Jewels From JudyFriday, March 07 2008
An Exhortation From The Father's Heart To Yours: Who Are You Listening To? You did not call yourself, did you? I called you. So why are you wrestling with where you are to go and what you are to do? I have everything well in hand. You are sensitive to My leading and you will need to be more sensitive in the days ahead. There are issues to be dealt with and that is why I have you where you are now. Soon those things will be resolved and you will be untethered. The work here is important, is it not? I know you do not like it, none do, but your strength will grow as will your faith. You can trust Me to see you through to the other side. Know you are loved. That will not only sustain you, but propel you. It is a season of restoration and this is why the enemy seeks to destroy that word in your own life. He wants you to give up and turn around, but you must not listen to him. Satan hates you. I love you. Who are you going to listen to? With all My heartfelt love, Thursday, February 28 2008
The Lord Played The Cross Dream I was in a coffee house and sitting with a Christian friend, though I have no idea who it was, when we noticed that there were a number of men together at a table next to us. One of the men from another table came over and gave us each a pen with JESUS written on it. Then they gave us four more. I was excited and put them in my purse. Then they started singing some Christian songs that were very energetic. I knew them and sang along. This young man got up to preach, but said he was not sure if he was to give the message, and was waiting on the Holy Spirit. The Lord spoke to my heart and I said softly at first but then more loudly so they could all hear me, "The Lord played the cross like an instrument. He played it like a violin." At this many of the people in the coffee house began to pretend play an instrument (like violins, flutes and horns). I went on, "He played the cross as a song for our salvation. He took what was a horrible death and played it for our benefit." At this the people were applauding saying, "Yeah!" They played their 'instruments' and I continued to explain that His sacrifice thundered like a bass drum, it rang like a cymbal, it sounded like a group of (3) trumpets," and so on. (With each instrument mentioned it was played.) The whole group of people in the coffee shop were all clapping and cheering forChrist and His victory at the cross. July 8, 2001 Saturday, February 23 2008
An Exhortation From The Father's Heart To Yours Seek My Face You are touching heaven Come and worship and give Me your attention I want to see your face Plug into Me and tap into My love for you Come into My love, Jeremiah 29:11-14a Friday, February 22 2008
An Exhortation From The Heart Of Father To Yours: The Launching This is a time for launching. Many of you have been held in a holding pattern for some time and you have been crying out, "When God, when?!?" It is like a launching at Kennedy Space Center. Plans are made, but those plans are contingent upon the weather. The spiritual climate has been turbulent. This is because of the sound of praise and worship emanating from My church. Praise has touched heaven in a personal way. You no longer sing about Me, you sing to Me. As My body has tapped into join the sounds from heaven and exalted My name, the powers and principalities of darkness and the rulers of evil have been shaken to their core. Your launching has been delayed by My doing, so do not call what I Am doing "the devil" instead rejoice in Me until the enemy is self-slaughtered. The enemy expects you to be in panic and react in fear COUNTER ATTACK!!!
I Am launching you from this place*, beloved. I have been setting your feet firmly on the Rock. I have been drawing you back as an expert archer. You have thought you were going backwards, but this was not so. I was drawing you back to launch you. If an arrow from My quiver is chosen to be launched, I Am careful to aim it with the a fully extended bow. I draw back the arrow in the bow string, place it on the notch, and hold it to check the trajectory. I want My arrows to hit the bull's-eye. So be patient in this process, beloved. You are being launched. Love, *While this was spoken while in intercession for the Secret Place Encounter Conference in Bradenton, FL, I do believe this to be a corporate word for the Body of Christ for the "place" where we are presently and the "place" to which we are being launched. Friday, February 15 2008
An Exhortation From The Heart Of Father To Yours: My Uncut Jewels When a stone of great value is unearthed, it can be very dull to the natural eye. It takes a trained eye to see its worth. Many precious stones have been cast aside because the one digging did not have the eyes to see what it was they had in their hands. This is also true of My jewels - those I Am drawing to Myself by My Spirit. Those around My jewels-in-the-rough who fail to see their great worth and beauty often cast them aside and look for another that is already polished. It is My desire when a stone, a new born-again believer, is found, it is carefully handled and cut to precision. I want the beautiful facets, which I have infused into their being at conception, to sparkle and shine in the light of My glory. I Am calling My apostles, My prophets, My evangelists, My pastors and teachers to see the great worth that is all around them. Look at the jewels I have given you, My leaders! Behold the value - the eternal value that I have sat in your midst! Each and every person is of great value to Me. Look carefully at who I have sent your way. Look for the passion in their eyes that came from being pressed in on every side by the fire of My glory. Coal placed under intense pressure and heat creates diamonds. My fire creates a thing of beauty in a new believer transforming them from a lump of coal to a diamond. Some of My jewels are already cut and you need only help them be placed in their proper setting. Others have been cut but need to be polished. Some have been partially cut and need you to help finish the job so they can shine. This can be difficult if the "jeweler" before you damaged My beautiful stone; believe Me when I tell you that nothing is wasted in My kingdom. There are stones that have just recently been unearthed; these you will have the privilege of seeing go from a lump of coal to a beautifully set stone. You will first clean them with the Living Water and help to cut away the old rock with the skillful use of My sword. You must be careful and loving in this process. Be mindful of what you are doing. Make a careful examination of the natural nuances of each precious stone. If you are of My Spirit, this will humble you and that one you have set will also humbly reflect My glory. If you are of another spirit you will be prideful and so will your stone - taking all for self-glory. So I caution you to walk in humility in this process knowing you can only accomplish this with My wisdom and counsel. Do not fear or worry, as I will not leave you alone in the process but will guide your way to perfection. There are stones you will come across that are still coal and you must leave them to Me. These are the ones that haven't given their life to Christ. They may attend or belong to a church, but they do not fully belong to Me. Behold! The fields sparkle with jewels! Ask Me for the tools and the settings and I will give them to you. If you see the great value all around you and you follow My instructions, by the end of this year you will look at your jewels and be amazed at what they are doing to bring honor and glory and praise to My kingdom. As I have shown you, show others. Love, Vision: The Jeweler: I saw a jeweler who sat on a short, wheeled stool in the middle of two tables placed in the shape of an upside-down L. To his left on the table shorter in length sat a very large and beautiful golden crown. Its front was very tall, not like a king's crown, but more like the pope's MITRE. On it there were many vacant spaces to place jewels. A few large and very costly stones had already been set into place. On the longer table were hundreds of stones in all stages of cutting. The jeweler wore a magnifying eye piece so that he could carefully examine each stone. He only looked for those already polished and of great value, but even in his haste many beautiful stones were falling off the table and were getting lost in the cracks and corners of the floor. Some of incalculable value fell through the cracks and were never retrieved. There were some stones in raw form that were of greater value than any jewel on the crown, but because they were not cut in facets and polished, the jeweler quickly looked them over. Those uncut stones of great worth had been given to him to cut and shape into a masterful thing of beauty, but even the large stones of immense value were haphazardly being knocked off the table. Some fell into the trash and were inadvertently thrown out. All these jewels were given to him to bring glory to the Kingdom of God, but they were also for his crown to present to the Lord. The crown of exquisite beautiful was sparsely filled considering the amount of jewels that had been given the jeweler. The warning given to the jeweler was to slow down and look more closely at the stones that had been given him. He was not to look with his natural eye that magnified all the flaws, imperfections and the lack of polish residing in the stones, but he was to look with the magnified eye of the Spirit of God that would show him its amazing beauty that was hidden within each stone and He would give the exact skill and precision needed to bring it out. Vision: 2002 Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Thursday, February 14 2008
A Valentine from Heaven It was two days before Valentine’s Day 1997, and though my life looked wonderful from every angle, deep down I was miserable. I tried ‘to be a good person’ and live my life in a way that would be pleasing to my fellowman, but all the community works I was juggling did not fill the void in my soul. At the end of the day, I was exhausted and empty. Occasionally, I would get a glimpse of why I was so unhappy and what I needed – I needed the Lord! Sadly, I would quickly reject this notion because it wasn’t convenient to my lifestyle. Rejecting God was justifiable in my mind because I knew I couldn’t live up to His standards. Though I looked to the world for acceptance and comfort, I never seemed fulfilled. I was in a frightening and unwinnable battle. The void began when my father suddenly passed away. He was only 43 years old and left behind a wife and three children, as well as his parents who daily relied on his help. Well-meaning clergy told us, “God must have needed him,” and that “he was in a better place.” This didn’t bring consolation to my grief-stricken heart. My sister, brother, and I were sent to live with relatives that summer. Though young, my sister was soon married and moved to her own place. My brother’s bedroom was the walk-in closet of our aunt’s teenage boys – placing him continually at their mercy. My bedroom housed the huge gas floor furnace in the unfinished basement. Night after night I would earnestly cry out to God from that room, “Why my dad, why me?” I agonized over the loss of my dad and listened for an answer, but none came. I also learned to listen for sneaking feet coming down the stairs in the middle of the night. It was a time fraught with dangers for my brother and I. Meanwhile, my mother worked to stabilize our housing so we could come back and live with her. Unfortunately, her life was also full of snares, so it took more time than we ever imagined. Three years later, we moved into a home with her and the nightly threats and torment were over. Though I was often rebellious, we had many good times together. We traveled some and even spent an entire summer in Oregon. After coming back to our home state of Colorado, the unthinkable happened. Doctors diagnosed my mother with breast cancer. I never doubted that she would recover (because surely God would not ‘take’ her too). However, after a few years, and much suffering, she succumbed to the ravages of the disease. At her funeral I again heard from well-meaning folks, “She’s in a better place,” and “God must have needed her.” Really? More than her children? It did not sit well. Deeply dismayed, my confusion turned to anger that burned hot against God. He seemed selfish and more like a big bully who was no different from Greek gods who threw lightning bolts or hit people with a huge hammer. I decided if God was so selfish that He needed my parents more than their three children did, I didn’t want anything to do with Him. I would live my life my way, not His! Anytime the subject of God came up, I was like a cornered cat ready to fight; my cynicism towards Christianity and disdain for Christians grew. Some would try to explain to me how the Lord was loving, kind, and good. I reasoned, if God were truly loving, why wouldn’t He have kept my parents from dying? If He were kind and good, why wouldn’t He just put an end to all the suffering and evil in the world? This is where I found myself on the morning of February 12, 1997 – drowning in my own sorrow. Deep down I knew only God could rescue me. I saw on the calendar that it was not only two days from Valentine’s Day, but also the first day of Lent. Oddly, something went off inside me. It was HOPE! Jesus had been drawing me to Himself for months, and though I had been keeping Him at arm’s length, I could ignore Him no longer. God was throwing a lifeline into my Pit of Despair, and I prayed that if I clung onto it, He would be merciful and pull me out. I found an old Bible and began to read in Psalm 107: Then I cried to the Lord in my trouble and He saved me from my distress; He sent forth His word and healed me and saved me from destruction! I fell to my knees, and thanked Him for His goodness. I repented of sinning against Him. Later I found in John 10:10 where Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” This Scripture immediately dispelled the lie that God had killed my parents. I saw the “thief” had come to kill, steal, and destroy – not my heavenly Father. Oh, friends, how might that have eased my suffering had someone shared that truth with me from early on? In that moment, the Holy Spirit gave me great freedom, and peace flooded my soul. I knew Jesus didn’t condemn me but filled my emptiness with joy. He adopted me! As a child of God, I had a sense of belonging that I had never known. I began reading and truly studying the Bible. I saw it was like a beautiful tapestry that, through many authors over thousands of years, God had woven together. I could have never imagined it, but I found the Bible to be wonderful and freeing. You do not have to be an orphan to experience the debilitating wounds from being abandoned or rejected. We each have our own story of how we’ve been beaten and battered. We have fought with discouragement, doubt, and unbelief. At some point, all of us have been, or will be, wounded by different tragedies and heartbreaks. Our heavenly Father’s desire is for all mankind to experience His forgiveness and abiding love. The most wonderful Valentine’s gift anyone could ever receive is to be adopted by the King of kings! Being reconciled to God is a gift that anyone can accept at any time. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” He gave His best so we can live abundantly. Every day is Valentine’s Day with Jesus! Revised February 12, 2016 A Valentine from Heaven It was two days before Valentine’s Day, and though my life looked wonderful from every angle, deep down I was miserable. I tried ‘to be a good person’ and live my life in a way that would be pleasing to my fellowman, but all the community works I was juggling did not fill the void in my soul. At the end of the day, I was exhausted and empty. Occasionally, I would get a glimpse of why I was so unhappy and what I needed – I needed the Lord! Sadly, I would quickly reject this notion because it wasn’t convenient to my lifestyle. Rejecting God was justifiable in my mind because I knew I couldn’t live up to His standards. Though I looked to the world for acceptance and comfort, I never seemed fulfilled. I was in a frightening and unwinnable battle. The void began when my father suddenly passed away. He was only 43 years old and left behind a wife and three children, as well as his parents who daily relied on his help. Well-meaning clergy told us, “God must have needed him,” and that “he was in a better place.” This didn’t bring consolation to my grief-stricken heart. My sister, brother, and I were sent to live with relatives that summer. Though young, my sister was soon married and moved to her own place. My brother’s bedroom was the walk-in closet of our aunt’s teenage boys – placing him continually at their mercy. My bedroom housed the huge gas floor furnace in the unfinished basement. Night after night I would earnestly cry out to God from that room, “Why my dad, why me?” I agonized over the loss of my dad and listened for an answer, but none came. I also learned to listen for sneaking feet coming down the stairs in the middle of the night. It was a time fraught with dangers for my brother and I. Meanwhile, my mother worked to stabilize our housing so we could come back and live with her. Unfortunately, her life was also full of snares, so it took more time than we ever imagined. Three years later, we moved into a home with her and the nightly threats and torment were over. Though I was often rebellious, we had many good times together. We traveled some and even spent an entire summer in Oregon. After coming back to our home state of Colorado, the unthinkable happened. Doctors diagnosed my mother with breast cancer. I never doubted that she would recover, but after a few years and much suffering, she succumbed to the ravages of the disease. At her funeral I again heard, “God must have needed her.” Really, I thought, more than her children? Deeply dismayed, my confusion turned to anger that burned hot against God. He seemed selfish and more like a big bully who was no different from Greek gods who threw lightning bolts or hit people with a huge hammer. I decided if God was so selfish that He needed my parents more than their three children did, I didn’t want anything to do with Him. I would live my life my way, not His! Anytime the subject of God came up, I was like a cornered cat ready to fight; my cynicism towards Christianity and distain for Christians grew. Some would try to explain to me how the Lord was loving, kind, and good. I reasoned, if God were truly loving, why wouldn’t He have kept my parents from dying? If He were kind and good, why wouldn’t He just put an end to all the suffering and evil in the world? This is where I found myself on the morning of February 12, 1997 – drowning in my own sorrow. Deep down I knew only God could rescue me. I saw on the calendar that it was not only two days from Valentine’s Day, but also the first day of Lent. Oddly, something went off inside me. It was HOPE! Jesus had been drawing me to Himself for months, and though I had been keeping Him at arm’s length, I could ignore Him no longer. God was throwing a lifeline into my Pit of Despair, and I prayed that if I clung onto it, He would be merciful and pull me out. I found an old Bible and began to read: Then I cried to the Lord in my trouble and He saved me from my distress; He sent forth His word and healed me and saved me from destruction! I fell to my knees, and thanked Him for His goodness. I repented of sinning against Him. Then I found where Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” This Scripture immediately dispelled the lie that God had killed my parents. I saw the “thief” had come to kill, steal, and destroy – not my heavenly Father. In that moment, the Holy Spirit gave me great freedom and peace flooded my soul. I knew Jesus didn’t condemn me but filled my emptiness with joy. He adopted me! As a child of God, I had a sense of belonging that I had never known. I began reading and truly studying the Bible. I saw it was like a beautiful tapestry that, through many authors over thousands of years, God had woven together. I could have never imagined it, but I found the Bible to be wonderful and freeing. You do not have to be an orphan to experience the debilitating wounds from being abandoned or rejected. We each have our own story of how we’ve been beaten and battered. We have fought with discouragement, doubt, and unbelief. At some point, all of us have been, or will be, wounded by different tragedies and heartbreaks. Our heavenly Father’s desire is for all mankind to experience His forgiveness and abiding love. The most wonderful Valentine’s gift anyone could ever receive is to be adopted by the King of kings! Being reconciled to God is a gift that anyone can accept at any time. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” He gave His best so we can live abundantly. Every day is Valentine’s Day with Him! In the Father’s love, Judy The following is a longer version written in 2007 A Valentine from Heaven It was February 12, 1997, and from every angle my life looked wonderful; however, deep down I was miserable. When I woke up that morning, I realized I had come to the end of myself. I didn’t simply have a hole in my heart; there was a vacuum sucking the life out of me. I had tried in every way to “be a good person” and live my life in a way that would be pleasing to my fellow man, but the community works I was juggling did not fill the void in my soul. Though I had the right idea, I didn’t have the right motivation for what I was doing. At the end of the day I was still empty and longing for something, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was I needed. Every once in awhile I would get a glimpse that what I needed was the Lord, but in my “sorrow” I had rejected Him, so I had nowhere else to look but to the world. The more I looked to the world for comfort, the emptier I became. Instead of filling me, I seemed to have a perpetual leak. It was a terrible cycle that I could not seem to escape! Friday, February 08 2008
An Exhortation From The Heart Of Jesus To Yours: A Day of New Beginnings It is a day indeed of new beginnings. The promises of restoration will be seen in every aspect of your life as you submit yourself to Me. Remember, I reach into the depths of your woundedness and work My way out. Your idea of restoration is for Me to start from the outside and work My way in. This is not the way I work, Beloved. If I gave you everything you want or think you need on the outside, then you would forsake Me and never be healed on the inside. I Am much more concerned about developing your character by helping you go through the difficult storms of life, than to deliver you out of them. I look for the hidden things of the heart. I Am the One who discerns the motivations of man. I Am the Revealer of mysteries and secrets. I Am the One who breaks through the stopped up wells of your heart and allows the clean water to come forth. Drink deeply of My well, child, and see how I Am cleansing you from the inside will make everything on the outside look differently. Indeed this is a day of new beginnings. So embrace My inner cleansings, for if you refuse Me you will never enter My rest nor will you fulfill your destiny in Me. Come and sit with Me as I will surely show you a more excellent way to cleanse the wounds of your inner heart. Then you will rise up with wings as eagles and soar to places you can only dream of now. Come and see where I stay; come where I abide. Then you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Very truly yours Psalm 146:7; Joel 2:25-27; Hebrews 4:11; Isaiah 41:10; 58:12; Jeremiah 30:18; Malachi 4:6; Hosea 6:1; John 1:37-39; 8:32 Monday, February 04 2008
A Word From The Heart Of The Father: Arise My Holy Harvesters As the harvesters of the harvest arise, there will be a great paradigm shift toward My grace and mercy. My love shall be revealed to them and extended to the lost they seek to find. My holy harvesters will give My pure Word and not a fairytale gospel. Many of My holy harvesters are young, even children, but they have hearts like warriors and do not shrink back when I tell them to advance. Their very parents and mentors will be challenged to new levels of faith for being in their presence. Some will be in error when they call them "reckless." Reckless is one who jumps out of a plane with a snowboard seeking personal glory. I seek those whose hearts are courageous and who will turn to serve Me and My glory. I do not look for those who will continue to be reckless solely for the attention they draw to themselves. I want and look for those who are not afraid to go where I send them, say what I tell them to say, and obey My Word to the letter. They seek adventure and an adventure they will receive! Those who seek to be obedient to Me will receive a crown of glory. Some will accuse them of being out of control, but do not tether such as these when I Am calling them to soar! These harvesters, these arrows in My quiver, will surely obey Me. They have learned and will continue to learn to walk in My counsel. Their respect, reverence and love for Me is unshakable and unstoppable. They hear My voice and another they will not follow. There was a time that I had need of hirelings, though it was not My preference, it was necessary. Soon these will be replaced by My holy harvesters. These will protect My sheep from wolves and false shepherds. I can trust them to do My will and not their own. They do not seek Christian fame. They seek to bring their heavenly Father honor, glory and praise. My holy harvesters eat a steady diet of My bread and continually bathe in My Living Water. They readily learned to recognize the pitfalls of sin, and they make no excuse to join behavior that they know offends and grieves My Spirit. Sin they once winked at now makes them mourn and weep. These will go to the Threshing Floor of My Presence and intercede for their loved ones. They will stand in the gap for the lost souls that surround them. They will go to the nations. They will persevere and they will prevail over My enemies. My glory will be seen around and about them in the gross darkness of this world's system. They are the ones filled with My joy and when approached by My messengers with an assignment they will reply, "May it be done unto me according to Your will, Father." Arise My harvesters, arise! Arise, shine for your light has come! Be counted as those in Gideon's army. Arise and come forth into the destiny that I have planned for you. As you take My hand, I will walk with you to places you desire to go and even where you desire not to go. As with My sons in the book of Daniel, I will walk with you in the fire and you will not be burned nor will you smell of smoke. As with My daughter Esther, I will hold out My golden scepter and bid you to come and bring your petition. As with My servant Nehemiah, I will give you the plans and the blueprints of how to restore the broken walls of My church - My holy city. As with Abraham, I will show you where to go and greatly bless you and many nations will be blessed because you have obeyed My voice. I have many such examples, but I will leave you with one more. As I was with My Beloved Son Jesus, resurrecting Him out of the grave, so I will be with you. So do not fear, for I Am with you; do not be dismayed, for I Am your God. I will, I will, I will strengthen you, and I will uphold you in My righteous right hand. Be strong and of great courage for I have indeed chosen you. I will train you and I will send you where your heart yearns to go. You have My Word to guide you and My Spirit to teach you. You have faith in My name; you have the power of the Blood of Jesus and you have been given the authority to use it. As the king in the story of Esther gave her his signet ring, so I give you. Go now and reverse the evil decrees spoken against My beloved Church and seal it with the authority given you. Behold the fields are white and ready for harvest. Let those who sow in My fields rejoice with those who reap. Arise My holy harvesters, arise! Your Father Judges 7:2-7; Daniel 3:16-27; Esther 5:1-3; Genesis 12:1-2; 22:18; Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 1:38; Isaiah 41-5; 60:1-5; Joshua 1:6; John 4:35-36 As I write this, there is a story on the news that is the enemy's counter-attack to this word. They have discovered a video tape of young boys ages 6-14 being trained by AL Qaeda for jihad to kidnap, break into homes, torture and kill. They are exceptionally well armed. The Lord's holy harvesters will retaliate with the love of the Father, the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. The weapons of our warfare are not natural but they are mighty in pulling down strongholds of the enemy. We have read the end of the story and we know that God prevails and all who put their faith in Jesus will prevail with Him. Amen Please pray for these children - surely there are many in other such terrible places that need to be brought into the Kingdom of God for healing and restoration. Here are two links on this news story: Tuesday, January 15 2008
An Exhortation From The Heart Of Jesus To Yours: The Building of My Holy City I Am rebuilding the broken walls of My church. I Am bringing together those of like callings to work in concert to rebuild that specific side of the wall - that gate of My holy city. Do not think that because someone is not building on the same wall or at the same gate as you, that they are not in My will or following My plan. My blueprints are vast and no one "movement" would be able to finish what I Am building. The church must stop its mudslinging against other Christian denominations. They must cease from attacking another believer when they are called from their midst to work on another section of My wall for the building of My Church. Just because someone is building elsewhere does not mean they are out of My will. Nor are they slighting your work. This presumption must stop! My leaders need to be on the lookout for the lost and not take aim at those being called to work elsewhere. This pride and arrogance must be repented of in order to continue in the building of My church. If repentance does not come, those who are guilty will be found building their own kingdom, not Mine. I will not allow leaders that have the blood of My sheep on their hands to continue in My grace. If there is sheep or lamb's blood on your sword, meaning you have wounded the Body of Christ by misusing My Word, you will be held in stricter judgment. (See Isaiah 1:17; Matthew 13:30; James 3:1) Putting it in today's military terms: The friendly fire must end and it must end now. If you watch sheep you will see that when they are frightened they all move in one direction as though they were one animal in motion. Those who get separated or are unable to move with the flock are quickly picked out as prey for wolves. Many in places of leadership in the church have leveled accusations against the sheep for flocking from one [church] movement to the next, but it is the nature of sheep to flock to where they feel safe and where they believe they will be fed. If they discover they are no longer safe with the shepherd of their keeping or if they have received tainted food, they will flock to another. The shepherds watching over My Church have failed, in large measure, to recognize their part in this phenomenon. They quickly blame anything that comes to mind, but they fail to see that they have become "unsafe" in the eyes of the flock. In their ignorance they blame the sheep for biting, not knowing that sheep rarely bite unless strongly provoked to terror. Few of those with five fold ministry titles will admit to themselves that they have wounded and scarred My sheep. The reason they do not see this is because their eyes are focused on building their own kingdom and not Mine. They seek to establish their name instead of exalting Mine. These are hirelings posing as shepherds, but they are only interested in their welfare and not the sheep's. Others had genuine calls on their lives to shepherd My sheep, but instead of waiting for My Gatekeeper, My Holy Spirit, to open the Gate and lead them through Me, they jumped over the wall. In doing so, they have become thieves and robbers and they act as such. Shepherds of My flocks must be recognized by My Gatekeeper and wait to be invited to come through the Gate. They cannot come in some other way! I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father but through Me. (See John 10:1-18; 14:6) Those who will gather with Me and will cooperate with My Spirit will yield great harvests, but those who divide as they murmur, complain and grumble will find themselves lost in the desert wasteland. (Numbers 14:27-32; Luke 3:17; 11:23) There are many who I have been training who have sought My face in the secret place and they are willing to obey their Master and proclaim their King, "The Lord our Righteous" to the nations. I can quickly bring one down and raise one up who has not stiffened his neck as many leading My flocks are now doing. (Psalm 105:1-4; Luke 3:8; Matthew 28:18-20) I will, I will, I will remove their lampstands if their stiff necks do not turn back to Me and I will replace them with the ones who say, "Your will and not mine be done, Holy King and Master." (See Luke 22:42; Revelation 2:5) The building of My Church will not be stopped by man's selfish desires, but it will be accomplished by those who will turn from their desires to Mine. (Mark 4:18-20) "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture." "I will place shepherds over them who will tend them and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing." Jeremiah 23:1; 4 Listen only to those who have stood in My counsel and have proclaimed My words to My people. Those who tickle your ears will lead you to an unsafe edge, to a dangerous precipice. Do not allow them to tempt you away from the message of the Cross. The false prophets will tell you what you want to hear and you will be food for the wolves if you listen to them. There are two factions of which to beware as both of these are from the days of old. They have reared up in "prophetic circles" to mislead My sheep to follow their lures. The first will speak of fame and fortune. These speak of fleshly prosperity that is outside the purpose of My blessings. The second will speak of prophetic visions in which they curse their own land or the land of others. If their words bring no hope or plan of redemption to the nations, then they are not of Me. Did I not say I would be with you to the ends of the earth? I always give hope. I Am Redemption! (See Deuteronomy 23:4-6; Jude 1:11; Jeremiah 1:7; Psalms 10:4-7; 33:11; Acts 1:8; 20:30; Proverbs 11:25; 2 Timothy 4:3) I Am your Standard. Look to My life and to those who pick up their cross and follow Me. Many live very difficult and poverty stricken lives and are completely in My will. They drink from the cup that I give them. These are those who do not try to glamorize Christianity to win the lost. The lost will remain lost under the direction of the false shepherds and the cruel deception of their teachers will lead them to believe a false gospel. You must remain faithful to your pure and sincere devotion to the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. You must test the spirits to see if they are from Me. You will know them by their fruit if they are of My Holy Spirit or of another kind. (Matthew 20:22; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 5:13-26; 1 John 4:1) The builders with Nehemiah rebuilt the broken walls and gates of Jerusalem with a tool in one hand and wore a sword on their side. Half the men worked while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows, and armor to guard their positions. Those who carried the materials had supplies in one hand and kept a sword in the other. The work of the Lord had to be defended against His enemies. (See Nehemiah 4:16-18) It will be this way in the days to come and even in this hour. Fear not as the building of the Holy City will be successful. Be as My chosen leader and tell the enemy when he comes to distract you, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down." (Nehemiah 6:3) However, do take note of what briefly halted Nehemiah's work. It was the outcry of the poor that reached his ears that caused all work to cease. The poor were being taken advantage of by their own people. Some were even used as slaves. Nehemiah confronted those who acted in such a disgraceful manner who preyed on their own and made them poor. He admonished them that they were acting worse than their enemies and that they should walk in the fear of their God. He demanded they give back everything taken and made them swear an oath. He shook out the folds of his robe and said, "In this way, may God shake out of his house and possessions every one who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied." (See Nehemiah 5:1-13) Today I am issuing this warning to those who have been taking advantage of My people. I will remove what can be shaken - so that what cannot be shaken will remain. I Am a consuming fire. (See Hebrews 12:27-29) Follow My leading, Beloved, and wait on My Holy Spirit to open the Gate. Then you will have full access to the work and building at hand. Keep your eyes and ears open and seek those who have like callings. You will have different giftings but similar vision and your work together will enjoy greater success. You will be able to watch each other's back and keep the enemy from hindering your victory. Together your ability to build will be exponentially strengthened. I Am building My Holy City and it is My desire for you build it with Me and by My side. (See 1 Corinthians 3:9) Your Faithful Shepherd, Other Scriptures to consider: Wednesday, January 09 2008
An Exhortation From The Father's Heart To Yours: New Cloths New cloths are being sewn together. So many of My children do not feel they fit into the church. They have tried and some have been accused of being rebellious, but this is not it at all. They are new cloths trying to be fitted onto an old garment. I will take the new cloths and sew them together making a new garment - a coat of many colors. Some have called this "The Joseph Company" and this is that same group's garment. This is not about your age, Children, this is about the movement of your heart. You have always struggled to fit in and this is why. Rejoice that you are a new cloth and that I Am sewing and knitting you together. The older ones, who have fought with this their entire lives, will come out to teach the younger ones and the younger ones will not be made to sit. They will not be made to be trophies of men. They will be sown into the world and taught to go make disciples of Jesus, the Christ. The Joseph Company will be bold and fierce and Satan will tremble at their coming. Not since the days of Pentecost has anything been seen like this company of foot soldiers. They will heal the sick, they will cast out demons, they will raise the dead. They will not be taught disbelief but they will believe the Word of the Lord; and they will not falter. Strong evidence that these are sent by God Himself is that they will have an uncompromised walk of purity and holiness. They will walk in My image. They will not toy with sin, nor will they be persuaded to look at evil. They will not make excuses but will quickly repent. All sin will be renounced and they will walk with such power that even their mentors will tremble at the sight of their coming. They will bring a tangible "Fear of the Lord". God will be with the Joseph Company, and just as the world at the time of Joseph was saved from famine, nations will be saved from spiritual famine. They will bring spiritual milk, meat, bread, wine, and gold wherever they go. Stand and behold the awesomeness of their God and King - to Whom they will give all glory. Genesis 37:3; Genesis 41; Joel 2; Matthew 9:16; 28:18-20; John 3:16; Romans 13:14; Ephesians 4:14-16; 1 Peter 5:5-7; Revelation 18:4 |
