2015 - Time to Build a Strong Tower.

This third prophetic word for 2015 is an emphasis on what the church should do. The Spirit is saying we must ‘build a strong tower’. The church in America and elsewhere often builds towers, but not necessarily strong towers reflecting the name of the Lord. For example, a church big in number but weak in substance is not a strong church. In times of trouble and tribulation, personally or nationally, people seek a place of security, strength and safety. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe (Prov. 18:10).  The church of Jesus Christ is called to be such a place where the righteous run. When man-made systems and structures shake and crumble, the church must stand. In America in particular, the Holy Spirit is saying we must focus our leadership emphasis on building churches and ministries that are strong towers. 

During the seeking time our own ministry hosted back in December, our intercessory team brought forth elements as part of building a strong tower…..prayer, prophecy, praise and worship. They are to be core elements of strength and safety, and they require investment of our time! While most of us have some aspect of these in our lives, the Holy Spirit is saying we must increase in this area if we are to be strong.

There are mindsets, spiritual strongholds, and dimensions of spiritual opposition which are prevalent in the USA. One such mindset is our perspective of time. We don’t like to spend time on anything without tangible results, and quick to immediate results are preferred! We like quick and easy, the path of least resistance. When we choose drive through over dine in, it is often because of time. If we are to build a strong tower as ‘the church’, we will increase time for prayer, prophecy, praise and worship. These aspects of spiritual interaction with the Father help grow, stabilize and strengthen believers. They extend our vision upward, strengthen our foundation downward, and extend our reach outward. It’s not just about us…..it’s about others who need a strong tower!

I have a sense that people are looking for substance and strength but are conditioned by the culture to quick and easy. However, in times of trouble people will break out of their cultural conditioning to seek strength, substance, and safety. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. (Ps. 61:3)

 

A strong tower is not built in a day, or a week. Prayer, prophecy, praise and worship cannot be contained by short time slots!!  We have a window of opportunity in which to transform passive mindsets. We have a window to speak the Truth clearly into this nation. The entire church in America will not do this. But I know there is a remnant that is fearless, faithful, and selfless enough to do it. You, the remnant, are what is needed to see the Kingdom advance in America in this day and hour.

2015 is a Year of Reclamation

The second prophetic word I will share from our 2015 prophetic impressions is that this year will be a year of ‘reclamation’.  The prophetic sense in this word is specific to laying claim again to something that was lost or stolen. We must claim again and take back something we don’t have, but to which we have a legal claim.  Many people in ministry walk in a diminished dimension, neither experiencing nor manifesting the fullness of their call and anointing.  In this context it is not because of the flesh, but because of lacking something lost, probably long ago. In some cases it may be something you didn’t know you lost.  You don’t know what you should have, because you didn’t know you had a right to it.  Aspects of God’s design and inheritance are often stolen by the enemy at such a young age we have little understanding later in life that something is lacking.  We had it, but we don’t really know we had it. We don’t know we are missing something that is rightfully ours. One other dimension to this word is to reclaim something WE gave away. We gave up ground that was rightfully (in the kingdom sense) ours. We let it go and have yet to reclaim it.

One definition of ‘reclamation’ is to bring the land into a condition to support life, i.e. to be productive. For example the US Government has an entire bureau, the Bureau of Reclamation, that was created to transform water and land resources from a wild condition to a cultivated, agriculturally productive condition. Spiritually, I see application of this word globally and particularly in America. The Father desires for us, the church, to reclaim the land!! The Kingdom life and productivity of the nation that has been lost or stolen is to be reclaimed unto life and productivity. The Father desires that America produce fruit from His kingdom AGAIN!

The word reclaim is an active verb. This means you must do something, lay claim to something, and perhaps take action related to physically, emotionally, or intellectually reclaiming what has been lost.

We know that God’s grace has ‘given us everything we need that pertains to life and Godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us’ (2 Pet. 1:3). We may not know the fullness of that deposit until we know the fullness of Him who gave it.  Therefore, if something has been stolen, lost, or given away we may not realize it until we get deeper revelation on who He is and what He has given. If we don’t know fully what He has given, we can’t know what may be lost or stolen.  We simply don’t know that we lack it...it’s not a sin issue it’s a knowledge issue. 

However, we must know that we have a legal right to it!  His deposit in us is a kingdom deposit, therefore as legal inheritors of His kingdom we have legal claim to it! What was lost was part of our kingdom claim to accomplish our purpose, including national purpose, in life. What was stolen was part of our inheritance as ‘sons of God’ (Gal 3:26; 4:7).  Grace includes the power for us to take back what has been stolen through the authority of the name we carry, Jesus Christ. 

As we gain revelation in our heart of hearts of that missing piece, we can then embrace and appropriate His power to reclaim it. As we receive revelation, we employ activation, i.e. doing whatever is necessary to reclaim that which was lost! Some of you may instantly know, as you read this word, that which was lost or stolen. Others of you may need to seek revelation on it. But be assured, the power of the cross and your family right as a son/daughter of the Father make a way to full reclamation in your life.  May this be a year of reclamation for YOU!

2015 - The Year of Ingathering

Each year we gather a few prophetic and intercessory people to pray into and hear what the Holy Spirit is saying as we move into the next year.  Some of what He says is just for local ministry in our area, some for our international ministry, and some is for anyone with ears to hear. Today I will share with you one of three overarching prophetic impressions given by the Holy Spirit that have application beyond our local church.

First, we perceive that 2015 is a Year of Ingathering.  To ‘ingather’ is to bring in, to harvest, to reap from the seed sown. To ingather is the Hebrew word ‘aciyph’ meaning to gather in the crops. The Old Covenant Festival of Ingathering was one of the festivals that God required of Israel. It occurred at the end of the growing season with the last harvest of the year. This was later called the Festival of Tabernacles and today is celebrated by Jewish people as Sukkot. “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to Me… Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the fields.” (Ex. 23:14, 16b) It was a celebration of the fruit of laboring in the fields and to remember God’s provision while in the wilderness.

My prophetic sense is that this has international significance, but it is especially important for the USA. God is gathering a remnant people in America; the passionate, purposeful, awakened in the church to fulfill a Kingdom purpose in the land.  It also speaks to a harvest of evangelism. This is something every ministry leader passionately desires. In America many of us have felt like we are in a cultural and spiritual wilderness. Yet God has provided sustenance and blessing in it. But we, yes those in leadership, must be stirred up and ignited so that we can convey the intensity and urgency of the day and the hour. It will be critical for leadership in the American church to move into this word.  We must motivate and mobilize the people in this season.

Are you stirred up and ignited, intensely engaged for what is coming? Are you ready to motivate and mobilize? Something is stirring for 2015!