-Victory in ‘Living’ The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father”

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Matt 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

Last Friday night it was raining as I was rushing to be on time for a Marketplace Conference at church. Still half a mile away I impatiently waited for the light to change and then took off for the next. Before I got half a block ahead to the next light, The Lord had downloaded to me a better understanding of the Lord’s Prayer. After that I was no longer in a hurry except to get as much of the new insights down as possible.

In essence the Lord told me: “you have been praying the Lord’s Prayer all of your life…now it’s time to live it!” Within the prayer itself is a summary for victorious ‘Kingdom living’. Funny thing is that none of it is really new and its been there all the time and a lot of this stuff you probably already know.

Anyway I going to put up an outline of some of these thoughts in a series of posts. 

“Our Father…which art in Heaven”

Jesus didn’t say “my” father or “the” father, though most of the time we look upon God as being ‘The’ Almighty God and Father of creation. But Jesus specifically said “our” Father and included his disciples as part of his family—the family of God.

This had to sound strange to folks raised upon the Old Testament scriptures and at a time when Priests didn’t dare enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple without repenting and fasting first and even then without having a rope tied around their ankle so that they could be pulled out in case the Lord God zapped them. In fact it sounded rather heretical to the scribes and Pharisees.

We hear the words ‘our Father’ so much in church that it is way too familiar. Sometimes the real implications of those words do not properly sink in. In Jesus Christ every believer becomes part of the family of God. His Father is now our Father and we are supposed to be brothers and sisters in Christ. Yup, and sometimes we fight just like a family too!

But think about it—the Creator of the universe is our Father. Remember Jesus said that he doesn’t give rocks to his children when they need bread. He really does take care of his creation, the birds, the flowers, and even more so he only wants the best for his children.

In our day the title ‘father’ is so messed up for many of us because of the way we were treated or ignored by our natural parents. Also some of us were orphans and never did really experience a father in our lives while others of us wish that we hadn’t.

Because of our past, many of us have trust issues that make it difficult to receive the Love of Our Father in Heaven. therefore intimacy with God doesn’t come all that easy and we end up putting Him in a box that will only be unwrapped after our death.

Yet when Jesus died on the cross the curtain separating the people from their God in Holy of Holies in the temple was slit in two for all time. In Jesus intimacy becomes possible and the almighty creator touches us and dwells within us with his own Spirit and we become members of his family and the new temple of God.

It is time for the church to get this down—all of the church. I believe that the ‘Fatherhood of God’ and greater intimacy will be part of the Kingdom message of a ‘New Awakening’ coming soon near you. All of creation awaits for the church to understand more fully what it means to be and act like the children of God and cry out—Abba Father! (Romans 8:12-19clip_image002[1]).  

-A Word for 2010 From ACPE: ‘Breaking Debt Cycles’

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Here’s another section of the ACPE ‘Word for 2010’ that clearly spoke to me in particular. This is something that the Lord is stressing right now in my life—‘get out of debt’:

Breaking Debt Cycles

Key Scripture passage:

“The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).

We felt that the Lord had given us an “eye of the storm” time period to get out of debt. In fact, as we discussed the many prophetic warnings about a second economic shaking, we felt that the Lord in His mercy had extended a period of grace to His people because many were not ready for another shaking.

Supernatural ability to get out of debt is being released. If you will start paying your debts, even in very small amounts, God will supernaturally get behind your efforts and help you get out of debt.

Response: Actually this word is good in any year. But in the midst of recession when so many Christians are having a hard time even paying our current bills much less get out of debt it is particularly poignant. Also it reminds us of the importance to rely on God for supernatural help in getting it done.

Fact is, God can give you new ideas and download information and wisdom to you that can help you get out of debt and even have extra $money to invest in ministries.  This is the essence of a ‘Kingdom economy’ that is not ‘business as usual’ but relies upon God in a major way.

I have heard many prophetical folks saying that right now is just the ‘calm before the storm’ or like in this document ‘the eye of the storm’—a time for us to rest and get prepared for another coming maybe even greater recession or even depression.

I believe that the severity of the next economic dip may depend upon how his church responds to his offer of bringing major revival. A new awakening is coming whether the Lord just needs to awaken his church with a ‘sleeping beauty kiss’ or whether a swift kick will be necessary. He still has major purposes in mind for America and he is not done with us yet.

The American church (and Western Church for that matter) has become so enmeshed in the dominant secular/materialistic culture that most Christians in this country are far too disconnected from the supernatural Christian Biblical view that would bring His Kingdom into the midst of their daily lives.

In order to rise up and be the Church and people that we are called to be it will be necessary for the Church to cast off the bonds of the dominant culture and allow the ‘rule of God’ to in flood our daily lives.

Hopefully we will not have to become desperate before we allow the Kingdom to come to our homes, jobs, businesses, marketplaces, and churches.            

-A Word for 2010 From ACPE: ‘Third Great Awakening’

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Here’s a link to a prophetic Word for 2010 from the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders (ACPE) distributed by Cindy Jacobs. It a compilation of the prophetic releases from that group.

The preamble makes some good points in regard to present era prophecy:

There are differing variables that can affect the timing and/or coming to pass of these words:

  1. All prophecy not contained in scripture is conditional.
  2. The timing of when the prophecy comes to pass may occur over a longer period of time than one calendar year.  Some take many years to fulfill.
  3. It is possible that prophetic warnings will cause either the person or nation to repent and so turn away the judgment prophesied.  Biblically, this happened when Jonah prophesied to Nineveh and the city repented, causing God to relent.

There are a number of points in the document that hit home and confirm some of the stuff that I believe that the Lord has been saying to me. Particularly poignant is word that a new wind of the Holy Spirit is coming that touches a number of different nations in a special way.

The sections-  ‘Third Great Awakening’ and ‘Evangelism’ leaped out at me in particular:

Third Great Awakening

We believe that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that came on November 11, 2009, in Kansas City signaled the beginning of a Third Great Awakening that we prophesied would come to America and the world. November 11th was the day the Pilgrims made covenant with God in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Many intercessors across the nation are crying out to God for the nation to once again become “a city set on a hill.” If we continue to pray and call out to God, the nation will shift.

Evangelism

Many churches will wake up and evangelize the lost in their cities and nations. Thousands will be swept into the kingdom of God through new “power evangelism” movements in which people [will be] shown by supernatural means that God is real.

Churches who haven’t baptized in years will begin to see many people come to Christ. Dead churches will become resurrected under the fire and power of the Holy Spirit’s working, and many [who are] lost will be swept into the kingdom of God.

I really do believe that there is another ‘Great Awakening’ coming to North America that will touch hundreds of churches and cities in a special way across all of North America.

One of the keys to the new awakening will revolve around the Kingdom of God (that is the rule of God) invading into the marketplace where we all spend a majority of our lives. An expansion the Kingdom into the workplace and businesses where we spent our daylight hours.

It is in that process that God the Father will help his children to overcome their debts and become economically secure even in the midst of major recession. Not only that, but find spiritual blessing, purpose, and fulfillment at work and in businesses.

We’ll look at more of this message in later posts.  

-Muslims Coming to Christ Through Dreams, Visions, and Miracles

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We have talked about the hidden revival among Muslims before.

Although on the front pages of the world media, radical Muslims seem to dominate the news with terrorist acts and promises to take over Europe and eventually put America under the yoke of sharia law, here is the latest report from Charisma magazine about the ‘tsunami of faith’ miraculously bringing thousands of Muslims to Christ (Link NLA):

“…a tsunami of faith is quietly overtaking the Muslim world. Islamic adherents are laying aside their allegiance to Muhammad to follow Jesus Christ, despite the social ostracism, persecution and possible martyrdom that converts to Christianity face. Propelled by dreams, visions and miracles, this wave of revival is bringing vast numbers of Muslims—some say millions—into God’s kingdom.”

The article ends with this plea for Christians to pray with their Muslim brothers:

Prayer is vital. However, three converts in Egypt told Janssen that Christians in America should pray “with” them, not “for” them.

“If you pray for us, you will pray for our safety, and the persecution will stop,” they told him. “If you pray with us, we can be sure the persecution will increase. Pray we will see millions [come] to Christ. We know there will be backlash. Pray we will be faithful, even if it costs us our lives.”

Lord, continue to do a revival work among Muslims, praise your name, Amen.

-What I’m Looking For Revival

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(North America by IronRodArt via Flickr)

A vision of the Revival I am looking for- January 20, 2001:

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in my easy chair watching the events of the day on TV ( The inauguration of Pres. Bush) when all of a sudden I was in an open vision  above the earth looking down.

North America was covered in a thick grey fog. There were 4 black words in the midst of the dark covering:

Deception, Depression, Destruction, and Depravity. 

Then I saw Jesus on a white horse above the earth coming with an army. He blew away the dark fog and the Lord and His army descended upon North America.

Then I saw a light come on in the midst of America, next a few scattered lights; then soon lots of lights started coming on, like popcorn popping, all across the North America until there were 1,000’s of lights on in the USA and Canada.

Then I saw a huge tidal wave forming up on the east coast of Canada and New England and sweep across the Atlantic engulfing all of Great Britain and wash up on the northern shores of Europe.

Then I was back in my easy chair watching TV once more and I heard the Lord speak to me:

“This is my coming revival”

Here is something I wrote in August 2008 and it still reflects what I am looking forward to:

I’m Still Looking For Revival

Myself, I am still looking for revival to sweep across all of North America and affect 100’s of churches in hundreds of different places all at the same time. Then like a tidal wave engulf the UK and wash up on the shores of France and Northwestern Europe. A revival coming soon near you.

A revival that crosses all the man-made divisions and denominations. A revival with no ’superstars’ to elevate or tear down. A revival that looks to Jesus, engages culture, and brings repentance and change. A revival with lots of healing, that brings folks closer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So many are looking for Jesus to come for his church, I’m looking for him to come to it. Come to it? What exactly does that mean? I’m not entirely sure what that means except it’s a ‘word’ that I keep hearing in the Spirit and the church is going to get closer to Jesus and his people will hear his voice in a profound way.

I look for a revival that will bring with it ‘a changing of the guard’ and a whole bunch of new young leaders.  A revival that will change the face of the American church–the end of ‘churchianity’ and the beginning of greater outreach to the community.

This is what I was looking for when the Lakeland outpouring started and had hoped it would be the beginning of. In spite of all the controversy and division in the aftermath, I am still looking for revival…

I say, Come Lord Jesus and surprise us!

It is my prayer that the Lord comes with his army in 2010 and brings his revival. Come Lord Jesus.

Another Vision of Revival

Here’s another vision of revival very similar to mine: an account of a vision that Barbara J. Yoder (Link NLA) had in 2006.

“…it was as if I were taken up into the sky to the altitude where jets fly. I looked down at the United States and saw that there were very few lights on anywhere in the nation. The whole nation looked like very rural or remote places I had flown over. There was one light here and another light there, far removed from each other.

However, as this army galloped across the nation, lights began to turn on in the places that the army was moving through. Furthermore, the lights remained on in the places they had already passed through. The lights increased in number until the cities and towns across the nation were completely lit up. It was as if a massive fire had been set that engulfed entire areas. …

The further they advanced, the more lit-up the nation was, until there were huge areas where the lights had become contiguous. What had been dark was now fully lit. I looked down on almost blindingly bright cities, towns and even rural areas.

The Lord said, “This is My army.”

Come Holy Spirit, Bring Revival to our land. Amen.