It is an abomination that the Church cannot support widows, orphans, and missionaries because of the grand buildings she builds. It's time to get back to our call of changing lives and put aside man-made religion and politics and the business of lifeless programs.

For you devour widows houses and for a pretense make long prayers (Matt 23:14)

For you tithe mint, cummin, and anise, but have neglected the more important things like justice and mercy (Matt 23:23).

Oh God, break our hearts with the things that break yours and raise up a people who do your word. Call a people who rend their hearts and are filled with your love.

If You Built it, He Will Come

Ezra 1:2-4- Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. ³ Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. ⁴ And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.

God is calling for those who will build His house of prayer again. Out from this house of prayer will flow a river that will bring healing to the nations. Nations will come to the Church as she becomes a house of prayer (Micah 4:2). The house is also for the preparation of the return of Messiah, for it says, “Then the Lord will suddenly come to His temple (Malachi 3:1).” But this house is not a building built of stone, but of humble hearts that seek the Lord. Jesus is returning to a praying church (Luke 18:7-8), but this prayer is not a work to earn God’s favor, but an abiding in His presence, watching and meditating on Him.

Isaiah 66:1-2 Thus says the LORD: “ Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.

God doesn’t need a house. The building that is built is for those who seek God day and night. The building is the gathering place of the children of God, the place where they can seek the Lord together. Where is the house where God will dwell? We are the house where God desires to dwell. We are a Holy Temple and a house of prayer for God. We are the door that God comes through to enter the world. We are the gate by which He will come into our cities. As we become a people of prayer the Spirit of the Lord will dwell with us and move through us. Our hearts will become humble and in tune with His, and through a humble heart God can do anything. Rivers of living water will flow out from these temples of His Spirit. Open the door and let the King come in. Open your heart and let the river flow out. You are the temple He will dwell in. You are the door He will flow through. It is time to build a holy house of prayer again.

Psalm 24:7- Lift up your heads, O you gates! and be lifted up, you everlasting doors! and the King of glory shall come in.

As we seek the Lord daily we will begin to open a door of revelation to heaven. As we seek Him together there is an exponential increase. All of the great warriors of God who changed their world were men and women of prayer. Evan Roberts of the Welsh revival would find every prayer meeting he could. William Seymore spent hours a day in God’s presence. The preachers of the holiness movement would fast and pray for a week before preaching in a town. Changed hearts change nations, and hearts are changed in the presence of God.

Seven Days

When the people of God arrived in the Promised Land there were giants. God gave Joshua a strategy to take the land, saying, “March around the city seven days, and on the seventh day make a loud noise to God (paraphrase).” This gives us a picture of God’s designed strategy for taking cities- seven days of walking with God. David later echoed this strategy when he established a place where worship and prayer would ascend to God daily. It is interesting that it was then that Israel finally subdued their enemies.

If we are a people who seek God one day a week then we will be a people who are victorious one day a week. Seven days of walking with God and seven days of prayer and worship will bring victory in the city. National day of prayer will not change a nation. Sunday worship will not change a nation. God is calling for a people that will seek Him daily, who receive His heart and His love. This is God’s remedy for an ailing nation and His strategy for revival that would awaken people to God. Those who worship seven days a week will walk with God seven days a week. These will see the stronghold of the enemy fall and the captives set free. If you build it God will come.

Rain is coming

I was riding my bike downtown. It was dark and rainy, but people were everywhere. All the sudden Jahzara, my granddaughter, was at the crosswalk that I was waiting to cross. She was confused about when to go. I got off my bike and told her to be careful and told her to “watch the signs.” But because I was busy with her someone stole my bike. Then I was walking with her in my arms and different people that were associated with Chico State University told me that they would be in their office if I needed to talk. Another one told me the shirt I was wearing was nice and that I had done a good job choosing it (it was blue and white). Then the dream changed and I was with Jahzara in a room and there was an old caring man putting a bandage on her foot and talking about our founding fathers, how they had to ask themselves if there is a cost when we denigrate the word of God.

Rain is coming and the harvest of souls is ripe. We must prepare by becoming mature in speaking the truth with love. Be prepared to reap a harvest. God will lead us to the place of victory as we follow the signs. We must see the signs. An immature church does not know how to read the signs, but God will send fathers and mothers to help read the signs. God when the Spirit says go, and stay when the Spirit says stay. Learn to follow His vision and His lead. There will be a temptation to learn from the world. There will be a temptation to compromise the word of God and there will be a temptation to get ideas from the ways of the world rather than heaven. It is important to be led by the signs of the Spirit of God. It is time to put on revelation and purity. When we walk in the pure revelation of heaven we will be ready to see a harvest of souls. It is time for prophetic evangelism. Heal the wounded foot of the Gospel. Heal your walk and heal the feet that carry good news to the earth. God is renewing vision for evangelism and releasing the revelation that will reach our city. Ask Him for strategies to shine the light to those around you, for the rain is coming. Prepare to be a vessel of honor.

Harvest Time

I had a dream in August. In this dream I was helping a friend clean house. I took a break and went to Raley’s, but the only part of the store left was the deli. Everything besides meat was purchased on line. I went in and a man greeted me. I commented to him that I thought Raley’s has the best meat. He offered me a job making sandwiches. I asked him if there would be enough time for me to pray at the prayer house if I worked there, because I knew it was important to keep praying. It didn’t seem to be a problem. He then gave me a ride home and told me I needed to be ready to start December 14^th. When I was stepping out of his van he once again emphatically persisted that I make a decision by December 14^th. I then went upstairs and continued cleaning house. I was focusing on cleaning vents.

Key points:

1) Only the meat department was there. Everything else was unimportant. God is preparing His bride to be distributors of the meat of the word.

2) He offered me a job distributing the meat in a ready to eat form.

3) Prayer was important.

4) There is a short time to prepare.

5) It is time to clean house, particularly the airways.

The Sandwiches

The ready to eat sandwiches speak of the ability of the people of God to minister effectively. The sandwich speaks of the sandwich of 1 Corinthians 12-14. These chapters are teachings about spiritual gifts, and sandwiched right between them is a chapter on love. A sandwich without bread is a mess that is hard to eat. A sandwich without meat is low in nutrition and not very satisfying. It gives a boost of quick energy, but does not sustain for long or give strength. We need to learn to minister with power and love.

In the famine stricken lands of Africa many children die young from malnourishment. This is due to the fact that the mothers only eat grains and are not able to get enough nutrition to produce milk for their babies. They are able to survive, but they cannot bear children that survive. Without the meat of the word we will not be able to produce the milk of the word for new believers. If we are to reap a harvest in this nation we must first get into the meat of the word.

Spiritual gifts are the package that the love of God is expressed in. It is hard for people to receive the love of God unless it comes well packaged. On the other hand, power without love is empty and lifeless, and can be dangerous. Many ministries offer gifted teachings and preachings that give a boost of spiritual energy for a short time, but that energy quickly runs out. They fail to ignite a heart of love in people. God is releasing a hunger for the meat of the word, and skill about how to make sandwiches for the hungry.

Prepare for harvest

I had a dream about a year ago that my father and I were on a mission when we became hungry and stopped at a mall to eat. As we walked through the mall we became distracted by everything going on. We became detained in the food court for a long time waiting for our food. People around us were stuffing themselves with large amounts of food. We were there for a long time when I suddenly remembered we needed to go. I woke up and knew that this dream was a message from God telling me that people are distracted from what God has called them to.

A couple of weeks ago I woke up and heard, “December 14^th.” I knew it was a time of preparation and that God was calling me to be ready. As I told people about it many of them responded saying, “the harvest is ripe.” I believe we are on the verge of a harvest unlike any this nation has seen. I have felt it as have many others. If we are wise we will prepare for the harvest. One way we can prepare is to pray for workers to be sent into the harvest field. Every farmer knows that when harvest is near many workers must be hired or else much of the harvest could be lost. To effectively reach the many souls that come in we must have workers to bring them in, pray for them to be delivered from the world, and then teach them the ways of God. Tragically the people of God have a history of being ill-prepared for harvest times.

We all have a part to play in God’s kingdom, all having different gifts and callings that work together for the purpose of reaping that harvest. Everyone has an incredible destiny, and everyone has good works that God has destined for them. Jesus gave us a warning regarding our calling, saying, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” I have been feeling the urgency of this truth in my heart lately, that many have been called for great things, but that many are in danger of missing their call. In Jesus day many were called to follow Jesus, but most of them were too distracted by life to embrace the call. They were called to be among the early Apostles and Evangelists that changed the world, but they never found time to join with Jesus in what he was doing. One man promised to follow Jesus as soon as he finished a big business deal. Another promised that he would follow him as soon as he was finished taking care of his family. Another was busy shopping and dealing with the cares of life. These are all real issues that we deal with and are important, yet for many they become more important than God. God will take care of those things if we trust Him and do what He calls us to. PREPARE FOR HARVEST!

Change of the Guard

God is bringing His Church to a new season of victory, and with this new season will come a new brand of leader. Old ways will prove fruitless. The Father is looking for new wine skins to put new wine in. The new wine is the wine of obedience to the voice of God. Zeal, passion and good ideas will no longer carry the Church and those who try to please God in their own strength will find themselves to be unfruitful.

God is looking for a people who follow him and are sensitive to his Spirit. He is looking for leaders who heed his voice and fear God more than men. Many leaders who do not learn to follow the lead of the Spirit will have their authority taken from them, and many others will be lifted up who follow the Spirit. The traditions of men and the ideas of men will not be tolerated. Consider the words of Jesus:

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruit of it. (Matthew 21:43)

God is working to purge the fear of men out of us and fill us with the fear of God. The fear of God does not mean we are afraid of God, but that we have a holy reverence that is from God and that we care more about what he thinks than what people think.

God is not interested in how big of a sacrifice we can make or how much of an outward show we can put on, he is interested in our hearts. He is looking for a people who lay their lives in his hands and tear their hearts before him. What pleases him is when we allow him into the deep places of our hearts. What pleases Him is when we follow what he is doing. The reason rebellion is like witchcraft is because witchcraft is ritual without relationship. God desires relationship and any religion not based on relationship is as good as witchcraft.

God is searching the earth for those like David to lead his people- people after his heart. David was a man who searched for God’s plan and purpose.