From Striving to Thriving!

It was 5 am and I had been up since 3 am. I had felt The Lord drawing me to the place of prayer, but my mind kept fighting me, telling me it was Sunday morning and I needed my strength and sleep for the day. Finally after slipping in and out of sleep and still feeling the same, I yielded to the drawing of the Lord and went down into my living room and got on my knees. This is not usually my meeting place with the Lord. Believe it or not, my meeting place is normally in my car in a hidden spot of the Wendy’s parking lot on Zeeb road with a little Misty Edwards playing through my stereo! There, with a cheap coffee in one hand and my bible in another, The Lord and I talk about a lot of things and I soak up the Son so to speak in the place of His Presence.

But for now, this would have to do. So, I turned up the heat some and got on the carpet. Amidst the cheerios and gold fish I found on the floor, I also suddenly sensed the Presence of The Lord. As I began to commune with The Lord, He began to speak to me. This is what He said to me.

“For you my son, I want to move you this year from striving to thriving, from working to living, from serving to loving. This is not the year of momentum. That was a good word, but not a word for the whole year like you have thought. This is a year of returning and rest, a year of incomprehensible love being poured out.”

As He spoke these words, they rang in my spirit like a bell and all of my being began to resonate with them. This is what the word of The Lord does; it awakens us. I felt it was a word for me personally, but also for us as a body here in Shekinah and at large.

Let’s highlight a few things He spoke for our benefit here in this article.

From Striving to Thriving; what does this look like? The definition of striving is this: To try very hard to do or achieve something, to devote serious effort or energy, to struggle in opposition. Doesn’t sound exactly exciting unless you are the type of person who likes to climb a mountain in a blizzard to drink from the frozen lake of magic waters and fight with wild mountain yaks and wolves along the way…wow, quite some imagery! Now, let’s look at the definition of Thriving: To grow vigorously, to gain in wealth or possessions, to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances. This sounds like a winner to me!

The Bible says that the enemy’s plan is to, “wear down the saints.” (See Daniel 7:25) When we strive, we work in the strength of man. When we come into God’s Presence and ride his wings of Glory, we start to thrive and there is no stopping us!

The second thing I want to highlight is that this is a year of incomprehensible love. Pastor Barbara has used the phrase outrageous love. There is so much going on in our nation right now that is directly opposed to that, but I believe that even in the midst of all the anger and injustice, that there will be a people who rise up to love like never before. Many times we look at things from what I would refer to as a “power grid”. Like everything flows from the place of who has the power, which person or organization has the numbers, who is popular, who has the influence, etc. However, I feel that in this season, God is shifting us from looking at things solely through the “power grid”. This type of perspective tends to look at things only on the surface. The place of love; outrageous, incomprehensible love, looks not at the outward, but at the heart. This is the season where God is not only looking at our hearts, he is calling us to look at the heart of the matter in all things; to see beyond what something may look like and move into a place of true knowing and discernment that unlocks hearts, lives, destinies and ultimately will bring the true change and transformation we have been looking for. God is love. The Bible says, “…as he is in the world, so are we.” (See 1 John 4:17) We are to reflect his nature in all of our actions, attitudes and perspectives.

Let us come into a pace of fresh encounter where we are literally overcome by the love of God which takes us from a place of striving, to thriving, from being worker bees, mindlessly doing more and more activity to those who are truly living the abundant life God called us to! Knowing the truth, which is love manifested in Jesus and it setting us and the world free.

Outrageous Love Unlocking Miracles

Outrageous Love Unlocking Miracles

By: Pastor Bernardine Daniels

“And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched him…” — Mark 1.41 KJV

Beloved, you and I have been granted the grace to live during a time when the Church, that is the saints of God, are called to arise and be radically conformed to the image of Jesus Christ as a demonstration of the power of God in the earth!  This is a picture of real discipleship!  Believers/disciples utterly transformed into the image of our Rabbi!  In other words, in this season, we are called to ‘abide’ in such a level of intimacy with our Lord — that we walk like Him!  We talk like Him!  Our minds conformed to His Word (because we have hidden it in our hearts), so we think like Him!  We spend so much time in His Presence (praying, praising, worshipping Him) that we see and do — just like Him.

It’s time for a paradigm shift.  A recognition that we are Beth’El, the very House of God!  Believers that ‘host His Presence.’  And our ‘hospitality’ activates the overflow of a ‘River of Life.’ — John 7.38

A part of the OVERFLOW being released in the earth today, is believers — everyday ordinary folk like you and me — manifesting miracles! That was a place to shout!   Believers/disciples manifesting the divine intervention of God in human affairs! Believers/true disciples manifesting the suspension of the ‘ordinary course of things’ — through the Name, Power and compassion of Jesus Christ.

Listen, we know that the Word of God has established:

• That the Name of God is ‘hallowed’ or holy — Matt. 6.9
• Through the Name of the Lord — demons are expelled, sickness is cured, blind eyes are opened, deaf ears unstopped, the weak are made strong, the poor are made rich, the lost are made whole — redeemed by the Lord…
• We are justified — in the Name of the Lord — 1 Cor. 6.11
• The Name of Jesus is above every other name — Phil. 2.9
• At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is indeed Lord — Phil. 2.10
• That when we pray to the Father — in the Name of the Son — according to the Will of God — He — will — answer…Jn. 14.13

You and I know — that the Word has established that:

• In Christ —we are anointed — we possess the miracle working – resurrection power of the Most High God!! This power will remove every ungodly yoke and utterly annihilate every burden — Isa: 10.27
• We have received power when the Holy Ghost comes upon us — Acts 1.8
• This power is given so that we might be ‘witnesses’ in all the earth — Acts 1.8 — establishing His Kingdom as we overthrow, uproot and tear down the demonic kingdoms/strongholds of this world system!

But one of the things that we have failed to grasp — one of the things that we have not fully known is the miracle power of God that flows from or through a yielded heart of compassion!!!  We as believers can, should, and will — in this season — activate and experience the reality of receiving and releasing miracles on a daily basis. We will do the things that Jesus did on a daily basis!  Wow! That’s another place to shout!

You could say it like this:

MIRACLES IN ME ~ MIRACLES FOR ME ~ MIRACLES THROUGH ME!

Jesus, being moved by compassion, caused miracles to happen when He walked the earth. The Word informs us in Malachi 3.6, that He is the Lord and He does not change.  Therefore today, as the body of Christ, we too are called to release miracles as we are moved by the Father’s heart of OUTRAGEOUS LOVE in us and through us!!!  You and I just have to learn to “see” with His eyes and love with His heart!   Take the time to read and meditate on Matt. 9.35-38, 14.14, 20.34; Mk. 1.40-41 and Lk. 10.33.  Did you see it?  Come on!  Did you notice an important key to Miracles? Here it is:  Whenever Jesus’ heart was ‘moved with compassion’ — MIRACLES followed!  His compassion (in us and through us) –His OUTRAGEOUS LOVE activates healing of the spirit (new life in Christ through repentance for sin), healing of the soul (inner healing and deliverance) and healing of the physical body!

You may ask — How do I activate what I carry in my ‘born again’ heart?  How do I activate and release His Compassion – His OUTRAGEOUS LOVE that unlocks healing and the miraculous?  It’s simple! You must…

• Hear the Word –Rom. 10.17
• Believe the Word in our hearts – Rom.10.8
• Confess the Word – Rom. 10.10, 2 Cor. 4.13
• Take a step of faith/action – James 1.22, 2.17

That’s right!  Hear it!  Believe it!  Say it!  Do it!  Then celebrate as OUTRAGEOUS LOVE UNLOCKS A LIFE OF MIRACLES! HALLELUJAH!

The Raging Fire of Revival

Barbara J. Yoder

When I awakened last Sunday (2/8/2015), I had my message all prepared. As I began to rehearse it, I felt I heard the Lord nudging me, “this isn’t what I planned.” I’m fairly sure of that voice now, yet still open to being wrong. I was running late and when I came right into the service, I thought, “Wow! Korea has come to Shekinah.” I could feel that underlying dynamic, the revival atmosphere. I knew it was going to be a ride, a ride on the back of King Jesus.

The worship team hit a God-slick and Adrianna was riding it for all it was worth. To some it seemed like repetitious gibberish. Yet when you know the sound of the Holy Spirit, I realized it was far more than that. Shekinah had shifted. People had shifted. Leaders had shifted. Most of all, God had shifted us into a whole new realm, a revival realm where anything can happen.

How did this happen? What has gone into our “getting there?” Multiple things. When I saw that tsunami of glory, I knew that first of all, we had to pray it in. And I knew how we had to pray it in. I realized many wouldn’t understand and even balk at that kind of prayer. However I had an experience in 1974 where I entered supernaturally into that realm of prayer, I felt it, experienced it and saw the results. I remember exactly where I was when I experienced it revelatorily. It is a type of travailing prayer that Scripture is very clear about. It is to be totally taken over by the Holy Spirit to where He begins to pray through us. It is to be possessed by God. However to the natural mind, it is revolting.

The New Testament Church knew that realm of prayer and saw miracle after miracle unfold. They were praying so loud and vigorously they didn’t even know Peter was at the door having been supernaturally delivered from prison.

Another factor is love, the kind which releases incredible unity. I’ve watched Shekinah move into a whole new place of love at every level. We care about each other, cheer each other on, see each other through the hard places, and openly express it. When we know we are loved, a peace, a settledness, the ability to put roots down occurs. Love is contagious. The pastors have an incredible relationship with each other. They love and honor one another. It must start at the top.

Perseverance plays a part. When we know God is up to something new, we have to keep persevering against all odds until we see what He has promised come to pass. The Israelites waited 70 years for the Babylonian captivity to be completed. Then Daniel and others persevered until they repossessed Jerusalem. The 120 waited in the Upper Room 10 days for the Promise of the Father, Pentecost. They followed His directions and didn’t back up. The mark of the apostolic NT Church was perseverance and the breaker anointing. They pressed all the way through. (James 5:16)

Hope deferred will cause us to give up prematurely, even back off of being real followers of Jesus emerging into lukewarm pew warmers. Disappointment, trials, hardships, deaths, devastation overtake us and we give up. Before the greatest breakthroughs are the greatest trials. The Body of Christ internationally has been under great duress for the last 7 years. But God! A biggie in this season is to not let hope deferred swallow us up. (Proverbs 13:12 Message Bible)

In 2011 I was struggling under unrelenting bombardment from just about everything and everybody. It had been ongoing. I wanted to give up so bad I could taste it. Yet I knew if I did, it wasn’t just about me, it was about everyone who was following me. I had a responsibility that was far greater than just myself. God asked me if I believed. I said, “Yes Lord, I believe.” He spoke to my heart to begin to declare the future in December of that year. Begin to declare it until the people began to start seeing it. For 6 months I preached to “dead people.” No one saw it, few if any believed. Yet I kept going. Finally a few began to catch it. I had to believe it first. There has to be a spark that starts a fire. Believing was that spark. (Luke 1:38)

Now, in February 2015, God has begun to spark this new breaking out of a revival spirit that will culminate in a raging fire that will engulf nations. It will create a new missions sending culture, sending people into our city, the state, nation and other nations to harvest the people. It will create radical love warriors who because of being overcome by Jesus’ love, move out in love to others. Deliverance, healing, salvation will quickly become common place as the revival catches on. It will fuel the last great harvest before Jesus returns. We are there. It is not coming, we are there.

Don’t just get your feet wet, but jump into the deep end. Ezekiel 47. What steps do you need to take to jump all the way in? What is holding you back? How are you limiting both yourself and God? Where are your fears, your unbelief, mindsets that are holding you back? It’s time to look at everything that is keeping us in an ordinary, nice cultural milieu instead of being radical followers of Jesus. I dare you to jump all the way in! You can do it and I want you with me all the way into the new.

The raging fire of revival has begun!