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In the first part of what I believe Abba
Father gave me for 2012-2015, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “PREPARE, PREPARE,
PREPARE”. I asked Him a simple question. “How do we prepare?” This is what I
heard:
“First you need to see and understand
what you are preparing for, then you will have the vision and the motivation
for the work involved.
“Take for example a couple who have
gotten the news that they are going to have a baby. They are excited and begin
to prepare both together and separately. The woman prepares physically and is
mindful of her nutrition and general health. It depends on the dynamics and
personalities of each couple, but in general they begin to provide a place for
that baby to live and grow. They not only prepare for the birth, but other
financial needs are also considered for its education from early childhood into
adulthood. If these things are not planned out, then a number of issues can
arise that would limit the child’s health and its ability to function as an
adult in society. As an adult, that upbringing would affect the person’s
ability to provide for the next generation. Different cultures have different
methods, but if their babies are not fed and properly cared for into adulthood,
a cascade of troubling social issues will plague that territory. So it is for
My Body.
“What is coming to the Church was shared
years ago in a vision about a surfer catching a huge wave. When the first wave
came the surfer’s board was too short, and he was not strong enough to ride the
wave.* This is what happened in 2001 when the churches were filled after the
attacks on the U.S. and its leaders and congregations were not ready – they
were not prepared. Many in the Church did not intimately know My lovingkindness
and mercy, so they were unable to share it with others in need. I Am slow to
anger and long in suffering, yet My own flocks have failed to be taught this
simple truth.
“Another wave is approaching My Body
that the Church in no way is prepared to ride.
“The reason the Church is not prepared
to ride at this time is that they still, in large part, have ‘pew’ mentality. Pews
are long benches where people sit and are often seen in traditional churches. Although
many have replaced the pew with chairs, the tradition of the ‘pew’ continues to
live on in the hearts of the congregants. They habitually come to sit and do
their time, and then go home and have lunch. They rarely remember the message
or study to see if what they heard was scripturally sound. They only pray and
study their Bible’s, and worship to the degree that they feel it will appease
Me. That is the sum of their spiritual life. They honor Me with their lips but
their hearts are far from Me. For this reason, many are not prepared. Like babies,
they want to be bottle and spoon-fed. It is time to be weaned and eat the meat
of My word.
“In many countries, fairly new converts
are willing to go teach and share with others at the peril of life and limb. Even
though they are new to the faith, they may know more about Jesus than anyone in
a 100 mile radius; they trust Me to be with them as they go make new disciples!
Yet those who had been in the church for years continued to sit in the pew. They
think it is someone else being called to teach Sunday school or visit the sick.
They think it is the pastor’s job to do what I have called them to do. They
have failed to understand. They think they don’t qualify, yet they have been in
Church their whole lives! They look for their pastor to do the work of the
ministry, but I Am looking to them to exercise the gifts I gave them in every
area of their lives.
There are many who have served Me
without knowing what they should do. They believe when I show them what to do,
and they do it. It is not complicated. It’s a matter of trust. I promote those
who go where I send them and do what I say. Many of those will never be
well-known, but they are famous in heaven and great is their reward. I often
send the less qualified because they are willing, yet the ones I have worked
with for years just sit in the pew – saved, but useless in My hand. It is My
desire for My Church to come up off the pew, out of the chairs and be part of
My plan.
Just then I saw people of all ages, races,
denominations and levels of social status rising up and taking their position
in the Body of Christ. As they came together, they formed a human body. I saw
this “Body” walking all over the world. There were no parts of the body that
were not in unity as they all were led by the Head – the mind of Christ. Then
the Lord continued to speak:
“In Ephesians 4:11-12, I made it clear
how the church needs to operate to function properly. Jesus
Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some
pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the
saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. In Ephesians 2:19-22 I shared the plan
for My Church, My temple. I made it clear that the Church needs to operate with
the apostolic and prophetic leaders to set the foundation. Then the
evangelists, pastors and teachers are to build on that foundation with Christ
being the Cornerstone. Though many have seen Christ as the Cornerstone, they
have failed to see the need for apostolic and prophetic counsel. Most have the
pastor running the whole church and that was not My intentions for that office
and why so many burned out early. Because the foundation is often overlooked as
being true in times past, the churches crumble and then wonder what happened. My
word is eternally true.
“Look at the hand and picture the
ministry. On the hand the thumb represents the apostolic. The thumb sets
mankind apart from all other animals just as the apostles set the Church apart
from the world. The thumb interacts with all the other fingers to make them
function at their fullest capability. The prophetic is like the index finger
pointing direction for the Body. May the spirit of the prophets be subject to
the prophets. If My prophets are saying different things, it could be they have
different perspectives of My will. If what they say is like a clanging gong of
judgment void of My love, compassion and mercy, it is likely not Me speaking to
them. If their words, even if difficult to bear, are filled with hope, you will
sense I Am in them.
“Remember Nehemiah was called by Me to
rebuild the broken walls and gates of Jerusalem
“The prophetic promises I give will
carry and strengthen you in difficult times IF you remember them and call them
to mind. Proclaim My truth over what you see going on around you in the
natural. There is still much to do! The just shall live by faith and without
faith it is impossible to please God.
“Getting back to the hand, the middle
finger is the longest and stretches out the furthest as is the calling of the
evangelist. The evangelists are to go out and preach the Good News. But it
can’t end there.
“The ring finger is reflective of the
pastoral calling. Pastors are to have the heart of the Father for their flock –
no matter how small or large their flock may be. The ring finger on the left
hand and it is said that the blood vein from that finger runs directly to the
heart. It has been commissioned to wear the wedding ring. This is also the
weakest and most sensitive finger – test it for yourself and see. Press your
thumb as hard as you can against each finger and you can feel its weakness. This
is why the Church fails so many times. The flock looks solely at the pastor to
care for their needs when the whole hand is needed.
“Finally we reach the little finger. This
one represents the teacher and is by no means insignificant because it is
small. If you have ever shut this finger in a door, cut or smashed it, you know
how important it is! It balances out the work of the hand. Of course there
would be no polite way to drink tea without it being properly extended!
“Now that you see the hand and see how its
appendages work together, I ask, does the hand exist on its own?”
“No, it is attached to the Body.”
“And what does the hand do for the
body?”
“It feeds it, grooms and cares for it. The
hand provides what the body needs.”
“Exactly! If the Church will read and
understand and walk in what Paul taught in Ephesians 4:11-16, they would be
ready for the wave that is about to come into the Church.
“Let Me ask you another question. If you
put your hand in front of your face and look in the mirror, what do you see?
“I see my hand obscuring my face.”
“This is what the five-fold ministry has
done for centuries. They have forced the Body of Christ to look to the HAND and
not the FACE. I have said to seek My face, yet many have been kept from this
directive to seek My face by the very ones that should be pointing to it. The
Pharisees received a sharp rebuke for doing this as will those in My house
doing it to their flocks today.
“So let me see if I understand. Are You
saying that the church has been looking at the five-fold ministry instead of to
You because Your face has been obscured from Your Church?
“Yes. Matthew 23:13 explains this
clearly for all to see. This verse also reveals that when you seek My face, you
will find My kingdom.”
“So the HAND is to groom, feed and care
for the Body of Christ so that we are equipped to do the work of the ministry
and as we do this we also enter into Your kingdom. Is that right?”
“Yes. I Am building My household and
every believer is being fit together and joined to be a growing, living Temple
“This AWAKENING will begin in homes and
move through family relationships. It will move on Capital Hill and on Wall
Street. It will move on academics in a profound way as My glory is seen in the
largest to the smallest details. College campuses all the way down to
preschools will learn My ways. Hollywood
“Those who lead in My church will lead
with My love and My thoughts. The judgments held by the Church will be revealed
as true or false. Even if the words are true, but shared in a manner that does
not reflect My heart of love, will be exposed as false. My leaders must see
they are to serve others, not to be served. They must follow My lead by
serving, grooming and honoring My flock in all sectors of society. The hand is
not greater than the Body and if it cares only for itself and causes the body
to stumble and sin, then the body is better off without it. Cut it off! It is
better to enter heaven maimed than for the whole body to be cast into hell. Yes
beloved, it is that serious.
Suddenly I have a sense of awe and the
fear of the Lord hits me. “Father,” I say in such a hushed tone I can hardly
hear myself. “This is not at all what I expected, but I will share this with
whoever has ears to hear. I know You gave me something else the other day about
preparing. What do I do with that information?”
“That will be part three, “Prepare to
exercise your faith.”
“Part three it is! Thank You, Father. I
bless You and give You all glory and honor and praise. Selah – Amen!
Exodus 34:6; Psalm 103:8; 86:5, 15;
Ephesians 4:11-16, 2:19-22; 5:14; 6:10-18; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Psalm 27:8;
Matthew 23:13; 5:30; Nehemiah 4; Isaiah 48:17-19
*Wave
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