From Law to Grace

The following dream really struck me as a message for the church for the days to come. It has to do with God's people moving from an understanding of law and legalism based on works of the flesh into a greater understanding of grace.

I was with some family driving through a city. There was great financial stress in the nation that was causing people to become emotionally unraveled and sometimes hostile. I told my family we should get a field that we could grow our own food in. We traveled out of town and went toward Napa (wine country).

As we traveled there were groups of people that were acting insane and were running with animals. I thought of Nebuchadnezzar and how he became crazy and lived with the cattle. There were other groups of people who I thought were also crazy but then realized they were actors practicing a play. (These two groups of people represent two ways people deal with traumatic times. Some run to their carnal tendencies while others begin to put on a show, pretending to be someone they are not).

When we arrived in Napa we bought three bottles of wine. I wanted to try one so I took a small sip. It was not enough to affect me at all but I realized I had broken the law by having an open bottle of alcohol while driving. I became ashamed and hid which prevented me from seeing where I was driving, and thus I hit a planter in the parking lot. A police officer saw me and came to investigate. He saw the open bottle and saw the broken planter and wrote me a ticket for them. I remember thinking, "How will I ever be able to pay for this?" The police officer continued to follow me and write tickets for many things he saw me do wrong. I then realized he was a friend of mine and a Christian. He then wrote me a personal check for a very small amount that was not nearly enough to cover the debt, but I threw the check down and yelled, "How can I ever pay this debt?" He then told me he also had a debt he could not pay.

I woke up and heard a voice say, "You need to go to 'Bridal Paradigm' class this Saturday (Bridal Paradigm is a class about identity in Christ and resting in the grace of God). I knew that Saturday represented the Sabbath rest of God.

The friend represented Christians who are still trying to enforce the law even though they know they cannot keep it themselves. The purpose of the law is not to "police" people but to reveal our need for God and lead us to run to His grace. Many are feeling a frustration at not being "good enough" as they try to work for God. The answer is to find rest in what Christ has already done on the cross. As He moves His people toward this revelation we will be ready to help others be free. Trying to keep the law in our flesh cannot bring freedom. Only faith in the finished work of the cross will bring true freedom. It is this revelation that will release power to help a broken world. The law and the works of the flesh will lead people to utter frustration and turn them to run to God's grace and find rest in what Jesus has done. Many people are feeling this frustration and sensing there is more. Rest in Christ and allow Him to work in you. There you will find true freedom and peace. God is leading His people to walk in His Spirit and not according to the flesh. Abba is teaching His people to yield to His Spirit and rest in His works. Our debt has been paid and the way has been made. Consider Romans 8:3-4.....

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Position Yourself for Greatness

Many are sensing change coming in the spirit. This may feel like a sense of urgency, or a feeling of discontentment with "church as usual," or an anticipation of great things to come. This is Holy Spirit's way of making His people ready for what is coming. It is a way of stirring desire and catching our attention. We can respond to this by seeking God and asking Him what He is doing and how we can prepare for it. Consider Moses and the burning bush. Moses saw a bush that caught his attention, and when Moses went to inquire what it was God spoke to him and revealed to him what he would do.

There will be many who hear this call from God and respond with open hearts and they will be ready when the time comes to go. Others will miss what God is doing and will miss the opportunity to be part of the harvest that is coming, or they will play a much smaller part than they could have because they were not aware of the times. Those who seek God for wisdom will find it. Consider Moses once again. When God told him to go speak to Pharaoh he asked a great question- "Why would they listen to me?" It was then God showed him two miracles and revealed what He would do in a deeper way (see Exodus 3). As Moses asked God questions God gave Moses strategy.

If you feel a stirring in the spirit for something more, something greater, or something that is changing, then ask God for wisdom as to how you can be ready for it. One thing He showed me was to get ready for a harvest of souls by making places for them to go to be discipled. The strategy He showed me was to prepare people to start simple home churches that can embrace new believers and also be places where seekers can go to ask questions. Historically when God moves and many people begin to seek God the church has not been ready to embrace these people well. Home discipleship groups are a place where new believers can receive prayer, fellowship and foundational teaching.

Ask God to show you what your part is. Seek Him for wisdom and vision for the coming season. Be prepared to receive a vision different from what you have known before. Jesus said new wine cannot be put into old wine skins (Matt 9:27), so He is looking for those who can flexible and ready for new things. Let your heart and mind be flexible to what God will do.

Bright Shining Lamps

11-15. I had a vivid vision of a light shining in the darkness. This light was small, but it pushed back the darkness nevertheless. Then a second light appeared and the darkness was pushed back further. Then more and more lights appeared till there was hundreds of them, and it was then that the darkness could not hold on any longer. I knew that the lights were many believers standing together and displaying the gospel openly in their city. When enough of them rose up to shine their lights the darkness lost all power in their city. These lights were not the greatest brightest lights, but when they came together they became very bright.

I was reminded of the story of the mighty warrior Gideon. Gideon was not mighty in the worlds eyes, but he delivered his city from the enemy. As he led 300 warriors to lift their torches high on the mountain top the enemy was struck with fear and ran away. He was not as anointed as Samson or others of the mighty men God used, but he understood the power of unity. Samson defeated thousands of the enemy, but he never delivered his nation, or even his own city like Gideon did.

These are the days of Gideon. It is time for the church to shine their lights brightly in their cities, and as the many display their lamps the darkness will flee. God showed me two parts to this prophecy. 1) We must have oil in our lamps for them to shine. 2) We must be willing to lift them high for all to see.

Oil comes from intimacy with God, which we find by spending time in His presence. God is awakening a people who walk in the secret place and have the oil of anointing in their lamps. He is awakening a worshiping generation.

Next, we must hold our lamps high, which is our testimony and the message of the gospel. This happened as we begin to display Jesus to the people around us and fulfill the great commission to make disciples. I saw these shining lights teaching people about God in such simple ways, yet it was pushing back the darkness. Each one was reaching the people near them. There were no great heroes among them, for they were all great, all doing their small part. As people came to Christ the darkness left them and the enemy lost his hold. When enough people came to the knowledge of Christ the enemy lost his hold completely. This is how the darkness was broken.

A Great Harvest

We live in extraordinary days. God is preparing His people for the greatest harvest of souls the earth has seen, and we live in this day as vessels He will use to carry His glory to the earth. We will see an explosion of healing and miracles like never before, and more, we are positioned to see souls come to meet God. Along with this there will be moves of justice and mercy in the earth and the people of God will become the answer to many social issues.

The church in America and Europe (as compared to the early church) is not what most would call glorious and powerful, but God in His mercy will raise her up in holiness and glory and the world will marvel. It is time that God will restore the fortunes and glory of His people. The early church had a reputation for turning the world upside down. This will be said again.

Now the clincher. God is looking for those who will be witnesses. He is looking for those who are willing to yield to Him and be His vessels. We must understand though that many are called, but few are chosen, and many who are first will be last. God is looking for good speakers, or talented singers, or smart seminary graduates; He is looking for willing vessels that know Him intimately and who are yielded to His Spirit. He is looking for those who have a mind for the Spirit and who belong wholeheartedly to Him.

Let the mighty one rise up and prepare for the day of the Lord. Let the weak say, "I am strong." In this day those who KNOW their God will do great exploits.