Hello Promised Land

We have crossed the Sea and we have crossed the River. Jordan lies behind us. The Promised Land is the Christian Life here on the earth. If you retain the belief that the Promised Land is only Heaven, let me persuade you differently. Heaven will have no walls to march around or battles to win. The Promised Land is now! Walk it, accept it, occupy it and enjoy it.

As we adjust to the transition, our minds must be renewed. We have not come to a place of no activity but a place where we find joy in labor. As the Israelites crossed over the Jordan, they came to a land much different than the brick-yards of Egypt. It was different from the wondering days of the Wilderness in which most of them had been born into. Now they would walk in, not only easier labor, but purposeful labor…. with joy.

I have had this ongoing vision lately of an old Israelite looking out over the Promised Land. He stands there for only a moment and then begins to run out into it. He flings his hands and arms wide-open as he looks out over the fields knowing the possibilities of this land are endless. It’s new soil. It’s fertile. It has been drenched with the rains of Heaven. It is expectant. It is producing new crops and new harvest. In the vision I never see his face again because he never turns back towards me, but keeps his eyes on the Promised Land.

From the circumcision camp of Gilgal, the Israelites with Joshua would soon see the walls of Jericho come tumbling down. They would see the rescue of a woman trapped in harlotry set free to become a prominent lady with kings in her lineage. They would become a kingdom and the nations would stand in awe. How did these travelers adjust to such a transition? Was it easy or did they spend lots of time teaching and training the people?

It sounded rather simple as Joshua plainly told them to “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” (Joshua 3:5) One way to consecrate our-selves is to decide to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. (Luke 10:27) To love Him with all our mind is to give up our own rights to think our own thoughts. This will require some cleansing of our own thinking and opinions. It will require discernment to let go of past teachings and indoctrination that might hinder us in this season. Even past experiences can hinder us as we build monuments to the past and refuse to enter the experiences of the future. So, consecration of the mind involves a surrender of the mind to think differently, thereby allowing us to experience new things and go in new directions as Father leads.

The labor of the Promised Land was different. The results were different. They adjusted to taking ownership. Conversations were different. There was a complete atmosphere change. This is what is taking place here in the Appalachian Mountains. There was a time I wanted to get out of these mountains. Now, I feel a new ownership – a new love for these mountains – a new pride for the heritage, and yet the joy of awakening to the dawning of a new day. There is a remnant of people experiencing this transformation and it is contagious.

Amos tells of the days that are coming, when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes will overtake the one who sows seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine and all the hills will be dissolved. Amos 9:13 says the Lord has declared it. The Message Bible interpreting this scripture in a contemporary style says, “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up… everywhere you look, blessings! Like wine pouring off the mountains and the hills…” Amos continues with the theme telling us that this is when we will rebuild ruined cities (like Manchester, Kentucky, which is going through transformation even now) and plant vineyards, drink good wine, work our gardens, and eat fresh vegetables. Amos concludes with the statement that the Lord will “plant us.”

Hello Promised Land! As the Lord asked Ezekiel when he was walking in the river, “Son of man, do you see this?” (Ezekiel 47: 6) If we don’t see what we are currently “in” and as long as we put everything into the future we will never have the faith to rise up now. This is crippled faith. There comes a time when we say, “It’s now!” One of the saddest times in the life of Christ was when he stood on the hill looking out over Jerusalem weeping because they didn’t know the time of their visitation. Let’s not let Jesus stand on these mountains and weep because we failed to rise up and accept the call of our times. The mountains are dripping with sweet wine.

It is not a secret that addiction has reached epidemic proportions here in the Appalachian Mountains. The Body of Christ – the Church – has the answer for that problem. In II Peter 1:3, Peter tells us that grace has been multiplied and we have been given all things needed that pertain to life and godliness. Peter continues to tell us that it comes thru revelatory knowledge. Present truth is coming to believers almost faster than we can download it. The scriptures are opening up in a fresh and new way. Therefore, we offer the sweet wine of Heaven for those in addiction. For those whom rehabs have been unsuccessful…. we offer the sweet wine of Heaven. For those who feel the fight is hopeless because of failed attempts in secular programs…. we offer a banquet of sweet wine from Heaven. Church, we have the wine! What are we reserving it for? Heaven? There is no shortage of wine there. We need this wine now. I am ready for the sound of a cork flying thru the air. The bottle opens. Son of Man can you see this? The effect of drugs cannot compare to the dripping of sweet wine from Heaven.

The enemy has perverted the use of the towns in these mountains too long by making them drug havens. It’s time to take the towns and cities back. As David lived in the Promised Land he came up against the Philistines in battle. One time he knocked the giant down with a single stone and ran to him and cut his head off with his own sword. It is time for the drug dealers in these mountains to surrender to Christ or it is time for the drug dealers to be exposed. The swords with which they have divided our families must be taken to their own heads.

Those in high places that have teamed up with the drug dealers need to take notice – a higher Sheriff is in town and He marches to a different drum-beat. We are preparing to march and everyone must decide to which drum-beat they will march.

When the Philistines came against David again, he asked the Lord for guidance. The Lord gave him a simple strategy. He was to wait under the mulberry trees until he heard the sound of the wind in the tops of the trees. David waited and moved with the wind and celebrated victory. Simple strategies are coming as we wait in the secret place. These strategies will discomfit the enemy. They will fall upon the rock (Jesus) or the rock will fall on them. I prefer they fall upon the rock. It’s just easier and not so messy. The wind is blowing in the tops of the trees…. Gentle at first…. Across the mountains it blows…. Down into the towns and cities…. Holy Spirit is moving…. Gentle at first…. Across the mountains He moves… down into the towns and cities….

Five O'Clock Grace

As the manifest Presence of God invades these Applachian Mountains lives are being transformed. As new believers, and old believers who have surrendered to the transforma-tion come forth, what is expected of them? Do they need to go through all the programs, hear all the old teachings, and experience some failed attempts? Do they need lots of learning experiences to make them the strong believers they need to be? These are questions that are on our minds. This is something that we all have probably pondered. Don’t they need to go through all the things that we had to go through to make us what we are today?

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus told a parable about the kingdom. A landowner hired workers for much needed vineyard work. The servants went out and invited workers to come at different hourly intervals. Some began working at 9:00, while others started at noon; some started at 3:00, and then some began at 5:00. They were all paid the same. The ones who came at 5:00 only worked one hour and didn’t bear the burden of the scorching heat (vs.12). This bothered the other workers and they thought this was really unfair.

Get ready Church for what really looks unfair. It’s 5:00 and there are those coming into the kingdom or awakening into kingdom truths that are going to have it easy. They will not have to bear the burden of the scorching heat. They will enter the blessings of those who have gone before them. Remember how Israel didn’t have to plant the first year they went into the new promised land. It had already been planted for them.

The Pioneers have gone before us. I live about 30 miles from my hometown and often need to go back there. It takes me about 40 minutes to get there because some wonderful engineers and workers have made a four-lane road over there. What if I decided not to use the roads and make my own road? I have a jeep and I can go over some rough terrain. I will need to cut a lot of trees and figure out some way to cross a river. I might get there in a few months in my jeep or I can just hike and get there in a couple of days. But, why do that when the way has been made easy? It might be a good adventure to hike, but it would be madness to try making a new road for the jeep and avoiding the roads already made. That’s my parable. Sometimes things get easier. We have entered the 11^th hour.

We have heard Revelation 3 and the Laodicean church doctrine preached for years. This teaching tries to tell us that we have entered the last Church age in which we become a weak lukewarm Church. I personally don’t accept these two chapters of Revelation (chapters 2 and 3) as dispensations of Church periods. But even if I did, I would see that Jesus, through John, was warning us not to become lukewarm. He would not have been suggesting we become that type of Church. I don’t think the words, “end time” are even mentioned in these two chapters. This was a letter sent to the church of Laodicea in the first century. So, instead of pushing Revelation 3 and the weak Church idea, why not push the Glorious Bride Church of Ephesians or the Revelation Question of, “Who is this number that no man can number standing before the throne?” There are multitudes coming in from all the nations into the Kingdom in the end times. Spring rains and Autumn rains are going to both fall at the same time. He is going to pour His Spirit out upon all flesh. These are only a few references of great things for our times.

So why not push Matthew 20? The blessings of 11^th hour grace are upon us. They have come to the Applachian Mountains. Just jump into the River, even though you didn’t make the River. Enjoy the sunrise even though you didn’t make the sun. Eat the harvest even though you didn’t plant it.

There will need to be major transformation of our minds. We are a society that still gets hung-up on works. Even though we sing about grace we struggle to live it. The very idea that Christian living could actually become easy chokes us. Each of us are called to bear our cross and much persecution is prophesied for the end-time. However, there is still rest in the midst of hard times. Hebrews talks so much of our entering the “Rest of God”. It’s allowing Him to do the things He wants to do, and we, like Mary, can just sit at His feet and enjoy Him. The Martha in us needs to sit down!

For example, I believe truth will be easier to attain as He pours out Revelatory Truth in abundance as we spend intimate time with Him. I believe healing will be easier as faith and trust arises. I believe programs and classes will give way to simple time at the Master’s feet. We can stop stressing over how to figure out and maintain the moves of God. The anointing will increase upon simple people who walk in humility before Him. Ministers and teachers won’t have to spend long hours of preparation but will receive major downloads in moments of time. Unsaved people will have “Damascus road” experiences and walk into our meetings telling how they met Jesus on the road. Believers will simply walk together and their hearts will burn inside of them and they will recognize Him in the breaking of bread. Communion and baptism is about to take on a whole new meaning as experience is married to knowledge and obedience. We will no longer spend countless hours trying to figure God out, but will find joy in the mystery of who He is. We will stop trying to maintain and store up and just eat the manna that falls from Heaven.

Why all this easy stuff? The landowner in Matthew 20:15 said, “I am generous”. That is the only excuse God needs. When questioned by those who had worked all day, this was the Landowners reply. It is God’s reply. Hear Him echo it down through the ages… “I am generous!”

Who can best receive such short-cuts to grace? It will be those who walk in humility and who are teachable and hungry. They will allow themselves to have their minds transformed. They will hear God and quickly walk in obedience and trust of the One they now love more than ever! There will be those who receive much who may seem unworthy to receive anything. They may not be as perfect as those who have worked all day. Their works are not as impressive. These are the people who will get zapped with grace. Many who think they deserve more will come up short because they trusted in their religious works. There will be people so overwhelmed by the power and grace of God that many will be offended thinking a more worthy person should have received the blessings. There will be those who stand empty handed because they trusted in their own righteousness.

In Luke 15 the Prodigal Son received 5 short-cuts to grace. His Father came out to meet him. He was given a robe. He was given a ring. He was given shoes. A party was thrown. The Father lifts his robes and runs to meet the Son. Father God has lifted His robes and runs towards us. The robe of His righteousness already and will continue to cover our filthy rags. The ring of Kingdom authority has been and will be put upon fingers of those thought to be unworthy. Shoes have been given and will be given to Sons of God. Sons were given shoes whereas servants had no shoes. There will be those who move from servant/works mentality to begin living as sons and daughters of God. And the Party…. I have no words to explain it!

I had a short dream this morning. I dreamed I was planting new vines in a cracked wall. I felt purpose and almost pride in how creative it looked. I was amazed at how quick the vines took root into the dry cracked wall. They were only small vines being transplanted, but they already had some fruit on them. It surprised me that the vines already had fruit. There were people watching the process and I discerned their thoughts. They were unsure these plants would live.

Get ready…. The 11^th hour generation prepares to march. They march in cadence to the beat of a different drum. The 5:00 people are getting off from work. The roads are getting busy. It’s a spiritual rush hour! They don’t know or even care who made the roads they travel…. They are coming… They are coming to the mountains! How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring such great news!

We Have Not Passed This Way Before

We have not passed this way before.

As Joshua encouraged the people (Joshua 3:4,5) that they were getting ready to walk a new road, he was preparing them to experience new things and he was preparing their minds to think new thoughts. The woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment had suffered at the hands of many physicians but then, with transformed mind, believed if she touched Jesus’ garment she would be made whole.

I sense a change - a new season - that has no relation to the old season in regard to allowing our lack of success in former seasons to control our thinking anymore. In this new season, we cannot allow the failures of the past to influence our faith. In order to love the Lord with all our minds we must allow Him to transform our thinking.

For example, we have heard of and even experienced great moves of God in the past that have ended - sometimes with grinding halts. This can cause us to think that the present movements of God will be the same. We need to stop this kind of thinking. A transformed mind must choose to believe that God has come for habitation instead of just a visitation. I’m thinking if God doesn’t stay with us this time in a mighty tangible way, we are doomed. This kind of desperation transforms our thinking to believe that God is not letting go this time. Habitation is the heart of God too.

Another example: if someone has asked for prayer for healing several times without any results, they need to come with a clean slate as if this is the first time of being ministered to for this particular need. This allows us to die to the disappointment of the past and allows new faith to arise. Bill Johnson speaks of this in his teachings on healing at Bethel Church, in Redding, CA. When someone comes to him for prayer or ministry he wants them to come without retaining thoughts of past attempts that may have seemed unsuccessful.

And… most of us have asked Father for things that we think we have not received. Because of this we often hesitate to ask again with much boldness or confidence. Let us return to the way Jesus told us to ask, when He said, “If a son ask for bread will his father give him a stone? So much more the Heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts to those who ask…” We need to let go of the memory of times we think Father didn’t come through for us and ask anew with childlike trust and faith.

And what about deliverance? I remember when I was a young minister praying for community drunks and they were completely set free - no AA programs or rehabs were needed for these people. Have we made programs into crutches that weaken our faith, forgetting that God does still completely set people free from addiction? The lie that we will always be an alcoholic or addict must be discarded from our thinking. With such low success rates in these programs, do we not need to look to ‘higher power?'

We have crossed the sea and we have crossed the river. Like the children of Israel after crossing the Red Sea, we have been baptized to walk in new power (I Cor. 10:2). Likewise, when the new generation crossed the Jordan River, they inherited fields they had not planted. Let us enter this new season of Provision: health, food, water, clothing, shoes that don’t wear out. We are a fearful people - nations will stand in awe of us - the Applachian people. The Presence... His Presence... The Glory….. His Glory…. will be over, around and in us here in these mountains. We are a people of ‘The Presence.’ As Miriam, we will dance - we will worship.

He will send abundance. Like Jesus turned the water to wine and there they sat with what is equivalent today to over 900 bottles of wine, He will take us into the house of wine… the house of intoxication. Like the feeding of the multitudes, like the widow and her oil vessels in Elisha’s day, when she shut herself up in her home and the oil never ran out, we will shut ourselves up with God and the oil will never run out. Like the days of Jehoshaphat, we will stand still and see the provision of the Lord. Elijah’s cloud is bringing a downpour - mudding up the roads. Isaac’s hundredfold is with those who stay in the land. Others are coming to the land - an is exodus coming in. We will find the coins to pay the taxes in the mouth of the fish. Just as Israel didn’t have to plant crops the first year in the promised land, this is going to be easy. This may be the easiest thing we have ever done.

So forget the failed attempts and look at things as if it’s the first attempt. Go forward into the new season because you have never passed this way before.

Moving Holy Spirit

In a recent dream, I heard these words, “Sometimes Holy Spirit moves us and sometimes we move Holy Spirit.” After I shared this with the congregation on Sunday, a church member sent me a link to an article called the “Power of the Word” and the writer says of Smith Wigglesworth that one of his most quoted sayings was, “ If the Spirit doesn’t move me, I’ll move Him.”

I had another short dream this afternoon and in the dream a speaker said to me, “I’ll give you a State of the Union address and it is about Holy Spirit.” I awakened feeling sure that Holy Spirit is moving in a great way in these mountains. This move of God is the condition of our region – it is the reality.

In my first dream last week, I was told that we are NOW in a move of God in this region. I believe this. I believe that our acknowledgement and proclamation of this actually thrusts us forward. Often God shows us things to proclaim as a reality, even if the evidence in the physical realm is not as great as we think it should be. This is faith. As in Ezekiel 47 concerning the river coming out from the temple, the question is asked of Ezekiel, “Have you seen this O’ son of man?” We must acknowledge and proclaim the things we see in the Spirit. We must see them as reality.

Often, we look ahead to the future and hope for good things – big things – to happen there in the future. This can be a crutch – a crutch we have used far too long. I think of myself as a visionary and I love vision, but a futuristic mentality has many dangers when we place what God is doing only into a future dispensation and not the now. It gives us a crutch – to not walk in our calling now, but to only have plans to walk in it in the future. It causes us to have weak faith as we postpone God. It stunts our growth. It never challenges us to put God on the spot to show up. The futuristic mentality leaves us stuck in the mud while we presently buy into the deception that we are people of vision. Father loves for us to be in such a pickle that He is the only Way out… up…. or in….

It is time to move Holy Spirit. It greatly moves Him when we allow our faith and trust to push Him. Our proclamations put Him on the spot. He loves it. He knows He not only has to show up, but He gets to show up and manifest His power. How can we move Holy Spirit? We must allow Him to show us the many ways He wants to be moved. It is not a set recipe. It requires intimacy with Him to receive “revelation knowledge.” This lifts the veil for us to see what God is already doing. Most things are set in order as to require the basic element of intimacy. I believe God’s greatest desire is to have intimacy with us. It is through intimacy that we move Holy Spirit.

As we yield our minds to think beyond human reasoning, we begin to love Him with all our minds as the scriptures encourage us to do in Mark 12:30. Thinking outside-the-box impresses God. Thinking beyond human reasoning moves God. The Centurion in Matthew 8 thought outside-the-box. He thought in the realm of faith. After Jesus volunteered to come to his home and heal his servant, the Centurion told Jesus to “just say the word.” Jesus was impressed. He was moved. He told his followers that He had not found such great faith in Israel. Faith and words spoken outside the typical conversations impress Holy Spirit. Doing things differently and uniquely, as Holy Spirit creates the ideas in our hearts and gives us words full of faith, impresses Heaven.

Will you move God? Will you believe in the NOW?