Oh How He loves us….

It has taken me a while to pluck up the courage to post this post. I was worried to share this as some people will think I am bragging or being ostentatious in sharing, but then I got to thinking what an opportunity this is to share about unmerited favour as followers of Christ and what it means to live under an open heaven.

Over the last 18 months we have had at least three different people speak words about increase, financial blessing and unusual favour over us as a family. One of the words even said that we would begin to feel embarrassed by God’s generosity and goodness to us as it would come in increasing measure. I shouldn’t really be surprised by God pouring out blessing on us – for years as church planters we laid down everything to do what we felt called to do at the time. We left family, homes, possessions to relocate nations and start from scratch. We lived at times with plenty and other times with nothing. Never once did we begrudge the fact that we had given it all up. Well according to scripture when we do this it is like sowing into a heavenly bank account and now we are receiving an embarrassing amount of blessing and favour back.

I believe this has come back to us because our mindsets have shifted. We no longer view the world through lenses of lack, but we have had revelation of being heirs and sons of God – royalty in His kingdom and that His kingdom is ours to access now on earth not only when we one day get to heaven. When you see yourself as rich and an heir – blessing is attracted to you, so I’ve discovered. This has been so obvious to me in the last month. Even little thoughts in my head or little conversations with my 5 year old have come to being because God loves us and wants to bless. If you think God puts obstacles or hardship in front of you to test and refine your character then you have it all wrong -He already knows our weaknesses but chooses to see our potential – why? –  because of Jesus and what He did for us – we are now the righteousness of Christ!!

So what has been happening to us? – this testimony is not to brag but to glorify God as everything that has come our way is because of blessing, love, grace and faithfulness – not because we have even asked or because we deserve it – simply because God is good all the time.

In the last 5 weeks this is what has come our way:

• A 7 seater van given to us by a family who were immigrating.
• 4 bar stools that were given to us after my 5 year old declared that we really needed special chairs at our kitchen counter. God answered his prayer in 3 days.
• Over $450 given to us by various anonymous love gifts.
• Hubby and I have been taken out to dinner once and given a $100 dinner voucher for our anniversary coming up soon.
• A treadmill loaned to hubby to train on through the winter for his Ironman dream.
• A bottle of expensive perfume given to me 3 days after I thought to myself that I would love some nice perfume.
• A brand new stainless steel dishwasher delivered to my door as a gift from someone.
• two brand new cream leather couches that friends decided they didn’t like and we should have to replace some of our second hand couches.

As I am typing all this it even sounds ridiculous to me and a little unbelievable. We have been spending a lot of time loving on people here in our new church context -seeing the goodness and potential in them and when we truly love others it is like the glory realm pours down from heaven and with it comes prosperity, favour, love, revelation and a whole lot more – God has overwhelmed us with His goodness – I am so looking forward to being able to pour blessing on others more and more in the future. He is teaching us valuable lessons right now -lessons I hope we can teach others soon. If you are reading this I am going to pray that your mindset is changed to believe that God wants to bring blessing and favour to you and your family -receive it now by faith and trust Him to open the heavens over you right now – thank Him for things as you declare them into being. May favour and blessing follow you all the days of your life!!

The meaning of love…

God has really been showing me more about His love and how this key is vital in seeing the kingdom operating through us as His people. On the weekend I went to a bridal shower for one of the ladies in our church. At one point in the evening we had to go around the circle and say something good and encouraging to her about herself. I watched with interest what people said. A few people who had known her for a while and who had dealt with her through some difficult issues found it quite difficult to come up with things and although they said nice things, I could tell that they had had to dig deep to find the words and I wondered then whether they were really genuine words. When it came to my turn I just shared my heart. I thanked her for sharing her life with hubby and I (as we had done the pre-marriage counselling) and affirmed her for being a valuable and very precious member of our homegroup. Within seconds she was crying (which really wasn’t my intention) but it suddenly dawned on me that all we are called to do is to love people for who they are. That is it!! We are all just meant to reflect the Father’s love to people – not to judge them. God clearly showed me that when we know people’s history and past mistakes that it can be difficult to find good in them and to affirm them, but because I haven’t known all her history and seen her behaviour in certain situations, for me it was easy. I could encourage her in how far she had come and just love her for who she was. The Father showed me that if He looked at us always based on our past mess ups and mistakes that He too would have a hard time finding anything valuable and good in us, but we know that He never looks at us this way – He chooses to remove our sin and remember it no more. His love is pure love and precious. This is the kind of love that He wants us to have for people – a love that protects, a love that covers and honours people, a love that will bring people into restoration and not judgement, a love that sees the potential in people and not their past failures and yet as people we often find that so hard to do – why is that? Could it be that we don’t see ourselves as worthy of receiving this from a Holy God and so we project our insecurities onto others by the way we treat them?

So if anything I am learning that Love is the greatest thing we have and that all we are called to do is love – leadership is great and important, but if we have not true love then it falls flat. people are not fools – they know when they are truly valued and loved – true love never fails.

Children can hear God too…

It was my turn on Sunday to lead the children’s church and as always, even though I am a trained teacher, I was dreading it!! It’s not so much the teaching as the wondering at the end of the time whether anything at all had been learned by the children. For awhile now we have been endeavouring  to teach the children about the kingdom of heaven and how to access heaven and move in signs, wonders and miracles. We have covered topics like Hearing the voice of God, Activating your spiritual senses, who they are in Christ, healing etc. We have quite a few boys in the class and their ability to sit still for more that 10 minutes is sorely challenged. So I woke up on Sunday morning and prayed for God to give me God ideas as I taught. When I started the class it was the usual scenario. After 1 minute of talking to the kids a little boy said to me, “Are you nearly finished and when are we going to do something else?” Talk about a put down. Nonetheless the content I was teaching them – about how to use their spiritual senses to pick up what God was saying was important so I ploughed on. As I was talking (they were seated on chairs at two tables pushed together and I was standing) a pale yellow angel feather materialized right in front of me and floated gently down to the table. Now before you think I am insane, this has happened to hubby and I in various contexts as well as in our home fairly frequently. It is usually when we need encouragement or God is just lavishing us with His love. A few years ago I myself would have scoffed at this, but we now have a feather collection that is growing. This is the second pale yellow, whispery feather I have received. Immediately I pointed out the feather to the children and they were suddenly captivated. God was amongst us and showing us supernaturally. Michaela (my daughter) confirmed the angelic presence in the room when she exclaimed,” I can see angels Mum, they are moving along the back of the room. In the last month, God has been opening her eyes to the angelic presence and she has been seeing their presence. This changed the whole lesson with the kids as they had experienced God in a new way. Now they were keen to listen and to try activating their senses. As we tried various activities they seemed to get better and better at sensing and hearing God’s promptings. Eventually we ended the session where I gave them time to put their heads down and ask God for a picture to draw as an encouragement to Gary and Debbie (leaders of the church). Each child drew a picture and then explained it to me – I was amazed at what they drew. Some of them didn’t know why they drew certain things but they were obedient anyway with amazing results. One little girl just drew a rainbow fish with it’s friends because she had heard the story at school that week and God brought that to memory. She didn’t realize that Debbie had had a prophetic word that week about a fish that was full of colours.  Zoe ( my youngest) drew a picture of a jug of oil being poured over their heads but she saw them as one person – half man and half woman – with a golden river flowing  from them and an angel and God watching over them. She didn’t know that Gary preached that very morning about the Godhead being one with us and intertwined with us as a team so that we can release the kingdom. Another little boy drew a picture of rain falling on an poor man and an angel healing another man. he drew a pond of fish as well in his drawing although he didn’t know why. Quite a few of the children drew angels and golden rivers that some said were “good things going to happen”. Clearly our children can see and hear God – we just need to give them the forum to be able to step out and exercise their senses and gifts. The morning turned out to be so much more than I expected – not because I had a well planned activity – in fact I hadn’t planned this activity – I felt God prompt me to go that way. What really ignited them was the move of the supernatural and the angelic – when the kids experienced it they became hungry for more. God is good all the time!!

Soaking…

When I first heard this term I almost giggled in scorn… soaking what the heck was that?? I first heard of this when hubby came home one day from a supernatural school he was attending at church  and told me with a confused look on his face that they had been told to bring a pillow to church for the next session as they were going to be soaking!! We were both a bit bemused to say the least. Nevertheless hubby did as he was told and duly learned how to soak!! He came home with amazing stories of encountering God in an amazing way and having his hands covered in gold dust. He was astounded – never before had he experienced God in this way or known that he could draw so close to God this way. So soaking has become something we have grown into as a couple and we try to make time to soak. In fact this has become a favourite past time of mine. I feel the need to soak regularly as it is my way of recharging my batteries and being with my heavenly Dad/Jesus/ Holy Spirit ( I can’t really separate them) and I have started having amazing encounters in these times. So if you are still reading after wondering what this crazy lady is on about, this is what soaking is.

Soaking is simply taking the time to quieten yourself down and to lie/sit (whatever comfortable position you can find)  in the presence of God aided by Holy Spirit inspired music which may be instrumental or have singing. As you begin to focus on Him and open yourself to His leading and guiding he is able to show you amazing things. Hubby and I have come to realise more and more that as believers we are able to access heavenly realms now while we are on earth. For too long we believed we were humans on the natural earth with a spirit. WRONG!!! We know now that we are supernatural beings/spirits having a natural existence for a period of time. Jesus says that He did only that which He saw the Father doing – how was that possible if He was a man on the earth – well He drew aside and spent time with the Father (He soaked!!) and as He did that so he was able to access heavenly realms and see what the father was doing. Jesus said we would do what He did and more, so nothing He did is off limits to us as believers – in fact we should be doing it. So soaking is simply my spirit connecting with the One who loves me like no other spirit- heart to heart!!

During these times I have had dreams that God has spoken to me in, I have been caught up to places in the spirit where He has just loved me, I have been up in the galaxies looking at the stars, I have sat on Jesus’ lap in the heavens and sometimes I have just felt waves of love washing over me. The last time I soaked (with a group of ladies from church in my home) I felt the heart of God. I saw crumbling buildings and falling bricks. I saw Christchurch ( not a prophetic vision – this was a couple of days after the earthquake) but I saw Jesus watching the devastation and weeping over the broken and grieving. I felt such a burden and compassion for the people in the city. I really felt like Jesus was weeping for His beloved but also for all those who were criticizing and saying that God was judging the city for sin. Clearly they have no concept of who He is. Yes the city was judged, as each of us was, the day Jesus went to the cross. It has been done two thousand years ago – God is not wreaking vengeance on His people – Jesus did it for us once and for all!! I believe that out of this soaking time and encounter that God showed me His heart of love, compassion and absolute devotion to His creation.

Soaking is so personal – just like meat is marinaded in sauce to flavour and tenderise it, so that is what soaking does for our spirits. It  brings flavour by the kingdom of heaven invading our spirits so that it overflows into the world we move and live in. That is how we are the salt and the light – not by preaching religious sermons to people or making them feel judged but the kingdom and His glory radiating from us – “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). Soaking tenderises our souls and spirits as we feel accepted, loved by Him as we connect which again overflows to others – we will reach the world with His love, not judgement.

Initially soaking can be difficult as we are always rushing around in this busy world. He loves it when we wait on Him – this is an interactive activity – even waiting is interactive as we seek Him in a place of quiet. Try this: Put on some inspirational music and get comfortable. Close your eyes and quieten your spirit as you focus on Jesus. Thinking of a place you would like to be may help but think on Him, start to whisper sweet words to Him – tell Him what you think of Him. Listen to the music and let your imagination be active. Flow with the spontaneous thoughts and pictures that pop into your mind. Ask Holy Spirit to show you what they mean. The most vital part of soaking is believing that you can hear the voice of God and receiving every thought, picture as a valid encounter. Write down what comes to you so that God can show you more when you next soak or reveal it to you in greater revelation. This becomes easier as you practice the presence of God. The more time you spend in intimacy with Him, the more clearly your spiritual senses will perceive. Like any relationship, time, communication and intimacy are vital for health – so it is with our relationship with Jesus.

Be blessed as you soak!  A helpful resource I use is Julie True’s music – she has a website with albums that can be bought as MP3′s for a small cost as well as an online healing room.

A Story of Love

He waited, craning his neck, looking at the horizon that seemed to shimmer and dance in the heat. For many days and weeks he had looked and waited, hoping and eagerly anticipating the figure he so longed to see. His heart ached again as he looked at the empty horizon and a tear trickled down his weathered face. A piece of him was missing and he so wanted it back. He would never give up hope of seeing her beloved face again. Day after day he looked and waited, wishing her back to him. As he sadly shook his head and began to turn away, movement caught his eye. He looked up quickly, his heart somersaulting in his chest. A butterfly flitted by and his disappointment was etched on his countenance. Then he saw her. She looked tired and weak dragging her feet like leaden weights over the dusty hill. Her posture spoke volumes. He saw the defeated slump of her shoulders and how her head drooped in shame and failure and his heart swelled with love for her. She had come home. Quickly he ran from the homestead and out onto the dusty road that wound its way up the hill. He ran as though his very life depended on it. As he appraoched her he could smell the stench of unworthiness and the fear in her, but none of it mattered to Him. She could not look him in the eye and she cast her eyes downward at the stony ground like a child waiting to be chastised. She waited for his words of anger and rejection but they didn’t come. When she looked up into his face she saw the face of love. He flung his arms around her in a love embrace, nestling his face into her neck and kissing her tenderly, breathing in all the fear, rejection, self-loathing and shame and replacing it with unconditional acceptance. Her tears flowed down onto his shoulder as she asked for forgiveness and promised she would try harder and would work harder to make the relationship work. He listened for a brief while and then placed his finger over her lips to silence her. He carried her the last few steps up to the homestead and called for his servants to bring her his robe and his treasured possessions. As she looked in confusion up to him he smiled the smile of pure love and acceptance. Her heart broke again and she cried, “I’m sorry Daddy, I’ve let you down.” He wiped her tears away, hugged her and said “Welcome home my daughter – you could never disappoint me for I love you more than life itself and everything I have is yours. As his words sank into her mind and into her heart she felt secure and safer than she had in a long time. She was home and looking into the eyes of love.

The last few years God has been making this a reality to me as I read the story of the Prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. In a sense I have walked this very road, and even though it has not been a road of rebellion and walking away from God, I have understood this journey simply because I have not understood the Father’s love for me and how precious I am to Him. I had a  wrong perception of God and viewed Him as being stern and so Holy that my mistakes would require Him to judge me and for me to have to work harder to receive His acceptance and love. This left me feeling unworthy and feeling guilty or never good enough to please Him when actually all He wanted was for me to come to him and receive the unconditional love that He has for me. This is a journey I have learned and now that His love has become real to me, I never want to be anywhere else other than His presence. He feels the same way about you and He really wants a relationship with you – it’s not about rules that have to be followed and laws that will keep you in bondage – it is all about a creator who wants to know you and wants to know your struggles. How he loves us and longs for us to want Him. It is not a sign of weakness to need Him – rather it takes great courage and trust and admit that we need Him and his love in our lives.

2011

It is a new year – the time to make a fresh start if the last year wasn’t a great one for you. I have realized that just as we have the opportunity to begin each year with fresh vision and fresh hope as though a line between the new and the old year is drawn in the sand, so we are able to start afresh and anew each time we make a mistake or mess up as we all do at times. This is only because our heavenly Father drew a line in the sand when Jesus came and surrendered all when He took our sicknesses and sin and carried them to and through the cross. The line was drawn, and so no matter what we do, there is nothing that can separate us from Him and nothing that can be so bad that it was not taken care of and finished at the cross. We are therefore righteous and we are able to move past our idiosyncrasies because a price was paid for us. So this year is a clean, new fresh slate for you. What do you want from this year? What are your dreams ? They are able to be yours if you just believe and if you are willing to declare them into being. These are some of my dreams. I am putting them down here as a testimony so that when I share how they have come to pass, it will be a witness to many.

2011 Dreams:

• To own our own home
• To see our debt dissolved/cancelled/gone!!
• To own two cars (this could be a reality very soon)
• To see my book self-published
• To travel to India and be part of an outreach.
• To become slimmer and healthy

These are just a few of my desires – they are not spiritual, but I have realized that Jesus wants to bless us and see us living life fully – this does not mean that they are worldly or ungodly. For too long the church has seen having desires as evil if they aren’t about beating our flesh into submission. Our flesh is in submission already if Christ is in you, the hope of glory. So my challenge would be for you to dream BIG this next year – expect God to do great things in your life and through your life – whatever those dreams might be. Be blessed!!

The power of declaration….

It has been a while since I posted last – a crazy November month gone in the blink of an eye and the end of the year descends on us. I have been thinking about the last year in our lives and all that God has done for us. His goodness to us has overwhelmed me as I recall how we have been blessed and how He has restored our dignity and integrity and I am truly grateful for being His. We have been restored into a beautiful church family as part of an incredible leadership team, we have been blessed with a lovely, spacious home at a fantastic rent, we have seen our children flourish and make good friends, we have been given a car and a household of furniture and appliances. Hubby has been given a dream job next year – the list goes on and on. God has been teaching me this year to believe Him for more and to ask for more. Every time I wanted to ask for financial help or anything material, I would feel guilty and almost as though I couldn’t especially when there are millions starving and desperate for bread and water. God has had to really break this mindset in me and show me that He is Jehovah Jireh and there is enough for everyone. I cannot minister to the poor with compassion and love if I have a poverty, orphan spirit. In the spirit, I will impart the wrong things – you give away what you have when you minister and if I am full of poverty then that is what I will give to others. So He has been speaking to me in dreams over the last few weeks and clearly in my spirit. I have been dreaming of gems falling for weeks. Initially it was a gem or two, but then I started to dream of hundreds of jewels falling, there were so many in my dream that we were sifting through them like sea shells on the shore. I felt God say to me that provision and abundance were coming our way – that all we had sown in ministry over the last few years was going to reap a harvest. He began to stir me not to ask but to declare and decree – to access heaven and call it down. My prayers have shifted from, “Please Lord, can you….” to “Thank you Jesus that we are seated in heavenly places with you, that we have access to your kingdom, that we can see heaven come to earth right now in our lives, in our finances…. “ 
A few weeks ago I began to really start calling back all the finance that the locust has eaten and within a few days I found money from an unusual source arrived in our bank account. This was enough to pay for the kids school fees and books for next year – something I had been worrying about. I sat down and wrote a goal list for next year. On that list I had another family car as we only have the one car. A week or so later someone we know came and told us that in the new year they will be looking to buy a new car. They had felt God prompting them to give us their old car. This totally blew me away. Two cars given to us in one year – this is not coincidence – God is so good!!!  I have been believing God that we will own our own home soon – in the natural it looks impossible, but as I begin to speak it out in faith, so I believe He is releasing from heaven the wealth and ability for that to happen for us. I look forward to testifying again to God’s goodness and faithfulness. As Bill Johnson says, “If it matters to you, then it matters to God!”  Be blessed and as you delare things that are not as though they were, may miracles break forth in your situation.

Setting our minds….

Have you ever felt challenges or opposition come when there is increase or restoration or revelation of truth that comes your way? I am sure that we can all say a loud YES to that – inevitably we go through these moments when things change and we move a step on in God, in growth and maturity. It is as though the enemy tries to have a feeble dig at us and shake the very belief we have in our God. The sad thing is that sometimes he manages to make us stumble momentarily as we waver in faith. This was the moment I had this week and again I had to remind myself that the truth was not what I was dealing with but that the truth was that I am seated in heavenly places with Christ and that His kingdom is increasing in the earth daily. Last weekend we were restored back into church leadership as pastors. I felt very nervous and even a little terrified at this after all we had been through, but I believe God when He says that it will be different for us this time. The fact that we were restored was the amazing thing to me and for which I am grateful to God for His goodness and for His word to us that He would restore our integrity and vindicate us. It was a joyous time just for that reason – He is faithful to His word. However this week was a week of challenge. I have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes this week and that has emotionally drained me a little, and then something from our past came up this week (the ghost of Christmas past!!) and immediately I felt those feelings of insecurity, intimidation and guilt wrap me up again and try to suffocate me. I find it no coincidence that this happened this week. Holy Spirit is so good to me – he reminded me again who I am in Jesus and that I don’t have to settle for feeling worthless and poor – I am a daughter and royalty – someone Jesus willingly gave His life for, and so I can have the victory in my emotions and perceptions and victory in my health. Choosing how we think and how we perceive things is a vital aspect in walking in victory and releasing the kingdom around us. I learned again this week that we need to guard our hearts and minds and set our thoughts on heavenly things as the enemy prowls like a roaring lion even though he is totally defeated. The more we seek Him and think on what is lovely and holy and good, the more we are able to ignore these arrows that he shoots at us. It is like putting armour on. God reminded me of the Chilean miners who had been trapped for 9 weeks underground with no light and limited supplies. What enabled them to keep their spirits up and to stay strong and to keep their minds sane? I believe it was this:

• They knew they had people who loved them and were waiting in eager anticipation for their return.When we know we are loved by God and He eagerly waits for us to come to Him each day then we can stay focussed too.
• They encouraged one another. When we encourage others we release God’s love and kingdom into their hearts and lives and we become encouraged too.
• They knew that what they were experiencing was not true reality – there was a world up top that was reality and they put their hope and focus on that place and not their circumstances. When we realise that we live in heavenly realms even though we are on earth, we are able to not let our circumstances get to us as we know that our reality is not always what we see or experience, but rather that which God says about us.
• They knew that rescue was on the way. When we know that we have been rescued and a way has been made for us through Jesus then we perceive things differently – we have a hope and a future.

God teaches us in so many ways and so even though I have had a crazy week, I can still rejoice because I have a friend called Jesus.  Be blessed!!

The Power of Worship

Worship is a powerful thing and enables us to connect with our Father in a supernatural way. It is not merely about singing songs that will bless Him. We have even been taught in the past (and wrongly I now believe) that worship ushers His presence in and draws His presence to us from above. This mindset although it sounds good makes us think that He is up there and far away and I am down here – two separate worlds away. I have been reading scripture through different lenses and my understanding has changed. We are never apart – because when we receive His salvation then we become co-heirs and seated with Christ in heavenly places as scripture tells us. If this is so then he is in us and His kingdom is in us and works through us. So we never have to seek Him or call Him to come from afar. He is with us always and in us and so we welcome Him rather than ask Him to come and presence himself. We just draw close to him and worship is a key to drawing near. Colossians 3 tells us to come up to Him – He wants us to remember that we are seated in heavenly places and that we can ascend the hill of the Lord – we have that ability and right as heirs.

Worship that comes from a pure and a true heart is a beautiful thing. It brings healing, restoration, gives and releases power to us as believers and lifts our souls to be strengthened in His glory. True worship can never be structured to a program  where the odd little song in between our church programs is sung. Rather it requires us to set our minds on heavenly places and forget about our earthly worries as we focus on Him and enjoy His presence. We need to even to relinquish control over our minds so that we allow Him to take us places and show us treasures and secrets of His kingdom. Too long the church has been fearful of allowing their imaginations to be exercised and used as we worry the devil will deceive us – GOOD GRIEF!! That means that we believe the devil has more power than Jesus and that the cross accomplished nothing!! Nothing can snatch you from the hand of Jesus – it was finished at the cross!!

Worship done this way is exciting and fulfilling. It produces fruit as we encounter Jesus in a real way. Give it a try when you are alone at home – pop on your ipod or cd player and soak in His presence. Ask Him to show you things you haven’t seen before – ask Him to give you new or greater revelation and spend some time with Him. You will be amazed as you practice this what He will show you

Be Blessed

Caroline

Where to now…

I have procrastinated on blogging this post as I don’t feel it is really important in the sense of what we are doing – the only reason I am sharing this is to let our family know what is happening in our lives and to encourage other friends who have been through some tough times over the last year or so that God does indeed restore and redeem and vindicate when we seek Him and trust Him with our lives. Our news is that we are going to be joining the pastoral team of the church we are in  and this will be happening in October. Hubby will continue with his teaching but we will be pastoring as well. In the past this would have been a big deal for us and we would have felt that it was a promotion (even though we wouldn’t have used those terms) but after all we have been through over the last few years this has no longer been our goal or aim. Our main goal has been to see God’s kingdom come in greater reality and measure and that is where our passion lies. In saying that though, God does not let us get away with lazing about if He has  called us to something else. That is where we are at – we are called to lead in some way and we can’t keep pretending that it isn’t meant to be so. This word was spoken over us last week by another pastor in Melbourne who knows nothing about our lives – isn’t it good when God confirms things through others?

Caroline, the Lord is saying to you Yes again, Yes again, Yes again,  from the response of “Lord not again”, He says Yes again, but the Lord says it is different this time because you are surrounded by those who are for you, not those who are watching you, you are surrounded by those who are to hold you up, not scrutinise you. And the Lord says you have come into a place of honour where no longer are you a support but the Lord says you stand equal, and where you have even experienced in the past, it is almost like you have been the strength you have been the one who has always had to up-gird always had to fend always being in that place of protection the Lord says now you will stand together and it will be so different for you because there will be a release not just to you but a release for you and through you, and it’s going to be that place even when you have felt there has been a sacrifice of even the glue of your family and even things happened past that you have felt the effect on your family and them fears have been coming up even in you in these recent weeks and recent months saying God we don’t want to go through something else again but the Lord says I have brought you here for such a time as this to bring you into that place of fulfilling even what I wanted to fulfil with you in New Zealand, in South Africa, and there is one other nation and I don’t where that is but there is one other nation the Lord took you to and He wanted to fulfil something in you and it was in that place where the Lord was releasing you and I really believe that it is out of that place of knowing that God has brought you into a place of security that those who are for you are greater than those who are against you and no longer will you be in a place of sacrificing family and friendship but it will be a time of being an embracer of family and friendship. 

 

Hami, I heard the Lord say that no longer will you need to qualify yourself, no longer will you need to be qualified because the Lord has brought you into that place of recognising it’s not what you know it is who you know and it is no longer a time of performance but it is a time of presence and it is that place of every time that every step you made and every choice you made was out of a place of pleasing the Lord says will be out of a place of pleasure. No longer will you see yourself in trying to please the affairs of others but the Lord says you will be in the place of being the pleasure of the Lord and the Lord says and I just hear that verse that it pleased the Lord that in him all the fullness should dwell, and the Lord says there is a fullness that is being released to you right now because there has been a season and there has been seasons of half measure where literally you have been sold short every time, every time that you have felt that have been stepping into fullness it was almost like cut off  – there were deals there were different things which sold you short and the Lord says now it is fullness, now you will come into the fullness, no longer will you be in a place of wearing Sauls armour but the Lord says you will be equipped by me and through me says the Lord and it is not going to be a time where you have to conform to the wisdom of men no longer because the Lord says you will be transformed by the power of God and it’s going to be what you have yearned for. Even in the late 90′s coming into 2000′s there were declarations there were dedications there were things you even said before the Lord and the Lord says that has become a memorial before me that will now become a mission to you and literally what has become what you thought was rusted and eaten by moth the Lord says realise that you stored up in heavenly places for such a time as this to be released into earthly encounters says the Lord and there has been a time where you felt that what you sowed what you laid down would never be taken back but the Lord says turn your eyes because I have placed you in another field that is not of others but is of yourself and the Lord says out of the ground at your feet out of the ground of your field will come them things that you have sowed in other fields and they will be reaped in your field and there has been a time that you have even regretted doing some things the Lord says this is not a time of regret but a time or realisation and acceptance of them things that you thought were lost but now are found that you thought were gone but now have been revealed and I really felt yeah that it’s time for that double portion it’s time for that 7 fold over you and this is not revelation this is even confirmation of the things that the Lord has said to you and the Lord wants to remind you of an encounter or a word that He released to you when you came through the gates of Australia there was something that happened to you there was something that happened in the spirit that will become a remembrance to you and I really believe that it was something that was said that seemed so out there that you have even been afraid to share it with others things that the Lord has shown you that have even been afraid to tell others because you think that people will think you are crazy the Lord says the days are now upon us where those stories may be told.

 

Isn’t that an awesome  word – so encouraging. For those of you who don’t know our story it couldn’t be truer for us, all that was said. I have been digging in my heels and saying “not again Lord – it’s not important to me anymore.” Well the Lord has shown me over the last few weeks that my desire for no profile is not about me – it’s good that I don’t feel proud about it, but at the same time it isn’t for me but for the others He has called us to inspire and encourage. I guess I see things a little differently. We know we are in a great leadership – different to anything we have ever experienced before and it has been so freeing for us. I still tussle between issues like living frugally  and having too much, but even now God has shown me that we are a blessed people (and as sons and daughters we should be) and that He does not want us to be living with a poverty mentality. It is okay to have nice things and to enjoy life – we need to live in that tension while having a heart and compassion for the poor and the lost and helping them where we can. Hubby is so excited – looks like he will be making his first trip to South India in January to be a blessing – wish I were going too!! So for all of us who have had seasons of heartache and pruning – hang in there – God does show us a way through – I am grateful for all that God has done in us over the last 3 years and even though it has been painful, it has been incredibly fruitful for us.