2012: A Year for Personal Revival

Late in 2011, the Lord began revealing to me that we were entering an exciting time. For those who are truly sincere about a closer relationship with Him, there would be released a period of personal revival.

When we in the church think of revival, we think about masses getting saved and, in charismatic circles, being baptized in the Holy Spirit. However, one’s relationship with God is personal and singular in nature. Not to devalue the treasures and relationships we are instructed to develop within the Body of Christ, each of us will stand before the Father one day with only our Advocate—Jesus Christ. He will not ask us how many conferences we attended or even how big our churches were.  He will look into the altar of the soul—the heart.

The massive revival that is coming to the Church and reaching the world for Jesus Christ will be one where individuals find the passion for Jesus Christ and burn with the fire of the Lord individually… and in unity with the Word!

Your fire is your responsibility!

A beautiful picture of this is found in Leviticus 6:18:

“The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it….”

We are all priests and kings in the Lord, and just as the Levitical priests were instructed, it was our duty to make sure that we have the wood on the altars of our hearts, to keep the flame alive. The fire “shall not go out.”

Wood always symbolizes the cross, and this passion for the Lord does require sacrifice from us. It requires us to put His desires before our own. Yes, the Lord wants to release the desires of our hearts that He has placed within us, but we are here for His pleasure, not ours. It should bring us great joy when we serve the Lord and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

So many of us, even myself, felt weary coming through 2011. I could list story after story from believer after believer who had to face some kind of testing and adversity.

But I deliver to you a Word of hope… Jesus is alive, and He loves you. He is releasing realms of revival and passion in Him that you have never known before. Get up, and shake yourself from the ashes. Allow the fire of God to burn afresh within you…

For this is the season of personal revival. May your fire always be found burning and never go out! It is up to you. Just cry out to Him, and He will come to you!

South America, Arise and Shine!

Recently, the Lord has repeatedly brought up to me the Chilean volcano that erupted in June . I saw on TV where the plume of ash erupted so far into the atmosphere (some reports say 6 miles) and lasted so long, that it literally circled the entire world, going over the Pacific Ocean, Australia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, and all the way back to Chile again.

I believe this is a sign of how God wants to release such power on the earth, that it will release repentance (ash) that will circle the entire globe. This powerful release will come from the Hispanic ministers taking their places and being released into the entire world.

Hispanic Apostles and Prophets are going to be used mightily like never before, and they will be key voices in these coming days.

Watch South America. She has been ignored for way too long. Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America have overshadowed South America in years past. But now her time has come, and she will not be ignored.

Major news events first, then moves of God will both start being reported out of South America, particularly in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina.

These voices will speak out against injustice and sin, boldly taking on world issues.

Entire governments will be changed, and strong missions ministries will be birthed out of these unlikely cities.

Pray for these voices, that the nations and the airwaves be opened unto them and that the Voice of Lord be heard through them.

These ministers will be gifts to the Body of Christ, and we need them in order to succeed in the strategies that God is releasing into the earth for such a time as this!

A Word for the Prophets: Stop Entertaining and Take a Seat on God’s Couch

 

While in prayer in early June 2011, the Lord’s heart for His prophets gripped me tightly. It was a reverent moment, full of the love of God for His spokesmen but also with the fear of the Lord for those who have treated this privilege so lightly.

To think, that God was calling for intercession, not for the world and its innumerable sins but for the sake of His prophets.

Jeremiah 23 rang as true to me in that room as I would imagine it would have in the days of the Old Testament.  There is much sin still hidden and tolerated among those in ministry.

As you read through the case the Lord makes against the prophets and priests, one could easily see the same thing happening within the Church today…. “committing adultery, walking in falsehood… saying ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace”.

There are prophetic ministers right now, promoting signs and wonders above repentance and relationship with the Almighty God. Salvation is a sign and a wonder, and the key responsibility of a prophet is to deliver an uncompromised Word from the Lord, in hopes of turning hearts who are away from the Lord toward Him and for encouraging those who are obeying the will of the Father.

Prophets are not for the entertainment of the congregation as fortune tellers, and they are not magicians set to perform tricks as a way to prove there is a God.

Many prophetic ministers have shied away from speaking forth boldly against sin and its consequences for the sake of their offerings, being bribed for the sake of building a name and a ministry.

This will not work any longer. God is cleaning His house, and He will have a pure, spotless Bride—and that includes the Prophets.

God is calling for men and women of integrity who will arise with the pure Word of the Lord, to speak what the Father is speaking and to take a stand for righteousness, even when it is not popular.

God’s heart is very clear. He asks His prophets in Jeremiah 23:18: “But who has stood in the council of the Lord, that he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?”

‘Council’ here is the Hebrew word COWD (Strong’s H5475), meaning “a couch, a pillow as for a friendly conversation, a deliberation among judges, council, a secret” 

God is pointing out here in this scripture that the prophets went wrong when they left the Couch of Intimacy where true prophetic revelation flows. God wants us to curl up with Him on His couch and listen to His secrets.

COWD also appears in Psalm 25:14, one of my most favorite verses: “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him.”

Prophets, if we want to have the true Word of the Lord, we must not leave the place of intimacy with God and we must operate in this office in the fear of the Lord, not becoming comfortable in our ministries and losing the respect God deserves.

Let us as prophetic people return and stand in the council of the Lord. May we be those who walk uprightly and are trustworthy of His secrets. May we represent His heart and not our own agendas and selfish motives for ministry.

God, we ask You for mercy by the Blood of Jesus, that You would bring forth maturity in Your prophets. Raise up new prophetic champions of the faith, those who will speak Your Word and say what You say and that alone. For the sake of Your Church, we ask that You replace those who refuse to stop their sin and change their agendas to match Yours with faithful servants. God help us to be stewards of this gift You have given us, and may we not bring reproach to You and Your church. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

From “I-Sight” to Foresight

In this year of transition, the Lord is refocusing His Church, preparing and positioning her to be the source of Wisdom and Revelation that the world should be seeking.

He is removing the “i-sight” and restoring foresight to the Bride of Christ. The focus of me, me, me–with its wants, demands, and selfishness–is being exposed.

God wants to release prophetic revelation to His Body like never before, granting foresight of future events. Why shouldn’t the Church be the ones speaking out about world events, elections, world leaders, stock markets, economic strategies, and other key plans for navigating the waters of change that are encircling the globe.

The nations should be running to the Church to seek her insight. Instead, far too many in the Western Church are concerned with their own circumstances and their own needs that they are not seeing the revelations God is placing before them to see.

God is asking us to give up OUR vision, for HIS vision.

Just like in John 9, Jesus’ response to the Pharisees has not changed to the religious among us in the Church (AMP):

³⁹Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment [as a Separator, in order that there may be  separation between those who believe on Me and those who reject Me], to make the sightless see and to make those who see become blind.

    ⁴⁰Some Pharisees who were near, hearing this remark, said to Him, Are we also blind?

    ⁴¹Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but because you now claim to have sight, your sin remains. [If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but because you insist, We do see clearly, you are unable to escape your guilt.]

If we so stubbornly hold on to our own vision, our way of seeing things, then we are opening ourselves up to the great deception that we are okay. God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His vision is higher than our vision.

Don’t be so easily deceived that your own ambition and your own way of doing things is above the correction of the Lord. Let God adjust your “i-sight” and begin to see as the Father sees.

2011: Measuring Our Integrity

Vickie Silver is a recognized prophetic voice from Spirit of Life Church in Nashville, TN. This word directly causes us to re-evaluate ourselves and how our actions and reputations represent the Kingdom of God.

There is a cry being heard – We are going forth. We are spreading the Good News.  We are fighting the battle.  Yet the masses seem not to listen.  What more can we do?

Remember who you are and where you came from.  Remember why you are here.  The message is written within you.

You will win the lost not by your rhetoric but by your walk.  Your walk speaks louder than words!

God created man in His own image and after His likeness (Gen. 1:27).  All that He is, He put into the created being.  He made man complete and whole. He made man sound, free from error, free from defect, a being with a strong moral code.  All the characteristics that were within Him, He deposited into man.  He deposited his DNA.

Jesus said, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father”(John 14:9).  What did people see?

He deposited into Jesus; He deposited into each of us.  What do people see?

Man was made complete, sound.  He was made with a strong moral code.  All of these words mean that man was made with INTEGRITY.

INTEGRITY is God encapsulated.  God is love; He is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely.  He is of good repute. He is excellent. He is worthy to be praised (Phil. 4:8).  He is INTEGRITY.

Again what do people see?  Integrity?  Your walk will speak louder than any words that can be said.

There was a man in the land of Uz and his name was Job.  He was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.  After being stripped of his children, his possessions, losing his health, he was left with a nagging wife.

Yet, after all of that,  Job 2:3 says Job still held fast his integrity.  He fastened upon, seized, and cleaved to his integrity.  God bragged of Job’s integrity.

In 27:5, Job held integrity in such high regard that he says, “Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.”

In 31:6, Job wanted  to be weighed with an accurate scales and let God know his integrity.

Prov. 11:3 says that the integrity of the upright will guide them.

When you speak of love, show love; when you speak of joy, show joy; when you speak peace, show peace; it is imperative that you walk in what you say.

There is only one Commander-in-Chief, and that is God.  There is a sound from Him saying – Attention! Arm yourselves! I go before you. The battle is ours!  Are you ready?

The English word for integrity stems from the Latin integritas, which was the word Roman soldiers shouted to signify to their commander that their equipment was complete and that they were ready to engage the battle.

It is time that the church shouts,  “Integritas!” to their Great Commander, signifying that at last we are complete and ready for the battle.

 

The Words of our Mouths: A Word for 2011

Fran Schaub is a dynamic minister of the Gospel and founder of His Word Ministries, reaching the world for the Lord through her weekly television broadcast, numerous conferences, and her popular Healing in the Hidden Places seminars where she ministers inner healing for various forms of abuse. She serves alongside her husband Craig as the Senior Pastors of Spirit of Life Church in Antioch, TN. If you would like Pastor Fran to speak at your next event, please e-mail info@hiswordministries.com .

 

Recently the Lord has been speaking to me about the words of our mouths. Proverbs 6:2 warns us that we can be “ensared by the words of our mouth.” It is time for the Body of Christ to line up what we say to the written Word of God. This year, we must stop speaking out of our opinions and emotions and begin speaking what God says.

When the Word of the Lord for 2011 came to me recently, He emphasized again how we speak. Prayerfully read this word and ask the Lord to use you to speak His Glory into the world around you.

For many say, “I want to see the Glory of God and its manifestation,” and I say unto those who say this: “You have already seen its manifestation when you abide in Me and My Word abides in you. For manifestation is the acts and deeds of God. So act on what I have said and do what I have shown you to do and behold the manifestation of the Glory of God. For Glory is my Presence being manifested in your presence.”

2011 will be a year for these who will see this come about in My Presence, My Glory, My manifestation in your presence. Words are power. Did I not make all you see by the power of My Word, and did I not make you in My image and after My likeness?

So speak My Word as my representatives on this earth and watch what you say come to pass. Only say what I say and do as I tell you to do. Wait, wait, wait. For the forming of the Word you speak will be as the Holy Ghost tells you to say. You will feel in your mouth words being formed, and they will be My Words. My Words always accomplish and prosper where they are sent—It never returns void, not to Me, nor to you.

Oh but this is a new place, a place of peace, a place of rest, a place of victory, a place of love—Yes, it is the year of My Glory, My Presence, My manifestation in your presence.

So My children, My sons and daughters, come up higher. The view is so amazing as you sit in heavenly places , and who shall cause you to leave this place? No devil can unseat you, but you can by the words you speak and by the lack of abiding in Me.

I AM the Vine, and you are the branches. I AM the source of the abundant life; to separate from Me is to separate from the life force flowing from Me to you.

Learn to live in the Glory Realm. Stay in the Glory Realm.

Be not as Adam and Eve who sinned and lost the Glory Realm and tried to cover up their sin and made a covering that seemed right in their eyes (self-righteousness). Now they heard Me but did not see Me.

Just as the Pharisees did, they heard Me but did not see Me. Stay in the Glory Realm, and I will cover you with Glory—My Presence (John 9).

 

2011: A Year to Praise, not Grumble

by Virginia Minks

What the Lord has been speaking to me about for 2011 is PRAISE! God inhabits the praises of Israel,His people. He inhabits, or fills, the place or situation with His presence. In His presence there is fullness of Joy. Fullness, means to expand.

God’s presence expands the atmosphere around us as we praise. An example is Acts 16:24-31.

Paul and Silas praised in the dungeon, so much the walls and ground shook with the pressure from within. The chains were broken because they couldn’t stand the fullness of the presence of the Lord that was on these men of God. These things that bind and hold cannot withstand the freedom His presence brings. This is what happens for those who praise.

But what happens to those who grumble?

Numbers 11:1

And the people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which was evil in the ears of the Lord, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp.

These people came under fire, because it was grumbling upon their lips, not praise. The Israelites grumbled and complained constantly. They were on a journey to their promised land, a journey that should have taken them only eleven or twelve days, but ended up taking them forty years.

And they still didn’t enter into the promised land because they chose to grumble instead of praise. We must praise our way through

all circumstances, or we will miss Gods timing for us and possibly even the promise He desires to give us.

In Numbers 13:30-33 and  14:1-9, the Word speaks of twelve men, one from each tribe, going up to spy out the land. Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who came back, ready to take the land. The others were fearful and had a ‘grasshopper mentality’ about it.

The Lord is saying be aware of the grasshopper mentality or fear that will oppose you in the areas entering into new things this year, and know that God will give you the land filled with milk and honey if you will trust Him.

In Numbers it was said that Caleb was of a different spirit and would enter into the promised land, both he and Joshua. Why? Caleb lived by the standard of Praise! He was of the tribe of Judah. Judah’s name in itself means praise. Judah always went into battle first, as we will see this year, and Judah always got victory first. Did the praise come because of victory? No, the victory came because their standard was praise.

Then there was Joshua who was of the standard of Ephraim, meaning fruitfulness. The two were not only in agreement, but went hand in hand. Fruitfulness did not come first. In the order of standards and the tribes, PRAISE always went first. We must PRAISE! Praise must come first!

Now this is not a year for just one or two grasshoppers that we will see, but in the natural, this is the year of the 13-year locust. They represent the devourer of the harvest, the defeating of our dreams.

But the Lord spoke to me and said this is also the year of Zoe life—abundant life, the beginning of the fullness of what God has for us. Through things that the Lord has shown me I know that it is at the beginning, or newness of things that we must be prepared to fight. We must be prepared to face the enemy in our beginnings, with Praise.

With the assurance of victory, that the Lord will see us through to our promised land, including in our personal lives, in our families,  and in the church body.

We praise God, because we trust God. That trust builds faith, and that faith pleases God. Let’s please God with our praise and watch Him be enthroned upon the praises of His people. As our praise ascends His authority and power descend on our behalf. And in that, the devourer will be devoured.

Praise! Praise! Praise!

 

Virginia Minks is a recognized prophet within Spirit of Life Church in Nashville, TN. She and her husband David serve in the church leadership and have a burning heart for worship and intercession. Email the church at office@spiritoflifechurch.com for more information on the prophetic ministries out of Spirit of Life or to comment, inquire about this Word from the Lord.

 

 

2011: Acceleration through the Plans of God

Melissa Stark, Spirit of Life Church – Nashville, TN

2011 is a year of advancement and things happening quickly.  It’s a time of acceleration.

I see it as a picture of dominoes.  They have been set up perfectly.  Each one evenly spaced out. God is going to hit the first domino, and the rest will quickly follow.

I asked God to give me an example in the Bible of when this happened.  He gave me the example of King David.  When David tried to bring the Ark back to Israel, he did it the wrong way.  He had a plan, but it was not God’s plan.  He had good intentions but tried it his way and not God’s way.

It was God’s perfect will for the Ark to be in Israel, but David just didn’t ask God how to do it.

I believe that in the previous years, we have tried to make things happen that we felt were God’s ideas and God’s plans.  However, He had another way for those things to be done.  Yes, God has given us ideas and dreams that He wants to fulfill, but He wants us to rely solely upon Him.

Melissa Stark is an anointed prophetic voice out of Spirit of Life Church in Nashville, TN (Antioch).  Her heart is one of intense worship for the Lord, leading a team of prophetic worshipers known as the Breathe dance team. If you would like to invite Melissa to speak at your next event or would like to inquire about the Breathe dance team, contact Spirit of Life at 615.641.LIFE.

2011: Building a Kingdom as Living Stones or Stumbling Blocks

In 2011, God is extending us a great invitation to partner with Him in expanding His Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is ever-increasing through God’s zeal (Isaiah 9:7), and He wants to give us a chance to share in that excitement in the spreading of the Gospel.  God wants us to not just talk about being part of His Kingdom but to take an active role.

When we team up with God to do the work of the Gospel, great power (Dunamis) is released to us!

1 Corinthians 4:19-20 (AMP)

¹⁹But I will come to you [and] shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will perceive and understand not what the talk of these puffed up and arrogant spirits amount to, but their force (the moral power and excellence of soul they really possess). ²⁰For the kingdom of God consists of and is based on not talk but power (moral power and excellence of soul).

How does the Kingdom spread? The Kingdom expands whenever the hearts of men and women dethrone the power that previously ruled their lives and then come under the Lordship and leading of Jesus Christ. That is the expansion of the Kingdom.

Luke 17:20-21 says that Kingdom isn’t about outward signs but rather what is within man himself.

As we become more Kingdom-minded, we will see that if we do not do our part with God in expanding His Kingdom, we will actually inhibit its growth in individual hearts.

We can either be living stone, building a spiritual house, or we can be stumbling blocks that prevent others from entering the Kingdom of God:

2 Peter 2:4-6

⁴Come to Him [then, to that] Living Stone which men tried and threw away, but which is chosen [and] precious in God’s sight. ⁵[Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For thus it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a chosen (honored), precious chief Cornerstone, and he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall never be disappointed or put to shame.

Scripture mentions the Kingdom and Stumbling Blocks in close proximity more than once; I don’t believe this is by accident. We are always building one kingdom or the other…

Stumbling Blocks are actually offenses, skandalon (G4625). Yes, people can pick up offenses and find many reasons to be offended. But we as mature believers are to conduct ourselves in a way—with believers and with those in the world—so that we might not bring reproach to the Lord and cause one to stumble.

How we treat one another will be more important in 2011 than it has ever been.

Such grieving and disappointment await us if we act in a way that is contrary to the Word of God, that is not Christ-like, causing someone to turn away from the right path and to stumble and sin because we were poor representatives of Him. The Word says that it is better for a millstone to be hung around our necks and thrown into the sea if we were to be guilty of such an offense (Matthew 18:6).

However, Great power and authority await us if we are kind to one another, patient with one another, prefer one another, show favor to one another… They will know us by our love for one another (John 13:35).

After all… The Kingdom of God is “righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

Open Enrollment for Kingdom Benefits

Throughout many countries, including the United States, we have entered the time of year referred to by employers as Open Enrollment.

Open Enrollment is a period of time where companies allow their employees to sign up for benefits for the upcoming calendar year. It is a time to review what options are available to you and to choose accordingly.

Just because you work for an organization does not mean that you are taking full advantage of that company’s benefits. No action on the part of the employee could default their levels of coverage to minimal levels or none at all.

As I was reading Psalm 103, God showed me that we are in a very similar season within the Church!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget non of His benefits! (Psalm 103:1-2)

As in the natural where companies publish their own benefits packages, the Kingdom of God offers benefits that cannot be matched within any other organization.

David describes some of those benefits in Psalm 103:3-6 as:

1. Pardoning of all our iniquities
2. Healing of all our diseases
3. Redemption of our lives from the pit
4. Crowns of lovingkindness and compassion
5. Good things filling our years (our lifetimes!)
6. Renewed youth
7. Righteous deeds
8. Judgments in our favor should another try to oppress us

What other company can boast such coverage?

Jesus Christ paid every premium and requires 0% coinsurance and no deductibles! Everything is paid in full. All you must do is enroll!

As a Child of God, you carry within you the rightful covenant to all of these benefits and more! How is it then that we do not see the fruit of some of them? Why is it that we do not confidently lay claim to these benefits that have already been paid in full?

There is no out of pocket, and there are no lifetime benefit maximums that say you can only have so much of these benefits. They are yours fully and for the rest of your lives! You may take advantage of them for eternity and never pay one dime.

The problem is this: We do not follow verse 2. We forget His benefits!

All too often we lost trust in this covenant that Jesus Christ provided for us. We say we are healed, but we don’t believe that God can do it or we doubt that He wants to. Many times, we believe God could provide for us financially, but we waffle in our conviction that He has already chosen to do so.

God is for us and not against us. He wants to give His children good gifts, and through our accepting of Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to enroll in the Kingdom of God.

The Spirit of God is wooing and drawing the hearts and souls of men and women all across the nations. He wants each of them to choose His Kingdom and see all the benefits He has for them.

Sometimes we as the Church do a poor job being an advocate of the Kingdom. We are quick to point out what our restrictions are, what we are not to do; however, we do not so loudly openly confess all the blessings that come with being a Child of God!

It’s time for the Church to open the Word of God and see who she is in Christ, to see all that has been promised to her, and to open her mouth and decree these benefits are effective and have no termination date!

It’s Open Enrollment, world! Join the Kingdom of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He bled for all our sins, died, and arose again so that you might have an intimate relationship with the Father and so that you can enjoy fellowship with Him forever, never tasting death and fully living life–and that more abundantly!