What exactly is happening in our nation? We are seeing what appears to be a demonic onslaught of complacency, chaos, mob rule, and evil on every social and political front. This blog will not be a political diatribe. My intentions are to share a vision and a word of strategic importance to the Body of Christ in this hour.
WE NEED A PROVEN STRATEGY!!
During a recent prayer meeting, a member of our church shared that she saw a picture of the church during her time with the Lord prior to the church meeting. She saw dark clouds over the church. She said the clouds were called "apathy." Our pastor got up and added that leaders in the church were cowering in fear of the unrighteous mob. Spiritual leadership couldn't find their voice and authority. Fear was gripping the church.
As a congregation we were instructed to find our place of prayer throughout the sanctuary and pray for our nation and church leadership. I kneeled at my seat and began to pray. Immediately, the Lord revealed a strategy to me. It was as if I was watching a movie. I saw that cloud of apathy. It originated from behind a high stone wall. As it blew over a hillside, I saw believers kneeling in fear as the cloud covered them. Their clothing turned shades of gray (garments of heaviness) as they crouched on the rocky ground. On the other side of the wall was a demonic presence that couldn't be seen due to the height of the wall.
As I watched the believers tremble, a few began to stand and shout at the cloud. Others began to join them. Eventually the company shouted with a deafening voice of triumph, commanding the cloud to move back over the wall from where it came. As this played out, a shaft of brilliant light cut through the darkness and a voice boomed,
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.
Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
Lift up your eyes round about and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms.
Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you." (Isaiah 60:1-5)
Wow. The atmosphere changed and a shift occurred. The believers were now all standing, making powerful declarations in Jesus' name. Their gray garments were replaced with dazzling gold robes. The words of Isaiah boomed over the hillside. What was spoken several millennium ago echoed with power and effectiveness once again. God's spoken, prophetic word was still active and powerful. There's more to that story, but I will wait.
What was meant for evil was instantaneously changed because of the declarations and stance of the believers. What was happening behind that wall? I couldn't see, but I felt confident that I knew. I sensed the Lord was telling me that the cloud apathy, chaos, and confusion the enemy purposed to stymy the believers was now working against him and his cohorts. The enemy's arsenal of weaponry was being used against him.
As I was kneeling I immediately remembered what had happened to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. In short, the enemies of God's chosen were poised to attack.
"Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. ‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.” (vv. 14-17)
Ponder this:
1. This was the Lord's battle. So, in all reality victory was guaranteed. Defeat is never an option when God fights. God's people were positioned on the side of divine authority.
2. God's people were not to fight (by carnal standards). They were to position themselves (v. 17) and watch God's working on their behalf. THEY HAD TO POSITION THEMSELVES, NOT COWER. Standing is a position of authority, not weakness. They were not to be complacent. They were to watch...paying close attention. This is the EXACT opposite of apathy.
3. They were commanded not to fear or lose heart because the very presence and purpose of God was in their midst. Fear was not to be a motivator....God's presence was. Are we aware of His presence? Victory comes out of His presence, not out of our efforts.
What happened next?:
"They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, there were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much." (vv. 20-25).
Ponder this:
1. After they fell to their knees to worship and the Levites stood and shouted, God began to work. (vv. 18-19)
2. They were to trust the Lord and His prophets and then they would be established (put in place)...in the presence of their enemies (now there's a strategy!). America needs the people of God to be established once again! We MUST trust the Lord and those who are prophesying His directives and strategies to cause individual and cultural change! Question: Do you see the strategy the enemy has against the Body of Christ? We devour each other! Denomination vs denomination. Christian semantics vs prophetic reality. Tradition vs relevancy. We air our dirty laundry in a public forum. Shouldn't we recognize this religious behavior as demonic? Renounce it and speak it against the enemy of our souls? Next point....
3. God confused the enemies and they actually destroyed each other. The mob killed the mob. Evil devoured evil. AND...There was an abundance of spoils. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is what I call DIVINE BLOW-BACK. Some call it the "Boomerang Effect." Like the "vision" I had in our prayer meeting, the cloud blew back over the enemy and caused chaos amongst unrighteousness. All we, as believers, are commanded to do is this: Kneel in humility and worship. Then, stand and shout the praises of God in the midst of an evil and perverse generation - make prophetic declaration and speak to the cloud. Then, stand still and watch the enemy destroy his own. Can you imagine our nation experiencing this? I believe this will usher in a much needed, true revival....the likes we have never seen. It happened with Jehoshaphat; it can and will happen with us.
The cloud that is hovering over you (apathy, depression, chaos, fear, health issues, lack of all kinds) has its origins in the camp of the enemy. Stand up where you are. Make a prophetic declaration of praise, speaking to the cloud, commanding it to return over "the wall" to confuse and destroy the enemy from within. This is a proven strategy. It's Biblical and is guaranteed effective. What the devil meant for evil......
Remember, the battle is the Lord's. It always has been. We war from a position of victory, not defeat. It's NEVER a matter of "if it is God's will." Victory IS His will.
Beloved, don't grow complacent because of fear and doubt. When you hear the news of evil and unrighteousness in our country, DO NOT TAKE THAT AS THE END. It is just the beginning of the DIVINE BLOW-BACK! Get excited! The GLORY OF GOD WILL COVER THE EARTH AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA. Push back the cloud by your words of faith and stand still and watch the salvation of our God! I will put my trust in His words.
How about you?
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