a house of prayer for the nations

Satan wants to control the world…

He wants to take over…

He wants to overturn God’s Authority Structure…

He wants to overturn all the Natural Order…

What is the Natural Order?

It is the Order which God created on the earth…

He wants to overturn it…

He hates it because it reminds him of the Lord…

He hates it every time he sees it…

He wants to destroy it…

He has been here before…

When Nebuchadnezzar created the statue and demanded that all people everywhere bow down to it and worship him – the devil was then close to taking over the world…

But…

Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego would not bow down to his idol…

The man who the devil was using was arrested by the Power of God…

He saw four men (three men and One Man) walking in the fiery furnace…

One of them was Jesus Himself…

The servants of God said that they didn’t care whether God delivered them or not – they knew He was able to but they would not bow down to his image and would not worship him – in essence they were saying, “No, Satan, we will not worship you – we will worship the Lord our God”…

This is the Standard which the Lord is raising up against the devil in this day…

Things have gotten just about as dark as they can get…

The Lord has given the devil “fair chance” to take control of this world…

But He is now raising up a Standard against him…

How do I know this?

Because He is raising it up in me…

And I see Him raising it up in others…

There is a group on earth today who will lay down their lives for the Lord to be glorified in this world…

We don’t care if we die…

We have nothing left to live for…

Except for the Glory of God…

We will glorify the Lord whether by life or by death…

We will not bow down to Satan’s idols…

We will not worship him…

We do not love our lives…

We would rather die than deny our Lord…

Why?

Because we love Him…

Why do we love Him?

Because He has revealed His Love to us…

We are overwhelmed by His Love…

We are in love with Him – spiritually in love with Him – not sensually – not erotically – but spiritually we are in love with Him – our Saviour, our Redeemer & our Lord…

He is the Pearl of Great Price and we have chosen Him as our delight…

Nothing else has value for us but Him…

Nothing else matters to us but Him…

Nothing else counts for anything but Him…

Nothing else interests us but Him…

I am calling out to all who find themselves in this position to arise, shine for your light has come…

The Lord is coming to all who have been waiting, He is saying, “Now is the time, now is the time when I will come and take you to Myself – not to remove you from this earth – but to establish you in your call before Me to Glorify My Name in all the earth”…

“Stand up and I will empower you”, declares the Lord…

“Stand up and I will baptize you with My Power”, declares the Lord…

“Stand up and I will make you shine as lights in the darkness – penetrating the darkness of this world with My Presence”, declares the Lord…

“I am in you and through you until the end of time”, declares the Lord, “I will never leave you or forsake you”…

“You are Mine”, declares the Lord, “and today I release you out into the world to be Me to this world”, declares the Lord, “My light will shine through you and I will bless you as you shine for Me in all the places to which I send you”, declares the Lord, “you will go and you will come and you will come back and I will bless you in everything to which you put your hand because you have sought My Face – My Face only have you sought and you have found Me because you have sought Me in righteousness”, declares the Lord, “in righteousness before Me have you sought Me and you have been found by Me”, declares the Lord, “because you have sought Me in righteousness”…

“I have been found by you because you have sought Me in righteousness and I know you”, declares the Lord, “because you have sacrificed your all for Me”…

“Now I will pour out My Power”…

“Now I will pour out My Glory”…

“Now I will pour out My Power and you shall know that I am the Lord in the day when My Power consumes you and you travail before Me for this world – this world which I love with a Passion and which I intend to save before I come again to Reign”…

“Believe Me when I say to you that I am coming to save the world”…

“Believe Me when I say to you that I am going to save all nations”…

“Believe Me when I say to you that you will see Me sweep this earth”…

“Cleanse this earth and take this earth for My Glory”…

“I will leave no stone unturned”, declares the Lord, “no stone”…

“Those who will submit to Me will be saved”…

“Those who will not submit to Me will be lost”…

“I will consume this earth with the Fire of My Jealousy and all who turn to Me will be saved”…

“Those who will not turn to Me will be lost”…

“There is no in-between”…

“There is no in-between”…

“I am not hot and cold – I am not lukewarm”…

“Those who will not submit to Me will perish”…

“Those who submit to Me will Reign with Me – reign with Me in Glory”…

“There is no in-between”…

“Submit to Me and Reign with Me”…

“Resist Me and you will perish”…

“I am speaking to those of you who know Me, submit to Me and live”…

“I will not tolerate your rebellion”…

“Submit to Me and live”…

“You know Me, submit to Me and live”…

“Those of you who know Me who will not submit to Me I will remove from this earth”…

“You will be with Me in Glory”…

“I will not have My testimony ruined by you”…

“I will not have My testimony ruined by you”…

“I love you – I have saved you – but I will not have My testimony ruined by you”…

“You will be removed if you do not submit to Me”…

“When you hear the Voice of the Spirit – obey the Voice of the Spirit”…

“When you feel the convicting power of the Holy Spirit – yield to His Convicting Power”…

“When you feel the unction of the Holy Spirit yield yourselves to His Unction”…

“He is your life, He is your life, He is your life – the very life breath of your spirit”, declares the Lord…

“Without Him you are nothing”…

“You will not remain on this earth without being in subjection to Him”…

“For too long you have not been in subjection to Him – but now I am coming to shake the earth”…

“Now I am coming to shake the earth”…

“The battle-lines have been drawn”…

“The enemy has cast down a challenge to Me and I will now answer him”, declares the Lord…

“I will now answer him in righteousness and I will be shown to be King in the hearts of all who know Me”…

“As the world looks on I will be shown to be King in the hearts of all who know Me on this earth”…

“And those who know Me who will not bow will be removed”…

“This is war”, declares the Lord, “and I will win this war for the sake of My Great Name – for the sake of My Great Name I will win this war and remove all from the earth who do not bow before My Name”…

“I will be reverenced and glorified in all the earth”, declares the Lord, “the day of My Vengeance has come – it is at the door – and I am speaking to you in this final generation – this final generation – of which you have now entered – to come into submission to your King”…

“There is no time left for deciding”…

“You must decide today”…

“You must decide now”…

“I am calling you to Holiness”…

“Holiness Unto the Lord”…

“This is what My Church shall be known as in this final generation – this final period of time before I come again to Reign – Holiness unto the Lord”…

“I will come and I will take up residence on My Throne – My Throne is being prepared in the City of Jerusalem and I will take up residence on it – Mark My words – I will take up residence on it”, declares the Lord…

“Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit”, declares the Lord, “I will take up residence on it and all flesh will see the Salvation of our God in the day when I sit on My Throne and Rule Preeminent on the Throne of My father David – in all the earth My Name shall be known as the Great King – the City of the Great King is where I shall reign from and from shore to shore My Name – the Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords – the King of Kings shall be known throughout the entire earth”…

“I the Lord am speaking to you – be ready for My return”…

“I will deal out vengeance and restitution to every soul of man who have not surrendered themselves to Me and to My way of Salvation”…

“I will not spare”…

“I will not spare”…

“I will not spare”…

“Do not say to Me that you know Me when you do not know Me – even your parents may know Me but do not say to Me that you know Me when you do not know Me”, declares the Lord…

“I will fight against My adversary the devil and all who are on his side – surrendered to him – will perish”…

“None will be spared”, declares the Lord…

“None will be spared”, declares the Lord…

“None will be spared”…

“I am the Lord who has called you and taken you from tending sheep – in the natural – and I am now calling you – no matter what your vocation is – to arise”…

“To arise and shine for your light has come”…

“To put off the deeds of darkness”…

“To put on the armour of light”…

“To clothe yourselves with Me – the Lord Jesus Christ – and to make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts”…

“I am against you when you do evil”…

“I will not be with you or bless you when you do evil”…

“Turn to Me with all your hearts – turn away from evil and do good”…

“Seek peace and pursue it”…

“Let the wicked forsake their way and turn to Me and I will abundantly pardon”, declares the Lord…

“This world is in its final throes”…

“It does not have long to go”…

“I am coming”…

“Get ready for My return”…

Unbelief (Faith)…

Behind Unbelief (Faith) is Fear (Love)…

Fear (Love)…

Behind Fear (Love) is Rejection (Acceptance)…

Rejection (Acceptance)…

Behind Rejection (Acceptance) is Pride (Humility)…

Pride (Humility)…

Behind Pride (Humility) is Control (Meekness)…

Control (Meekness)…

Behind Control (Meekness) is Rebellion (Submission)…

I’ve placed what I believe the opposites to be in (red)…

When you see Unbelief in your life I believe that that indicates that those other Strongholds of Fear, Rejection, Pride, Control & Rebellion are also present in your life…

At a deep, core level what we really have to do is to submit ourselves to God…

This is not an emotional decision…

For it is God who works in us to will and to work for His good pleasure…

This is a decision of the will…

The new heart and the new spirit which we have been given want to do this…

Same with forgiveness – the choice to forgive is not made in our emotions – it is made in our will – we just know that we need to do this and we do…

The emotions may follow but God will hold us whether they do or not…

Once He makes that decision and works that willingness in our wills for us to take up that willingness and say, “Yes, Lord – I will forgive” or “Yes, Lord – I submit myself to you – in this area or that area or every area”…

We need to act on those promptings – that’s what it means to not resist the Holy Spirit – to not grieve the Holy Spirit – not to resist His promptings but to “go with Him” in what He’s creating in us…

Don’t wait for the emotions to make those surrenders – when the willingness appears submit to it…

And run with it…

At the bottom of it all it’s all about submission – “Yes, Lord”…

That’s all He wants – He doesn’t want us to calculate whether we can achieve it – He just wants us to submit – as it’s His Life through us which He is going to live – not us “trying really hard” to achieve what we just cannot achieve – even with our new self He says to us, “Apart from Me you can do nothing”…

Still His Holy Spirit must do it in us – as the verse says – to will and to work…

We follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit in all things…

When we see an area where we “shy away” from following His instructions then we know (I believe) that that chain of Strongholds is in play…

And we need to go to the root – and the root is submission versus rebellion…

If we submit with our wills all of a sudden all the other issues suddenly melt away and we experience God’s Grace to help us – we can resist the devil and he will flee from us – I believe I have experienced this…

Sometimes to come to that place we need to confess to each other that we are “stuck”…

Only do this if God specifically puts it on your heart otherwise the enemy can use it to bring you into condemnation (or binding control) – thus confirming (strengthening) the rejection that you are already feeling…

Rebellion needs control, without control rebellion can’t function – if you want to be in rebellion you can never be free – you’ve always got to be striving to keep control – it will not let you alone – it will keep you “locked up” in prison…

One of the hardest things to do – humanly impossible without the new birth and God – is to lose control…

To submit yourself to God and have no idea what is going to happen next…

To take no thought for tomorrow…

To have a “wide open horizon” before you where all you see is blue sky and nothing in it and no indication of what might be in it…

Lose control – submit yourself to God…

Where will it take you?  Who knows…

God does but He wants to become your destination…

Not things but God – not His will but God – not knowing what He is going to do but God…

God Himself…

He showed me on Sunday after coming back from the gathering which I attended (they seem to be getting better and better) – as I was biking home – that the Baptism of Fire which I had received prayer for – is all about a focus on His Glory alone…

Literally it was a choice to focus on His Glory alone for the rest of my life…

He wanted me to know exactly what I was getting myself in for…

He made this clear – quietly speaking to me as I biked – that once I submitted to this there would be “no turning back”…

I would have no other thoughts (or focus) other than on His Glory…

Literally that was it…

As I got home and walked around in my “prayer room” He continued…

He showed me that I would literally become detached from earth – I would just be worshipping Him and have no interest in anything else – if someone was “dismembering” me I really wouldn’t feel it because I was detached – I wasn’t here anymore…

I felt it as He shared with me…

It was a very strange feeling…

It is the fulfilment of that verse…

But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well…

He told me that this place – this place of focus on His Glory alone – is the place of Protection – I guess that means that the place of “submit yourself to God” is the place of protection – which means that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and with Fire is the ultimate place of “submit yourselves therefore to God”…

I submitted to this – both on the bike and in my prayer room – and have been watching Him change me since…

I’m not trying…

I can still see other things at work in me but He said to release it (the Fire) – on Sunday afternoon in my prayer room – through worship – worship is the ultimate “other-centred” focus…

He is looking after me…

I am focused on Him…

I am not focused on myself…

He told me – on my bike – not to try and sort myself out or think about what’s going on with me but to focus on Him and Glorifying Him…

I feel Him enabling me to do this…

I am in transition…

It is a beautiful feeling but it began with a decision in my will that He enabled me to make – enabled me to be willing to make…

Praise His Holy Name…

I hope this is encouraging to those going through similar…

He will finish His work in us because He loves us – He delights in us – Praise His Holy Name…

Thank You Jesus, Thank You Father, Thank You Holy Spirit, Thank You Lord…

Love in the Lord,

Andrew

As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:11-12 NASB)

I have been sitting quietly with the Lord – because this is what He told me to do – for the last few days…

I have been seeing things which have changed my comprehension about life and what is ahead of us in the next few years…

God is very serious about His Word – every word which He has spoken…

Every word which He has spoken will surely come to pass…

This is what is missing from the Church…

The Authority which comes from the Baptism of Fire…

We can do nothing without the Fire…

It is the Fire of God which separates us from our sin…

Practically separates us from our sin…

The Blood has positionally separated us from our sin but the Fire practically separates us from our sin…

Sacrifices needed to be burned before the aroma was pleasing to the Lord…

The Blood (metaphorically) was sprinkled on the sacrifice before it was burnt – that is why Paul says that we are to offer ourselves up as a living sacrifice “holy, well-pleasing to God” because via the Blood we are exactly that, “holy, well-pleasing to God” but that is not enough for a practical testimony for the Glory of God – we must be holy in all our conduct…

For the aroma to be pleasing to God – for the testimony of the Church to be pure – we must be holy in all our conduct…

This requires the sacrifice to be burnt on the altar…

The Altar of God…

Only God can do this…

We offer ourselves up…

He burns us…

As He burns us we begin to be refined in His Refiner’s Fire…

As silver in a furnace – purified seven times – as the dross rises to the surface it is scooped away…

Hallelujah!!!

The Presence of God – The Presence of His Fire – Refines us – His Church…

We need this – we can’t “do this” to ourselves – only He can do this – we can “offer ourselves up” but only He can burn us…

Thoroughly burn us…

Because our new self is perfect and cannot sin when the Lord burns us the quality of our new self will just “shine through” as even more pure than we’ve ever seen it before because the old self – the fruit of the old self – is burnt (stripped) away…

There is nothing to fear for a Child of God in the Refining Fire of God – the Lord showed me this – it is our greatest expectation that we should go through this Fire – our greatest joy – that beyond that Fire we will be like Him…

As He is so are we in this world…

This is a promise beyond the Fire…

Who does this?

The Lord does it…

Who does He do it to?

Those who seek Him with all their hearts…

If we are not content to wait for Him to Baptise us in His Holy Fire but instead “go on” doing our own thing “for Him” and continue in our “works of ‘service'” towards Him without waiting for Him to practically strip us of all that is ‘us’ (the practical fruit – the remainder – of “sin within me” – I am not just talking about actions here but what goes on in our hearts) then we will miss this…

Only as we come to that place of quiet submission where we wait for Him to do what only He can do can we experience His Fire and thus His Freedom and thus His Overflowing Authority to complete the works which He has put before us…

When the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a Standard against him…

The enemy is at present coming in like a flood – a close friend of mine told me that the enemy thinks he has won – but he has not won…

He thinks that he owns the world but this is prophesied in scripture, “behold darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the peoples” but “the Lord shall arise upon thee and His Glory shall be seen upon thee”…

How will He do this?

He will Baptise us – all of us who are waiting for Him – with His Holy Spirit and with Fire…

Once the Fire hits us none of our flesh will remain – none of our flesh which we have yielded to Him…

Yield it all to Him…

He will take – consume – whatever we yield to Him – and however much we yield to Him is how “free” we will be practically…

We are free positionally – this is not what I’m talking about – I’m talking about being free practically – so that we can say with the Apostle John – the “last man standing” of the Apostles – “as He is so are we in this world”…

That’s the testimony we want and that’s the testimony that this world needs to be able to come to Christ…

I never knew how important testimony was to God – the world being able to look on and see Him in His Church – not just to hear about how Great He is from His Church and how much we love Him from His Church but to actually see Him in His Church…

This is the testimony which the heavens – the heavenly realm – is looking for…

All the angelic host – even the demons – this is the Purpose of the Church – to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness and into His Marvellous Light…

To show forth the Praises of Him…

Are we – the Church – showing forth the Praises of Him?

If we are not we need to humble ourselves and wait for the Baptism of Fire…

Tarry in Jerusalem…

You will be clothed with Power from On High…

Have we – the Church of this generation – waited (tarried) and been clothed with Power from on High?

Do we see this?

Do we see the Church as God in scripture has shown us the Church to be?

Have we waited?

Do we need to humble ourselves and wait?

What are we achieving?

What does it mean, “If My People…”?

Is this not exactly what it means?

Oh Lord, this army, this enemy is too big for us – come to our rescue, Baptise us in Your Holy Fire and Consume them in the Fire of Your Wrath…

Is not this what we should be saying?

I have nothing but hatred for them I count them my enemies…

Isn’t this how the Righteousness of God speaks?

Yes, His Love speaks differently – but isn’t this how the Righteous Indignation of God speaks?

The Lord has shown me that all in His Church who are willing to wait for His Fire will receive it and will remain to serve Him on earth…

Those who are not willing to wait for His Fire but try to start their own will not receive It (His Fire) and will be removed from the earth – they will be taken home…

This is what Tommy Hick’s saw in his vision – shrinking back into the darkness – shrinking back from the Anointing of God as it reached out to them…

This is so sad…

This is not God’s will for His Church – He wants us all to receive His Fire – His practical cleansing on our lives…

If we shrink back He will take us home for He is demonstrating – He is about to demonstrate – to the world and to the watching angelic and demonic throngs the Purity of His Church on earth…

The unsaved who shrink back will also be removed from the earth – they will spend eternity in the Fire of His Wrath…

We each – who know the Lord – must go through His Fire – either on earth willingly or before we enter His Presence as described in scripture when the Fire tests the quality of our deeds – the deeds done in the body – either by the flesh or by the Spirit following salvation – the Fire will then consume all that has not been consumed previously on earth…

Without holiness no one will see the Lord…

Why not – as a believer in the Lord – go through the Fire now?

Why not?

It is of Greater Glory to God to go through the Fire now and shine in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation than to “hide our light under a bushel” and only shine once we get “cleaned up” before entering heaven (the Presence of God in heaven)…

I encourage you all – all who read this – wait with me for the Fire…

We will not regret it…

Love in the Lord,

Andrew

“When I come I will be a source of peace to those who have waited for Me”…

“I will be a source of peace because they have waited and even though they have tired in waiting, they have continued to wait”, declares the Lord…

“I will be a source of peace to those who have waited, I will re-kindle their First Love towards Me”, declares the Lord…

“But there are those who when I come will be ashamed”…

“They will not look forward to My coming”…

“They have ‘known’ Me – or so they say – for many years but they do not really know Me, they know about Me, they have sat in gatherings of My People but they do not know Me and I do not know them”…

“To these – those who do not know Me but believe that they do – I would speak in this word”…

“My Heart is heavy”…

(I do not want to share what the Lord is putting on my heart but I must)

“I do not want to condemn you, you have called yourselves by My Name but you do not know Me and I have no other option but to condemn you because you do not know Me”…

“I am not a God who enjoys condemnation”…

“I am not a God who enjoys exercising judgement”…

“I am not a God who enjoys destroying what I have created”…

“I have created you and I have created you to know Me”…

“But you have not known Me, you have lied to Me and to others that you know Me while all the while you are remaining in your sin”…

“You are remaining in control of your lives”…

“You have a form of godliness but deny its true power – Me”…

“I am the power of Christianity”…

“There is nothing that you can do to ‘do’ Christianity”…

“I am the power of Christianity and this is what I want reflected in My world”…

“I do not want those ‘looking on’ to see a powerless, ineffective, Christianity”…

“Was I ineffective when I walked the earth nearly two thousand years ago?”

“No, I was not”…

“Why was this?”…

“I was indwelt by the Holy Spirit, I was surrendered to My Father in all things”…

“This is the definition of Christianity”…

“Being indwelt by My Holy Spirit and being surrendered ‘step by step’ and ‘moment by moment’ to My Father to lead you and guide you”…

“Have you done this?”…

“Have you done the will of My Father – My Father who is in heaven?”…

“No, you have not”…

“There is no fruit in your lives”…

“None”…

“There is no evidence of the Presence of My Spirit in your lives”…

“All the things which you have achieved – which look ‘good’ on the outside – are things which humans can achieve – but not from the Heart of God and not in His Anointing or under His unction”…

“It is all ‘made up’ in the mind of man”…

“You – and your ‘service’ to Me – do not impress Me”, declares the Lord…

“You are filthy rags – you and your self-effort – before Me”…

“I rejected Cain for bringing an offering of his own self-effort to Me and I now reject you for the same – repent and turn to Me to cover you from your nakedness – for you are naked before Me”, declares the Lord, “and I stand at the door ready to come and judge your ‘service’ towards Me”…

“I have not been pleased as I have looked at the gatherings of My People to see those who do not belong to Me ‘meeting’ and ‘co-habiting’ with those who do”…

“I have not appreciated this and I have not endorsed it”…

“‘Remove the immoral brother from among you’ – I said this in My scripture but you have not followed My scripture – it is not just the sin of immorality which I am talking about but the deeper sin of immorality towards Me”…

“I do not tolerate immorality in My Church”…

“I do not tolerate immorality in your lives towards Me if you are a part of My Bride”…

“I am a Bridegroom of Blood in that I demand faithfulness from My Bride – her heart must be with Me – if it is not with Me then she is not a part of My Bride”…

“I speak this to those who call yourselves by My Name – are your hearts with Me?”…

“They are not”…

“To those who I have revealed Myself and who have come to know Me and given themselves to Me in a covenant of Blood – laying down their lives for Me to live through them – accepting the Sacrifice in My Blood which I made – to them and to them only – they are the ones who I number in My Bride”…

“My covenant – in Blood – was made to all people – I died for all and all died – but it is only those who live – who no longer live for themselves but for Me who died and rose again on their behalf – as My scripture says – who are members of My Bride”…

“To live, you must die”…

“You must die to yourself”…

“You must submit to My Lordship”…

“Sarah called Abraham ‘lord’ and was blessed for her obedience and submission”…

“If you do not call me ‘Lord’ and submit to My way of salvation and obey My Gospel then you are not saved – you are not part of My Bride”…

“You must give yourselves unreservedly to Me”…

“Unreservedly”…

“Handing over your self-effort and your self-righteousness and any effort you could ever make to please Me”…

“You must repent for rebelling against Me and ‘going your own way’ and ‘living your own life’ – I own the very breath that you breathe – I decree the beginning and the end of your life – you have not glorified Me”…

“You have lived in rebellion towards Me all your lives”…

“I have seen your hearts”…

“Others have not, you have fooled others but I have not been fooled by you”, declares the Lord…

“Search your heart, is there anything in your heart which seeks My Glory, anything?”…

“No, there is not because My Spirit does not dwell in you – you have not received a new heart and a new spirit – this is what you need to be saved and to come to know Me”…

“And yet you have not cried out to Me to give you a new heart and a new spirit, you have not admitted your spiritual apostasy – bankruptcy – towards Me”…

“I am a Great God and My Name is the Lord and I will not be mocked”…

“You have thought that no one has seen you – you have hidden behind a mask of respectability – all who see you think you know Me, but you do not”…

“I am coming – the Fire of My Spirit is coming – to expose you for who you really are”…

“Before your own eyes you will see who you really are and where you really stand before Me”, declares the Lord…

“In that place of conviction you will know and you will make your decision for where you will spend eternity”…

“It will be your last chance to change”…

“To admit the truth – to honour God by admitting the truth”…

“In the time when I come to your city, to your nation, when the power of My Spirit is present to bring conviction of sin, righteousness and judgement, you will feel it – the Anointing of the Holy Spirit will bring conviction – be careful how you respond to My Anointing – it will be the last opportunity which you have before I come again to reign”…

“Do not resist My Holy Spirit – I make one final offer – one final offer – it will be in power, it will be in purity and it will be, above all things, in love”…

“If you resist Me you will take your place in the fire”…

“You will be punished forever for your rejection of Me as your Lord”…

“Be careful what you say”…

“Many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ but they have not done the will of My Father who is in heaven”…

“I am not interested in you saying, ‘Lord, Lord’ unless you are in submission to Me”…

“If you say, ‘Lord, Lord’ but are not in submission to Me then you blaspheme My Name before the Gentiles – those who do not know Me – you lie to Me and you lie to My Holy Spirit”…

“I do not take those lies lightly”…

“I hate your lies”…

“I hate all the lies you tell others about Me”…

“And about your ‘relationship’ with Me”…

“When you speak the truth but it is not in your heart, that truth that you speak becomes a lie – it becomes a lie to you”, declares the Lord…

“There is a day coming – and is fast approaching, at the door – when I will thoroughly purge My threshing floor – I give you fair warning – that time is now at hand – I have been patient – I have forestalled My anger – but that time – that time of vengeance – is at hand – it is at the door”…

“‘Today if you hear His Voice’ My scripture says, ‘Today if you hear His Voice do not harden your hearts’ – I speak this to you – do not harden your hearts”…

“What do I expect of you?”…

“Nothing but to admit that you can do nothing to humble yourselves and admit that you can’t save yourselves and can do nothing to impress Me with your own self-effort”…

“I am not asking you to perform a ‘hard thing’ – I am asking you to humble yourselves before Me and accept My gift of Eternal Life – more than this I am asking you to humble yourselves before Me and admit that you can’t do anything which is in accordance with My will but to allow My Holy Spirit to come into you and perform the works of Jesus – My Son – in your lives”…

“This is what I am asking – this is My expectation on you”…

“I am a Bridegroom of Blood – I demand purity in My Bride – but I give My Bride her purity – she does not acquire it of her own – it is imputed purity – not something she ‘drums up'”…

“My Son died so that every person alive in this world today could know Him”…

“Every person alive in this world today ‘died’ with Him on that cross – but only those that receive that free gift will ‘live’ with Him forever”…

“I want you all to ‘live'”…

“I died that you might have life”…

“Come to Me and receive My salvation”…

“I do not want to send you to hell”…

“I do not want to be separated from you for all eternity”…

“From My love you will be separated if you do not humble yourselves before Me”…

“Do not harden your hearts before Me”…

“Judgement is not in My Heart but it is in My Nature and I must judge wickedness”…

“Rebellion is wickedness and you have committed rebellion before Me”, declares the Lord, “and this will be judged if you have not repented”…

“Are you in rebellion to Me?”, declares the Lord, “be warned, you will be destroyed”…

“Repent and live”…

“Repent and live”…

“Repent and live”…

I’ve had this on my heart since near the beginning of this year…

This is quite a somber post…

The Holy Spirit said to me, when I went into our local Supermarket earlier on in the New Year, “It’s over”…

I didn’t completely understand what He meant but I knew He was serious…

Today I get what He meant and feel to share this…

The way that Western civilisation has been has not been pleasing to the Lord…

He is going to do away with it and bring those who remain from these Western countries into a place of dependence on Him – dependence on Him for everything – even their daily bread…

The way that we in the Western world have been living is, as of this year, over…

We trust ourselves, we provide for ourselves, we freeze our food, we stockpile our food, we have everything we need – but the Lord is not pleased…

James 5 has come to my attention earlier on this year…

The Lord is not pleased with us…

He has warned us and we have not heeded His warning…

We have known the truth of the Gospel but we have not lived the Gospel – we have not shared with those less “fortunate” than ourselves…

We have lived in selfishness and greed in the West and that is now over…

God is going to chastise us as a culture – the whole lot of us…

I have seen widescale devastation…

Widescale devastation…

Whole nations, whole countries decimated…

There will be those left and these ones will return unto the Lord with their whole hearts – putting right the things which have been wrong – on a national or cultural scale – and relating to their fellowman in a way which is pleasing to the Lord – “Love your neighbour as yourself”…

I am sorry to bring this message but I am not sorry – we have been living in defiance to the Lord in the West – using His blessings on our culture because of our honour of Him in days gone by to commit all manner of wickedness and believing that His blessing is still upon us – as a nation or as a culture – which it is not…

Defiance will never bring the blessing of God…

New Zealand will experience this first…

Christchurch will be the first city to experience it…

We have had nothing yet in the city of Christchurch…

God has been gently turning us…

Yes, God is going to do great things in this city…

Yes, God is going to bring salvation to this city…

But God is going to judge this city…

There are many who will die in the judgement which God will bring on this city…

There is an eviction of the ruling spirit in this city which is coming and coming quickly…

The Holy Spirit will reign preeminent over the spirit of this city…

Forevermore…

But for this to occur many “structures” must fall…

Control must go…

Pride must go…

Fear must go…

Once these have gone sexual immorality must go…

Greed must go…

Selfishness must go…

Independence must go…

Submission must come…

Submission to the Lordship of Christ…

This will be painful for many people in this city…

It is like tearing off what has become so much a part of ourselves…

(Like the fifth mask which a prophetic friend of mine saw many years ago)

God is going to do this throughout our civilisation…

There will be no escape…

God is going to bring Revival to this earth and this means shaking and this means pain…

There is no avoiding this…

He has “had enough”…

He is coming to restore His Image in our civilisations…

The Western civilisation has lost His Image…

He is going to restore It…

Those whom the Lord loves He disciplines and chastens, therefore we are to be zealous and repent…

Much intercession has been completed for this city and for this nation…

Much intercession (I sense in the Spirit) has been completed for many Western nations – the powers which have “held sway” over these civilisations for many generations are now being challenged by our Almighty God – they will fall…

He will come – His Presence will come to the spiritual atmosphere over nations and cities and they – the spiritual principalities – will fall…

They will be removed…

Wholesale devastation will come with the coming of His Presence…

I will never forget the day – it was Waitangi Day – when I sat reading of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – and felt the Righteous Judgement of God for their wickedness which had reached His Ears…

This will happen in the West before He comes again…

Wholesale Judgement…

Everything will be judged – including those of us who know the Lord – for us it is more refinement and testing – it will purify us (practically – as we are already pure positionally) and line us up to be ready to serve in the expansion of the Gospel as it goes throughout the whole world one last time before the end…

Everything will be judged – everything will be shaken…

What cannot be shaken – our faith – is all that will remain…

We – those who know the Lord – will live by faith…

We will have nothing else…

Literally…

It is a very strange world which I am seeing…

I believe Isaiah 24 and Jeremiah 25:30-38 will be fulfilled in our generation…

Amazing salvation but amazing desolation…

It all hinges on how we treat Israel and how we treat our fellowman…

I am speaking on a national level here not a personal salvation level…

I have seen destruction in this city, in this nation and in the nations of the West…

I have also seen great salvation in this city, the city of Jerusalem, this nation and in the nations of the West and following this in the remaining nations of the world…

All Israel will be saved…

It will be “life from the dead” for the nations of the earth…

For all who have interceded for Israel will be rewarded with salvation…

“Those who bless you I will bless”…

And we also as the spiritual descendents of Abraham are also blessed with this promise…

I am not scared…

I am looking forward to the Lord’s Judgements…

A close friend of mine shared from this scripture (see bold italics below),

At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:9 NASB)

Those that are left will learn righteousness…

I know this…

They will learn…

We, in the West, are being asked by the Lord to support His work in the rebuilding of Israel, the re-gathering of Israel both to their land and to their God…

Before He comes again all Israel will be saved…

The Salvation of Israel will be the Salvation of the world…

This is prophesied in the Word…

We, the Western world, along with the remainder of the Gentile Church have a part to play in the history of the world…

We must move the nation of Israel to jealousy…

Our fervent devotion to their Messiah, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, is meant to move them to jealousy…

The only way this can occur is for the Lord to bring judgement and shaking to the earth…

To remove from us the “crutches”, the worldly “crutches”, which we have leant on – as Israel of old leant on the reed of Egypt (being the world) – “Behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.” (Isaiah 36:6 NASB) – and make us again depend on Him alone and lean on the Everlasting Arms which are underneath…

We will in this chosen generation…

We have a destiny to move the nation of Israel to jealousy…

I believe that is the destiny of the Western Church…

We have not completed our job in the Mind of God…

Yes, His attention is turning back to His People Israel but we still have a function in His Hand – to move them to jealousy…

Their salvation will be our ultimate blessing – our restoration and the restoration of all nations under heaven…

We have an amazing call and we know for this call to become a reality that first – as Joseph experienced – we must go through the crucible of testing…

Everything which we hold dear must be stripped from us…

He will leave nothing that we love which is not surrendered to Him…

To His Lordship…

He is Lord and He will be seen to be Lord…

The Jewish Nation will behold their Messiah in the faces of their Western brothers and sisters in the Lord – in their dependence upon Him and in their support of their “brothers and sisters to be”, the Nation of Israel…

One new man…

One new man in Christ…

All saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ – The Messiah – The Saviour of the World…

It will be painful and unbelievable – unbelievable upheaval – we will have nothing but our faith in God and we will learn to pray with reality the prayer Jesus – our Master – taught us to pray…

‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ (Matthew 6:9-13 NASB)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JgKsyPyZoY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUBppzOghGw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYW6KRmuxmU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25qutds3ICs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv4_aF42ea0

https://ahouseofprayerforthenations.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/prayer-for-revival-in-christs-church/#comment-133

“You have asked me to bring Revival to this nation and I will now bring it”…

“I will be an Anchor to those in this nation who seek Me”…

“I will be an Anchor to those in this nation who do not seek Me – they will sink to the bottom of the sea”…

“I will be an Anchor to those who seek Me – they will be protected by Me in the storm which is about to engulf this nation”…

“Those who do not seek Me will be chained to My Wrath and will sink never to rise again”…

“Those who seek Me who die in the calamities will be with Me in Glory”…

“They will be with Me in Glory and they shall not fail in their love for Me even in death”, declares the Lord…

“It is time for Judgement to begin with the Household of God” (and if it begins with us what will the outcome be for those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ)…

“I will be an Anchor to those who know Me in this day, to those who know Me and cling to Me as their Anchor in the storm, as their Bouy on the raging waters – who cling to Me when they have nothing else, who do not endeavour to save themselves but cling to Me – to these I will come with Healing in My Wings – they will be utterly purged from all that they have held onto before and in their desperation they will cry out to Me to be cut free from all attachments to this world”…

“As Eustace was cut and cut and cut to remove the ‘dragon flesh’  from him in C.S. Lewis’ book “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” so I will cut and cut and cut and cut to deeply remove the ‘dragon flesh’ from you – all you who seek Me with your whole hearts”…

“There will be nothing left in you but a desire to Glorify My Name in all the earth”…

“Through all the suffering, through all the hardship, through all the persecution, through all the calamity and the loss you will come to know Me as the I AM – as the Ever Present One – the One who does not forsake you even as the earth sways violently from side to side and the seas roar – I will be to you an Everlasting Mountain of Protection”…

“I will be to you all that you have and all that you need”…

“Stand still and see the Protection which I will offer you”…

“For the mountains shall be removed and the hills shall be made a plain, the seas will roar and the rivers will become dry land, for I am coming to shake the earth and the whole earth shall be consumed with the Fire of My Jealousy”, declares the Lord…

“I will be Jealous for My Name and for My Glory”, declares the Lord…

“No flesh will lift up their heads in My Presence”, declares the Lord…

“For I am coming to bring Fire to the earth”….

“For I am coming to complete what I began when I was on earth nearly two thousand years ago – I am coming and I will not be silent”, declares the Lord…

“The Fire shall flow and My Anointing shall flow with It”, declares the Lord…

“The whole earth shall be consumed with the Fire of My Jealousy”, declares the Lord…

“The whole earth”…

“I will come and I will not be silent”…

“I will come and I will Judge”…

“I will come and I will have Mercy”…

“Mercy will be dispatched on those I have chosen for Mercy and they shall receive My Mercy in pain and suffering and hardship”…

“They will be stripped of all security blankets which they have used to insulate them from Me”, declares the Lord…

“No one will be spared the Fire”…

“No one will be spared the Fire”…

“No one will be spared the Fire”…

“Either the Fire will consume or it will destroy”, declares the Lord…

“Those consumed will be transformed into My Image – for I am a Consuming Fire – those destroyed will go to their eternal dwelling place away from My Presence but in the Presence of My Wrath”…

“The Lake of Fire and Brimstone is being prepared”…

“It is being prepared for all who do not know Me”, declares the Lord…

“It is being expanded and it is being enlarged, there is room enough for all who do not turn and repent from their sin”…

“It grieves My Heart to speak this, it grieves My Heart that the Lake of Fire and Brimstone even exists but My Righteous Judgement and My Wrath must be appeased”, declares the Lord…

“As My Son died to appease My Wrath so those who do not receive the Sacrifice which He made will suffer My Wrath for Eternity – My Son will not die in vain”…

“My Son will not die in vain”…

“Any calamity which happens on earth – and there will be many – is nothing compared to an eternity in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone – My Wrath is hot, My Temper burns, I am not a ‘cold’  God – I am a God who hates wickedness, I despise wickedness, I loathe wickedness, I do not consider wickedness worth ‘the paper it is written on’  – I destroy wickedness with My Eyes – My Eyes Flame with Fire – I hate your sin, I hate your wickedness, My Wrath is Kindled and it will not be put out”, declares the Lord…

“Turn to Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth for I AM the Lord and there is None Other – I am the Lord and there is no other Saviour”…

“Why would you die?”

“Why would you die?”

“Rather repent and live”…

“Rather repent and live”…

“There will be destruction in this nation, there will be destruction in this city, cry out to Me that I will save your spirit – I may not save your body – but I will save your spirit as you cry out to Me – I will never leave you or forsake you, even in death I will be with you”…

“The violence which will be done to the earth in this nation and the nations of the world will defy belief”…

“People will be dumbfounded at the violence which I am going to perform on the earth”…

“The earth will suffer violence”…

“I am shaking all things”…

“That which cannot be shaken shall remain and nothing else”…

“Purity will be seen in My House”, declares the Lord…

“Purity of Heart and Reverence towards Me”…

“I AM the Lord and there is none other”…

“You shall have no other gods before Me”…

“I am a Jealous God”…

“You shall have no other gods before Me”…

“No other gods”…

“This is My Purpose for you – My People – I will perform it in your day – I will remove ungodliness from Jacob, I will remove ungodliness from My Church, My Church shall be One”…

“In Purity before Me and then after all things have been completed as written in My Word, I shall return to Reign on earth”…

“The Prince of Peace, the Lord of Lords, I will be Resplendent in Glory and You – My People – will be by My Side”…

“One with Me, Ruling with Me, Resplendent in the Glory I give you – for My Name is the Lord”…

https://ahouseofprayerforthenations.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/the-earth-totters/#comment-110

“I have heard your cry for Revival in this nation and I will now answer you”, declares the Lord…

“The time has been long and My People have been waiting for me to Glorify My Name in all the earth”…

“Many have seen these times coming, many have died in faith, waiting for the fulfilment of the promises which I have made them”…

“You will see the fulfilment of the promises which I have made you, you will see them in your lifetime”…

“Many Godly men have sought to know the things which I am now revealing to you and your generation and they have not seen them because it was not time”, declares the Lord…

“When I come, revelation will be given of My will, My will which has been revealed in Scripture but kept a mystery, locked up, sealed up, until the appointed time”…

“My Word is a treasure chest of locked up words, mysteries, awaiting their fulfilment”…

“I will speak, I will reveal the hidden mysteries of My Word – every word which I have ever spoken in My Scripture I will perform”, declares the Lord, “in this generation there will be a fulfilment of many words which I have spoken in My Scriptures”, declares the Lord…

“Stand still and wait for the revelation to come – I will reveal things hidden from the creation – in their appointed time they will spring forth on the earth”…

“I will reveal things hidden in darkness and the entrance of My Word brings light – it brings understanding to the simple”…

“You are simple and all like you who believe on Me will be given understanding when I reveal My Truth to you – My Truth that I have hidden in My Scripture – all these years I have hidden My Truth in My Scripture and at this time I am going to release understanding which has been hidden since the foundation of the earth”…

“Watch and listen to what I am about to do, the knowledge of many will increase – the Scripture speaks of this in Daniel – the knowledge of many will increase as I reveal Truth to those whom I have chosen to distribute this Truth throughout the earth”…

“Things hidden in God from the foundation of the earth will be revealed and My Word, My Holy Scripture will come true before your eyes in this generation – you will see of the travail of your souls and you will be satisfied as I travail through you to bring salvation to the ends of the earth”…

“The things hidden in God which will be revealed will fulfil Scripture, they will be a fulfilment of the promises hidden in My Word, promises which have been hidden in God since the foundation of the earth”…

“Things which will come to pass in this generation are the fulfilment of much prayer and foresight from those who knew Me in previous generations, they saw these things – as through a mirror dimly – and they saw that they would take place but didn’t understand how or when or know how to link what they were seeing with what they understood about My world”…

“I will show you and those like you who are simple and who are believing in Me the truth of what must take place before I return to earth to Reign”…

“I will reveal My secrets to the simple – to those who humble themselves before Me and know that in themselves they are nothing, they have no understanding and they have no knowledge, no way of knowing My Truth except by the revelation of My Spirit”, declares the Lord…

“Stand still and see the revelation revealed to you and to those whom I have chosen to see the path which I have chosen for you in this generation”, declares the Lord…

“It is a good path, it is a narrow path, it is a safe path but there is danger on every side – there is safety in your rest in Me, your quiet rest in Me, I am your security”…

“There is no other security in this world but Me”…

“Trust in Me and I will be to you a High Tower from the enemy”…

“Your Peace in the midst of tumultuous occurrences, of tumultuous happenings, in this world”…

“As the bombs fall all around you and you see the destruction and the dust rising around you know that I am with you – know that I am your Protection and know that I am your Very Great Reward”…

“Know that I love you and that I protect you and that nothing will befall you that we can not walk through together as you submit to Me”…

“These days will be tumultuous, these days will be disturbing and awe inspiring but in all the destruction see the Glory which I will create in the hearts of those who look to Me to be their Everything in these days”…

“There will be no other place of protection but in Me”…

“I will be a Shield to all who will take refuge in Me”…

“I am Faithful to My Word to protect those who trust in Me – even in death you will be protected by My Peace – My Peace will overflow you and you will have rest”, declares the Lord…

“As the enemy comes in like a flood I will raise up against him a Standard which will rout and destroy him in his works on earth”, declares the Lord…

“You will see this in your generation”…

“You will see this as you advance throughout the earth – you will see the destruction of the wicked and you will see the peace of those who put their trust in Me,” declares the Lord…

“Those who put their trust in Me will never be put to shame”…

“I am a Shield to all those who put their trust in Me”…

“Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord”…

I’m going to share on loneliness…

I’ve started a post on this before but felt that the Lord didn’t want me to share it…

It’s on my heart again and if I get to the end of this post and the Lord doesn’t stop me then I’ll post it…

I’m just going to share what the Lord has been taking me through on this subject…

Just because you have a lot of people around you doesn’t mean that you’re not lonely…

Loneliness is about feeling alone…

Feeling misunderstood or not understood…

Even when God tells you things that you’re not allowed to share with others – even in that – which is kind of like a secret between you and the Lord – you feel lonely…

We don’t like being lonely – naturally – none of us do…

But, I am beginning to see, that as we submit to this feeling and don’t fight it that loneliness can become our friend…

“You’re crazy!” you may say…

But no, once we are not afraid of loneliness anymore, loneliness becomes our friend…

We are “elevated” to a new place where in our emptiness we are complete…

Sounds strange, but this is what I have been experiencing…

I have “reached out” to alot of people over the last nearly three years since the Lord began to “bring me back” from the wilderness…

I don’t have many “close friends”…

I don’t feel close to many people…

I have “invested” myself into the lives of many people as the Lord has enabled me over these three years but I don’t feel close to many people at all…

The Lord has done this…

It has been His plan…

He has been teaching me about loneliness…

I am content…

Last night was quite a “turning point” for me and then just now as I’m sharing I’m seeing the victory which He’s brought me to (not saying that I am walking in perfect victory but I see it)…

I don’t want to leave this place…

I don’t want to “fight it” anymore…

I am content…

With my loneliness…

The pain of loneliness is greater than any physical pain which we ever endure…

The pain of loneliness is the greatest pain which we will ever have to endure…

There is victory over loneliness…

It doesn’t come in “defying” it (a word a close friend of mine has often used), it doesn’t come in “fighting back” or doing anything to oppose it…

It comes in surrender to it…

Jesus did this…

His greatest challenge wasn’t the fear of man – caring what they thought about Him while He was on the cross or the physical pain which He was enduring although this must have continually shot through Him – His greatest challenge was His loneliness…

He was all alone on the cross…

God, His Father wasn’t speaking to Him…

No one understood what He was doing up there…

And the One Person who did wasn’t speaking to Him, wasn’t communicating with Him, in fact He was punishing Him…

He had forsaken Him…

“Why did He forsake Me?”

The silence must have been deafening for Jesus…

“Why isn’t He speaking to Me?”

The doubts and the questions and the uncertainty – He’d never been alone from His Father before…

For All Eternity…

I have had a taste of this…

I have known what it is to be really close to someone and then to have that ripped away…

I have known what it is to have love in my heart for someone which can not be expressed…

I have known what it is to really want the best for someone but to be misunderstood as to be acting in a way which would be destined to hurt that person (as the Father could have been misunderstood as acting towards Jesus when He was punishing Him on the cross)…

I have known the pain of that loneliness…

Not to be able to communicate with someone who I really love and whom I have on my heart (knowing that that silence or lack of communication with them might be misunderstood by them to be “unloving”)…

I have been walking through this…

Why?

This question comes up alot…

Why?

Or “Why Lord, can I not share the things which You’ve been sharing with me with others?”

“Why do I feel ‘so alone’?”

And the answer is that the Lord is separating us for Himself…

The answer is that the Lord is separating ourselves from ourself…

He is literally tearing apart our old self from our new…

Separating all that is human from us so that what is Divine (of Him) will remain…

What is Love?

Is it a feeling?

What is Love?

It is submission to God…

Jesus loved the Father even when He was punishing Him…

He loved Him by not deviating from what the Father had told Him to do…

No matter how much that “went against” what He had ever experienced before…

He had no history to go on…

He was in “uncharted waters”…

Riding blind…

Isaiah 50 was being fulfilled by Him…

He didn’t light His own fire…

He was given the tongue of a disciple and He wasn’t rebellious and He didn’t turn back…

He knew that it was the Lord Himself who was carrying Him…

This is the place which He had come to and He kept His faith…

He was carried by the Lord through the pain…

I was on holiday recently and the Lord taught me about endurance through pain…

As we were leaving I jammed my middle finger into the towbar attachment by letting it go in a moment of distraction…

I was in terrible pain most of the way up to the campsite…

The Lord told me to “take the pain”…

I had to stop by the side of the road and let out a “scream” to the Lord that I just couldn’t take the pain and He said that He was teaching me about endurance…

Jesus endured the cross – He accepted that He was in pain and that the pain was not going to end, i.e. it was pointless praying to be delivered from it…

That was what the Lord was teaching me…

I came through in admitting that I couldn’t come through…

Next we went on a family walk in the Abel Tasman National Park…

I needed to carry a ridiculously heavy pack which the Lord helped me to pack making sure I used exactly the right stretchy things to secure onto the outside all the sleeping bags and tents…

Anyway, I was struggling uphill with this pack and just couldn’t handle it…

The Lord told me that I would feel the pain but that He was carrying me…

He showed me that that moment was the fulfilment of a picture which He’d given me one night in prayer in Manila…

I was very encouraged as that night in prayer in Manila He’d shown me that I was approaching a cross-roads, on the one branch (sort of like a “Y” intersection) was natural provision and on the other branch was supernatural provision…

I’d wondered what would happen but sensed that He’d get me onto the supernatural provision one although I didn’t know how…

The picture changed and I saw the Holy Spirit pushing me uphill…

This is what He told me was fulfilled on our family tramp…

The Holy Spirit was pushing me uphill, I would feel the pain but He would be carrying me…

I said to the Lord, “I’m not going to try to keep walking” so I stopped inside but my body kept walking (I’d done this previously in Manila on my training runs)…

So the rest of my life is the Holy Spirit pushing me uphill…

I will feel the pain but He will be carrying me…

He explained to me that this is the Fellowship of Sharing in His Sufferings…

Pain is to be endured…

Not to be prayed against…

Although some pain may come from the enemy…

To be endured meaning that you’re not fighting against the pain but accepting it…

This is supernatural…

I couldn’t do it…

I admitted I couldn’t do it but then He started to do it in me…

It was very exciting…

This is what Jesus did on the cross…

He let the Holy Spirit take control of Him and carry Him…

who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God (Hebrews 9:14b NIV)

He broke the power of loneliness…

He broke it by not fighting against it but by submitting to it…

He knew that His Father would look after Him and that was enough…

That was Faith and that was the Supernatural…

Wouldn’t we like to walk in the Supernatural?

That is the Supernatural…

To endure pain without pleading for it to stop…

To “take the pain” surrendered to God and know that no matter how long that lasts we are being carried by Him and feeling that pain but not carrying ourselves and not needing to “take control” or “strive” to try and endure or see it to the end…

Not calculating in our heads whether we’ve got enough endurance left “in us” to endure to any point in time but just trusting Him to carry us…

This is supernatural and comes as we give up – admit that we can’t do it…

God truly does oppose the proud but give grace to the humble…

God will never chastise us for admitting that we can’t do something…

That is the admission He needs to accomplish His will in us…

Love in the Lord,

Andrew

I felt fairly grotty today and on into this evening and now early into the small hours of the morning…

I found myself looking back on some posts – quite a number of posts – of a Christian Forum which I used to participate in from 2010 to 2011…

I was fascinated to see the way I started posting on this Forum and how I sort of became “blunted” the more I remained there…

I got too “carried away” and spent too much time posting – I think I got “blunted” – or that was the feeling I got as I recapped this evening / early this morning…

Being sick – head cold and sore throat – is sometimes good for me like this – gives me a chance to think…

I had to smile at a number of the very early posts I made on the Forum – before I got “blunted” – I was coming fresh out of my “wilderness” experience and coming back in some sort of “power” I’d say as I was on an incredible “high” after the Lord had delivered me from some very real “demons” (literally) and I was living the reality of what I’d been really hoping was real – that He would deliver me without any “effort” (striving) on my part to make that happen…

He did – and I was just “oozing” praise towards Him…

I could see after getting “inflicted” with a few “war wounds” how that was “snuffed out” eventually and that Forum “folded” (although I’m sure the Lord told me that He didn’t want that to happen)…

I still feel the pain of that Forum closing – there were a few in particular who I felt their pain but never had a chance to “console” with them and chat through our disappointments…

Anyway, all that to say that each of us are given a measure of faith by the Lord…

I sometimes think, “was that really me saying all those things?” as I look back to some of the things which flowed out from my fingers…

I know they were from the Lord but I feel now so far away from those times, although re-reading them brings a smile (or otherwise) to my heart…

I’m seeing more clearly than ever how much I hate striving…

Galatians 3…

What an amazing chapter…

Faith…

My Mum and I were having a chat in the last couple of days about this issue of the measure of faith…

Each one has received a unique measure from the Lord…

As none of us knows what anyone else’s measure is none of us can be judgemental to anyone else…

None of us can even say, “but they should know that or know better”…

How do we know if they “know that or know better”?

Very liberating…

And also liberating to know that the Holy Spirit uses us as He sees fit…

We are not always on “cloud 9″…

I felt miserable pretty much all day today with a dripping nose, sore throat and we had to move our stuff back into our rental again after being out of our rental for nearly 5 weeks as earthquake repairs were completed on it…

I had a very “spiritual” morning with the Lord showing me more stuff out of the life of Abraham but then after that it was all hard slog and I was in a bad mood all day (we had a Public Holiday here due to Waitangi Day)…

As I sat and re-read a number of posts from this Christian Forum I suddenly saw a number of things…

Firstly, I hate striving…

I loved myself when I was so “shockingly” brazen about not striving…

And this brings glory to God…

Secondly, I don’t want to be linked to anyone who strives…

I don’t want anything to do with them…

God opposes the proud…

I’m seeing that quite clearly…

Thirdly, God “comes and goes” in terms of His “using us”…

Some parts of our lives are incredibly “mundane” and seem free of any “God encounters” and then, there you are, all of a sudden He “shows up” and starts doing “perceivable” things again…

Fourthly (this was after finishing my reading), I realized (again) that God is completely Sovereign in terms of when He will do anything in my life…

As I sit here now some of the things I shared (early on on the Forum) which the Lord had showed me He is now a lot closer in terms of making those things a reality and has been speaking to me again recently (I believe) about how He is going to accomplish them – so I see His persistence…

But there’s nothing I can do to “speed that up” or “strive” or try and align myself…

Sometimes this actually makes me angry with God but I see that this is His prerogative…

It shows me how impatient I am…

I’m left again with an amazing sense of God’s Sovereignty…

And that He is in complete control…

The greatest temptation I faced in that “exposure” to that Christian Forum was the temptation to “shrink back” and “panic” and “strive” and “sort myself out”…

Looking back I’m glad God gave me that experience…

It’s been a learning curve for me…

Mysteries are a part of life…

Things which do not make sense to us…

Things which no matter how hard we try we just can’t seem to get “closure” on in our minds…

Things which just do not “make sense”…

Our understanding just can’t comprehend them…

We know they are true but we just can’t understand them…

Why did this happen?

Why did God allow this to happen?

Didn’t God say this? Why hasn’t it come to pass?

I’ve been interested in some of the mysteries or “hidden things” of the bible…

I feel to share a few with you…

Abraham & Isaac

Why did God tell Abraham to go and sacrifice the son who He (God) had specifically promised him – a miracle son – why did God then ask Abraham to go and sacrifice him on a mountain to God?

Elijah & Elisha

Why did God tell Elijah to go and anoint Hazael to be King of Syria, then Jehu to be King of Israel and then Elisha to be Prophet in his place but Elijah – after meeting with God – went instead and anointed Elisha to be Prophet in his place but never anointed either Jehu or Hazael before being taken up to heaven in a firey chariot?

Moses & the Promised Land

Why did God say to Moses that because of his striking the Rock (Christ) instead of speaking to the Rock (Christ) that he would not enter the Promised Land?

These are mysteries which the Lord has alerted me to so far…

He has placed a desire on my heart to understand – I have been seeking and I believe He’s given me answers – maybe not the complete answer but enough of an answer to satisfy my curiousity and to feel “at peace” about those things in my heart…

There’s a scripture which is very interesting…

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. (Proverbs 25:2 NASB)

When God puts a desire even if it is a questioning desire – a Divine curiousity (I would say) – on our hearts to understand something then we can know as we commit ourselves to seek out the answer that He will answer us with His Wisdom…

And understanding – as He sees fit…

With respect to Abraham & Isaac we see that the Lord was testing Abraham’s heart – even though the Lord Himself had given Isaac to Abraham as a gift and made promises about his future – he was a child of promise – God still wanted to know that Abraham would trust Him even when what He asked Abraham to achieve was “counter-intuitive”, i.e. went completely against Abraham’s mind, i.e. that Abraham would listen to and obey His Voice even when it made “no sense”…

Abraham proved faithful and God was very pleased…

Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead so firmly did He believe the Lord’s promise to him – but the Lord saw Abraham’s heart – his willingness – and didn’t need him to “go through with it”…

Elijah & Elisha…

After an amazing victory Elijah ran away from the spirit operating through Jezebel…

God found him and asked him why he was where he was…

Elijah had an answer…

The Lord fed him (twice) and he travelled 40 days and nights in the strength of that food (miraculous) to the Mountain of the Lord (Mount Horeb)…

The Lord again (after having 40 days and nights to think about it) asked him why he was there…

Elijah had exactly the same answer…

Then the Lord spoke to him…

Earlier on Elijah had told the Lord that he wanted to die (before the 40 days and 40 nights of travel)…

The Lord instructed Elijah to do three things in a certain order…

Elijah commenced obeying the Lord’s instruction in reverse order and only completed one of the three instructions before the Lord took him in a chariot of fire…

Elisha saw Elijah as he departed and received a double portion of his spirit…

Elisha then went to Hazael and spoke to him resulting in Hazael becoming King of Syria (through assassinating the present King of Syria)…

Then Elisha sent one of the sons of the Prophets to Jehu and he anointed him as King of Israel (leading to Jehu assassinating the present King of Israel)…

What we learn from this is that the call on someone’s life is transferable…

Elijah’s call (although uncompleted) was transfered to Elisha and the Lord took Elijah home…

Why did the Lord give Elijah what he wanted?

Did He?

Elijah wanted to die…

Did Elijah die?

No…

But did the Lord really give Elijah what he wanted?

I believe He did…

Elijah wanted rest from all the opposition which he’d encountered – life had been very hard for Elijah – the Lord knew this and chose to transfer Elijah’s call onto Elisha – a man who I believe the Lord had been preparing to take Elijah’s place – i.e. a man who the Lord knew would be Elijah’s successor and was preparing to be ready at the time of Elijah’s departure…

The Lord gave Elijah what he – his heart – really longed for – peace in the Presence of the Lord…

I really believe that…

Only the Lord knows what we go through – only the Lord understands…

And understands the depths of our pain…

Moses & the Promised Land

This was the hardest one for me to really get my head around…

I searched the scriptures…

I tried to find where God had actually promised Moses that he would enter the promised land…

I couldn’t find anywhere – I didn’t read the entire bible – where God had actually promised Moses that he would enter the Promised Land…

God had said the people would but never specifically Moses or that Moses would enter the Promised Land…

But when God told Moses off after the incident with the Rock (Christ) He said clearly that the reason Moses wasn’t going to enter into the Promised Land was that he didn’t represent God as sacred towards the people of Israel – i.e. he took credit for the production of the water himself – i.e. he took control and took the responsibility upon himself making it out that man can lead the people of God and not God Himself – he didn’t honour God as sacred and this was a big deal to God…

Did God punish Moses in His wrath?

No…

Moses was a child of God – He had a new heart – it was his old heart which “rose up” in rebellion against the Lord and in pride took credit for what only the Lord could do through him…

Even in his act of rebellion God honoured it by allowing the water to flow out from the Rock but Moses paid the penalty – he was disciplined by the Lord for not considering Him Holy…

Was this discipline redemptive or was it punitive?

It was redemptive…

Moses was in such a “high place” with God – two sets of 40 day fasts in the Presence of God – even beholding the form of God (but not His Face) and being in the Presence of God and responsible for leading an entire nation in a visit across other nations territory and into a new land which would be for their own possession – he was in a high place with God – and God opposes the proud – God had to discipline Moses so that he could “come back down” to that place of humility where He knew for the rest of his life – he didn’t die immediately – that it was God and God alone who was King and Lord and Sovereign…

Moses even had to “live through” Joshua being positioned to “take over” from him as leader…

This humbling experience of being “shut out” of the Promised Land saved Moses from pride and not being able to complete his call in humility – I see it being like Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from exalting himself…

It was God’s kindness to Moses and God had already prepared Joshua to take over from Moses to lead the people in – God had been preparing Joshua…

God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God – all things…

Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration…

No hard feelings?

It appears not…

And maybe we will see them again as the two witnesses who will minister in the last throws before Jesus comes back to earth…

It seems that those who are given great power and responsibility in God’s Kingdom are treated “harsher” by God but we must remember that even these “great leaders” are loved by God and disciplined for their own good that they may share in His Holiness as Hebrews tells us…

No matter who we are God’s discipline is for our own good – for “no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly”…

Love in the Lord,

Andrew