Awake and Asleep

by Jon Acuff

I read an article in last month’s Men’s Journal about some coal miners that died in a tragic accident. While trapped miles under the earth, with their oxygen running out and death coming quickly, the men decided to write some notes to the people they loved.

One note said:

“It wasn’t bad. I just went to sleep.”

That is a gift…if you are dying.

That was a kindness, a man letting his family know that he did not suffer. I was overwhelmed by the selflessness of that action. With only a few short breaths left, that man did not focus on the pain he was in, but instead used his last energy to do everything he could to ease the pain of the people he loved.

But if you are alive…if you still have years ahead of you, if you are still above ground, breathing and living, that note is not a gift.

It is a curse.
It is a note that I wrote to describe my own life for many, many years.

“It wasn’t bad. I just went to sleep.”

Things weren’t horrible, I just went to sleep. I stopped caring about anyone but me. I stopped giving and focused on taking. I let go of risk and settled into a nice, safe, comfortable life.

“It wasn’t bad. I just went to sleep.”

I am tired of living that way.
Tired of writing that note.
Tired of being those words.

I don’t know if you’re like me and it’s easy for you to fall asleep. Easy to focus on the wrong things. Easy to miss the love and the life and the joy God keeps whispering in the corners of your day.

Well, this year, I’ve got two words for you: Wake up.

Wake up.
Wake up.
Wake up.

That is my prayer for 2009. That I would not sleep. That I would not live a life that is really not all that alive. That I would remember Revelation 16:15, “blessed is he who stays awake.”

What kind of note will you write this year?

Jon Acuff writes the site www.stuffchristianslike.netHe  has a book coming out with Zondervan in 2010, lives in Atlanta and thinks it’s weird to write his own bios.

Mike Bickle – Book of Revelation

Mike Bickle teaches on the book of Revelation.

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Divine Division = Divine Collision

by Apostle Traci Carson

A few years ago my husband Gary and I rented a cabin in the beautiful and rugged mountains of Mount Hood National Forest where we celebrated our anniversary. The view of the mountains there are magnificent. Our cabin was about 50 feet from the river where two Rivers called the Sandy and Salmon come together. We could hear both rivers raging from all rooms of this cabin.

Wow, what a Master Artist our Lord is. He makes no idle strokes in His creation. His every move reveals His Glory and the excellence of His Majesty. I am in complete awe of His creation.

In the upper level of the cabin it over looks the Salmon River and in the distance I could see the Sandy River as it meets with the Salmon. The windows were open and I could hear the roar of the rivers as they collide. As I watched the two rivers come together I reflected on the verse in Genesis 1:6-8 “Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament and it was so. Then God called the firmament heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.”

The above verse symbolically represents the separation of the heavenly and earthly. There are a people who have allowed their God to sanctify them as a holy people (1 Pet.1:16). Though the waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling – there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the Holy Place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved (Ps. 46:3-5).

We have been in preparation for the return of Christ. This is why so many people are looking for His return in the natural. They look at the conditions of the world and cry out and look for His return to be soon. Christ is returning there is no doubt, but first and foremost He is returning in and through a people who have prepared themselves. As nations rage and kingdoms are moved, His kingdom is about to be exalted among all other nations. We will not go out as cowards looking for a way out of this world, but we will come into the world with and in the fruition and power of our King Jesus. The second day of natural creation was a day of separation. We see this spiritual significance throughout the word of God. This division is Divine and for those who have allowed themselves to be separated from the influence of the earthly they have and are entering into the third day with spiritual receptivity that clearly understands they were created for God’s good pleasure and not their own. They were not bought without a price (1 Cor.6:20; Eph.1:9-10).

The first day was without form and void. Just as God’s spirit hovered over the face of the deep and over the face of the waters on the first day of natural creation, so the Holy Spirit has hovered over the Church. There is a “deep” within us that is capable of responding to an eternal desire that is within our Creator. Spiritually speaking the creation of the Church began the day Christ resurrected from the dead. The first day God said, “Let there be light, and there was light”. And God saw that the light was good, and divided light from darkness.” This is the spoken word of life for the sinner, and ever since that glorious day of His resurrection we have moved forward into the second day, and now the third. There is great understanding here if we can grasp this revelation because it explains why Christ has not returned yet, and why He is not returning the way so many think He is returning.

“And He said to them, Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.”

As explained by Apostle Peter, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day (2 Pet.3:8,9). Peter was speaking prophetically of the Church age (two thousand years). The third-day however is the Millennial Day and it is here that the Body of Christ (which is exactly that – His body) will be perfected. This perfection that Christ spoke of is that of His body and His head coming together as one. For two thousand years Christ has looked for a place to rest His head.

“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no where to lay His head”. (Luke 9:58)

As we are entering in to the third day since the resurrection of Christ and about to see the birthing of the seventh day (millennial / the seventh day since creation) we shall have a deeper revelation of His “rest”. Just as people are looking for Christ’s return because they feel His return is very near, they are also sensing a need to enter into His “rest”. Again, there is a misunderstanding as they attempt to make this “rest” a place in the natural. Many have recently chosen to gather together for worship on Saturday because they are sensing the need to enter into the “Sabbath” place. This is not a natural place, but a spiritual place. This rest is called the “abiding” (John 15).

“For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, this is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing. Yet they would not hear”. (Is.28:11-12)

There is a spiritual rest that God has commanded us to enter into (1 Cor.14:21; Hebrews 4). This place of rest is the abiding in Christ wherein we are no longer working our way to heaven as we are already there in Christ seated in the heavenly places (Eph.2:1-10). We have moved from an outside God mindedness, to an inside God mindedness (Gal.2:20; Col.1:27). In Christ we can “rest” in Him as we move, live and have our being in the enveloping presence (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ. The “parousia” (life in the presence of God) is what we are to depend upon to “catch us up”. This being “caught up” is living in the heavenly places with Christ. I would like to reiterate there is a literal return of Christ. However, firstly He is coming bodily for the appearance and presence of Himself in His Body. He is coming to be glorified in His saints (2 Thess.1:7-10).

(1) He has come to His people.

(2) He is come in His people.

(3) And He is coming through His people.

To, In, and Through (my husband did an incredible teaching on this if you are interested). From inworking to outworking (Phil.2:12; 2 Pet.1:4). From glory to Glory. From ever learning about Him to experientially living in and through Him (John 15).

As I was looking out at the two rivers coming together I saw prophetically Genesis 1:9 coming into fruition. “Then God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place… and the gathering together He called seas. And God saw that it was good…”

The waters (two rivers) are symbolic of the nations of the earth; restlessness, under-currents, cross currents as the nations rage and are moved. As the waters come together (symbolic of eternal life through Christ), there is resurrection life (on the 3rd day he was raised up from the dead), the manifestation of Christ in and through His people. As the two rivers come together there is a raging sound, turbulence, and a powerful force creating such violent pressure that anything feeble is destroyed.

The nations are restless and raging. There are under-currents that attempt to destroy the workings of Jesus Christ but cannot. The Church may be hard- pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed… (1 Cor.4:7-15). What the Lord has created cannot be destroyed – hallelujah! I’m talking Corporate Body here. When Elijah thought he was the only one left after Jezebel killed many of the prophets, the Lord encouraged him by telling him He had a remnant of prophets who had not bowed to the pressure of fear and false comfort (1 Kings 19:11-18).

“To you it has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables… He who has an ear (spiritual receptivity), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes (complacency, doubt, unbelief, false comfort, negative thinking, etc) I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Mark 4:11; Rev.2:7)

Glorious things ahead for the Body of Christ. Incredible insight and knowledge given with the experience to follow. There are a people who have and are allowing God to break through their fallow mindset. We are in the age where evil is raging as it has never raged before. God has and is looking for a people who will not break rank. They don’t push each other. Everyone marches in their own column (Joel 2:7). They don’t look at others and wonder why they are not doing what themselves are doing because that is what God is doing and if others are not doing what themselves are doing then surely others are missing God – Ugh! Dear saints, if we were all the hands and feet of the body how in the world would we eat without a mouth to give strength and nourishment to the body? If we were all eyeballs how would we walk to what we are seeing (1 Cor.12:12-31)? I thank God for His plan of Unity rather than uniformity! May we respect and honor one another’s function as it is vital to the end-time purposes of God.

There is a Divine Division that Rightly Divides those who have unconditionally submitted themselves to the Lord from those who did not (the five virgins who did, and the five who did not – Matt.25:1). There is a people who have and are allowing the Lord to prepare them for His purposes, and are overcoming all that is hindering them from doing their part in the full manifestation of the Kingdom.

Let’s take a close look at today’s culture and today’s church. On several occasions, history has provided the critical need to thrust the church into breaking out of it’s’ box and becoming the force in culture and society that God intended it to be.

Today the Church has once again reached something so forceful (river flow) that there is a demand that we look hard at our traditional forms wherein facing the reality that we must move with the flow of God or else be moved aside by the powerful river force that is coming regardless of how we feel or think.

This Third Day (a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day – 2 Pet.3:8) requires a third way of doing Church. There is a reformation of structure that is causing a Divine Division (spiritual indifference) within the Corporate Church. The formation of the “First Day Church” and the Second Day Church must be reevaluated as some of the things that we have allowed the Church to be built on are nothing more than sand.

Creation is groaning with expectation (fires, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, plagues, murders, etc) for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom.8:18-30). As the sons of God are awakening and manifesting the very life of Christ to the world there is a “Divinely Appointed Collision” that is also happening. Just as God was raising a deliverer (Moses) to Israel, and the rulers of that time ordered all first-born male infants to be killed, and then He sent His only begotten Son (first-born of many brethren – Rom.8:29) into the world, the rulers at that time ordered all male infants to be killed, so it is in our day with the sons of God. He (Jesus) the first born, desires to be birthed (manifested) through many brethren, multiplying (sowing) Himself into the earth. This is the fruition, the manifestation of the sons of God.

The rulers of our time attempt to destroy, hinder, stop; but cannot prevail against what God has pre-ordained. The sons (both men and women – Gal.3:28) of God will arise, and with this resurrection power there will be a Divine Collision that will powerfully flow into the world, impacting them for Christ, but this won’t happen without a fight. There will be a war whether some think so or not.

…A River runs through us.

Mantles of Revelation and Power

By Paul Keith Davis
I wrote this article on Joan of Arc several years ago after reading Mark Twain’s incredible book on her life. The Lord has been bringing this article to memory often in recent days and I felt its truth is pertinent to this present transition season. We are entering a time when the deposit of God’s Spirit that rested upon prior great champions will be reinstituted on those who have been prepared for them. This will be a first-fruits harvest that will provoke the body forward into a season of great harvest.

There are very valuable Kingdom principles that we can learn from the life of this wonderful prophetess. Her courage, valor and obedience will typify many in this last days generation who will give themselves totally to God’s plan and purpose. I trust this article is a blessing to you.

The Maid of Orleans

Few women in history are as intriguing as Jeanne D’Arc, the French peasant girl born in 1412, who heard and obeyed heaven. To some she was a saint, to others a heretic, but history chronicles her as emerging from obscurity to become her nation’s youngest military leader.

In 15 months she changed the course of European history. Her eventual martyrdom was Satan’s attempt to destroy her divine gift, but that same impartation can be inherited by today’s “Joan of Arcs” through God’s divine justice.

A Supernatural Voice

For her, the unlikely destiny began one summer afternoon at the age of 13. On that fateful day she saw a brilliant light and heard the audible voice of the Archangel Michael, leader of God’s armies.

Michael addressed her as “Joan the Maid” with the added admonition to live a pure and virtuous life. He announced her destiny as a God appointed deliverer to lead the army of France. Joan reported “I recognized that it was the voice of an angel. This voice has always guarded me well and I have always understood it; it instructed me to be good and to go to church often.”

To Joan, the voices of God’s spiritual messengers could be distinguished in the same fashion as one person communicates with another. She received audible expressions from the spiritual realm that charged her with the formidable task of uniting a fragmented army and altering the fate and leadership of her nation.

A Deliverer is Born

The extreme hardship of one hundred years of war with England preceded the appearance of Joan. The English occupied considerable portions of France with plans of further expansion until the prophetess shifted the momentum to the French.

The messengers of Heaven conveyed to her a twofold commission: first, to lead an army against the English in defense of Orleans, a crucial and strategic city for the French; and secondly, to restore the throne to its rightful heir, the Dauphin of France, a term used to identify the heir apparent who later became Charles VII. France had not had a crowned king since the death of Charles VI in 1422. Instead, the French crown had passed to the infant king Henry VI of England through a treaty signed by Charles VI.

This twofold mandate was an unthinkable task for an illiterate teenager living in the 15th century. Even so, the messengers from Heaven gave explicit directions. Joan possessed the uncanny willingness to risk life and limb in obedience to their instructions. She relinquished herself totally to the cause of Heaven that launched her into this supernatural arena.

The Mandate Established

To share this vision with the Dauphin of France, Joan journeyed over 300 miles through enemy territory for her first encounter with Charles VII. Charles actually staged a test to determine the authenticity her revelations.

When Joan entered the huge meeting hall filled with over 300 guests the Dauphin was not seated on his throne. Instead, he was dressed as a commoner and had mingled with the crowd. Led by her supernatural Council, Joan walked directly to Charles and addressed him as the imminent leader of France. Moreover, she also divulged divine insight involving his life known only to he and God. This validated for the eventual king that Joan of Arc was no ordinary maiden.

Subsequently, Charles and his councilmen embraced her vision and allowed her to lead 4000 troops in support of the besieged city of Orleans on April 29, 1429. The victory was swift and sure!

Phenomenal Victories

After capturing smaller forts that bordered Orleans, Joan surrounded the occupied city and led the assault against the English. Joan was gravely wounded in the conflict, as she had earlier predicted. Nevertheless, by the end of the day she returned to the battle. The mere sight of their courageous leader rallied the French army who promptly routed the remaining English forces. So moved were these hardened soldiers by Joan’s anointing and heroism that they “gave up swearing and prostitutes and committed themselves to a virtuous life.”

Joan insisted the men under her charge conduct themselves in a manner becoming professional soldiers. She allowed no swearing or lewd behavior and expected commendable character. The men willingly followed her leadership and affectionately bestowed on her the title “maid of Orleans.”

In subsequent weeks, several other French cities enduring English occupation were liberated by Joan and her army. So convincing were the early victories that in one confrontation only three French soldiers perished compared to over 2000 English casualties.

After accepting the surrender of Troyes, Joan persuaded Charles to return to Rheims for his royal coronation. In fulfillment of Joan’s directive given by the Lord through Heavenly messengers, CharlesVII was officially recognized as monarch of France.

Her Betrayal and Death

Despite her conquests, betrayal from French leaders led to Joan’s capture; this too
according to her own predictions. In embarrassment, English rulers determined to prove her success resulted from witchcraft and sorcery. They added to her charges heresy-the act of challenging the authority of the Church. The representatives of the Church who tried her believed God spoke only to priests. It flew is the face of their belief system for God to communicate directly with individuals.

For nearly five months Joan of Arc was imprisoned, not in a facility for women but with English soldiers. Nevertheless, strengthened by the Lord and His Heavenly messengers, she remained steadfast throughout the ordeal.

To validate the charge of heresy, the English employed clergyman and theologians who strenuously examined Joan with the malice intent of discrediting her testimony. Remarkably, her wise and skillful answers alleviated their entrapping questions. According to Joan, Heavenly messengers regularly brought to her God’s perfect council.

Ultimately, the tainted court rendered a guilty verdict and condemned Joan to be burned at the stake. At 9 a.m. on May 30, 1431 the 19 year old messenger of God was wrongfully executed. As the flames began to consume her body, a cross held before her eyes was Joan’s sole request. Her final word was the name Jesus.

Five hundred years after being burned at the stake for heresy, Joan of Arc is declared a saint and revered by the country she saved.

A Call for Justice

The loving eyes of our Heavenly Judge see and record every action of humanity. In this end-time generation the books of Heaven will be opened and restitution offered for injustices committed against God’s covenant people.

As with Joan of Arc, Satan has battled the saints of God for millennia and seemingly prevailed. Nevertheless, God, as the Righteous Judge, will render a final verdict on behalf of the saints. Daniel recorded:

I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints an overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. -Daniel 7:21-22

Divine justice, released in this age, will be a key to empower God’s people. Joan of Arc’s life was a prophetic model. There will be many who follow her standard with faithful and obedient hearts and commissioned in awesome ways. Every seemingly lost commission, anointing, and spiritual gift will be redeemed and released to willing candidates.

For thousands of years God’s children have been martyred, persecuted, and plundered, but Heavenly justice will decree that all be fully restored and compensated.

All things take place under the all-seeing eye of God, and He has promised to restore all that our adversary has ruined. Clearly Joan and others like her, received a martyr’s reward in eternity. Moreover, they sowed spiritual seeds that will reap the most outstanding deposit of divine grace never before demonstrated.

I Will Restore

The Joel 2:25 promise of restoration is one of the paramount passages of this day.
God pledges:

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. -Joel 2:25

Joan of Arc was God’s appointed representative during a crucial juncture in human history. Abuse of authority from corrupt political officials eradicated the Heavenly deposit entrusted to her. God’s just nature will mandate a manifold restoration of this and other lost anointing through faithful and obedient vessels prepared to apprehend and demonstrate this destiny and the Lord’s redemptive
virtues.

When God’s Servants Want To Quit

When God’s Servants Want To Quit
by Al Thomas

WHY IS THE DEVIL INTENSELY ATTACKING GOD’S PEOPLE?

HE SENSES IMPENDING DOOM FOR HIMSELF AND HIS KINGDOM.

He knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12). Demons have emotions (James 2:19). Don’t give the devil more credit than he should have, but even the enemy of your soul knows that one day this whole thing is going to end and he is the worst for it (Revelation. 20:3,10). Ever seen a caged animal cornered? They get desperate. Seems like the devil simply won’t let up on you? Guess what? The devil is nervous. The devil is paranoid. The devil is scared. His kingdom will soon fall and he hates you because you belong to Jesus and Jesus defeated him (1 John 3:8). He’s scared, not you (2 Timothy 1:7).

HE SENSES THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS GOING THROUGH TRANSITION.

Transition means passing from one condition to another. The Church is not going to remain like it is now. We are going to be changed –transitioned- into a glorious Church, a powerful Church and a Church without spot or wrinkle. The devil knows this. A bus is coming and there is nothing he can do about it. “Life is what happens while you are waiting for the bus”… you are on the bus. No, I’m not talking about the rapture; but the transition from passiveness to passion, from a confusing spirit to a conquering spirit. From a spiritual laziness to lambasting the devil. Maybe you better stand up (Ephesians 6:13-14).

HE SENSES THE CHURCH WILL HAVE A FRESH DISCERNMENT OF HIS DEVICES.

Read 2 Corinthians 2:11. Have you ever been in that place where you didn’t know if the problems you were facing were demonic, a test from God or simply the actions of well meaning but immature Christians? The time is coming (the devil knows) when the Church will have discernment like never before. The Word of God is described as ‘sharp as a two edged sword’ (Hebrews 4:12). This applies to written Word of God. However, I’m convinced that Jesus, the Word of God, is going to be ‘sharper’ in us in the area of discernment. We’ll be able to cut through all the confusing spiritual red tape that the enemy throws at us and we will see clearly with 20/20 spiritual vision. We won’t enter the battle half blind; rather we will blind the enemy and slaughter him (2 Kings 6: 15-17). We will rush him and overtake him and take back the goods that he robbed from us. Remember, you are not fighting against flesh & blood, unruly sheep, gossip mongers, etc. but Satan himself (Ephesians 6:12). Stop looking in the natural. Your battle is not worldly, it’s spiritual and you are destined to win the battle.

BOTTOM LINE: SATAN WANTS YOU TO QUIT…DON’T DO IT.

Fellow saint, do not leave the vineyard he has assigned to you (John 21:15-17). The very thing you are facing is preparing you for greater fruitfulness. Nothing of lasting value comes without a struggle. Tend the flock and concentrate on your noble calling. Fainting? Read Luke 18:1-8. Do not remove your hands from that plow. Stop looking back. There is nothing back there but a slippery slope. You know that. Look up. People are depending on you. Weaker saints are looking to you. You are valuable to God. You are loved greatly (1 John 3:1).

Do not listen to your emotions. They are a fertile field for the enemy’s attack. Your feelings will tell you to abandon the ship. Satan will tell you it isn’t worth it any longer. He lies. He always lies. Resist him (James 4:7). Tell him to go to his future home (Revelation 20:10).

Do not listen to the negative talk from worldly, skeptical people (James 4:11-12) even if they are friends and family. Listen to your Father in heaven. Some have never faced a battle like this…perhaps you think at times that you are not going to make it…some are not only fed up and ready to throw in the towel but the whole kit & caboodle. Don’t do it. God is fashioning you for better things. Do not live by your carnal desires and human understanding. More important than avoiding the negativity of others is to stop being negative yourself! Bring those thoughts unto the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10: 3-5).

Remember, Jesus is your burden bearer. This trial will end. God is a master artist. You are being made into something beautiful (1 John 3:2) because God is beautiful (Psalm 90:17). As for now you only see a small part of the picture. Let His master strokes have their way and you get out of the way. Your untrained brush will simply ruin a masterpiece in the making. The flood, the fire, the wind and the waves will not overtake you… “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2). Even in your weakness, God “…will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isaiah 58:11). Listen, you’re going to make it. Yes, you’ve made mistakes, but He is protecting you and gently guiding your life into the place of victory. Some of you have been in the desert years. Before he began his ministry Paul served time in the desert (Galatians 1:17) and now you are about to come out of yours. Don’t fear, you’ll come through this and then you will start shouting like never before!

So get up, dust yourself off and take a stand… the devil is afraid, not you.