a house of prayer for the nations

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled; but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the Lord, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.”

Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.

Then the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. ‘And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the LORD of hosts. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built. ‘For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no peace because of his enemies, and I set all men one against another. ‘But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the LORD of hosts. ‘For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. ‘It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’

“For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Just as I purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and I have not relented, so I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! ‘These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. ‘Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the LORD.”

Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. ‘The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts; I will also go.” ‘So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” (Zechariah 8, NASB)

The Lord has strongly placed this scripture on my heart this lunch hour…

Then the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’

I have been feeling His zeal for the city of Jerusalem – it is now…

The word will be fulfilled now…

‘Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. ‘And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the LORD of hosts. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’

He has been bringing them back physically and now, now, He will bring them back spiritually, spiritually to Himself as He has always promised – He is Faithful…

‘But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the LORD of hosts. ‘For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. ‘It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’

This is now…

He will save Israel – the house of Judah and the house of Israel – so that they will become a blessing – a blessing to the whole world…

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. ‘The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts; I will also go.” ‘So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

I know that this is now because this is the desire of my heart – personally – to go…

And I have met others who have already gone – on visits – and I know there are some others who are already living in Jerusalem – they are living there and fulfilling His call in preparation for the fulfilment of this word – that all Israel would be saved as prophesied by Paul in the book of Romans…

And we know what happens when they are – “life from the dead” for the nations of the world…

Here I am Lord, I am waiting, as You have said…

Do You have anything else to say to me Lord?

“No, I have said enough – you are to wait – everything is ‘in place’ – nothing is left ‘undone’ – you are ready – you will be ready – there is nothing else to do – just wait”…

“Wait and I will release you”…

“As I have said, I will release you”…

“Release you into everything which I have promised you”…

“I speak outside of time Andrew – you know this – I speak outside of time – you will know this – I will give you wisdom and you will understand – My Mind and My Ways – which are beyond finding out – you will know this – and I will teach you of My ways”…

“I speak things which are not as if they were – for they are – in My Mind they are – those things – that thing which you have just remembered right now – that has been created in My Will – you do not see it now – but it will surely come to pass – wait, be strong and wait – no more Andrew – no more – you are free”…

“No more now Andrew – you are free”…

“You know what I mean”…

“Wait”…

I was just praying and I saw a beam of light coming right out of my belly region – that was the sense I had – and it happened as I let go completely of trying to resist evil…

My wife and I had been praying last night about the opposition we encountered when we got married (nearly 15 years ago) and how she’d seen a picture of me (a couple of weeks ago I believe) striving forwards towards God’s will for my life but all these ‘black hands’ trying to hold me back…

In front of me was light and I was striving forward, like leaning forward but the ‘black hands’ were trying to hold me back and behind my back was black…

I took to heart what she said and submitted to the Lord about not striving to resist the ‘voices’ which had opposed us at our wedding (or after) or trying to stop them from ‘winning’ in splitting my wife and I up…

I broadened this out to include anyone who had ever resisted me in my work and now as I type I include anyone who has ever resisted me full stop (there’s been quite a long list)…

Anyway, as I sat here at my desk at work (in my lunch hour) letting go of resisting evil and just trusting the Lord to release me – seeing that as I did this (earlier this morning I saw that as I cycled in to work) that if the Lord didn’t catch me I’d be completely ‘swallowed up’ – I suddenly saw this awesome, wide, strong beam of light emanating out of my belly region…

Like the Lord had instantaneously ‘taken it’ – my surrender…

I know His will for my life – my wife saw that in the picture she had for me – this is encouraging that He has shown her this but I need to ‘let go’ of any effort to try and ‘make it happen’…

I am happy with this – it goes with what He’s been telling me, to wait…

We – my wife and I – will pray more and we will – in His Presence – be released into what He has for us…

Finally – it’s been a long journey to get to this place but He is enabling us…

I’ve been learning recently – a deeper revelation – as I walk through this with the Lord…

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1 NASB)

“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. (Matthew 5:39 NASB)

I have been finding that as I live ‘naturally’ just doing what is on my heart that the Holy Spirit ‘naturally’ curbs me and brings me into line with His will so that what I ‘naturally’ do is what He wants me to do…

Every so often I get these, ‘No!’ voices while I’m just minding my own business, doing my own thing – for example when I’m cleaning my teeth or choosing which shirt to wear…

I’m learning to ignore these voices…

I want to be surrendered to God in everything but I’m learning that as I continue ‘naturally’ doing what is on my heart I am protected and the Lord works on me…

If I take control in listening to the ‘No!’ voices then I have to ‘try’ and ‘think’ and this is counterproductive and blocks the Holy Spirit…

Just go with your gut – go with what is on your heart – even if this is wrong the Holy Spirit will intercept you and curb you back to naturally do what He wants you to do – you have surrendered to Him – given yourself to Him – so trust Him to lead you – ‘naturally’ from within as He is one spirit with you – think about that – one spirit with you…

Not with your flesh but with your new spirit – your new creation is His and He inhabits it…

So it will – over time – become stronger and stronger and stronger and more ‘naturally’ you as you just trust Him to make the changes – He makes the changes as we live naturally – we don’t have to live our lives in fear or striving continually asking Him, ‘what should I do now Lord?’ – just live naturally and look up to Him to speak to you as it is on your heart – this is what I’ve been doing and it has been working well for me…

Love you,

Andrew

Why do we hold on?

Because we don’t know any better…

I had an amazing experience with the Lord this morning as I woke up early and was doing the dishes and talking to the Lord about a situation where I was having to let go…

All sort of profanities were coming out of me from my flesh and I let them all out…

I didn’t resist them…

And then I heard the Voice of the Lord – quiet and clear – and then I experienced His Peace – like nothing I have ever experienced before – completing ‘funnelling’ me in His Presence…

I needed that…

I had my Annual Performance Review at work today and I needed that peace as I prepared for that – I was at rest…

I’ve been going through something with a close friend – a very close friend – and I’ve had to let her go…

I love her – I really do – but I’ve had to let her go…

Sometimes the only way for people to see things is to let them go and let the Lord show them…

Maybe she feels the same way about me…

It’s so free to let the Lord show us what His truth is…

Whenever we try and achieve this for someone else it fails…

Our control…

It is so freeing to see our flesh and it’s demands…

Wanting such and such…

‘If only they would see such and such’…

And yet it is the Lord who shows people His will…

And as I stood in our kitchen this morning receiving the Lord’s peace I saw that He – I saw in my heart (not just knew in my head) – is in complete control and the safety and protection of that is that if it’s His will He’ll make it happen…

Having no direct contact or not being able to ‘touch’ another human being is the best thing in the world – no, no joke, it really is… 🙂

If something is ‘of God’ then He will make it happen…

It doesn’t matter how many times we ‘let it go’ – He will bring it back…

And when there is no control in us ‘making it happen’ or ‘wanting it to happen’ – just surrender – then we experience His Peace and know that He is working to bring it to pass…

When one member suffers they all suffer as the scripture has said…

I have been offering my friend my support but my greatest support is unspoken – I see that now – carrying her burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ – without having to have any direct contact with her at all…

“I will fulfil all your needs Andrew – your need for fellowship, your need for intimacy within marriage, your needs to be received by your children and by those who you are responsible for in Me”, declares the Lord, “all your needs will be met in Me – you have let go – you have let go of what is most precious to you – you have let go of fellowship and you have let go of sexual intimacy – I know your heart and I know that you have let go – and so I now – in the days to come – give these things back to you – in their place and within marriage accordingly”, declares the Lord, “You have let go and so I will now return to you what you have surrendered and what you let go – your control over making these things happen – and I will now make these things happen for you as you wait in My Presence – that protective ‘funnel’ of My Presence which you experienced this morning and again in the shower – that Presence – all around you where you didn’t need to know anything but just that I was there”…

“I am here Andrew and I am speaking to you – believe what I have told you – don’t believe what others tell you – unless I give you a witness of My Spirit that what they are telling you is true”…

“Understand what I say – I will give you wisdom – you are right now receiving of My wisdom – I am your God – believe no one but Me”…

“My Peace is all over you – you are engulfed in My Peace because you trust in Me – not in being right or wrong but that you trust in Me and want My will in all things – you are free – enjoy your freedom”…

“I love you”…

Jesus…

“When I speak Andrew, you follow”…

“You are waiting for My word”…

“You are right that you have ‘let go’ of your career, you are right that you have ‘let go’ of your family, you are right that you have ‘let go’ of your location, you are right that you have ‘let go’ of your ministry and you are also right that you have ‘let go’ of those closest to you”…

“There is nothing now left – I will act”…

“I will act to vindicate you”…

“You will not vindicate yourself but I will vindicate you”…

“I will set you ‘high above’ all the obstacles which have obscured your path – I will fulfil every good word which I have promised you”…

“I have spoken and I have promised you – I have told you that I will take you to Jerusalem and so I will – and soon”, declares the Lord, “I will take you to Jerusalem and I will ‘set you up’ to prophesy in my Name – on your instrument – your instrument of worship – to prophesy to My Name and on behalf of My Name”, declares the Lord…

“There are many obstacles Andrew – you have seen them – there is much unbelief – much”…

“You know of what I speak – but I will ‘set you up’ in Jerusalem and you will prophesy to and of My Name – you will prophesy and I will bless you”…

“The scripture will be fulfilled in your lifetime”…

“All of it – all of it before I return will be fulfilled in your lifetime – you will not die until I come again”…

“You will see it – you have ‘lost everything’ and in Me you will ‘gain everything’ – you will see ‘everything’ unfold before you and I will give you life – I will live through you and you will prophesy to and for My Name”…

“I am in you forever”…

“Forever Andrew – I am in you and through you until the end of time”…

“I put these ‘setbacks’ before you – I do not ‘trip you up’ on purpose”…

“All these things Andrew – these struggles which you have – must be overcome and so I put them before you and let you suffer – I let you suffer so that you can be perfected in Me – just as My Son – Jesus, your Saviour – was perfected through the things which He suffered”…

“Unreality Andrew is to believe any voice which I have not spoken”…

“Any word which I have not spoken is unreality”…

“There are those who do not believe that the world will be saved – this to them is unreality”…

“Even though My word says that each will worship from their place”…

“Even though My word says that the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea”…

“Even though My word says that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh”…

“There are some who say that to believe that the world could be saved in your lifetime is unreality and living in unreality but you know in your heart that it is not”…

“Because I have shown you”…

“You have known what it is to be ostracised for believing what I have told you”…

“You know what it is to be told that your reality is unreality”…

“You understand the pain of rejection and yet I have one for you who will understand you and who will ‘side’ with you with Me on behalf of this world”…

“You know of whom I speak”…

“Let her go”…

“I will fulfil My Purpose in you – let her go”…

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. (Psalm 51:6 NASB)

What is honesty?

Why is it so important?

My heart is aflame with a noble theme this morning as I sit to blog on this…

I so believe in honesty…

And I so believe in the truth…

Fantasy is empty…

Make believe is empty…

Deception or being deceived is empty…

It leaves you empty – it doesn’t satisfy…

So how do you avoid deception or being deceived?

Do you have to protect yourself and be afraid and interrogate yourself and introspect yourself to stop yourself being deceived?

Do you need to clamp down on your emotions when you start to feel a certain way and ‘run away and hide’ when certain things get ‘stirred up inside you’?

The Lord has said that He will make us – His children – know wisdom in the hidden part…

‘We have the Mind of Christ’…

‘My sheep hear My Voice and they follow Me and a stranger they simply will not follow for they do not know the voice of strangers’…

What amazing promises are these?

Does this mean that it is impossible for a child of God to be deceived?

Yes it does – in their innermost being…

Wait a minute Andrew, are you saying that Christians will never be deceived?

No, I’m saying that their new creation – their new spirit – which is one with Christ – and their new heart, their righteous soul – will never be deceived…

Their new creation will hear God’s Voice speaking to it – watering it, nourishing it, feeding it – causing it to grow in glory and in grace and this new creation will not be deceived…

Even when we are faithless – as Peter was for a moment when he denied Jesus three times (and we’ve all ‘been there’) – Peter was not deceived in his new creation – his faith didn’t fail even though he for that moment was faithless – his new self was ‘shut down’ and ‘unable to operate’ – he knew on the inside and felt the pain which is why he wept bitterly after his betrayal…

So when we as new creations disagree with what God has already told us in our new creation because our ‘flesh’ or ‘sin which dwells in me’ is living through us at that point in time – we feel the pain because we – our new creation – knows – that something is wrong – it might be subconscious but we know and we mourn…

And yet the Lord continues to speak truth to us – we know and we resist as our ‘flesh’ is living through us but we know and over time He ‘subdues’ us and we surrender to Him…

If the situation is severe and there is no surrender found in us – ultimately because He has not provided any – then He will take us home…

We were washed, we were sanctified – all the days ordained for us were written in His Book before one of them came to be and all things work together for good to those who love God…

So we see that He will make us know wisdom and He will complete the knowledge of truth in the innermost being because it is His truth which sets us free…

Eternity will be an ever expanding expanse of His truth to our innermost beings…

Imagine being out of your present body with the ‘body of this death’ aka ‘sin which dwells in me’ completely removed and being given a new body which is incorruptible and immortal and being in the presence of Jesus forever unable to be deceived by any other voices…

Wow, that’s cool…

So what am I saying?

If I am deceived what can I do about it?

Can I strive?

Can I try to ‘get into the word’ to somehow stop myself from being deceived?

If you’re deceived then you don’t know you are – except by that inner witness of the Holy Spirit who is grieved and whose pain you feel – but you can block that out – for awhile you can but then you realise that His pain is your pain as you are one spirit with Him…

His pain will drive you to repentance for you begin to see that His will that you are resisting is the best thing for you…

So what do you do if you are deceived or if someone close to you thinks you are?

You trust the process…

What is the process?

I’ve just explained it…

God is in control of your life and however much freedom you will know in this life is in His Hands…

Whatever He gives you a desire for He will fulfil – this much you know…

He has given me a desire to know His truth and to follow His will – to hear His Voice – and so, more and more and more – I will…

Do I strive in this process – even when I know I should be wanting these things ‘more and more and more’?

No…

I let the desire come…

Why?

Because everything has to be ‘natural’ in our relationship with Him…

Not ‘standing up’ and ‘sitting down’ but natural – so there’s no effort…

Its all about trusting the Lord and submission to His will – He will sanctify each one of us exactly the amount He has decided to on earth and continue on into eternity making us more and more and more like Himself…

Do you see it?

It’s an extension of waiting on the Lord and not striving…

We have ceased from our works and so we wait on Him to complete His through us…

God loves us – eventually – even if we are deceived – He will make us know wisdom…

I have watched people struggle with this and not be able to accept it – I have watched their pain and I have seen how this fascination with not being deceived and trying so hard to warn others about it so they’ll strive also is a real infection in the Body of Christ…

I’m speaking out today and I’m saying, “Hey, let’s trust God and focus on Him and focus on what we are sure about and let Him ‘catch us up’ on everything else, OK?”…

🙂

As we live, He leads us…

He loves it when we trust Him…

Just being willing to stop obsessing or focusing on a fear of being deceived is enough for Him to start to reveal truth to us and set us on the right path…

At the end of the day our unbelief or inability to trust Him is the problem…

Imagine God asked you to go through life blindfolded and to trust Him to lead us – to trust Him literally with our lives – just listening to His Voice…

Then stop imagining (giggling) as that is exactly how you (and I ) are meant to live…

That puts a different perspective on it doesn’t it?

🙂

I’ve been through the mill on this at work…

I’ve been quite an ambitious person…

And then I see that those around me – not all but some – are also quite ambitious…

Who will push the hardest?

That’s really what it comes down to…

I’ve observed this in the business world…

And I can’t be bothered pushing to compete to have my views or ideas heard – because this is what is required – control…

And I don’t like control…

I’ve seen it in my personal life – subjugating my ambition to serve others – as long as their ambitions are heading in God’s direction, i.e. something positive if not directly Godly which will ultimately benefit them as a person…

And even in this when you’re serving others they can still ‘rebel’ against your help – even though you’re not pushing them, you’re just heading them in that direction because they’ve ‘engaged’ you in their process…

And so you see that ‘breaking down’…

In other cases it is received and those one’s – I’m thinking of a couple as I speak – go on in leaps and bounds – faith is alive in them and a belief in God’s Grace and in His Love – they – these two – are a blessing to my faith…

But anyway after it is all said and done – is getting done what we want to see happen really satisfying?

If we sacrifice our ambitions to serve the ambitions of others (heading vaguely in a Godly direction – we ‘bend over backwards’ as much as we can to give them the benefit of the doubt but when the peace is not there we stop) but still hope to see them succeed we can still get ‘peeved’ when they don’t or when they ‘derail’ their own lives in front of you…

But if we have as our ambition to know the Lord then we’ve truly subjugated our ambitions and they’re not focused on any human achievement – by us or by others – but purely focused on knowing the Lord and that is something which no one can take away from us – for every situation the Lord places us in is for our good and for His Glory – thus we’re always able to know Him – as He lives through us or reveals Himself to us – through every situation we walk through…

As I started this post the Holy Spirit reminded me of this scripture…

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (2 Corinthians 5:9 NASB)

How are we to be pleasing to Him?

To know Him…

but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42 NASB)

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3 NASB)

I have never handled rejection very well…

Especially after I’ve had a close relationship with someone…

To be rejected really tests the authenticity of your love for them…

When the Lord says, “Go love them again” – like He did to Hosea with Gomer – how do you respond?

They’ve broken your heart and the Lord says, “Go love them again”…

How did Hosea do it?

I’ve experienced having my heart broken and being crushed by someone close to me…

Last night the Lord said to me (in so many words), “Go love them again”…

And the challenge is to love them even if they never receive you and even if you wait years for them to come back to you…

The Lord waited with this sort of patience for Israel to return to Him…

A new Israel did return to Him – the ‘upper room’ Israel who were filled with His Holy Spirit and then ‘they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel’ were gathered to Him and are still being gathered to Him – a new Bride to replace the divorced Bride but in reality making those from Israel and those from the Gentiles who believe into one new Israel – the saints from all the nations and from all time as the word of God has said…

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; (Romans 9:6 NASB)

Psalm 78 shows how God so graciously dealt with Israel in the desert…

But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue.

For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.

Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.

How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!

Again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel.

They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,

When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan,

And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink.

(Psalm 78:36-44 NASB – emphasis added)

I read that just now before completing this post…

And Gomer did to Hosea exactly the same thing…

What was wrong with Hosea?  What did he do wrong?  Why did He deserve this treatment?

He didn’t…

He was a sign, he was a symbol of God’s Love to wayward Israel…

And we – His Intercessors on this earth – when we are rejected and spurned – are an example of God’s Love to His wayward Church – for really – after all these years – nothing has changed…

And it amazed me when I heard God saying to me, “Go and love them again”…

I will never forget that…

‘How can I invest more than I have already invested?’

‘How can I do any more?’

This is what I’ve been thinking but He is carrying me and carrying me to invest and to continue to invest even if I am never received…

How can I do this?

I can’t…

Only He can but He is carrying me so it is happening naturally in me to do this…

To go as deep as it is possible to go and to smash rejection once and for all in His Church through this ‘Hosea/Gomer’ situation which I’m in…

I will – go all the way – I will – smash it…

Once and for all…

Rejection is only smashed or beaten or removed through a decision to love even if you are never received…

It is this – this decision – which smashes rejection – it is this level – this level of persistent unconditional love which will not give up no matter what – which isn’t waiting for the other party to change and enduring until they do but will endure in spite of what they do – it is this level of persistent love which smashes every form of rejection – it – rejection – has no answer for this – it is defeated – and this is the type of love which God has for His new Israel – from Israel and from the Gentiles – His Saints – His Church…

And even if resisted on earth He will show us – His Church – His Love for eternity in His Presence – “Today you will be with Me in Paradise”…

The Lord has just told me to blog on my life…

To tell it as it is…

Now is a time of transition for me…

He has been pulling up the roots which I have in my career, in my church involvement, the involvement in a prayer group in our city, the involvement which I had with another Christian blog – a long involvement – and He has been pulling up these roots since mid-July last year…

He has basically cut them all now…

He’s left me in a position where they’ve been cut and I know in my heart they have been cut…

It is a very vulnerable position which He has led me into…

I have no roots left, so to speak, to my city – where I was born – and He has told me that I will be going to another city in another country on the other side of the world…

I feel like He has also cut the family ties which I have in this city…

I am just waiting for Him to speak and set in motion the chain of events which will ‘turn the ship’ so to speak to make all these things which He has told me will happen, happen…

It’s a sad time to let things go – a career is a hard thing to let go…

But I have…

All the other things are hard things to let go – but I have…

He has loosened them from me…

It’s been natural but there’s still sadness and pain – leaving people behind who you’ve worked with in whatever sphere is hard and there are emotions involved – He has been taking me through these…

One thing I know – He is going to act – all these things He’s been speaking to me and all these deaths I’ve been dying and the ‘letting goes’ which He’s been preparing me for are all coming together for this imminent move – whenever that is to Him…

It is the next thing on His agenda for me…

Change, transition…

Not an easy place but He carries us and He prepares us in advance to handle the change…

We can trust Him to lead us in advance preparing us for this transition and giving us motivational vision and guidance as to what to do when we get to the next destination…

I am quietly confident about this – this is what makes me sure it is Him calling me – for I feel His ‘steely’ determination to get the job done in our (my) new location when He gets us (me) there…

I know He will get us (me) there and establish me in what He has for me to do although right now (and for all time) that will be impossible for me (under my own steam) to complete…

The vision is too big…

And yet I am so passionate about that vision…

So passionate and so released now to pursue it…

As He comes underneath me to lift me up on His currents like eagles to get me there in His Presence…

Impossible dreams are possible to God – don’t be scared of success (as I heard today at our work conference from a leadership mentor) – don’t be scared of success…

God wants us to succeed in what He puts before us for in that we are seeing Him – we are knowing God…

He puts everything which He has planned for us within our grasp as we surrender our everything to Him…

Who will come, who will not…

We are not responsible for others unless He makes us personally responsible and then that burden is light…

Otherwise we are free to call all and get on and serve God in our own hearts – the buck stops with us…

And so since July 2013 I have been in transition…

My heart is in Jerusalem, Israel – this is where my heart is – He did it – He shifted my focus and now He wants me to go – to wait for Him but to go – when He arranges the circumstances – to go…

I am being honest, I am sharing honestly – this is what He’s asked me to do…

Love you,

Andrew

Sometimes the Lord ‘unfurls’ within us and we have one of these transfiguration experiences as Jesus experienced on the mountain with Moses and Elijah and Peter, James and John looking on…

Nowhere near what Jesus experienced but something like it where His presence within us ‘rises in faith’ in a certain situation and we ‘stand up’ and declare and speak forth things into being – changing the very fabric of people’s lives…

We know it’s not us in those situations and sometimes He overshadows us in such an awe inspiring way that we know He is all around us – strongly supporting us, is the word I get – like what He promised in His word to those whose hearts are completely His…

What does it mean to have a heart which is completely His?

A heart yielded to Him to make it practically holy – we see resistance – we don’t try to overcome it but we allow Him – because we are yielded – because we gave Him control – to ‘fight it’ – His Holy Spirit – through us and inside us – not really through us as He is doing all the work – those deep groanings – they’ve happened to me a number of times now as He is delivering me from my flesh…

He overshadows us – His Glory – as we read in scripture about the land of Naphtali, Galilee of the Gentiles…

“THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES–“THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” (Matthew 4:15-16 NASB)

When He is ‘unfurled’ within us there is ‘co-lateral’ damage – a backlash – after He ‘stands down’ – I experienced this a while back with a situation where I was suddenly rejected by two people who are very close to me – it happened just after one of these ‘transfiguration’ type experiences where I ‘stood up’ in the spirit – or the Lord did in me and prophesied – or proclaimed – as some of us were praying – a release – a release of faith that surrender brings assurance of provision – seek first His Kingdom – this brought life to two who heard but was later that night opposed by another and then the following day opposed again by another who knew nothing of it…

We are resisted but we see Him – and even in our ‘resisted-ness’ we are blessed – it is all – everything we go through – necessary – which is why we can praise God in all situations – His Joy bubbles up (maybe not immediately 🙂 )…

Hilarious – His Joy – His Joy truly is hilarious – heavy but hilarious (extremely light sometimes) – you’re in the middle of a grisly situation and He starts laughing inside you – giving you the witness that you’re overcoming – you’re not focusing on the happening but on Him – He overcomes through us…

I guess it’s an ebb and flow – but the surrender to ebb and flow with Him as He leads is the key – don’t control it – just run with it…

Love you,

Andrew

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/2_timothy/2-10.htm

I love Paul…

I love his heart…

I feel his heart – often as I read what he wrote I feel his heart…

He suffered the loss of all things – all in Asia deserted him…

His chains were repulsive to some – they couldn’t understand – his victory in Christ was hidden from them…

But he was victorious in Christ and he did all things for the sake of the elect – he knew who they were – the ones who had the deposit of faith placed in their hearts – the ones whom Jesus could not deny even when they were faithless because He cannot deny Himself…

‘I will arise and go to my father’…

At a deep level this son knew that his father would accept him – he knew his father…

The father had to let him leave – it was his choice to go…

The father had to endure the pain of waiting for him to return – of his own volition…

There was something deep inside this son which knew his father – he knew his father’s heart – he knew that his father would receive him – if only as a slave, he knew his father would receive him – he knew where he belonged…

And after going through what he needed to go through – sowing his wild oats so to speak – he returned to his father – and his father was waiting – waiting with open arms to receive his son – his lost son…

There are those of us who need to practically know our place – once we practically know ‘where we belong’ we are freed to grow in the protection and security of that place – ‘our place’ so to speak in the world…

‘A place to stand’ or Tūrangawaewae in Maori…

And from this place of acceptance having experienced all that the world has to offer and having found it empty we can serve – we can freely serve the Living God – not because we have to but because we want to – we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good – that the Lord is as good as His word to never forsake us or leave us and to never condemn us…

His Blood is strong…

Very Strong…

Stronger than any condemnation and His Blood is always welcoming us home…

When it’s all said and done love is the victor…

The Lord has exercised me this week…

I feel a lot better for it… 🙂

It really isn’t about happenings…

It’s about surrendering to the Lord in all things…

Being ambivalent about what the Lord allows to happen…

And from that place of ambivalence or surrender comes the ability to hear His Voice assuring you of what He’s said and what’s He going to perform…

Thinking about others instead of yourself…

Getting over your own pain and then focusing on others and what they must be going through…

Then the Lord is free to speak…

He asked me about the ones who I’d been interceding for – was I going to continue?

Even though they didn’t seem to want anything to do with me…

I just said to Him that I was open to if Jesus wanted to do this within me – I was ambivalent (usually when there’s something in it ‘for me’ I’m always keen and ‘take over’) – and I waited to see what would happen – and then from within came the prayer – the prayer to remove rejection – like tar – from them and to place it on Jesus on the cross – Jesus only does what He sees the Father doing and I saw that I can only do what I see Jesus doing as He is my Head – once I’m in surrender to Him then everything flows – and flow it did in prayer this morning…

I see that when Jesus was on the cross being terrorized by all the demons over the sin that He had been made on our behalf that He kept His Identity, Acceptance and Inheritance as a Son fully in His Mind – He only did on the cross and endured what He’d seen the Father do – and He did this so that I could be saved – if He’d stopped bearing my sin then I wouldn’t now be forgiven – this freed me – this understanding of His Love – to intercede for these three ones who had been rejecting me…

The Love which He showed for me was real – He really got underneath – He has told me that these three ones will make it – they will fulfil their purpose in God…

He has a plan for their lives and He will fulfil it – the breadth or length of their lives may vary – will vary – but the substance – His Purpose – will be sure…

I needed to know that – practically – to stop me being in a state of flux but I enjoyed the state of flux and wasn’t begging for it to be removed…

An amazing lesson for me…

His Love – and forgiveness – really does conquer…

And it stops us worshipping people – I know the gift which the Lord has placed on these three’s life and it is the same and it is powerful – but this is not the point – it is His Love shining through which is the point – He really never does give up on His own…

Love you all,

Andrew