Prophetic Proclamation Precedes Manifestation

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."~ Is. 9:6, 7

About 700 years before the birth of Christ Isaiah proclaimed Jesus birth, his names, his government, his throne, his righteous role and the absolute assurance it all would HAPPEN. Isaiah proclaimed an event of worldwide impact. This scripture is the most common reference we hear during the days of celebrating Christ’s birth yet many in the church do not embrace the prophetic gift or function of prophet in the church today.

A kingdom principle threaded throughout scripture is that prophetic proclamation precedes visible manifestation. Prophecy is gifted to the church to assure believers that God saw it before we see it. He knew it before we know it. He heard it before we hear it. He is not surprised by fulfillment of prophecy because He is the author of the prophetic gift given to the church. We are not to be surprised or ill-informed when it happens!!

Some prophecies are fulfilled long after they are spoken, e.g. the messianic prophecies of Old Testament prophets like Isaiah. Other prophecies are fulfilled quickly such as the prophecy to Mary.  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of His father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” Luke 1:28-33.  The angel’s proclamation was fulfilled very quickly through the supernatural conception and birth of the Messiah.  As believers we must discern the authentic voice of prophecy and be neither disappointed nor surprised by the length of time or means of manifestation. God desires us to know that He is author of both timing and means, and He informs us before through prophecy.

The principle of the prophetic preceding manifestation is evidenced even through John the Baptist. The angel prophesied the conception of John before doing so for Jesus. John was conceived six months before Jesus. He was born six months before Jesus. He was named by God before Jesus. His ministry began before Jesus. His father Zechariah prophesied upon his birth ‘and you my child will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him (Luke 1:76).

Prophets and prophecy go before to prepare a way. The gift is alive and well today! We live in a time when the church must be discerning of the prophetic voices at the personal, local church, national and global level.  We are in a dispensation of ‘preparing’. Our responsibility upon discerning the authentic voice of prophecy is to believe.  Elizabeth said upon greeting Mary, ‘Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished’ (Luke 1:45).

Prophetic proclamation will precede visible manifestation. Believe it. Neither doubt nor worry about timing… just believe it will happen.  Let our celebration of Christ’s birth be the prophetic prequel to celebrating His return.

Choose to Be a Victor

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2 Cor. 4:8-10 (NKJV)

I have been preaching in our church on the concept of victims versus victors.  All of us have been victims at some time in life. A victim is someone who has been harmed or diminished in some way. How we respond when we are harmed or diminished determines if we remain a victim or rise to be a victor. A victor is someone who has been harmed but rises above it to choose a victor’s perspective. Very often people who are victims, whether of minor or major harm, will linger and meditate on their victimhood to the point of it becoming their identity. But a victor seeks heart transformation and overcomes the temptation to identify as a victim.

In the corporate offices of America we have procedures and policies for those who feel aggrieved or victimized by someone or something. In such cases the harm is often called a grievance.  The world’s way of dealing with this is for the victim to file a grievance with the Human Resource Department which will investigate and determine if there must be restitution for the victim. In cases of criminal activity victims may go through legal proceedings to gain restitution or some form of justice. But the most critical aspect of being a victim is how we respond in our mind and heart. Will we embrace victimhood as our identity? Will we seek empathy from other victims and pursue vengeance for the wrong?

The early church offers us the Kingdom way of responding when bad things happen. When harmed, persecuted, perplexed, or hard-pressed they took their grievance to their Heavenly Father. They did not look to earthly government but to heavenly government. They are our example. They filed their perspective of being a victim with the Divine Resource Department. They took their grievance to God, confident He would settle it…first and foremost in their mind and heart.
 
There are many great examples of Godly men and women choosing to be a victor amidst victim circumstances.

• Joseph-thrown into a pit, sold by his brothers, falsely accused of sexual assault, imprisoned wrongfully, completely separated from his family into a foreign culture. Yet…he said to his brothers upon being reunited…'it was not you who sent me here, but God to preserve a remnant.'

• Daniel-a man of noble birth taken captive to Babylon, trained to be a servant to the king, interpreted dreams for the kings, elevated to great honor in the palace, maligned for not worshiping false gods, elevated again to great honor in the court of Darius, framed by jealous satraps, thrown to the lions by Darius, elevated again to great honor, and stayed in the courts of Cyrus while the remnant of the Tribe of Judah returned to Jerusalem to restore the temple and the walls. 

• Jesus-born of a virgin, son of God and son of man, no room for him in the inn, 40 days fasting in the desert, tempted by Satan with the world’s kingdoms, offered himself as Messiah to Israel and was rejected, falsely accused by his countrymen, convicted, flogged, denied by Peter three times, crucified by the gentiles, separated from his Father who turned away at the moment of his greatest burden on the cross when he became sin.

• Paul- received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one, Three times beaten with rods, once pelted with stones, three times shipwrecked, spent a night and a day in the open sea, was constantly on the move, in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers,  labored and toiled and often gone without sleep, was hungry and thirsty and without food, was at times cold and naked. 

• All of the original apostles, except Judas and John, were killed for their faith, yet never wavered in that faith.

 These men stood as victors rather than victims. They made a choice of perspective which elevated them above victimhood. King David, often under great pressure and attack, said; but you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; You consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to You; You are the helper of the fatherless( Ps. 10:14). Biblical examples of choosing the perspective of a victor are abundant. Choose the way of the victor. Take your grievance to the Lord.

Click here to read Harvey's previous message, From Victim to Victor!

From Victim to Victor!

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to You;  You are the helper of the fatherless. Ps. 10:14

This scripture acknowledges that affliction in some form is a reality for all people. But it directs those afflicted, the victims, to the Father for help. In this Truth lies the secret of moving from victim to victor.

We have in our nation and in much of western culture, a condition that has become an overpowering force in every dimension of society. It is the condition of being a victim and taking upon oneself the identity in such a way it defines who we are.

 You and I will be victims of something or someone at various times in our lives. There are many degrees of severity in being a victim, from unwarranted physical attack and injury to simply being hurt by someone’s words or innuendo.  A ‘Victim’- is one harmed or injured by an event or action. Everyone is a victim at some point in life….no one is exempt! We have rules and laws in place for the most obvious kinds of victims. For example if you drive your car carelessly and cause damage to another person’s body and/or vehicle, there is embedded in our law a form of justice. You or your insurance company must pay for the damages and expenses of the victim’s person and/or vehicle. That is simple and most of us in America have been on one side or the other of creating such situations. That is where the idea of being a victim ends…at least it should be.

But there is a more insidious culture that as emerged over the last few decades that uses victims to create power for evil purposes. It is the industry of victimhood. It uses people’s perceived or real victimization, magnifies the impacts and damages be they physical, financial or emotional, and uses them for financial gain, political power, and cultural division.  In America we saw this played out so clearly as a nominee to the Supreme Court was accused, maligned, debased, and virtually assassinated in character because a woman accused him of a sexual impropriety at a high school party over 35 years ago. There was no evidence and no corroboration. The nominee and his corroborating witnesses declared that it never happened. However, the very allegation created the perception that the woman who made the accusation could have been a victim. What followed was an outburst of chaos, protest, profanity, intimidation, harassment and violence devised by organizations that live off the industry of victimhood. Organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Demand Justice, People for the American Way, LGBT groups, National Abortion Federation, and dozens of others used the identity of victimhood to further their agenda. This resulted in mobs using the nation’s capital as their pulpit of power. They projected the identity of ‘perpetrator’ upon the court nominee, men in general, and anyone (man or woman) who disagreed with them. This kind of mob mentality can only happen when organizations exist to perpetuate the industry of victimhood to extend their power in a nation.

Poverty is a common measure of people being victims of circumstance. More than 1.3 billion people live on less than $1.25/day which is considered extreme poverty by global standards. I have traveled into many tribal areas of the world where people live at or near this standard. But the vast majority of those people do not perceive themselves as victims. Vast financial resources continue to flow into nations where these conditions exist, but as Jesus said, ‘the poor you will always have with you’.  (Matt. 26:11)

There is now playing out in Mexico, our neighbor to the south, a situation based upon the premise of victimhood.  Several thousand Hondurans and others are caravanning to invade the USA on the southern border. Some of them may be in poverty.  They have been told by industry advocates that they deserve a job in the USA. They believe such a job is an entitlement because they are victims. This caravan was initiated by an ‘open borders’ group that desires to eliminate national boundaries as we know them. The caravan violated the Guatemala national border, the Mexican national border and is headed to the US with the intent to violate this border.  They were not interested in staying in those nations which could have harbored them IF they were true refugees. They travel as a mob intent upon creating a scene on the border that will make them appear as ‘victims’ of our government. They do not intend to enter legally.  They know that in states like California they can get a driver’s license which will allow them to vote as faux citizens.

We must see this for what it is, a group of people organized into a mob and funded by those who live off the industry of victimhood.  They do not do as the Psalmist said; commit themselves to You (God), who would help them in their own nation.  A victim descends into the state of victimhood when they embrace the identity of being a victim. They neither forgive nor move on in their hearts to a place of inner peace. They become ripe to be used by the industry, those who gain power and money to perpetuate the victim identity for their purposes. The industry will do all it can to maintain the identity of victimhood in all that have entered.

The 1st Century church was heavily persecuted but looked to the Father for their peace and provision. They did not look to government or other advocates….only to the Father. 

The Apostle Paul speaks of the intense state of persecution that COULD have caused them to embrace victimhood. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Cor. 4:6-11)

They were victims of religious and cultural persecution and often financial loss but chose to be victorious and reveal Christ in their circumstances. The difference between being a victim of a circumstance and embracing the identity of victimhood is how we respond to personal victimization.  The leadership of the 1st Century church did not see themselves as victims. The leaders did not encourage or advocate victimhood. They responded and embraced victory in every circumstance IN CHRIST. It was and is the better way.  If the USA receives this caravan as victims, the nation will, in reality, undermine the gospel by encouraging trust in government over God. Victimhood will reign! But there is a better way!  They may be hard pressed on every side financially, but they are not crushed if they look to Jesus for their provision in their nation.  Victimhood always seeks to make a personal problem everyone else’s problem. We pray and believe for a better outcome; that the people caravanning will see the better way!

Respect Prophecy of the Lord

Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced through his servant Elijah.” 2 Kings 10:10

This scripture was spoken by Jehu, 10th King of Israel (northern Kingdom). Jehu was a unique leader among the many kings of the divided nation of Israel. One specific characteristic that is highly noteworthy was his responsiveness and respect for the Word of the Lord. Once Jehu was anointed by the prophet to be King he immediately moved to fulfill the prophetic directive Word of the Lord. He was specifically tasked with eliminating the entire house of Ahab, 70 sons and their associates, along with Jezebel the pagan queen who brought Baal worship to Israel.

Elijah received a word from the Lord in 1 Kings 19:15-18 that he was to anoint  Jehu king of Israel. Then in 1 Kings 21 Elijah prophesies directly to Ahab, current king of Israel, about Ahab’s fate and the reason for his fate.  Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he (Elijah) answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 21 He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free.[a] 22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’ 1 Kings 21:20-21

These prophetic words to and through a prophet became the platform upon which the future King Jehu would fulfill his purpose and direct the nation. Jehu was respectful of the Word of the Lord upon being anointed King and given his divine purpose (2 Kings 9:4-13). The prophetic word was very directive and specific. He neither hesitated nor questioned the word of the Lord. He moved to fulfill it. After each specific aspect of fulfillment; killing King Joram, killing the sons and associates of Ahab, killing Jezebel, and destroying the prophets and temple of Baal, Jehu reminded those around him this was the Lord’s word and will. So specifically responsive to the Word was he that upon killing the 70 sons of Ahab he said, “Know then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.” (2 Kings 10:10) 

Jehu’s unique leadership was to be responsive and respectful of the Word of the Lord. He neither diminished nor enhanced it. He did not avoid the direction it would take him. He did not measure the risk of personal loss to execute the Lord’s will. He did not convene a committee to get a group perspective. He simply moved forward to fulfill that which was spoken to him and about him.
It would serve the church well today if we regarded the Word of the Lord as Jehu did. While many prophetic words and personal revelations are not directive, some are and we must take them seriously. We have a New Covenant advantage over Jehu to test the word. We have the written word of complete scripture. We have the Holy Spirit in and around us. We have Christ in us. We have prophets, apostles, evangelists, teachers and pastors to equip us. We have these ‘witnesses’ to judge and confirm the specific application of the Word that is imparted. The Apostle Paul said, "Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good…" 1 Thess. 1:19-21.  Respect that which is spoken by the Spirit!

Jehu’s reward for following the specific Word of the Lord for him was a nation with renewed focus on Yahweh and four generations of his lineage on the throne of Israel.  Let the church embrace such response and respect for the Word of the Lord. Watch what God will do in the nation!

To read Harvey's previous article on Jehu, click here.

The Jehu Generation

The remains of the temple of Baal.

“Hitch up my chariot,” Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?” 2 Kings 9:21, 22

We live in turbulent days. The church in the west is in turmoil. The church in the east is persecuted. Whatever peace exists today is superficial and veiled in the nuance of political correctness. In the midst of turbulence everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The nation is shaking. The church is shaking. Why? Because many have left their first love. Many have submitted to a spirit likened to Ahab and Jezebel. They bow to sophisticated forms of idolatry and they worship that which is not of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

To many in the evangelical church in the west this is veiled behind curtains of cheap compassion, sophisticated intellectualism and tolerance.  Some, like Elijah, have spoken up and declared truth about the demonic nature of the turbulence. But, like Elijah, they say, "Is it I and only I?" Others have tried to stand firm but, like Ahab, have become compliant and complacent, and submitted to the control and manipulation of Jezebel. Most simply cannot see it because it must be perceived before it can be seen. It is through the power and revelation of the Holy Spirit that we see that which is not visible to natural eyes. It must be discerned before it can be destroyed.

But there is emerging as the tip of the spear leaders and ministers who, like Jehu, drive furiously toward the enemy. They move assertively and decisively in response to the Word of the Lord to confront illegitimate authority that has stolen Naboth’s vineyard, territory belonging to the church.
 
When Jehu became king of the northern kingdom of Israel he set upon his singular mission to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah and passed on through Elisha. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the Lord’s people Israel. 7 You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord’s servants shed by Jezebel. 8 The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free.[a] 9 I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. 10 As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’” 2 Kings 9:6-10 NIV

There is arising today a cross-generational alliance of prophetic and apostolic mantels emerging on leaders to confront evil that has sprouted through cheap compassion and passive compliance in the church and the nation. As I travel to Asia and Africa I encounter ministry leaders on those continents who see it clearly. Many are more perceptive than those in America. It has led many international intercessors and prophetic voices to align with a remnant in American to declare over and intercede for the nation in these days.  

There is a remnant in the church in America, a prophetic 7000 who knees have not bowed nor mouths who have kissed Baal (1 Kings 19:17, 18). Elijah felt alone and wasn’t. There was a company reserved by Yahweh. Elisha received a double portion anointing from Elijah because his mission was extreme and spiritually violent. Jehu accepted the mantel of fulfilling the word of the Lord… destroy the entire house of Ahab, the person of Jezebel and the spiritual roots of Baal and Ashoreth, a religion of death and destruction invited into the nation through the Ahab-Jezebel alliance. They run towards the enemy!  Much is shaking today. It must be shaken to reveal that which cannot be shaken! In this day it will be an Elisha-Jehu alliance, a kingdom of God company that brings down the strongholds of Ahab and Jezebel in the nation and the church. As Jehu cried out to the eunuchs in Jezebel’s palace… ‘who is on my side?... throw her down!’  Time to choose…there is no neutral ground!

To read more posts from Harvey on the current relevance of Baal in U.S. click here.

Cutting Through the Argument

Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. Romans 4:20, 21 (NIV)

Prior to Jesus, God the Father would speak and interact with one man or woman to speak and bring forth His purposes and intentions on earth.  We see this operating through people such as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the prophets and priests of the Old Testament. They lived in a dispensation where God persuaded individuals and tribes by speaking to a select few. In doing so, His voice persuaded Abraham to believe the promise of a son, Joseph to believe in a divine destiny through dreams, Moses to lead a nation out of slavery, and Jeremiah to prophesy 70 years of exile and a remnant returning to Jerusalem. 

The Day of Pentecost changed the way God communicates with His people. God released the Holy Spirit to infuse ALL God’s people with multi-dimensional dreams, visions, and prophesies to reveal His will and plan on earth. God implemented a new management system, a new dispensation, to persuade His people to live and move and have their being personally and corporately through prophetic communication grounded in the Truth of His Word. We live in the time of prophetic persuasion; God continually speaking, declaring, demonstrating, communicating His will and way to whosoever has ears to hear and a heart to perceive.

To persuade is to 'cause someone to believe or do something by asking, reasoning or arguing'. That is human persuasion. Humans argue, reason, debate and intellectually attempt to persuade people to a particular belief or action. As I said in my previous post, Godly persuasion is prophetic.  Prophetic persuasion can cause someone to believe or do something through the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit undergirded by the Truth of His Word.  Prophetic persuasion goes straight past the intellect into the human spirit with penetrating power far greater than arguing, asking, or reasoning. The Holy Spirit persuades us with a piercing power that is greater. Today the church can operate in the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost:   "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,  your young men will see visions,  your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." Many within the sound of the upper room and hearing Peter’s voice were prophetically persuaded to respond to the words released from heaven to earth. They were persuaded, not by wise words and clever arguments, but by the penetrating power of the Spirit of God flowing through Peter. When Peter said, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36), 3000 people were ‘cut to the heart’ and responded with, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (vs. 37) Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit and under the power of the Holy Spirit, penetrated the spirits and hearts of 3000 people.  That is the power of prophetic persuasion.

We live in the information age, inundated with data, social media, instant messaging, and a barrage of information creating clutter in the intellect and confusion in the heart. The prophetic brings a clear, clarion sound that cuts to the heart, penetrating through surface noise and resonates in those who have ears to hear and a heart to perceive what the Father in heaven is releasing. 

Abraham, hearing the prophetic clear voice of the Lord, ‘did not waver in unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised’. (Romans 4:20, 21)  The church has the Holy Spirit in the fullness and must release the prophetic into the culture.  Rise up and be that voice of prophetic persuasion!!!  The time is now!


Desire to operate in an anointing of prophetic persuasion? Read Harvey's previous article here.

The Power of Prophetic Persuasion

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.18 Even on my servants, both men and women I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.’ (Acts 2:15-18)

The day of Pentecost opened the gates for a free flow of the prophetic heart of God. The outpouring of Pentecost offered the potential to powerfully persuade people to believe and respond to the Kingdom of God. The open door to prophetic persuasion created a whole new way to communicate on the earth. We are to prophesy on earth!!

The prophetic voice of the church, when carried along by the Holy Spirit and undergirded with truth of His living word, is powerful and purposeful to transform hearts and minds. The prophetic voice of the Father flowing through His people can persuade those who hear and perceive.  The voice of persuasion will upset some as we see in Acts; 12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.” (Acts 18:12, 13)   They were not upset because Peter was not persuasive, but because he was persuasive!!!!

To persuade, spiritually, is to cause people to believe or do something in response to reasoning, asking, declaring or demonstrating the power of the Spirit under girded in the Truth of His Word.
 
When prophetic words, teaching and action are carried along by the Spirit and they persuade people, governments and nations respond. When Peter declared the word of the Lord his words cut through the cultural clutter and into the hearts of people.   “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:36-37) They were persuaded to respond!

We live in the ‘information age’. People across the world receive a flood of information hourly and daily. Cell phones and digital devices are a part of life in the corporate offices of America, crowded villages of Asia, and mud huts of Africa. The news and entertainment media of TV, internet, radio, and on-line websites reaches every corner of the world.  However, the level of trust in what is read and watched has declined dramatically, especially in the western hemisphere where news media is trusted by less than 30% of the people. In this information rich environment the prophetic voice of the church can penetrate and cut through the clutter of the culture. We must be more than just another talking head or background noise in a crowded room.  We live in the dividing time of nations when the words and actions we declare with mouth and by deed must carry prophetic persuasion.
 
It can be so…..as we consecrate ourselves to the voice of the Father and bring forth prophetic persuasion as in the day of Pentecost.   Whether in our audible voice, our written words, our music, or our personal actions, the times demand a clarion sound that will be persuasive as it is prophetic. Time to persuade! The nations await!

The Glory of God

And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” Exodus 33:17-18

The Biblical concept of ‘glory’ is threaded throughout the Word of God appearing more than 350 times. Glory brings forth the idea of the splendor, honor, worship, and divine presence and attributes of God. 

When Moses and the Israelites miraculously escaped from Egypt they were filled with awe and thankfulness for God showing His glory and power to set them free. After crossing the Red Sea they celebrated as a nation singing a song in Exodus 15. The song expresses the magnitude of God’s power expressed in His attributes and actions that brought freedom.   In verse 11 they sang: Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory working wonders? (Exodus 15:11 NIV)  Israel acknowledged a transaction between heaven and earth as God’s glory was manifest.

The Hebrew word-‘kabod’, literally meaning weight, and the Greek word ‘doxa’, meaning dignity, glory, honor, worship bring forth this weighty concept of glory. When expressed in the context of God, it reveals His divine presence, nature and activity among His people. Unger’s Bible Dictionary explains it this way; glory is the exercise and display of what constitutes the distinctive excellence of the subject to which it is spoken. God’s glory is manifestation of His divine attributes and perfections, or such visible splendor as indicates the possession and presence of these attributes and perfections.

God’s glory is more than a theoretical idea. It is His very presence!! Our position through faith in Jesus is that God’s glory is always present. Grace makes a way for the presence of His glory. But there are times when it is more easily perceived. There are times when it is tangible among God’s people. When our worship moves beyond a surface transaction we begin to experience His glory as the ‘will of heaven coming to earth’. In deep worship we open ourselves to this heavenly transaction because we choose, as Moses did, to enter deeply and boldly into the throne of grace.

God’s glory appeared as a cloud at the entrance to the tent of meeting when Moses worshipped Yahweh. It was resident on the Mercy Seat between the cherubim upon the Ark of the Covenant. It appeared as a presence along with angels announcing the birth of the Messiah. It appears on the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses, Elijah and Jesus. It is expressed in the person of Christ as the son of God. It manifested through the resurrection. It is revealed in John’s revelation of the New Jerusalem as light for the heavenly city.

God’s presence and glory always manifest for a purpose beyond feeling good. He is intentional in His glory.  We can tangibly sense His presence when our worship goes deeper than a surface transaction. The gifts of the Spirit begin to manifest as worship ascends to the throne in corporate gatherings. God comes to show himself just as He showed himself to Moses after Moses said ‘show me your glory’. He has purpose in His glory. His glory was manifest to bring God’s people into a promised land. Today He desires to bring us into a promised land. The glory will come as believers enter into deeper worship in Spirit and in Truth. Our Father wants to show himself to you, to His church! He desires to accomplish something greater than a surface transaction devoid of power.  He desires a transaction for transformation unto advancing His kingdom in us and through us. Lord, we say to you ‘show us your glory’!

Alignment For Your Assignment

These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan. Numbers 34:29

I have written and taught on the topic of ‘alignment’ in the past. It’s a topic of even greater importance today. We are living in a dispensational shift that will begin aligning the nations for the return of Christ. Believers, leaders, churches and ministries must re-align to what the Lord is doing by His Spirit across the globe. Alignment, spiritually, is being directly lined up and in agreement with God’s move. It is like Moses and Israel aligned under the cloud as they navigated through the wilderness moving toward the promised land of inheritance. Alignment is for an assignment. It is where grace-filled provision flows to:  accomplish purposes, open doors for assignments, offer timely anointing to break strongholds, and most importantly, reveal the Father’s perspective on your circumstance and your assignment. You see things from God’s perspective! Grace with all of its fullness is the gift poured out lavishly to the believer, but the fullness of that outpouring is realized on earth as we align with what He is doing today, not what He was doing yesterday. Alignment is not about eternal life, but about abundant life. 
 
Moses and the Israelites aligned themselves under the cloud of provision as they prepared for their assignment in the Promised Land. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out (Numbers 9:22). They moved when God moved.  

Our assignments become clear as we stay in alignment. Alignment does NOT mean easy assignments. It means God-ordained assignments. We know from the account of Moses and Joshua that as they stayed aligned they moved toward their assignment to enter the Promised Land. It was only when the nation embraced fear of the giants in the land and balked at moving forward that they came out of alignment. The result was a delay of 40 years before they could accomplish their assignment. Please note…they were still God’s people! They were still a nation with a destiny. They were still assigned to possess Canaan, but it would take time for the nation to get back in alignment in vision, heart attitude and gain God’s perspective to possess the land. 

Studies have shown it only takes 3-5% of key leadership in business or ministry to affect a cultural shift.  God only needs a remnant to change a culture and possess a nation.  

In every nation there are seven mountains that reflect the culture of the nation; business, religion, government, media, arts/entertainment, education and family. A remnant of key aligned leaders can shift the culture on these mountains. When believing leaders are aligned with the Father they will be positioned for assignment on their mountain. They will have an assignment!  Make no mistake about it!!  On those mountains there is land to possess on behalf of the Kingdom of God.  On those mountains leaders will receive delegated authority for their assignment.  These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan (Numbers 34:29).  We see that the Lord commanded assignment of the inheritance in the land.  God’s desire, beyond our individual salvation and eternal life, is that nations come into alignment for the return of Christ. Is the Lord directing you to appropriate God’s inheritance on your mountain, in your nation? Are you in alignment for the assignment? What is that assignment?  Seek Him for the answer.

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Value the Gift

"When I was in elementary school my maternal grandmother gave me and all her grandchildren a silver dollar and knitted woolen mittens for Christmas."

For to us a child is born,
 to us a son is given,
 and the government will be on his shoulders. Is 9:6

The celebration of Christ’s birth and the traditions of Christmas are over for most us in 2017. But the concept of giving gifts remains in our culture. The Word of the Lord remains!

The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that the Messiah would be a son given to us. This word, a prophecy hundreds of years before manifestation, was a declaration of a gift of great value given by the Father. In Isaiah 9:6, 7 God revealed the purpose and magnitude of the gift.

Centuries later Jesus declared that the Father so loved the world He ‘gave His only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (Jn. 3:16).  Jesus perceived and revealed the fulfillment of the prophecy. He revealed the enduring Kingdom value of the ‘son given’, the Messiah born as a human…deposited on earth as a treasured gift bringing eternal life to those who believe in Him. He was a gift from the Father in Heaven. He was the kingdom investment by the Father in the world!

However, only a few of the Hebrew people perceived the value of the gift. Most, especially the civil and religious leaders were expecting something more practical and useful, a deliverer from Roman rule and a King to replace the Herods. The son given was not received or valued as the Father intended.

When I was in elementary school my maternal grandmother gave me and all her grandchildren a silver dollar and knitted woolen mittens for Christmas. She lived as an adult through the Great Depression farming the vast prairies of North Dakota. She understood that a silver dollar was real, durable; not flimsy paper that would diminish like a stock certificate with Wall Street perceptions of worth. No, it was tangible, enduring and indestructible; made with real silver, and precious beyond its $1 face value. The mittens were the work of her hands giving warmth and protection from the harsh environment in which she lived. They reflected the toil of investing hours of knitting, preparing the gift for each grandchild. The gifts were practical, yet more importantly a precious investment from her hands and her heart.  However, to a young boy I valued neither gift to the level of my Grandmother’s investment. I saw the silver dollar simply as $1….the transactional value to buy something rather than the reflective value of my Grandmother’s heart and the silver it contained. The knitted mittens…well I was wearing insulated weather and synthetics by then, purchased at a local store. Hand-made mittens didn’t compare in my way of thinking.  I only valued their usefulness, what they could do for me NOW.

So it is today, many people, even believers, do not value the depth of the Father’s heart invested in the ‘Son given’. We, like the 1st Century AD Hebrew leaders, often expect some immediate transactional value in gifts, even the gift of the Son of God. Is He useful? Can He heal me? Will He make me prosperous? Will He give me what I want when I want it? But the words of the prophet, of Jesus, and of the Apostles revealed a greater investment and purpose intended by the Father. Do you perceive the value of the gift? Do you perceive the value of the investment? Do you perceive the value of the One who gave the gift?

I encourage you as you move into 2018 to perceive the greater value in gifts given to you. See beyond the practical, usefulness of what the Father has given in your life. Perceive the durability of the precious silver in the people and things placed in your life. Perceive the work of His hands, His investment in you that offers His presence and His purposes for your life. Take value in the silver dollars and knitted mittens today.