Fasting During Lent

A few Sundays ago I arrived early to church to pray in the Children’s Church’s with some of the other workers, like we do every Sunday, and when we were done I headed into the main theater just feeling like listening to the worship warm up and pray some more… except they were already beyond warmed up.

The presence of God was so thick you could feel it… I found a spot to worship with the few other people already in there doing the same and realized that today would not be a normal Sunday very quickly. They worship team had moved into very directive and prophetic worship. Holy Spirit was already working and we were going to let him continue to have his way…

As people came in, the majority it seemed quickly found a seat and joined into what God was doing. To make a long story short… there was no message during that service. There were no announcements… We just slipped into the presence of God and enjoyed what Daddy was doing, and worshiped him. It was amazing…

During worship God spoke to my heart about a lot of things… a LOT of things… specifically things I was allowing to take time from him and my family. He then spoke to me about fulfilling purpose and the call on my life, and how I didn’t have time for a lot of junk I was allowing in. Not even necessarily all bad stuff… just distraction. So he gave me a directive…

I have never participated in the Lent fast. I do fast regularly. In fact I usually fast once a week minimum, although my current pants size may dispute that fact… but God told me to go home and get rid of a few things, put up a few things… and that he wanted me to go on a fast to draw closer to him, closer to my family, and to hear more clearly his voice. The major thing was media and my phone. I am a social media addict… I have Facebook, three FB pages, a Twitter, MyCity, and I just haven’t deleted the never checked just keep it for occasional stalking Myspace account. All of those accounts, plus my five or so email accounts are all tied to apps on my phone as well, so I am never out of the loop. Not to mention I watch YouTube videos like crazy! I just love, well… distraction. Without need to incriminate myself even more… you get the idea…

I do it, and I hate it… the thing were the kids or the wife are talking to you and you nod you head agreeing to God only knows what, because you are staring at your phone… yeah… I’m that guy… But my whole family can be like that at times… and I am the one charged with fostering the culture of my family… So… changes are long past due…

Back to God speaking to get rid of distraction… So while he’s showing me all of this junk I really don’t want to acknowledge… I’m complaining… this sucks!!!! He was telling me no social media… no games… that my phone was only for calls and texts, not for entertainment, only worship music… not even Christian rap, which I LOVE!!!!! Only worship… no magazines… OK… I have in my bathroom what I refer to as the Poop Room. My toilet is in it’s own little room. In that room I have magazines from Motortrend to Hot Rod, to Truckin, to every car culture hot rod mag you could imagine, Sailing Magazines, GQ, etc… and even have a Nintendo DS just for the potty! It’s my area of solace! Are you kidding me God?!?! Ugh… He wasn’t…

So after I am winding down the argument with God, which I am losing, and about to go the, “That’s not God, that’s just condemnation” route… The Pastor asks for these little cards to be handed out in the midst of worship…

These cards are commitment to fast cards for the season of Lent… and he starts talking about how God is or is going to show you things that he’s wanting you to fast… Ugh… again…

So here I am… I said that I would post a blog about why I am fasting during this season and what… so here it is…

And it’s awesome…

I’m hearing his voice way more clearly… I’m watching things I have been struggling with starting to let go… I’m spending a lot more time praying, worshiping, and in the word. I’m already seeing a difference in my kids. We’ve also been playing worship music in the house 24 hours a day. It’s amazing how it helps you stay constantly aware of God’s presence.

It’s only been a few weeks… but I know that this is just the beginning. If I wrote everything that the Lord has been doing already and showing me it would be a novel… but he’s making some serious preparations for the future, both in my personnel and ministry life… but also in business. And I am amazed at the connections that God has been making in my life, and the people and opportunities that he’s opening up.

He never ceases to amaze me… how awesome it is when we give him free reign in our lives.

 

Can I Have A Nacho?

There are not many foods I just don’t like… I love food, which is apparent by waistline… (which is now shrinking Praise The Lord!!!) …but there are several foods I like, but never think about or crave until I see someone else eating them… popcorn for example. I can see a package of popcorn, think about the smell, and not want it at all, but once someone pops up a bag, I have to have some popcorn… the biggest food for me like that is Nachos!

Can I have one please?

If I see someone eating nachos, I will not stop craving them until I get some. I can see them on a menu and have no desire for them… but as soon as I see someone holding one of those little cardboard containers, drizzled with what is some kind of goo closely resembling melted cheese in taste and appearance, and preferably sitting there half soggy under a mound of jalapenos, I gotta have ‘em.

I ran across a quote the other day on Twitter that I just had to re-tweet… It said, “The quickest way to make someone hungry is to eat in front of them.” Simple… true… and profound… Especially when we apply it to spiritual life.

We study, go to conferences, strategize, plan, on and on and on about how to get people spiritually hungry, and we certainly need to… I have such a desire to see those around me get on fire for God, be consumed by him, and just want him more than anything, but one of the simplest ways for us to affect people like that is to be hungry first and eat in front of them.

Our desire for God is infectious. Our worship is contagious. Simple… true… and profound…

Never underestimate how satisfying your own spiritual cravings will cause other’s to want to dive in and start eating as well.

Whether it’s reading/discussing the word and sharing how it has opened up some new revelation or affected some change for you, or it’s being able to boldly pray for others in public, or (my fav) worship. I love worship, but I have friends that I watch just giving it all, jumping up and down, or dancing, or whatever, and it makes me want some of that! Kinda like Nachos! In every aspect of your walk with God, live it in wild, crazy, outspoken love for the awe inspiring God who gave his all to be loved by you.

I absolutely HATE the quote “Preach the Gospel; when necessary use words” (for reasons we’ll not discuss here) but the truth is when people see us interacting with God and see our exuberance for the Lord …they want it. They may not know why, they may have never thought about their internal craving for it, but they’ll see something they  just know will satisfy them if they can get a hold of it.

10 Clouds in the Sky

This was posted by Jarrod Cooper, whom I follow on Twitter, from New Life Worship in the UK… just another example of how God is calling Christians together all over the world and filling us with the same passion, same goals, and same vision. 

10 Clouds in the Sky

POSTED BY JARROD COOPER ⋅ JANUARY 5, 2012

It’s 2012 and I hear the “sound of a heavy rain”. The horizon is awash with small prophetic clouds, “the size of a man’s hand” 1 Kings 18:41-46. Something is going on in the heavenlies and here’s my reasoning:

1. The “great” can feel it: The Queen states “Jesus wasn’t a Philosopher …. but a Saviour who came to forgive our sins”. The Prime Minister calls for the Anglican Church to spearhead a revival of Christian morality. When the prophets are the Queen and the Prime Minister, something’s going on!
2. There’s never been so many miracles. Everywhere I go in our region pastors are telling me of cancer patients healed, tumours disappearing, deaf ears opening, long term sick recovering. From small things to life changing miracles, I’ve never seen so many miracles in this region. We long for so much more, but we are in so much more than we’ve ever known!
3. The Unsaved are Drawn: Once again God is bringing people to church buildings and they are saying things like “I’m not sure why I’m here!” They then get saved. When the Spirit Himself is drawing people to church, you know the heavens are pregnant with purpose.
4. Backsliders on fire! I’ve never known the luke warm burst into blaze like the last 6 months! It is so easy to get bogged down with so much in life, but I’ve seen so many friends starting to burn with a passion for the real things of God. Quiet Christians getting passionate. The trendy becoming divine troublemakers! This is God and God alone!
5. The 100 Year Prophecy: The Prophets of Old are speaking; William Seymour, leader of the Azuza Street revival stated 100 years ago, that in 100 years, a greater revival than Azuza Street would be at work in the world. We’re in that time frame!
6. The Word & Spirit Prophecy: Smith Wigglesworth prophesied that after two moves of God (one came to pass in the Anglican renewal, the second in the house church movement) the third would be a coming together of people of Word and Spirit, and this would lead to the greatest move of God the world has seen, eclipsing even the Welsh and Wesley revivals. I have never known people of Word orientation and Spirit orientation come together like they are in forums right across the nation. This is that time!
7. An anointing to Pray. I have never known passion flow from heaven in prayer services like it has done this year. Over the last 9 months there has been a bubbling, growing, passionate cry to God once again for revival. Something is going on as God draws us to pray.
8. Moves of God among the young. Since last summer there has been the sense of the Spirit of God moving among young people. I have seen our youth overwhelmed by God’s Spirit in ways I have rarely seen among the young. They have simply been totally overcome by God’s power.
9. Jean Darnells Communicators prophecy, about the advent of British Christian broadcasting, is coming to pass. She speaks of the fires of a move of God, including young communicators, carrying a move of God from the UK to Europe. Never has the media been so open to Christian things. The table is set. The channels for His glory to flow through is in place. God is about to pour out the new wine into this new wineskin!
10. Days of Wonder In 1996 I experienced the glory of God and He showed me his power moving in the UK and Europe, in parliament, the royal family. He showed me city centres where God’s power was moving in miracles and healings. Stadiums were turned into church buildings. Countless thousands getting saved. God said “The greatest auditoriums in the land will be filled” and he showed me people experiencing His glory. I saw City Halls and theatres used not just for prayer services or Christian concerts, but as places where there was outpourings of His power and Glory, miracles and healings.

For me, booking the Hull City Hall this year 8-10 March 2012 for a revival gathering, where we expect His glory to pour out, miracles to take place, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear … this is all a fulfilment of prophecy. THIS IS THE SEASON OF FULFILMENT!

The 10 clouds are forming together into a great brooding rain storm of God’s glory, ready to wash our land again as in the days of Wesley, Jeffreys and Roberts. Let’s live well, pray well, keep integrity, as we seek to walk with God through these days of wonder. Moves of God, (revival some would call it), is not a “cure all”, not the beginning of Utopia, but rather an increased release of the Kingdom of God on the earth, that you and I would walk “revived”, fully awake to ALL He wishes to do in us and through us.

Like Elijah…. Let’s prepare to run in God’s power!

To see his original post… click 10 Clouds in the Sky.

Ran Across This… Biblical Principles For Taking Your City

Ran across this on the web the other day… and thought it was a great outline of basics to keep in mind, or follow when trying to minister God’s love and grace, and take ground in our communities.

 

PRINCIPLES FOR TAKING YOUR CITY

HOW DOES GOD SEE YOUR CITY?

 

• Your city contains His Harvest – Luke 10
  • 2  He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
• God is concerned with your city – Jonah 1
  • 2  “Go to the great city ofNinevehand preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
  • 4: 11  But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”
• He desires to watch over it – Ps 127
  • 1  Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
• No one is there by accident – Act 17
  • 26  From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
• See your city as Jesus does – Matt 11
  • 11: 21  “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you,Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed inTyreandSidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
  • 22  But I tell you, it will be more bearable forTyreandSidonon the day of judgment than for you.
  • 23  And you,Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed inSodom, it would have remained to this day.
  • 24  But I tell you that it will be more bearable forSodomon the day of judgment than for you.”
  • Matt 9: 36  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
• He has given your city a redemptive gift –  1 Cor. 12
  • 7  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
  • 8  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
  • 9  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
  • 10  to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
  • 11  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
  • 12  The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
  • 13  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
  • 14  Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.
  • Romans 12: 6  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
  • 7  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
  • 8  if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
  • What is your city’s gift?
  • How has Satan perverted that gift?

 

TAKING SPIRITUAL OWNERSHIP OF YOUR CITY

 

• Neh 2: 17  Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in:Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall ofJerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

• Commit to your city – Jer. 29
  • 4  This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile fromJerusalemtoBabylon:
  • 5  “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
  • 6  Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.
  • 7  Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
• Become a community expert – Prov 27
  • 23  Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;
  • 24  for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.
• Learn your city’s culture and values – Act 17
  • 23  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
  • 28  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
• Identify with the sin of your city – Daniel 9
  • 4  I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands,
  • 5  we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
  • 6  We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
  • 7  “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame–the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.
• Maintain an offensive posture – Matt 11
  • 12  From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

• Don’t let the enemy set the Rules of Engagement – 1 Sam 17
  • 8  Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks ofIsrael, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
  • 9  If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”
  • 10  Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks ofIsrael! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”
  • 11  On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

 

FINDING GOD’S STRATEGY FOR TAKING YOUR CITY

 

• Prepare the way – Is 40
  • 3  A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
  • 4  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
  • 5  And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
• Find where sin abounds – Romans 5
  • 20  The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
• Pray for open doors and act on opportunities – Col 4
  • 2  Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
  • 3  And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
  • 4  Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
  • 5  Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
  • 6  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
• Find where God is already working – John 5
  • 17  Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day,

and I, too, am working.”

• 18  For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
• 19  Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

 

BEGIN TO IMPLIMENT HIS STRATEGY

 

• How to precede a move of God? – Luke 10
  • 5  “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
  • 6  If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
  • 7  Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
  • 8  “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.
  • 9  Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘ThekingdomofGodis near you.’
• Your strategy should always include increasing prayer in your city. Acts 1
  • 14  They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
  • 2: 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
  • Mark 11: 24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
• Fight against disunity in the city. PS 133
  • 1  A song of ascents. Of David. How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! (Bad when we don’t?)
  • 2  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
  • 3  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on MountZion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
  • Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
  • 3  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
  • Phil 2:1  If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
  • 2  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
  • 3  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
  • 4  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
  • 5  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Wading In…

I am trying to be more intentional about everything I do…

I love praying for people, seeing people get blessed, and love love LOVE it when the Lord gives me a word for some complete stranger that is just right on, that blesses them, encourages them, or just shows them that God is thinking about them and loves them. Typically I don’t think about it. It’s random. I try to make sure I am available, but with a stressful job, a mind full of entrepreneurial ideas, not to mention 5 kids, a wife, a home, etc.. I’m not always. But we can be in Walmart, or a gas station, or wherever and the Lord will just point someone out and say go tell them (fill in the blank.) It can be as simple as “God just wants you to know he loves you” to something about some abuse they dealt with as a child, to a current life style away from the Lord. One time God had me just walk by an older couple and shout in the grocery store, “Watch God. Something BIG is about to happen.” Completely random, but they looked at each other bright eyed and just started laughing like they knew… wish I did…

I’d love to say this happens all the time, but it does not. I’d love to say I am always obedient, but I am not.

So I am trying to cultivate in my own heart, life, and in my city, the lifestyle of being available, open, intentional… a lifestyle of the supernatural colliding with the natural until miracles are the norm and sickness and depression are odd and unusual.

So now every time I go anywhere I pray for God to show me who you want to love on, who you want to heal, who you want to touch, etc… and I try to position my heart to receive whatever it is he wants to use me for. Instead of waiting on God to show me or tell me something occasionally, I want to get to the place where I am always watching for divine appointment in someone else’s life. I’m wading in… and learning… growing…

There will be plenty of times of disappointment, and I won’t always even see the results I expect I am sure, but I trust God to keep me encouraged during my learning curve… Everyone I have been talking about that is living what I am longing for has told stories of how at first it was such a struggle, and how even still sometimes nothing happens, and then BAM! God just shows up and blows their minds… So I’ll just keep praying, watching, waiting, trusting, and being available.

Yesterday for example, I went “fishing” with Jess at Walmart… the only thing I saw was a shoulder, actually more like a clavicle or tissue in the area between the shoulder and neck that had been damaged. But we walked all through there, my hands on fire as I prayed. I just knew someone was about to get healed in all my zeal… but I never saw them. We left and I was disappointed thinking maybe I had missed someone, or not seen, or maybe was just off and too focused on what I was expecting and not being open to something else. I still don’t know… I even stopped by Autozone afterwards to drop a hook in the water there… nothing…

And then this morning I got encouraging but completely unrelated news… Another man I had been praying for… The grandfather of a coworker. He had a heart attack last week… the kind referred to as a “Widow Maker” is what the doctor said. There was no one there to render CPR quickly enough either, so his brain was without oxygen for a long time. They managed to airlift him and get him on life support, but doctors wrote him off.

Even if they managed to revive them, which they had no hope really, they told the family he was gone. They were talking funeral arrangements and making plans. But God!

Yesterday he just woke up… completely coherent, no memory loss, no more brain damage, making jokes, and wanted some coffee. The doctors are confused… but I am not… and now a door has been opened for my coworker who has been away from God to know how awesome he is and how much he is loved by Daddy God. I got to talk with him this morning  and rejoice with him that God had done something so mind blowing for his family.

I’m still looking for that clavicle though…

Answering The Call

This is an excerpt of an email I sent out not quite a year ago to a select group of friends…  it concerns the vision that started this whole thing for me… just thought I’d share. 

 

Last night I had an amazing visitation from the Lord… I love to talk about the Lord and what he’s doing, brag on him, etc… and don’t shy away from discussing the supernatural… however I’m NOT one to talk this openly to a lot of people. Of course nothing this wild has happened to me, at least not often, although I regularly have visions in prayer. Normally I would blog this, but it’s just a little fresh right now and not for everyone. There are specific people I felt led to share this with, as well as friends who are in ministry. I shared a little last night with a couple of close friends whom I trust, solely because I had to let part of it out… I know that God is about to move so powerfully, I am scared and excited all at the same time. I feel this is just a precursor to bigger things, but it is the start of things beginning to accelerate…

I guess I should back up a couple of nights ago… I didn’t think it had anything to do with this until this morning. I have friends who have claimed to see angels… I never had. I’ve wanted to even though I know it makes you sound nutty… I guess I’ve seen a lot of things that would make me sound nutty, but never an angel. One of our friends was over to our house months ago, who has seen them, and said Dude, there are angels in your bedroom… wasn’t a big deal to him, he just walked by matter of factly and said it. Cool… I didn’t see anything… we do have a strong sense of peace over our house. More so sometimes than others, we have 5 kids after all. But Tuesday night as I was getting into bed I saw one. He was massive, and faintly there, glowing but barely, and seemed to be watching over us. (And not at all what I had pictured by the way.) I just looked at him, said that’s cool… and went to sleep. Earlier that same day I had heard the Lord tell me I was about to see his hand move like I have wanted to for so long.

So last night, Wednesday night after church, Jess and I were lying in bed and I heard the Lord prompt me to listen to him. It was out of the blue. I wasn’t praying or thinking about him… In fact I was on my phone playing as usual. I perked up and then I heard it. I heard a shofar blowing. It was a call to arise… to awaken to purpose… and to action… I heard the sound coming from the distance from the east and it was so strong that I physically wanted to get up and began walking toward it. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

At that moment God began filling my mind with things. It was like a flood of things pouring in. Jess asked me what was wrong but I just couldn’t express to her at the time everything that was happening. I was dumbfounded just sitting there while all of this began to pour into me.

The Lord began to speak to me about the call… the sound I heard… He is calling the Sons of God to arise. Time has begun to accelerate. This is just a phase of a coming battle but he was very specific that time is short. It is time for those that he has called with that Joshua anointing, the desire to overcome and take dominion. It’s time to achieve the things he’s tasked us with and called us to. The time for doing things half way is over. The time for complacency and lack of urgency is gone. It’s like we have established the beach head now, but it’s time to go inland and claim territory! I saw myself going into buildings that were decimated and ruined. There were busted windows and they were full of squatters and people that didn’t belong. I began to kick them out and secure the property. This property belonged to God and it had been abandoned. It was my job, our job, to take back hold of it and get it ready. God was about to send people to clean it up and refurbish it.

We need to develop clear plans for reaching our communities and the places he has placed us. Not relying on people to come to us, but clear drawn out plans, battle lines, maps, to take our neighborhoods, communities, and cities. We need to reach the lost, heal the sick, and bless those who are hurting like never before. This is what he was speaking to me… Take it back. Develop you plan and take it back. He’s getting ready to send those that will prepare the harvest… And he’s saying to hurry.

The ones he’s calling will begin to hear this same thing. I saw people with gifts and purposes that weren’t using them heading for a press, like a winepress, and God was squeezing them… as to get the good fresh wine out so that they would fulfill the call. He said that many who had been sleeping are going to awaken, many who had been complacent that he had special purpose for, were about to be used whether they were ready and willing or not. Things that have lied dormant are being revitalized.

We have already seen a lot of activity both in the sky and in the earth… natural disasters, strange meteor showers, etc… but the Lord told me we would begin to see these even more, especially things in the heavens. Fireballs in the sky, more and more. There are things in the heavens being shaken… Things are being cast down to the earth out of the heavens. He showed me more about this but I don’t feel liberty with any more than that.

Luke 21:25-28 – “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

He spoke to me a lot of other things I won’t get deep into…

He spoke to me tares and wheat… not concerning saved and unsaved, but within the church… He also brought up Psalm 91:3. – “Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler.” He even talked to me about all the modern day movies that are apocalyptic, or about things attacking the earth and people’s fascination with them. He also spoke to be about changes in the American way of life.

It just kept coming and coming….

There were two things of great note… One was a promise that we would begin to see greater miracles… and the other a reminder. 2 Peter 3 talks about people, scoffers, asking where the promise of Christ’s return is… He’s coming back…

Overall it was urgency… urgency, urgency, urgency… telling us to be about our father’s business and to put other things aside. We need to make God and his will our purpose for being. Not just in our hearts but also in our actions.

There was some more personal time I spent with the Lord, a lot of cleansing and renewal, and surrendering on my part. I felt so focused and different. I feel so focused and different. I have been feeling this violent warrior like presence arising for months when we are in church… but this is way more than that. I feel like cutting the heads off some giants. I feel like answering that call…

Revelation 22:20-21 – He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen, Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

What is Just 1 City

2012… The year the world is supposed to end? I highly doubt it… but it is the year I plan to end “my” world as I know it, in a good way… or In a GOD way I should say…

God has been birthing something inside of me for a while now. It started with a vision and visitation from the Lord I received a few months back, followed by a word from the Lord. I will post more in depth about that in a separate blog, this is just to kick things off.

Just1City is what I feel God has been building up inside of me. Right now it’s simply a mantra. In that vision God basically showed me taking my city back from the hands of the enemy. Cleaning out buildings that belonged to him and running out illegal squatters, and getting them ready for what was coming, a wave of harvesters, to come fill them up. It was time to make war, time to take back ground, and time to get serious about building his Kingdom in anticipation of what was to come.

Then he showed me mapping out the city, street by street, plot by plot. Making a strategy to touch every single person in my city. Not for my church, but for him. Not to condemn, but to love. Simply to just touch them, tell them God loves them, and pray for them. It was pretty much an amped up version of the prayer evangelism model I had read about so many years ago in a book by Ed Silvoso titled That None Should Perish.

The term it’s just one city came to me after praying about this… I want to see the Holy Spirit take over the world… he’s asking me to take just one city… If we as a church body, not my church expression, but a unified church body in Waxahachie, TX, can take our city… and other churches in other cities can do the same…

Just imagine what would happen…

It’s something that will have to cross denominational, racial, social, and dogmatic boundaries… Believers that never have, will have to open their hearts and minds to the supernatural moving of God… Pentecostals will have to get off their I have something you don’t high horses… Churches that were birthed out of ill intentions and splits will have to come together, repent, and then work together and put fear of sheep swapping aside… Pride will have to get out of the way… And we will have to walk the land repenting for the sins of our area, and proclaiming the ground for the Lord.

What I am talking about will require more of the church and believers than most have ever been willing to require of themselves… more work than they’ve been willing to do… But it is something I feel strongly God has been requiring from us for a long time and we have been neglecting.

We are supposed to be ruling and raining over the areas God has placed us… that means our street, our neighborhood, our town, and our county belongs to you and I. We are responsible for it. We own it. And we are responsible for those perishing without the grace of God having been extended to them.

This is just the beginning for me. I believe what I am talking about is a movement that God has been birthing for years in the few willing to hear and receive the call… much like Ed Silvoso I mentioned… and he is making it ever more urgent now. In fact the word “Urgency” plays over and over in my mind day and night. It’s time church.

What I see it becoming is a training ground for how to take cities. I can see people running with the vision, and going to other towns teaching churches how to work and run together and take their city, and so on and so on. I also see it as a revival movement, and feel strongly that 24/7 church or prayer houses are to play a vital role as it grows. And I see Just1City as a medium to do this, and also help raise money, support, and volunteers for other ministries.

Just1City is my idea of a group of believers that all have their own church homes, but come together and help wherever, whoever, and whenever, and however, because they know that it is about the Kingdom and not themselves. They walk in purpose. They carry the anointing of God on their lives and the fire of God and healing in their hands… they are devoted to the lost, the hurting, the outcast, and the business man alike… they are filled with the unashamed love of God and they act on it… and they are committed to taking  over the world, Just1City at a time.