Beloved, stop reopening healed wounds. Scripture says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8 VOICE).
I hear the Spirit say, “Pay attention to where your thoughts wander as you go through your day. Meditate on the honorable, don’t allow the relentless replay of the events of yesterday with its emotions, offenses and fears. Dwelling on the past hinders your ability to move forward into the future. You shackle yourself to the past and its fears, offenses, and pitfalls when you give in to those thoughts. Take them captive, cast them at MY feet, and allow My Spirit to redirect and refocus your thoughts. I have such plans and such purpose for you, I AM well able to accomplish it, yet I desire you to partner with ME and give the enemy no ground in your thought life. Meditate on MY Word, the promises I have given you and My faithfulness. Fix your thoughts on Me and My goodness, let go of yesterday.”
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV).
After asking Papa what the new year held, He began to speak of government. He visually repeated “2+0+1+9=12 Government” over and over. When that happens, I listen. Biblically speaking, 12 is the number pertaining to government. My pastor has said the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles are governmental references. So, it made sense to me that the visual math and then the word following were connected. But what was He actually saying?
Dictionary.com has a number of definitions for government, but the meaning of the word the Lord spoke to me is “direction; control; management; rule”.
On a personal level, this year will see me better governing what the Lord has blessed me with – time, ministry, gifts, family, and the like; being more intentional and balanced in my devotional and prayer time. I have a circle of influence in which He desires me to grow and teach. This next year holds the fulfillment of promises and new higher heights. I have already begun assessing and reevaulating where my time and energy have been spent over the last year, and am very expectant of what is to come. This also means letting go of and stepping back from a few things. Holding all things loosely better prepares me to receive what He is giving me. Often our desire to stay comfortable will keep us trapped in places of stagnant growth, when Papa just wants us to let go, experience more, and climb higher.
On a national level, well wow! Isaiah 1: 26 “I will bring back legislators who have integrity, people like your founding fathers—principled decision-makers. Then your city will be called honorable and just, a model of ethics, trustworthy, and strong (VOICE).”Government is not a popular topic lately, but we must address it nonetheless. With the extreme and possibly misunderstood phrase “separation of church and state”, the church has long been mostly absent from involvement in government. Papa previously began awakening the church and He will continue through the new year. What He has put into motion will be more visible in the upcoming year. He is realigning government like chess pieces, placing His people within the ranks of governing authorities. His strategy is one we are going to want to stay tuned into.
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (NKJV). Kingdom government is pushing into national governments. This is why we are seeing so much political strife and contention. But, Papa always prevails. Always. We must remember to hold onto what Papa has spoken and remind our enemy of his defeated state. No matter what things look like to our eyes, or what the media reports, or what people say, Papa rules the nations. Psalm 2:2-4 “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed saying “Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall hold them in derision” (NJKV). Psalm 22:28 “For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations.”
This will be a momentous year. I’m not entirely sure of what exactly it will look like, but I know that Papa will often do the work in the background so that when He reveals it, it is complete. There is nothing which escapes His eye and what we are to do is continue to pray the kingdom into the earth. Bless and do not curse. Let the mouths of the enemies flap and create their own demise, do not give room to any fear they try to instill. We are to love and bless.
Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
A couple of weeks ago, the Lord showed me a picture of a heart undergoing surgery. The surgeon was scraping and cleaning the arteries and ventricles. This was a very laborious and intricate procedure as years of clogging had slowed the arteries to practically no blood flow. However, as he worked and finished, each section was left pristine and fully functional.
“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” This was the predominant Scripture as I watched the surgery. “What is the content of my heart?” is the question we must ask ourselves daily. Are our hearts filled with heavenly things, or earthly? What attitudes do we have towards others, towards our work, towards our ministry, towards other Believers? Do we have hearts filled with love?
“The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34 NKJV). If the heart brings forth its abundance, then it makes sense to consider with great importance what we fill it with. Be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear! What we allow into our minds tills the soil of our hearts. Scripture is very clear we are to cultivate the garden of our hearts with the tools we have been given– prayer, praise, worship and fellowship. We are to sow seeds of love, compassion and tenderness, fertilizing with grace and watering with the Word. Filling the garden of our hearts with heavenly things empowers us to speak good things.
As I watched this vision, I heard the Lord say, “I AM performing surgery on your heart, My Child! I AM the One who cleans and repairs, allow Me to complete this work in you. I do not promise that it will be painless; for My work to do what I need it to do, there will be pain involved. I will require you to give up some things you have been holding tight to, but are no longer needed for this part of your journey. Always remember, I AM not taking something from you, but taking you somewhere. For My purpose to be fulfilled in your life, there are things buried in your heart that I must pull out by the roots. Partner with Me as I clean and refashion your heart. Release these areas to Me! It is because of My great Love for you that I do this. Let me break up the fallow ground of your heart!”
I saw a woman looking at her reflection in a mirror. I could read all her thoughts as they crossed her face. She was trying to make sense of her current circumstances. She felt confused, abondoned, ugly, hurt, forgotten and forlorn. She kept asking “Why?”
I couldn’t see the rest of the room in the mirror, so I turned around. As I did, I saw angels standing as though waiting for something or someone. They were holding garments of what looked like fine linens, gleaming and precious gemstone jewelry, treasure boxes, and many wrapped gifts.
The woman’s head collapsed into her arms, and she began sobbing. Huge, body shaking, sobs. Tears began to flood all around her. She was weeping so deeply, it seemed like her sobs were coming from somewhere so deep that there’d be no comfort for her.
I turned around and looked at the angels. They remained where they were. Again, I sensed they were waiting for something or someone. Time seemed to go for so long, her sobbing and weeping becoming louder and louder until they were wails and shrieks. So deep was her despondency that I began to weep with her. I didn’t know or understand, but I could not help myself.
All of a sudden a fresh wind and a cool, sweet smelling smoke filled the room. Immediately I knew Jesus had entered. The weight of His presence and glory made it so I could not see Him, but I knew He walked past me and to the weeping and wailing woman. I feel to my knees as I watched Him approach the woman.
I saw the back of Him through the cloud as He picked up a hairbrush, seemingly out of nowhere, and began brushing her hair. As He brushed, He was whispering to her. I noticed her weeping and wailing began to dissipate with each stroke of the brush until she just looked at her reflection silently. He began to braid her hair in intricate and profoundly beautiful knots. He continued to whisper and I could not make out what it was He was telling her, but I knew it was meant only for her.
As He worked on her hair, the angels began to move. They carried their wares over to Him and laid them at His feet. Instantaneously, as they laid them down, they appeared on the woman. She now had on the most dazzling gown I’ve ever seen, the color of which is not here on this earth and words fail me to describe it. The jewels she wore, around her neck, ears, nose, hands, wrists and on her crown were of the highest quality and rarest gems. Glimmering brilliantly, they seemed to light up the room by themselves! The angels began to bring the treasure boxes and gifts to her. As she opened them, each one was more opulent and precious than the one before. Her face was now radiant and joyful, a vast difference than how she was before He came.
I saw Him reach out to her and she took His hand. She stood up and He embraced her. I then noticed the angels had instruments now. Harps, wind instruments, other stringed instruments and drums. Music began to play and oh, what music! The meloday was so sweet and soft, yet fierce that it touched a place in my soul I didn’t know existed. They began to dance and I couldn’t help myself, I began to dance as well. As we danced, I knew this woman had found what she had been seeking and striving for, I knew she had found the answer for her “why?”.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV).
“My beloved is mine, and I am his” (Song of Solomon 2:16a).
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the confort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4).
There is absolutely NO situation in which Jesus is not able to raise you up, wash you clean and make you beautiful. I heard the Spirit say “Beloved, you are not forgotten. You are not ugly. I have made YOU beautiful. Do not listen to what this world tells you, it is based on reflections and shadows. They do NOT depict an accurate picture of MY LOVE for you, they do NOT reveal how beautiful and wonderful YOU ARE. I AM everything you need. Question not your circumstances and turn, instead, to rejoicing in MY presence, trusing that I WILL work everything out. You are not meant to see every part of My work, but only what I show you in due time. Though you may sorrow in this moment, this is only temporary. I AM your comforter, I AM your healer, I AM your faithful sheild. Lean not on your own understanding, but be still and trust that I AM doing what I have said I will do.”
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1: 17).
There are many in the Body of Christ who sit and absorb. Spectators who listen to message after message yet act very sparingly on what they hear and share even less. They want it all but do not let go. The Lord showed me that they are like wet sponges sitting in water, growing fat and unable to take on any more. They risk stagnation because there is no more room for expansion and growth.
Papa is getting ready to squeeze the excess out because it is the excess that is the blessing. I saw His hand reach out and squeeze the sponge and I saw the water the sponge was holding flow over and out from His hand.
It is not Papa’s plan for us to simply retain and hold on to what we receive from Him. Doing that causes stagnation and funk. Like the sponge, we must absorb and then be squeezed out to share it. It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. He doesn’t squeeze us to harm us, He squeezes us to make room for more, which then will be used to bless another. We carry Christ within us, how will anyone else know Him if we don’t share what He’s taught, shown or given us?
It is okay to soak up, and it is okay to be squeezed out.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
