Tag Archives: weeds

Devotionals, Letters

The Pilgrimgram 2016-07-07 09:37:00

Has someone brought this up to you before?

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

That's the King James for 2Timothy 2:15, and people often bring this up as a justification for their fascination with the Old Covenant, or to reinforce their point that you have to earn favor.

There's so much Scriptural bastardry in how we've taught this verse. I'm kind of embarrassed.

First, "Study" in 1611, when King Jimmy commissioned his translation meant what the Greek word σπουδάζω means, but in 21st Century English, it's "be diligent," or "do your best." It has nothing to do with academic study.

Second, παρίστημι, "show yourself" in 1611, is more about "Show what you're really like," not "work for your approval."

"Approved" speaks of a coin that's been shown to be real silver, not lead or tin: this is the real thing. Again, "Show what you're really like."

So the whole thing is more about, "Be careful to let who you really are show." The idea of "Don't hide God's delight in you" is there as well.

We could go on.

This is probably why the NIV (the "Nearly Inspired Version" lol) translates it as "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

For decades, this verse was used as a club, justifying church rules and expectations, requiring my suffering sweat in order to be acceptable.

Don't let people use the Bible as a club. It's a love letter from a lovesick Daddy who wants his kids back. Anybody that uses Scripture to control others is a good person to pray for, but not a good person to follow.

But bottom line: Be yourself. Be really yourself.
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Devotionals, Letters

The Fighter’s Regrets

Have you ever woken up with a song floating through the fog in your mind? Sometimes I think that’s just an echo of a dream or a memory, particularly if it’s a song I’ve heard or sung recently.

How about a song from your ancient history in your mind as you woke? I actually pay more attention to these; there’s less chance that it’s just my subconscious expressing itself.

I’d like to share one of these with you. You may find the process interesting, but I believe the lesson might apply to several of us.

Recently, I woke up with a song from my youth playing in my mind, and trust me, that’s from a long time ago. The song had nothing to do with the dream as far as I could tell, and I could only remember snippets of it – really only one phrase.

But that phrase kept replaying in my mind: that caught my attention. And as it replayed, my memory of the lyrics grew. This also suggested to me that this might be from God. So I spoke with Father about it, acknowledging that I thought he might be up to something; I asked for insight, and I paid attention as the memory of the song replayed and expanded in my mind.


Some themes began to stand out in the lyrics that kept playing in my memory. One of them definitely seemed to have the fragrance of my Father about it, so I meditated on that one. That is, I thought about it; I let it roll around in my mind to see what might come from it.

When my mind began to warm up (you know, I really appreciate the fact that God invented coffee!), I fired up Google and looked into it a bit more. And I realized that even after my memory had been playing it back for an hour or two, I had remembered only one verse out of five; the rest hadn’t come back to me, though those verses had actually been more important to me when the song was new.

Here’s the song: https://youtu.be/MYPJOCxSUFc. It’s called The Boxer, by Simon & Garfunkel. It was the last verse alone that spoke to me through the morning fog:

In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down
And cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”
But the fighter still remains*

This verse had literally never made sense to me, but suddenly, there was a message in it for me.

It speaks to me, but I’d like to share it with you, because I suspect it might speak to other, too, and maybe that includes you.

I confess: I’m a man of fairly strong conviction. I stand up for those convictions, and it’s not inappropriate to say that I fight to maintain them. If I believe something to be true, I’ll fight to defend it.

Father gently pointed out that I, too, carry reminders of those fights, reminders, I suppose, every glove that laid me down or cut me till I cried out. I’ve paid a price to defend my convictions. Like the fighter in the song, the price has been paid in several areas of my life: in my memories, in my body carrying the stress, in the solitude that comes from having lost relationships.

Then he drew my attention to the fighter’s vow, and that I’ve made vows like that as well: “I am leaving, I am leaving” but I don’t leave. I remain. I still defend my beliefs, my convictions, and I’m still laid down and cut up sometimes. I’m still wounded from the fights that I am convinced are right and good. And they still bring the fruits of “anger and shame” into my life, just like they did in his.

(Didn’t someone say “You shall know them by their fruit”?  Hmmm....)

This is something that’s come partly from my character (I believe that standing up for “what is true” is important), partly from my youth (I was taught that truth is important and should be stood up for).

But this fight may have been fanned into the biggest flame from my years in Bible-believing churches. “This is what I believe to be true, so I must defend it at all costs.” We teach that, we believe that, in many evangelical churches, and while we defend different truths in denominational churches, we still defend them vigorously.

Think about how Christians respond when a movie comes that we don’t like out (remember Russell Crowe’s Noah?). Consider how Christians respond to “The Homosexual Agenda” or to political candidates, or to the abortion issue.

We’re taught to fight. And we do fight. Vigorously.

And let’s be honest. We don’t win these fights. Hollywood’s marketing now counts on “Christian outrage” as a publicity tool for their controversial movies, and they’re always right. Christians have not affected “The Homosexual Agenda” that we’ve stood against, abortion is still a very big business, and we’ve never once had an Evangelical believer in the Whitehouse, despite our fights on those issues.

The world knows: Christians are fighters. They don’t win, but they sure will fight. Behold how much they fight.

Father hasn’t been talking to me at this time about the issues in themselves. He’s only been using them to illustrate the fight, to illustrate the blows and the cuts that so many of us have taken in the fights.

Then he drew my attention to the refrain:

“Lie-la-lie. Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, Lie-la-lie
Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie.”*

Oh my. It’s right there. I’ve sung this haunting refrain with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, and I never saw it: there’s a lie here, and the refrain rubs my nose in it. That’s a lie, lie lie!

There’s perhaps some room for discussing what the lie is. The song itself identifies one:

“He cried out
In his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”
But the fighter still remains.”*

And I’ve done that. I’ve declared that I’m quitting this fight. But I haven’t really done it. I’ve lied. I’ve gotten tired of being beaten up, tired of the anger, tired of the shame, and I’ve tried to quit the fight. And I’ve failed.

As Father comforted me in this, I realized that for a fighter, the fight is a choice. It’s an option, but only one of several options. I don’t actually need to fight.

As he held me and murmured his love for me, I realized that these are not fights that have helped me, or have helped the Kingdom, not even a little bit.

I occasionally have “won” a fight, but what was the result? Maybe I could say I won, that I defeated someone who believed differently. So what? Now they’ve been defeated, now they’re wounded, too. And now they resent me, and worse they resent my message, and they resent the truth that I fought for.

You know, I don’t think anybody’s ever been bullied into receiving the truth, have they? Oh, sure, we’ve bullied people into actinglike they know the truth, but that’s just equipping them for hypocrisy. That’s not a win, not really, not for anybody.

For myself, I’m going to reflect on this for a while. I’m wondering if I might actually defend my beliefs better by walking them out than I would by fighting for them. I don’t know. I’ll think about it.

I may not need to be a fighter, alone in the clearing. I may not need to be laid down, cut open. I may not need to subject myself to the anger and shame.

The Kingdom is not about any of this, is it?

Lie la lie….

----

* From "The Boxer," by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970) ©1969
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Devotionals, Letters

The Fighter’s Regrets

Have you ever woken up with a song floating through the fog in your mind? Sometimes I think that’s just an echo of a dream or a memory, particularly if it’s a song I’ve heard or sung recently.

How about a song from your ancient history in your mind as you woke? I actually pay more attention to these; there’s less chance that it’s just my subconscious expressing itself.

I’d like to share one of these with you. You may find the process interesting, but I believe the lesson might apply to several of us.

Recently, I woke up with a song from my youth playing in my mind, and trust me, that’s from a long time ago. The song had nothing to do with the dream as far as I could tell, and I could only remember snippets of it – really only one phrase.

But that phrase kept replaying in my mind: that caught my attention. And as it replayed, my memory of the lyrics grew. This also suggested to me that this might be from God. So I spoke with Father about it, acknowledging that I thought he might be up to something; I asked for insight, and I paid attention as the memory of the song replayed and expanded in my mind.


Some themes began to stand out in the lyrics that kept playing in my memory. One of them definitely seemed to have the fragrance of my Father about it, so I meditated on that one. That is, I thought about it; I let it roll around in my mind to see what might come from it.

When my mind began to warm up (you know, I really appreciate the fact that God invented coffee!), I fired up Google and looked into it a bit more. And I realized that even after my memory had been playing it back for an hour or two, I had remembered only one verse out of five; the rest hadn’t come back to me, though those verses had actually been more important to me when the song was new.

Here’s the song: https://youtu.be/MYPJOCxSUFc. It’s called The Boxer, by Simon & Garfunkel. It was the last verse alone that spoke to me through the morning fog:

In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down
And cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”
But the fighter still remains*

This verse had literally never made sense to me, but suddenly, there was a message in it for me.

It speaks to me, but I’d like to share it with you, because I suspect it might speak to other, too, and maybe that includes you.

I confess: I’m a man of fairly strong conviction. I stand up for those convictions, and it’s not inappropriate to say that I fight to maintain them. If I believe something to be true, I’ll fight to defend it.

Father gently pointed out that I, too, carry reminders of those fights, reminders, I suppose, every glove that laid me down or cut me till I cried out. I’ve paid a price to defend my convictions. Like the fighter in the song, the price has been paid in several areas of my life: in my memories, in my body carrying the stress, in the solitude that comes from having lost relationships.

Then he drew my attention to the fighter’s vow, and that I’ve made vows like that as well: “I am leaving, I am leaving” but I don’t leave. I remain. I still defend my beliefs, my convictions, and I’m still laid down and cut up sometimes. I’m still wounded from the fights that I am convinced are right and good. And they still bring the fruits of “anger and shame” into my life, just like they did in his.

(Didn’t someone say “You shall know them by their fruit”?  Hmmm....)

This is something that’s come partly from my character (I believe that standing up for “what is true” is important), partly from my youth (I was taught that truth is important and should be stood up for).

But this fight may have been fanned into the biggest flame from my years in Bible-believing churches. “This is what I believe to be true, so I must defend it at all costs.” We teach that, we believe that, in many evangelical churches, and while we defend different truths in denominational churches, we still defend them vigorously.

Think about how Christians respond when a movie comes that we don’t like out (remember Russell Crowe’s Noah?). Consider how Christians respond to “The Homosexual Agenda” or to political candidates, or to the abortion issue.

We’re taught to fight. And we do fight. Vigorously.

And let’s be honest. We don’t win these fights. Hollywood’s marketing now counts on “Christian outrage” as a publicity tool for their controversial movies, and they’re always right. Christians have not affected “The Homosexual Agenda” that we’ve stood against, abortion is still a very big business, and we’ve never once had an Evangelical believer in the Whitehouse, despite our fights on those issues.

The world knows: Christians are fighters. They don’t win, but they sure will fight. Behold how much they fight.

Father hasn’t been talking to me at this time about the issues in themselves. He’s only been using them to illustrate the fight, to illustrate the blows and the cuts that so many of us have taken in the fights.

Then he drew my attention to the refrain:

“Lie-la-lie. Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, Lie-la-lie
Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie.”*

Oh my. It’s right there. I’ve sung this haunting refrain with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, and I never saw it: there’s a lie here, and the refrain rubs my nose in it. That’s a lie, lie lie!

There’s perhaps some room for discussing what the lie is. The song itself identifies one:

“He cried out
In his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”
But the fighter still remains.”*

And I’ve done that. I’ve declared that I’m quitting this fight. But I haven’t really done it. I’ve lied. I’ve gotten tired of being beaten up, tired of the anger, tired of the shame, and I’ve tried to quit the fight. And I’ve failed.

As Father comforted me in this, I realized that for a fighter, the fight is a choice. It’s an option, but only one of several options. I don’t actually need to fight.

As he held me and murmured his love for me, I realized that these are not fights that have helped me, or have helped the Kingdom, not even a little bit.

I occasionally have “won” a fight, but what was the result? Maybe I could say I won, that I defeated someone who believed differently. So what? Now they’ve been defeated, now they’re wounded, too. And now they resent me, and worse they resent my message, and they resent the truth that I fought for.

You know, I don’t think anybody’s ever been bullied into receiving the truth, have they? Oh, sure, we’ve bullied people into actinglike they know the truth, but that’s just equipping them for hypocrisy. That’s not a win, not really, not for anybody.

For myself, I’m going to reflect on this for a while. I’m wondering if I might actually defend my beliefs better by walking them out than I would by fighting for them. I don’t know. I’ll think about it.

I may not need to be a fighter, alone in the clearing. I may not need to be laid down, cut open. I may not need to subject myself to the anger and shame.

The Kingdom is not about any of this, is it?

Lie la lie….

----

* From "The Boxer," by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970) ©1969
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Prophecy

Remembering the Great Commission

We’ve misinterpreted the Great Commission, I think.

We’re called to introduce people to Jesus, but sometimes it seems that sometimes we forget. Sometimes, we end up introducing them to our club, to churchianity. To religion. Ewww.

They’re looking for real relationship, and Jesus offering real relationship, but we’re offering membership in a Sunday Morning Club complete with its own foreign language and foreign culture. “Bring your friends to church!” we are exhorted, forgetting the “Go” of the Great Commission.

Coming to faith does NOT require leaving your culture, leaving your language, leaving your community, leaving your music behind. (Yes, it does involve leaving your slavery behind.) For example, there’s no need for a pipe organ or Taylor acoustic guiter in a tribal church in order for their gathering to be legit. They worship with drums; you don’t have to!

Here’s a radical thought: Christian pop music is by NO means the only music that’s acceptable – or desirable. Some believers like barbershop quartets! Others touch God in metal music or Dixieland or Baroque or dance music.

I even know of a church that worshiped with (shudder!) country music! They would line dance in church! What?!? (And they shared the building with a church that worshiped with grunge rock music! What’s up with that?)

I get it that some folks often can’t go back to the culture that enslaved them for years, but let’s distinguish between the slavery that held us captive and the preference of music the enslavers enjoyed while they practiced their torture upon our souls.

And since music reaches people, the Great commission applies to music: GO TO THEM. Do NOT expect them to come to you. So bring the gospel to their music; not Gospel music, but the “Good News” of the Kingdom: that belongs in THEIR music, too. There’s no need for them to leave their love for Italian operas behind in order to meet Jesus.

Our commission is to go to them, and to bring the good news of the Kingdom to them.

Our job is NOT to bring them to our culture, our little club.

When we disciple folks, we are to make them followers of Jesus, not into MiniMe’s.

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Devotionals, Letters

Remembering the Great Commission

We've misinterpreted the Great Commission, I think.

We're called to introduce people to Jesus, but sometimes it seems that sometimes we forget. Sometimes, we end up introducing them to our club, to churchianity. To religion. Ewww.

They're looking for real relationship, and Jesus offering real relationship, but we're offering membership in a Sunday Morning Club complete with its own foreign language and foreign culture. "Bring your friends to church!" we are exhorted, forgetting the "Go" of the Great Commission.

Coming to faith does NOT require leaving your culture, leaving your language, leaving your community, leaving your music behind. (Yes, it does involve leaving your slavery behind.) For example, there's no need for a pipe organ or Taylor acoustic guiter in a tribal church in order for their gathering to be legit. They worship with drums; you don't have to!

Here's a radical thought: Christian pop music is by NO means the only music that's acceptable - or desirable. Some believers like barbershop quartets! Others touch God in metal music or Dixieland or Baroque or dance music.

I even know of a church that worshiped with (shudder!) country music! They would line dance in church! What?!? (And they shared the building with a church that worshiped with grunge rock music! What's up with that?)

I get it that some folks often can't go back to the culture that enslaved them for years, but let's distinguish between the slavery that held us captive and the preference of music the enslavers enjoyed while they practiced their torture upon our souls.

And since music reaches people, the Great commission applies to music: GO TO THEM. Do NOT expect them to come to you. So bring the gospel to their music; not Gospel music, but the "Good News" of the Kingdom: that belongs in THEIR music, too. There's no need for them to leave their love for Italian operas behind in order to meet Jesus.

Our commission is to go to them, and to bring the good news of the Kingdom to them.

Our job is NOT to bring them to our culture, our little club.

When we disciple folks, we are to make them followers of Jesus, not into MiniMe's.
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Devotionals, Letters

Remembering the Great Commission

We've misinterpreted the Great Commission, I think.

We're called to introduce people to Jesus, but sometimes it seems that sometimes we forget. Sometimes, we end up introducing them to our club, to churchianity. To religion. Ewww.

They're looking for real relationship, and Jesus offering real relationship, but we're offering membership in a Sunday Morning Club complete with its own foreign language and foreign culture. "Bring your friends to church!" we are exhorted, forgetting the "Go" of the Great Commission.

Coming to faith does NOT require leaving your culture, leaving your language, leaving your community, leaving your music behind. (Yes, it does involve leaving your slavery behind.) For example, there's no need for a pipe organ or Taylor acoustic guiter in a tribal church in order for their gathering to be legit. They worship with drums; you don't have to!

Here's a radical thought: Christian pop music is by NO means the only music that's acceptable - or desirable. Some believers like barbershop quartets! Others touch God in metal music or Dixieland or Baroque or dance music.

I even know of a church that worshiped with (shudder!) country music! They would line dance in church! What?!? (And they shared the building with a church that worshiped with grunge rock music! What's up with that?)

I get it that some folks often can't go back to the culture that enslaved them for years, but let's distinguish between the slavery that held us captive and the preference of music the enslavers enjoyed while they practiced their torture upon our souls.

And since music reaches people, the Great commission applies to music: GO TO THEM. Do NOT expect them to come to you. So bring the gospel to their music; not Gospel music, but the "Good News" of the Kingdom: that belongs in THEIR music, too. There's no need for them to leave their love for Italian operas behind in order to meet Jesus.

Our commission is to go to them, and to bring the good news of the Kingdom to them.

Our job is NOT to bring them to our culture, our little club.

When we disciple folks, we are to make them followers of Jesus, not into MiniMe's.
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Devotionals, Letters

Some Thoughts About the Purpose of the Prophetic

How many times has it happened that a prophet gives a word to someone you know, and you think to yourself, “They missed it! That is SO not them!”
                                               
Sure, it might be a muffed prophecy; the only guy who never muffed a single prophetic word was murdered for it a couple of thousand years ago. Nowadays, we all completely miss it occasionally. It’s like the man said, “Now, we see in a glass darkly.”
But it might not be a failed prophecy. That’s actually the goal sometimes. The goal of the prophetic is NOT to declare what everybody already knows.
The prophets declare the goal, solution, the finished product, the end result of God doing something in the person’s life. And sometimes they declare it as early as when God is just beginning work on the project. They’re “declaring the end from the beginning.” If you don’t know what you’re aiming for, how do you aim?
So when God speaks to a destitute homeless guy, “I see you as a man of substance, a man of wealth,” he’s probably not saying “This is they way you are now, in case you didn’t know.” No, he’s more likely saying, “This is your calling, this is your destiny. If you come with me, this is where you could go. Do you want in on this?”
Or he might say to the destitute homeless guy, “I see you as a leader of men,” and that may not show up the way we expect it to. The English language – especially American English – is not God’s first language. When he speaks of a “leader of men,” he may not mean what you’d mean: a recognized position of appointed leadership or power. 
I’ve known guys that chose to be homeless so that they could reach those that nobody else would reach. Their leadership was often just conversation between bunks in the local mission. They are indeed “leaders of men,” but nobody except the homeless guys they lead recognize it.

Really often, the fulfillment of the prophetic promise doesn’t line up with our expectation of what it would look like. But it does line up with the word.
Second, the prophetic declaration releases God’s resources to bring about that which they declare. 
When God speaks to the destitute homeless guy about wealth, that declaration, when activated by faith, is releasing the grace of God, the power of God, to gather wealth to the guy. Power to accomplish the word is carried by the word.
That doesn’t necessarily mean people will hand him cash money, though I’ve seen that happen. It may mean that God is lining up an educational opportunity, or bringing him an advocate, or giving him an idea for an invention, or lining up other, unexpected circumstances to make it happen. 

And fairly often, it’s true about prophetic words: “If you don’t declare it, it won’t happen.” 
If we want to be in on what God’s doing, we can discern what God is breathing on in the prophetic declarations (1 Corinthians 14:29), and then join in with that. We can add the prophetic word to our worldview and begin to see and relate to people according to the things that God has said to them.
Or we can bury the prophetic declaration, and the power that it carries to accomplish the thing of which it speaks, under our own unbelief and jealousy and resentment, and kill the word.
It’s our choice.

—
Come join the conversation at https://www.facebook.com/northwestprophetic. 

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Prophecy

The Rain of Heaven

[Editor's Note: This word is not specific to the Northwest - other than the fact that the Northwest is expert on the subject of rain - but it has great application to us here in the Northwest.] 

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.“
- Galatians 6:9
 
I foresee a great move of God, such as we have never before seen.
 
There is a due season of great harvest. There is a timing to all sovereign moves of God. Looking back and observing the history of the Church, I’ve come to see that God knows how to yield the greatest harvest from any generation.
 
Some say that we shouldn’t wait for revival, stressing that we should rather be revival. And that’s a valid point. Should we be inactive? No! In fact, laziness and wickedness seem to be synonymous to God. But the truth is that even with all of our efforts and obedience, only God can bring the rain. So we should find a healthy balance that avoids the extremes of both laziness and independence.
 
In this season, we will see many saved. In this season, we will see many healed. In this season, we will accomplish many good things and bear much fruit. But there’s nothing like when God brings the rain. You can plow and plant all you want – but only God can bring the rain.
 
There is no formula for this. There are no step-by-step keys. There is no secret. It’s really just God. But we must plow and plant. Otherwise, when it rains, what will grow? This is the partnership of man and God: We do the possible. He does the impossible.
 
Waiting on God does not mean inactivity. In fact, if you believe that it’s going to rain, you need to plant the seeds and plow the ground. Don’t wait around. Otherwise, when God moves, you’ll weep and not reap.
 
But what seeds are you planting? Are they truly spiritual seeds? Are you building a church or an organization? A church or a club? Do you seek righteousness or relevance? Are you praying for the sick? Are you casting out demons?
 
Whatever the seeds you are planting, you can be sure that they will become a harvest. But what sort of harvest are you going to reap? Will it be good or will it be God? Are you sowing the seeds of programs or power? Attendance or anointing? Methods or miracles? Tolerance or truth?
 
Don’t grow weary. Plant what God tells you to plant. The rain is coming.
 
3 Outcomes of the Outpouring
 
Last week, I wrote of a coming revival that I foresee. I encouraged my readers to continue planting seeds and plowing the ground. The rain is most certainly coming.
 
But I want to prepare you for what’s coming. Just like the return of Christ, all pivotal and divine actions are both a joy and a terror. The scripture uses the term, “Great and terrible”. Everyone knows that something big is coming. Major, global changes are just around the corner.
 
As of now, I don’t know what the condition of the nations will be during the rain (the outpouring). Though I do suspect that hostility towards the Church will continue to grow until the final appearing of Christ, I don’t believe that full-blown persecution will arrive in the United Statesbefore the next great outpouring. But persecution may come as a result of the incredible shaking that revival will bring to this nation. Again, God has not spoken to me in that regard. I am only speculating at this point. But what was made clear to me was this: “You’ve sown the seeds. I’m about to bring the rain.”
 
Church, the rain is coming. And these 3 things will come as a result.
 
#1 The Workers will be Refreshed
 
“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” - Acts 3:17-21


 
There seems to be a chronology here. Firstly, Christ’s suffering is fulfilled. Then, after repentance, times of refreshing come. And then Christ is sent again. But “Heaven must receive [Him] until the time for restoring all the things…” Christ’s return is preceded by a time of great refreshing.
 
When the rain comes, the workers of the field will be refreshed. As of right now, ministers and Christian leaders are exhausted. Look at the sad statistics:
 
45% of pastors say that they’ve experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence from ministry. 1,500 pastors leave their ministries each month due to burnout, conflict, or moral failure. 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years. 4,000 new churches begin each year while 7,000 churches close.
 
Am I saying that there is no refreshment for now? Am I saying we are powerless until the next great outpouring? Of course not! Yes, we are to, to some degree, be the revival we desire to see. I addressed this in last week’s blog. But there is certainly a time of fresh outpouring that brings about a greater time of refreshing. I see an open field of very dry dirt. The field goes on for miles and miles in all directions. I see, as Jesus saw, a plentiful harvest, waiting to be harvested. But to every harvest there is a season. This harvest, for now, is in the form of seeds. I see people planting and plowing. There are thousands of workers. They are sweating and tired. Each movement kicks up a cloud of dirt. But, overhead, I see a cloud beginning to form. The workers look up with great expectation yet continue to plow and to plant. Then, the cloud covers the entirety of the visible skyline. Thunder rumbles throughout the field – it is the sound of worship. Then, it begins to rain. Immediately, the harvest grows. The harvesters can’t move quickly enough to keep up with the growth. All of the seeds that were sown are now growing. The workers, wet with rain, are refreshed. They begin working at a more lively pace than ever before. The harvest yields greatly.
 
#2 The Harvest will Yield
 
But, among the good seeds, are bad seeds. They are seeds sown in the flesh and even seeds sown from demonic strategy.
 
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.“ - Matthew 13:24-26
 
But the wisdom of God, not wanting to lose the harvest, allows for both to grow. I’ll explain this on the next point.
 
However, when the harvest comes, both the good and bad seeds will grow.
 
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.“ - Galatians 6:7
 
What you’re sowing now will grow. Are you sowing of the spirit or of the secular? Are you building a church or a self-help club? Are you after man’s programs or God’s power? What is not of the spirit will not stand when the times change.
 
The church you’re building – will it be overcome by the times? Will it be deceived by the times? Or will it yield God’s harvest in the times?
 
Do you want the seeds you’ve been planting to grow or do you fear them being realized? Listen carefully. The rain is coming. You will reap a harvest. God is merciful, and there is still time to begin sowing rightly. But what you sow will become a harvest.
 
#3 The Weeds will be Exposed
 
“So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” - Matthew 13:27-30
 
The tares mentioned here were a type of rye-grass. This specific kind of rye-grass bore a very close resemblance to wheat. Only when the ear appeared could they be told apart from the wheat. Only when it came time to harvest could they be separated.
 
What looks like God’s church may not be God’s church. What looks like God’s actions may only be man’s. I’m not making a specific reference to anyone or anything. I’m simply telling you that much of what looks like the harvest just may not be the harvest.
 
Keep your heart right, and you have nothing to fear. Remain in God’s presence, and, when the harvest comes, you will rejoice.
 
Think About It,

David Diga Hernandez 

From his website, here and here.
[Note: This word is also available as in a video format: http://nwp.link/DDH-Outpouring] 


Join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter Feel free to share with others, but please leave the contact info intact. Click here to subscribe, or visit www.northwestprophetic.com. To submit a word for the Northwest, visit our Submit A Word page, or email to NWP@northwestprophetic.com. Thanks!
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Prophecy

The Rain of Heaven

[Editor’s Note: This word is not specific to the Northwest – other than the fact that the Northwest is expert on the subject of rain – but it has great application to us here in the Northwest.] 
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.“
– Galatians 6:9
 
I foresee a great move of God, such as we have never before seen.
 
There is a due season of great harvest. There is a timing to all sovereign moves of God. Looking back and observing the history of the Church, I’ve come to see that God knows how to yield the greatest harvest from any generation.
 
Some say that we shouldn’t wait for revival, stressing that we should rather be revival. And that’s a valid point. Should we be inactive? No! In fact, laziness and wickedness seem to be synonymous to God. But the truth is that even with all of our efforts and obedience, only God can bring the rain. So we should find a healthy balance that avoids the extremes of both laziness and independence.
 
In this season, we will see many saved. In this season, we will see many healed. In this season, we will accomplish many good things and bear much fruit. But there’s nothing like when God brings the rain. You can plow and plant all you want – but only God can bring the rain.
 
There is no formula for this. There are no step-by-step keys. There is no secret. It’s really just God. But we must plow and plant. Otherwise, when it rains, what will grow? This is the partnership of man and God: We do the possible. He does the impossible.
 
Waiting on God does not mean inactivity. In fact, if you believe that it’s going to rain, you need to plant the seeds and plow the ground. Don’t wait around. Otherwise, when God moves, you’ll weep and not reap.
 
But what seeds are you planting? Are they truly spiritual seeds? Are you building a church or an organization? A church or a club? Do you seek righteousness or relevance? Are you praying for the sick? Are you casting out demons?
 
Whatever the seeds you are planting, you can be sure that they will become a harvest. But what sort of harvest are you going to reap? Will it be good or will it be God? Are you sowing the seeds of programs or power? Attendance or anointing? Methods or miracles? Tolerance or truth?
 
Don’t grow weary. Plant what God tells you to plant. The rain is coming.
 
3 Outcomes of the Outpouring
 
Last week, I wrote of a coming revival that I foresee. I encouraged my readers to continue planting seeds and plowing the ground. The rain is most certainly coming.
 
But I want to prepare you for what’s coming. Just like the return of Christ, all pivotal and divine actions are both a joy and a terror. The scripture uses the term, “Great and terrible”. Everyone knows that something big is coming. Major, global changes are just around the corner.
 
As of now, I don’t know what the condition of the nations will be during the rain (the outpouring). Though I do suspect that hostility towards the Church will continue to grow until the final appearing of Christ, I don’t believe that full-blown persecution will arrive in the United Statesbefore the next great outpouring. But persecution may come as a result of the incredible shaking that revival will bring to this nation. Again, God has not spoken to me in that regard. I am only speculating at this point. But what was made clear to me was this: “You’ve sown the seeds. I’m about to bring the rain.”
 
Church, the rain is coming. And these 3 things will come as a result.
 
#1 The Workers will be Refreshed
 
“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” – Acts 3:17-21
 
There seems to be a chronology here. Firstly, Christ’s suffering is fulfilled. Then, after repentance, times of refreshing come. And then Christ is sent again. But “Heaven must receive [Him] until the time for restoring all the things…” Christ’s return is preceded by a time of great refreshing.
 
When the rain comes, the workers of the field will be refreshed. As of right now, ministers and Christian leaders are exhausted. Look at the sad statistics:
 
45% of pastors say that they’ve experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence from ministry. 1,500 pastors leave their ministries each month due to burnout, conflict, or moral failure. 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years. 4,000 new churches begin each year while 7,000 churches close.
 
Am I saying that there is no refreshment for now? Am I saying we are powerless until the next great outpouring? Of course not! Yes, we are to, to some degree, be the revival we desire to see. I addressed this in last week’s blog. But there is certainly a time of fresh outpouring that brings about a greater time of refreshing. I see an open field of very dry dirt. The field goes on for miles and miles in all directions. I see, as Jesus saw, a plentiful harvest, waiting to be harvested. But to every harvest there is a season. This harvest, for now, is in the form of seeds. I see people planting and plowing. There are thousands of workers. They are sweating and tired. Each movement kicks up a cloud of dirt. But, overhead, I see a cloud beginning to form. The workers look up with great expectation yet continue to plow and to plant. Then, the cloud covers the entirety of the visible skyline. Thunder rumbles throughout the field – it is the sound of worship. Then, it begins to rain. Immediately, the harvest grows. The harvesters can’t move quickly enough to keep up with the growth. All of the seeds that were sown are now growing. The workers, wet with rain, are refreshed. They begin working at a more lively pace than ever before. The harvest yields greatly.
 
#2 The Harvest will Yield
 
But, among the good seeds, are bad seeds. They are seeds sown in the flesh and even seeds sown from demonic strategy.
 
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.“ – Matthew 13:24-26
 
But the wisdom of God, not wanting to lose the harvest, allows for both to grow. I’ll explain this on the next point.
 
However, when the harvest comes, both the good and bad seeds will grow.
 
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.“ – Galatians 6:7
 
What you’re sowing now will grow. Are you sowing of the spirit or of the secular? Are you building a church or a self-help club? Are you after man’s programs or God’s power? What is not of the spirit will not stand when the times change.
 
The church you’re building – will it be overcome by the times? Will it be deceived by the times? Or will it yield God’s harvest in the times?
 
Do you want the seeds you’ve been planting to grow or do you fear them being realized? Listen carefully. The rain is coming. You will reap a harvest. God is merciful, and there is still time to begin sowing rightly. But what you sow will become a harvest.
 
#3 The Weeds will be Exposed
 
“So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” – Matthew 13:27-30
 
The tares mentioned here were a type of rye-grass. This specific kind of rye-grass bore a very close resemblance to wheat. Only when the ear appeared could they be told apart from the wheat. Only when it came time to harvest could they be separated.
 
What looks like God’s church may not be God’s church. What looks like God’s actions may only be man’s. I’m not making a specific reference to anyone or anything. I’m simply telling you that much of what looks like the harvest just may not be the harvest.
 
Keep your heart right, and you have nothing to fear. Remain in God’s presence, and, when the harvest comes, you will rejoice.
 
Think About It,

David Diga Hernandez 

From his website, here and here.
[Note: This word is also available as in a video format: http://nwp.link/DDH-Outpouring] 


Join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter

Feel free to share with others, but please leave the contact info intact.
Click here to subscribe, or visit www.northwestprophetic.com.

To submit a word for the Northwest, visit our Submit A Word page, or email to NWP@northwestprophetic.com. Thanks!

Standard
Prophecy

The Rain of Heaven

[Editor's Note: This word is not specific to the Northwest - other than the fact that the Northwest is expert on the subject of rain - but it has great application to us here in the Northwest.] 

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.“
- Galatians 6:9
 
I foresee a great move of God, such as we have never before seen.
 
There is a due season of great harvest. There is a timing to all sovereign moves of God. Looking back and observing the history of the Church, I’ve come to see that God knows how to yield the greatest harvest from any generation.
 
Some say that we shouldn’t wait for revival, stressing that we should rather be revival. And that’s a valid point. Should we be inactive? No! In fact, laziness and wickedness seem to be synonymous to God. But the truth is that even with all of our efforts and obedience, only God can bring the rain. So we should find a healthy balance that avoids the extremes of both laziness and independence.
 
In this season, we will see many saved. In this season, we will see many healed. In this season, we will accomplish many good things and bear much fruit. But there’s nothing like when God brings the rain. You can plow and plant all you want – but only God can bring the rain.
 
There is no formula for this. There are no step-by-step keys. There is no secret. It’s really just God. But we must plow and plant. Otherwise, when it rains, what will grow? This is the partnership of man and God: We do the possible. He does the impossible.
 
Waiting on God does not mean inactivity. In fact, if you believe that it’s going to rain, you need to plant the seeds and plow the ground. Don’t wait around. Otherwise, when God moves, you’ll weep and not reap.
 
But what seeds are you planting? Are they truly spiritual seeds? Are you building a church or an organization? A church or a club? Do you seek righteousness or relevance? Are you praying for the sick? Are you casting out demons?
 
Whatever the seeds you are planting, you can be sure that they will become a harvest. But what sort of harvest are you going to reap? Will it be good or will it be God? Are you sowing the seeds of programs or power? Attendance or anointing? Methods or miracles? Tolerance or truth?
 
Don’t grow weary. Plant what God tells you to plant. The rain is coming.
 
3 Outcomes of the Outpouring
 
Last week, I wrote of a coming revival that I foresee. I encouraged my readers to continue planting seeds and plowing the ground. The rain is most certainly coming.
 
But I want to prepare you for what’s coming. Just like the return of Christ, all pivotal and divine actions are both a joy and a terror. The scripture uses the term, “Great and terrible”. Everyone knows that something big is coming. Major, global changes are just around the corner.
 
As of now, I don’t know what the condition of the nations will be during the rain (the outpouring). Though I do suspect that hostility towards the Church will continue to grow until the final appearing of Christ, I don’t believe that full-blown persecution will arrive in the United Statesbefore the next great outpouring. But persecution may come as a result of the incredible shaking that revival will bring to this nation. Again, God has not spoken to me in that regard. I am only speculating at this point. But what was made clear to me was this: “You’ve sown the seeds. I’m about to bring the rain.”
 
Church, the rain is coming. And these 3 things will come as a result.
 
#1 The Workers will be Refreshed
 
“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” - Acts 3:17-21


 
There seems to be a chronology here. Firstly, Christ’s suffering is fulfilled. Then, after repentance, times of refreshing come. And then Christ is sent again. But “Heaven must receive [Him] until the time for restoring all the things…” Christ’s return is preceded by a time of great refreshing.
 
When the rain comes, the workers of the field will be refreshed. As of right now, ministers and Christian leaders are exhausted. Look at the sad statistics:
 
45% of pastors say that they’ve experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence from ministry. 1,500 pastors leave their ministries each month due to burnout, conflict, or moral failure. 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years. 4,000 new churches begin each year while 7,000 churches close.
 
Am I saying that there is no refreshment for now? Am I saying we are powerless until the next great outpouring? Of course not! Yes, we are to, to some degree, be the revival we desire to see. I addressed this in last week’s blog. But there is certainly a time of fresh outpouring that brings about a greater time of refreshing. I see an open field of very dry dirt. The field goes on for miles and miles in all directions. I see, as Jesus saw, a plentiful harvest, waiting to be harvested. But to every harvest there is a season. This harvest, for now, is in the form of seeds. I see people planting and plowing. There are thousands of workers. They are sweating and tired. Each movement kicks up a cloud of dirt. But, overhead, I see a cloud beginning to form. The workers look up with great expectation yet continue to plow and to plant. Then, the cloud covers the entirety of the visible skyline. Thunder rumbles throughout the field – it is the sound of worship. Then, it begins to rain. Immediately, the harvest grows. The harvesters can’t move quickly enough to keep up with the growth. All of the seeds that were sown are now growing. The workers, wet with rain, are refreshed. They begin working at a more lively pace than ever before. The harvest yields greatly.
 
#2 The Harvest will Yield
 
But, among the good seeds, are bad seeds. They are seeds sown in the flesh and even seeds sown from demonic strategy.
 
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.“ - Matthew 13:24-26
 
But the wisdom of God, not wanting to lose the harvest, allows for both to grow. I’ll explain this on the next point.
 
However, when the harvest comes, both the good and bad seeds will grow.
 
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.“ - Galatians 6:7
 
What you’re sowing now will grow. Are you sowing of the spirit or of the secular? Are you building a church or a self-help club? Are you after man’s programs or God’s power? What is not of the spirit will not stand when the times change.
 
The church you’re building – will it be overcome by the times? Will it be deceived by the times? Or will it yield God’s harvest in the times?
 
Do you want the seeds you’ve been planting to grow or do you fear them being realized? Listen carefully. The rain is coming. You will reap a harvest. God is merciful, and there is still time to begin sowing rightly. But what you sow will become a harvest.
 
#3 The Weeds will be Exposed
 
“So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” - Matthew 13:27-30
 
The tares mentioned here were a type of rye-grass. This specific kind of rye-grass bore a very close resemblance to wheat. Only when the ear appeared could they be told apart from the wheat. Only when it came time to harvest could they be separated.
 
What looks like God’s church may not be God’s church. What looks like God’s actions may only be man’s. I’m not making a specific reference to anyone or anything. I’m simply telling you that much of what looks like the harvest just may not be the harvest.
 
Keep your heart right, and you have nothing to fear. Remain in God’s presence, and, when the harvest comes, you will rejoice.
 
Think About It,

David Diga Hernandez 

From his website, here and here.
[Note: This word is also available as in a video format: http://nwp.link/DDH-Outpouring] 


Join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter Feel free to share with others, but please leave the contact info intact. Click here to subscribe, or visit www.northwestprophetic.com. To submit a word for the Northwest, visit our Submit A Word page, or email to NWP@northwestprophetic.com. Thanks!
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Devotionals, Letters

The Message We Preach

If the message declared to you makes you feel unworthy, alone, then whatever is being preached, whoever is preaching the message, it’s not the Good News. (This is hard for me to acknowledge, because for years, this is the only gospel I heard, the only gospel I knew to preach.)
Never once did Jesus preach, “You’re a sinner, and you’re going to hell if you don’t repent!” Never once did Paul or any other apostle use condemnation or the threat of hell to convince people of the goodness of a loving God.
If the focus is on sin, then (by definition) the focus is not on Jesus, and that’s a problem. It’s a problem, because it’s in defiance of scripture (Hebrews 12:2). It’s a problem because it makes sin the center of our conversation. It’s a problem because what we focus on becomes how we live.
But mostly it’s a problem, because it takes the attention away from the only One who really deserves the attention, the One who’s been dying (literally) to know us, who has been patiently waiting to demonstrate his love to us.
Whatever that is, it’s not the gospel that Jesus preached, that Paul preached.
—

Consider this: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” ~Galatians 1:8 

—
Come join the conversation at https://www.facebook.com/northwestprophetic. 

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