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"In your presence is fullness of joy..." (Psalms 16:11b) I want to tell you a secret you may never have heard before. There's a special place you can go that's so sweet and more real than mere words could ever express—a place that will cause you to raise your hands and fall to your knees, where you can't help but weep with extraordinary joy. In this special place, you can bask in God's love and lie before His feet for hours on end. This is where He draws near to you and imparts spirit and life into the dark, empty places inside you. It's a rare place where the very fire of heaven is released to work deep in the recesses of your soul.
I had the opportunity last week to speak to thousands of people in China where I spent twelve days sharing the message Dad has given to me. As I spoke to many people before and after each engagement I could not help but to sense that the majority struggled along in their spiritual journey. Please understand that what I am referring to here by "struggled" is not circumstantial as much as it is experimental. In other words it was not the hassles they experienced but the impact they had on them and how they felt. I sensed that somehow with each obstacle there was a lot more that was challenged in them and it had to do with their identity.
We are living in a time when darkness seems to be prevailing around the world, but God still has a plan for your life. You have been created in His image and He will never break His Covenant with you. He is raising up a remnant who will be leaders to the lost and strength to the weary. The Lord says, I have designed you not only to survive, but to thrive in the environment in which you have been created. You have been strategically placed where you are, and have been uniquely designed for My specific plan for your life.
I woke up this morning and the first email I opened was from the US department store, Target. They were introducing their new brands: "Project 62" and "A New Day." Immediately I knew that they hit the target of God themes for this season! A rush of hope hit my spirit as if God had just announced His purposes for this new day and time. Though the enemy makes announcements of doom, hate and darkness, our God makes announcements of hope, light and peace!
I've had an issue with being passive aggressive for the majority of my life. A few years ago I became aware of it and started making an effort to be more immediate and upfront about expressing my feelings. The problem, though, is I think I have leaned more towards the overtly aggressive side in my efforts. I stuck my foot in my mouth a couple weeks ago and immediately regretted it. We were trying to leave town and couldn't do so until the appraiser was done at our house.
Let's pick up our series with defining vision. "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he who keeps the law, he is blessed." Proverbs 29:18 Vision is defined as "the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be." Vision is God speaking His purpose. It's an insight into what God is saying and doing now that includes our involvement. Vision is an expanding understanding that enables us to interact with God's redemptive purposes. It's redeeming in that it's bringing His answer to a lack where He is pointing out that His abundance is needed.
"Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips GIVING THANKS to His name." (Heb. 13:15) Thanksgiving (eucharisteo, from which we get the word Eucharist) means to be aware of our blessings and be filled with gratitude. Thanksgiving opens the vaults of the treasures of the Kingdom. Tonight as I write this newsletter, another story about Jesus "Lifting up His eyes" came to mind. In recent newsletters, we've been talking about many other stories in the Scriptures are about "Lifting up our eyes."
I saw groups of prophetic graphic designers and artists gathering to form "prophetic teams" to stir up prophecy within their gifts and calling. From that vision, this Word of Prophecy came to me as it relates to The Scribal Anointing. This is the season that I am awakening the heart of the prophetic graphic designer. I am removing the lid, and supernaturally propelling and accelerating the gift that is within them.
God has been speaking again and again about WISDOM and DISCERNMENT. This is a season of greater discernment because things are not what they seem! In church in the middle of worship when the presence of God was felt the most strongly, something physically hits me. I look all around, thinking a friend is tapping me. Finally, my gaze falls to the floor. Sitting there is a pair of eyeglasses that literally fell from the balcony. "New vision," I felt the Spirit whisper.
"Where have you put him?" he asked them. They told him, "Lord, come and see." Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him!" (John 11:34-36) Jesus had a very special bond with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; they weren't just casual acquaintances. We can catch a glimpse of His nature by observing the way He became intimately involved in their lives. Nothing has changed; Jesus still has a yearning to be close to His people today. In fact, we see into the heart of Jesus through the two most powerful words in the entire Bible, found in John 11:35: "Jesus wept." I don't believe He was weeping for Lazarus, but rather for Mary and Martha. He loved them so much that He shed tears of empathy. His heart ached because of their deep sorrow. I genuinely believe that every tear you shed also runs down the cheek of Jesus! He weeps today when you drown in the depths of grief.
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