Hi all,
I’ve recently shared in our January ‘Zoom’ meetings some of the things the Lord told me about the next 4 years in the US, and a few things for Europe, Africa and elsewhere. But as He shared those things in that visitation it was more like what we would say, “FYI” (For your information) and not the main focus.
(We post our Zoom meetings, conferences and travels in the headers of my Weekly Thoughts and this e-newsletter. There are no reminders sent after a person registers for a Zoom meeting; you’ll have to figure out time zone differences and remind yourself.)
World events to the Lord are peripheral in comparison with what He is doing in the hearts of people everywhere. Important, but not as important. He wanted what He is doing to be my main focus, to keep that front and center in my heart, to be about the Father’s business – for us all, one and all.
Personal lesson learned
I’ve stopped sharing prophetic words via audio since so many people remember things incorrectly or put words in my mouth, or mix what I said with what some other person said, or add their own interpretation to what they hear. The more I’ve known and seen the Lord the more I’ve become extremely precise in my words, as He is. For that reason, I put some of these in writing, mainly in our Zoom meetings, to those either in the cwowi network of house churches or connected and ‘on the same spiritual page’ with us.
I will share this little bit though: He said there would be ‘two waves’ coming upon the US. The first ‘wave’ starts at inauguration, and the 2nd is ‘when the Vice President takes over’. He described the first wave of being less than a year, but He did not say if the VP taking over was official or just a ‘behind the scenes’ sort of thing – the power behind the throne so to speak.
I asked if any of those things He described would by prayer be stopped, delayed, done away with completely, or changed. His reply was this: “Even if the timing of these waves and transitions coming upon this nation would be changed, the core truth of what I’m saying to you will happen. Remember what the Father told you; That spirit can be delayed, but it won’t be stopped.”
He was referencing how back in 2004 I had felt a different spirit in the Democratic Party during the Kerry/Bush election and asked the Father what it was. He said: “It is the spirit of socialism (coming to this nation). It can be delayed, but it won’t be stopped.”
He spoke of economic ‘difficulty’ coming to the EU later in the year – summer/fall time frame with a similar thing in spring. As He spoke there was a map of Europe hanging in the air, and the area over the western part of Germany was the focal point like a whirlwind, but whose winds affected France and others to the west and Eastern European nations to the east, but the focus was on Germany.
And earlier He had talked of many of the nations of Africa being places of outpouring, so much so even heads of state would come to Him and begin genuine changes in their nations towards God – more than what we’ve seen to this point.
For the body of Christ
He shifted His focus: “Remember I told you, ‘As it was in the beginning so it must be now. I’m moving in relationships.’
For those not familiar with that statement, it was February 4, 2001 in a visitation while I was in the Toronto area about to minister at a church. My eyes were opened to see Him, I was ‘in the Spirit’ as the apostle calls it in Revelation 1:10 and 2:4, and saw Him. Everything else in the natural disappeared.
The above quote was His closing line from that visitation. In the first part He had said: “See what I see; people running to and fro to this meeting and that, looking for the spectacular thinking that is supernatural; While they miss the supernatural work in their midst, even in their own hearts, for the process of discipleship IS supernatural.”
He continued after saying, ‘As it was in the beginning so it must be now”:
“There is more to ‘As it was in the beginning so it must be now’ than what you’ve realized to this point. I’ve told you before that house churches will become the normal way for the saints to gather, known as the place to go for answered prayer; For when someone needs a miracle in their life, as their world seems to be falling apart around them, they will think of their friend who meets in homes.
“My people will be known among the people as the ones others can go to for help, for support. It is there in those relationships and more, that I will do great and mighty things, that they might come to me and know me. Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches; Gone are the days of inwardly focused love, for the days are upon you now that love must be turned outward to others, to those around you. As I’ve told you before, you are as one standing on a sea shore with the waves touching your toes, but you are about to wade into deeper water, the deeper waters of what I’m doing in my body.”
“The days are coming upon you that you will see as it was in the beginning, when fear will come to the church and those who witness what I am doing in my body. For in the beginning, in those days fear came upon the church when they saw the signs and wonders done in their midst. Not fear from the world, but reverential fear because they know I am in their midst. And in the same way some will dare not join and others will hold my people in high esteem. The days are coming that which I prayed will be seen, that you will be one, that you will be known for your love for one another.”
Fear in the body of Christ?
In Acts 5: 11-14 when Ananias and Sapphira were judged it says fear came upon the disciples, and others dared not join themselves to them, while others held them in highest esteem. Also see Acts 2:43 where the place was shaken when they had prayed, and fear came upon the body of Christ upon experiencing the shaking. That we will be one is His prayer from John 17: 21-22. Known for our love to one another is in John 13: 34-35.
I’ll share this – as well. Holiness is returning to the body of Christ. That zeal for holiness, to BE right before God, that uprightness will burn in many in the body of Christ – even books and articles will be written about it. But these relationships He spoke about will be known as holy relationships in Him, sharing a common focus in Him. From those and within those some of the greatest miracles will be seen.
The body of Christ started at Pentecost with the giving of the Holy Spirit to those who believe, meeting in homes among family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers – and the ‘person of peace’ who is seeking the Lord. Their relationships were holy, there was a respect and honor for one another in the body of Christ.
It was there that answered prayer happened, where people received personal words from the Lord, where healings and miracles happened. To those within the body of Christ miracles and provision and close friends in a network of support were normal Christianity. It was normal life to see God do good things among their members. That is what is happening and will happen even more in the body of Christ.
We are returning to our roots. We are returning to holiness. Not stuffy religious standards, but true holiness of the heart, holding all things relating to God as sacred and holding them close to the heart.
Reverential fear and respect for the things of God coming to the body of Christ
I had not connected fear of God in holiness in the body of Christ to the miracles done in their midst, until this visit with the Lord. The fear is not from the world, though even at that time they faced persecution, but they had a fear of God. In their unity was holiness, uprightness, purity.
Years ago in a visitation when the Lord was teaching me about judgement and the way He did this, I asked Him why He was so hard on Ananias and Sapphira. Part of His response then was: “Remember, my whole body was in Jerusalem at that time, in love and unity. They sought to bring the lie of hypocrisy into the body and it could not be allowed at that time.”
“There are many in this land asking the Father to send revival, but truly I tell you my son, if the Father poured out revival (as they ask) there would be many, many, Ananias and Sapphiras.” Then He said this: “Remember my son; The level of judgment is always equal to the level of the anointing.” Years ago I could not find an adequate definition of what ‘the anointing’ was, so I asked Him. He said, “It is used to describe the manifest presence of God.” I’ve used it that way ever since, and when He uses the word or phrase I know what He means.
So when He said the level of judgment is always equal to the manifest presence of God, I gained a fuller understanding. We all want more of God, but are we coming along in our walking in corresponding levels of holiness in our lives?
One of the main things we will see in days and years ahead is that seriousness, that reverential fear, that respect for each other in the body of Christ and for the Lord. It will roughly correspond to the love and unity found in local bodies of believers. We will see holiness coming to the body of Christ.
We appreciate you.
I was thinking about this month’s teaching series, how the subject of Him waiting on us is relevant to all this – I hadn’t intended it this way, I just felt led to cover that subject in the series. But Paul’s prayer of Galatians 4:19 comes to mind; “My little children, I am travailing (laboring) in birth again for you, until Christ is formed in you.”
While the world is going through ‘birth pangs of Messiah’ which will see social and economic changes, massive changes are coming, the body of Christ is also undergoing birth pangs of Messiah. On a very personal level within each heart, it is as contractions, birthing the next level of maturity and growth in the body of Christ.
The key is to stay focused on the birth pangs within us as Christ is formed in us, growing to maturity and the ‘fullness of the stature of Christ, rather than getting side tracked off in the ditch over what birth pangs are going on in the world. To those who walk with Him it will be like light in the land of Goshen when Egypt was in darkness. Focus on Him, and that peace down in your spirit, and guard it – guard the peace, and use everything encountered in life as a stepping stone to go deeper in maturity in Him.
Thank you for your generous giving and your prayers – we need both! With Covid we are finding more and more people are not returning to the auditorium even if they could, and are asking for help either connection with others on the same spiritual page, or connecting with a house church. We have a saying, ‘I have more on my plate than I can say grace over.’
Thank you for giving yourself first to the Lord, and then to us, taking upon yourself with us the ministry to the saints. (II Corinthians 8: 4-5)
Blessings,
John & Barb, Brian & Amy
