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This week I heard the Lord say "I am breaking the ceilings and releasing a divine sealing!" There are things that have been containing many of God's people for a long time and they continue to come up against this ceiling. It's as if the "ceiling" continues to scream "This far and no further." The Lord showed me that in many different ways right now He is breaking the ceiling. He is going after the very things that are stopping you from growing, that are stopping you from arising, that are stopping you from increasing, that are stopping you from soaring. The Lord is going after the ceilings that are continually battling against your ascending.
"If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water. Anyone who drinks this water [from the well] will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." John 4:10, 13–14 NLT John 4 tells the story of a shunned Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus when she came to draw water at a well. When she asked Jesus why He (a Jew) would ask her (a despised Samaritan) for a drink of water, this was His amazing response:
The Lord shared a message with me for some of you. These are His words: My Beloved, You are going to walk tall and tell your story. Many need to hear it. They need to know how My grace has helped carry you through. It will give them hope and encourage them in their own lives. I know you're worried about how people will respond to you when they hear the truth of what you've gone through, but you are going to be surprised by their loving reception. It will touch some people's hearts so much, they will want to thank you for your honesty and courage, and ask you to pray for them; it will minister to the deep places inside of them.
My prayer for you is that you would receive a "holy hunger" for intimacy with God. I believe God is going to pour out this gift according to your measure of hunger, according to your desperation. Holy hunger goes hand-in-hand with God's desire to help you stir up and awaken your passion for Him. God deserves our love more than anything in this world. He is worthy. Listen, at his very moment, Jesus Christ is preparing a place for use in our Father's house. We're going to be with Him forever (John 14:2,3). Therefore, it's time to make ourselves ready, even as a bride would get ready for her wedding day and her husband-to-be.
I looked up from the book I was reading at the wall in front of me and the shelves flanking my left and right. Thousands and thousands of books surrounded me, innumerable words and ideas. The thought occurred to me, "What do I really have to say?" I gazed down at the book I was holding and remembered the author passed away recently. Contained in the pages were words she decided had to be said, and now I'm left with her story, though her life ended. If this were my last blog post, and this three and a half year streak of weekly writings were to end abruptly, and all that was left were these last words, what would I want you to know?
My emotions used to be very well-hidden, buried under more than 250 pounds of flesh. I never wanted them to raise their ugly heads or be noticeable in public. I just wanted them to stay put and act nice, not get all in a wad where I'd have to deal with them. I've learned, though, that life is messy so we might as well feel it. But that lesson was a long time coming. I have always valued what I know much more than what I feel. Many times though, actually most of the time, my behaviors ruled me. For years, my emotions were partnering with the evil one to end my physical existence on this earth. I was allowing the thief to steal, kill and destroy me (see John 10:10) He really has no authority to do this unless I allow him to, but because he was plying me with sweets, I fell right into his trap.
For as long as human beings have tried to survive in a sinful world, they have asked why. The problem of good and evil is perhaps the biggest of all questions, and when you lose a loved one, it becomes intensely personal. How can you reconcile a good God with the badness of what you're experiencing right now? Theologians and philosophers have wrestled with those questions for millennia, and we won't finish that discussion here. But as you go about asking those questions, there are some useful things to know and do that will help you move toward their resolution.
Have you ever felt like you're good at a lot of different things? Sometimes it may feel like you're interested in too many things. You have probably heard this saying: "A jack of all trades is a master of none..." But many people don't realize that there is a second part to that saying: "… but often times better than a master of one." I like to call people who can wear a lot of hats, or do a lot of different things well, Swiss Army knives. Having a lot of tools in your toolkit can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it's not a weakness — it's a strength! Here's why being a Swiss Army knife doesn't have to be a bad thing.
I sense the Lord saying, "The older stars in My kingdom are going to shine brighter and do greater exploits than ever before!" I sense there is a special anointing coming upon older men and women in the body of Christ. God is not through using you. Your age is not against you, it is for you. Job 12:12 says, "Wisdom is with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life." You have more wisdom now than ever. With years comes understanding. This anointing is going to cause you to live longer. Many of you have not planned to live long enough. It will be an anointing similar to Caleb when he reached 85 years. He said to the Lord, "I am as strong now as when I was 40, and I want to take another mountain!"
During one of the darkest times in ancient Israel, Midianite invaders began a campaign of terror. Everybody was hiding in caves and mountain strongholds. They had seen the Lord do miracles in the past to deliver Israel, but this time, they lost all faith. But then the angel of the Lord visited a frightened young man named Gideon who was hiding in a winepress. Gideon assumed God had given up on Israel. I'm sure he was shocked when the angel greeted him by saying, "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor" Judges 6:12b). He thought the angel was talking to the wrong person.
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