a prayer vigil, and stand; demanding what has been stolen to be returned. After a few days of prayer we had a break through. The lord gave me a vision. I saw my self walking through a battle field, nothing was left but abandoned tanks, and burning debris, the earth was scorched. I then came upon an abandoned camp, up next to a mountain. There was nothing left in the camp but smoking debris and broken equipment. I felt that what was stolen in the camp had been retrieved, but my eyes fixed on clefts in the rocks of a mountain side, next to the camp.
I walked over and began to search into the clefts and ravines. As I did I began to see souls coming up from between the rocks, they were missed when the campaign to retrieve the stolen, had previously gone through. I Saw Parcels and a U-Haul Bringing Back the Lost and Stolen.
I have had the lost, and stolen restored before, but this was something else. Much more was at stake than what we could possibly have known. When we obeyed God and began this campaign, we saw the Lord work a mighty work. I saw in the spirit a U-Haul truck full of goods. The Lord said, "In a few days there will be three parcels coming in, little things as a down payment, but behind that is a haul. Keep standing, believing, and praying." A few days after that my camera that had been lost for a year was retrieved. A couple of parcels came in the mail, items left behind from traveling, another parcel was a financial blessing that restored an unjust loss; as He has promised these three parcels came in as a marker for more to come ...
To Go the Extra Mile, To Wait Upon the Lord For One More Hour ...
It was there the Lord reminded me of something that happened many years ago. We suffered the loss of a fledgling work of the Lord where people were getting saved, healed, and delivered, and this loss came through betrayal. I began to include that situation in our prayers for the recovery of the lost and stolen.
A few days later came the haul. The lives and souls of precious human beings. I can testify that our prayers for the return of that which has been stolen has measured out in souls. Even a new mission presented itself in subsequent days from this focused prayer for the stolen to be returned. God is an awesome warrior who retrieves the lost at every cost, for He has done that, even to the shedding of his own blood at Calvary, for the remission of sins.
What the thief has stolen shall be restored. Many of us in ministry have been interrupted, or intruded upon by the enemy, the cost has been souls, and I shudder for those who have involved themselves in treachery in the midst of God's work. But in Christ's kingdom nothing shall be lost, none of His shall be forgotten. He will go the extra mile as the good shepherd always does, not satisfied that He has secured the 99, he continues searching for that one missing.
What we do in the kingdom of God must be done with intent. Make the decision to try again, go back one more time, take one more search party, lead one more campaign in the spirit. Didn't Jesus say, "Could you not tarry one more hour?" Could we not go back one more time, try once again, and this time believe for all that was stolen to be restored? Ultimately, that is summed up in souls of lost men and women, and hurting boys and girls.
Many times finances hinder the work of God, yet, He promises us that He gives to us all things pertaining to life and Godliness, those things are available to us to fulfill God's purposes in the earth. If finances are not coming through, it is not because of what God will not do, or what He has not provided. It is because of what the enemy has done. I don't understand asking God for prosperity, I do understand telling hell to get off of what God has already given us, to serve Him with.
We must take our authority and exact from the kingdom of darkness those things stolen away and hidden in it. God wants us to take back wealth, time, health, strength, all for souls, all to advance His kingdom. He said, " I have given you power to tread ... The kingdom of God suffers violence, but the violent take it by force.
And how is this done? Didn't Jesus say, the words that I speak to you are spirit and they are truth? That we war not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places? Are we not to command the night to bow to the day, with a two edged sword in our hand, and the High praises of God in our mouths? Speak as Moses spoke to the spiritual Pharaohs of the land and say, God has said, "Let my people go?" Our part should not be left undone for He has said, "Go into all the world ... these signs shall follow them that believe in my name ..." it is up to us to take possession of every realm and dominion, for He has given it to us.
1 comment:
! ! ! The cost has been souls-amen to that! Im receiving this Word and taking it!
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