Your Connection to Your Land

There is a connection between our land and our lives.

I got to thinking the other day that the land we live in is a reflection of our spiritual condition. Think of Adam. He was put in a beautiful garden land. Everything was provided for, he just needed to work the land. He could plant, harvest, prepare food, eat, design beautiful and functional gardens, harvest seeds for replanting, and so on. Yet once they sinned, a curse came upon them and they were driven from this beautiful land into a land that, like their spirit, was cursed.

In this new land, however, they had the opportunity to overcome. The land reflected their spiritual condition, yet it also provided an opportunity for them to overcome the physical and spiritual challenges. They had to learn to work a land that was cursed. They had to learn how to handle drought and weeds. How could they survive in this condition? They also had to learn to worship God in this place, which would be more challenging than in the beautiful garden.

In the days of the flood, God brought Noah and his family into a land--the land of the ark. The rest of the world perished in the land that came to reflect their spiritual condition--death.

God called Abram out of one land and into another. He promised him this land, yet he lived there as a foreigner, not an owner at first. Before they could enjoy ownership in the Promised Land, they had to endure a period of slavery--hard work for the benefit of another. The opposite of freedom--working to enjoy the fullness of their hard work.

When Moses led them out of Egypt, their double-mindedness and rebellion caused all but two of the original travelers to die in the wilderness. The land reflected their uncommitted condition. They wanted to follow Moses, but they wanted to go back to Egypt. They wanted to serve God, but they created idols.

When they did finally enter the Promised Land, it was with an army who was willing to fight for the promise and claim ownership of what God had said was rightfully theirs.

The land reflects what is going on with us spiritually. It may represent the blessings on our life, or it may by symbolic of the obstacles to those blessings. It may be a reflection of our call and destiny, or it may reveal the enemy's opposition to that call. Take a look at the land you are living in. Look at your home. Look at your surroundings. What do you see? What are the blessings. What are the problems? ask the Lord to show you how it might reflect what is going on with you spiritually.

Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. He was driven to a land. This wasn't an indication of His spiritual condition, but ours. He was to die for the sin of all mankind and this land reflected that. He needed to overcome in this wild waste land.

You are in the land you are in for a reason. Where you are reflects your spiritual condition, as well as giving you opportunity to overcome the things you need to overcome in order to fulfill your destiny. Ask yourself, what kind of stuff thrives in the land you are in? What grows? What is the soil condition? What is the climate like? What is the population like? Is your house cluttered? Is your soil dry, or hard, clay, or thorny? Or is it good soil? The Lord has a purpose for you here. Ask Him to show you what it is, and how to overcome what needs to be overcome in order for you to live a flourishing life in Him.

He didn't lead you to this land to drop you off and forget you. But you need to work the land. You won't get anywhere if you sit on a rock and pout, or wonder what went wrong or what you should do. Get up and start working the land. Begin by exploring it. Start by looking at the physical place you live, your job, your surroundings, the people around you etc. Ask Him how to thrive in this land. He will show you!

How to Measure Your Spiritual Maturity

There is a way to measure your spiritual maturity.

Specifically, to gauge how well you know God and how mature you are in Him.





When we think of spiritual maturity, we usually think of what we are doing for the Lord, or how we are being used in His gifts. When we come to know the Lord, we are excited to grow and do things for Him. We are happy to give someone a prophetic word, or to pray and see them healed. These are good things and we should pursue them. However, this is not necessarily a measurement of how well we know Him or how we are maturing.

When we think of knowing God we often think of how well we hear Him. If we hear Him and are used by Him then we might think that we know Him well and are quite mature. But remember what Jesus said about those who did many wonderful works in His name and thought that would give them entrance into the kingdom. He said He never knew them and for them to depart from Him. (Matthew 7:21-23).

I don't say this to scare anyone or lay a guilt trip on you. On the contrary, if we understand this message, it will bring us into freedom and growth. The point is, just because we can hear someone doesn't mean we know them. Think of any public figure, you may be able to watch their videos, or read their books and Facebook posts, but that doesn't mean you know them.

Knowing someone involves two-way conversations. It also involves time and experiences together. I once heard someone who was involved with marriage counseling say that strong marriages and families come from having experiences together. Not just communication.

Those who did 'wonderful works' in the name of Jesus but were told to depart were not doing the will of the Father. They weren't seeing what God was wanting to do. They thought they were doing things for Him, but they really weren't doing what He wanted. Consider what Jesus said:

“...Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing;... John 5:19-20

Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing, and He is our example.

So how can we tell how well we know the Father, love Him, and do His will? How do we measure our level of maturity in Him?

"If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen."1 John 4:20

When I first read this Scripture years ago I was in denial. I thought there was no way this could mean that if I didn't love people I didn't love God. I thought it had to be wrong. God is so much easier to love than people. But finally, I realized it means just what it says and then I grieved over it. I knew I fell so far short, and every time I got angry or irritated with someone I thought of just how far short I was of the love of God. Then I felt guilty and tried to love people better, but I was often fake about it. That wasn't the way to go either.

Then there's this verse:

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:7-8

Everyone who loves knows God. When we love, it shows that we know God. So if I wasn't loving people then that meant not only did I not love God, but I didn't even know Him. This was difficult for me to accept, until I realized that I have Him living inside of me and I can do all things through Him who gives me strength! The love of God has been poured out into my heart by the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:5).

Let's get back for a minute to our level of maturity. How do we gauge that?

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Rather than defining maturity, this passage of Scriptures defines immaturity. Which is jealousy and strife. When we are striving and jealous of our brothers and sisters then it shows that we are immature. If we love, we will not strive or be jealous of others. Love, once again, is a measuring tool, this time to define our maturity. It is the hallmark sign of knowing and loving God, as well as identifying our level of growth in Him.

Consider what Jesus said:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Once again, love for one another is the identifying factor that shows we are disciples of Jesus.

However, we can become more than His disciples. We can become His friends. Jesus gave us His commandment to follow, which if we keep we become His friends.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you."  John 15:12-14

Knowing that love is the measuring device relieves the pressure we might put on ourselves to work hard to please God. You are His child. He loves you already. Just receive His love for you and start from there. We love because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). We don't have it in ourselves to love first--we must receive His love first, which He freely gave. Get to know His love and believe that God loves you.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16

You will abide in Him, and He in you, when you know and believe the love He has for you!

The White City

It's no longer just the House that is White in our nation's capital, it's the White City! Washington D.C. is not to be a city of darkness any longer. Instead it's a white city, a holy city, that stands for truth, righteousness, and justice.

Lord, we repent for the dark words of death we have spoken over our capital city. Many dark words have been spoken against it, even from Your people. But no longer! Now we say, The Light is shining bright in the White City. Turn up the Light even more Lord!

We hold up the arms of our President and those who stand for truth, righteousness, and justice. Light prevails in the White City, the holy city. As Joshua asked for the sun to stand still at Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Aijalon so they could win the battle against their enemies*, we ask for the Light to shine and remain in our capital city--the White City--so the foundations of our nation are once again established in truth, righteousness, and justice. Better than new. A stronger foundation.

Turn up the intensity of the Light so the darkness, the dark state, the dark words, the dark plans, will fully flee.

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne..."

Psalm 89:14

*Joshua 10

What is the New Sound?

There have been prophecies about the "new sound" that is coming. When The Call with Lou Engle came to Detroit, Michigan on 11/11/2011, there were prophecies that a new sound would be released. There was a recent prophecy from Glory Zion in Corinth, Texas on January 21, 2018  saying that there would be a new sound released from Detroit and the state of Michigan. There have been many others prophesying, especially recently, about a new sound being released from Heaven.

What is this new sound? I had been asking the Lord about this and once again this morning I asked, "Lord, what is this new sound!" I said that it seems like everyone is looking for a musical sound, but it doesn't seem to be a new musical style. It doesn't seem to be a new instrument that produces a different sound, (although the thought came to me later that there could be a new instrument that represents the meaning of this new sound).

As I persisted in asking the Lord about this new sound I began to hear a "chant" which sounded like a multitude of people saying, "What's the new sound, what's the new sound, what's the new sound, what's the new sound..." It sounded like a train going down a track. "What's the new sound, what's the new sound, what's the new sound, what's the new sound..." Then I heard a melody over the top of the train sound, "The sound, is a new barrier breaking." And later on a second verse, "The sound, is God's people in motion." As this "played" over and over I realized that the new sound is more to do with speed than with tone. It has to do with the power of the sound, more than a new, unique sound itself.

This new sound is a sound barrier that's being broken. This new sound will break the barriers that have stopped the sound from going where it needs to go. The train is on track, picking up speed and momentum so the barriers blocking the sound will be broken! We are breaking the sound barrier! This new sound is a power to break through obstacles, to penetrate the air, the ear, the mind and the heart, so the Word of God can bring life to those who are bound by deception and the lies of the enemy. This is the parrésia anointing that I've written about before finally being released in its fullness!

This new sound may be released through words, but not words alone. This sound-barrier breaking energy can be released through what you do--your work, your lifestyle, and the attitude of your heart. As you live your life in creative worship to God, you will release this new sound. Your life will break the sound barrier and set people free!

Check out the parrésia anointing blogs here:

God's Freedom of Speech Definition  and
The Parrésia Anointing
Glory Zion Prophecy on Facebook

Here is a (very rough) audio replication of what I heard
WhatsTheNewSound

The Cloud of Witnesses

I was brought up to the throneroom of God and was seated behind the throne with a "great cloud of witnesses." These were all people who were witnesses to the goodness of God. They were testifying of His goodness for all of eternity. While I was there among them, I realized that the words we had spoken on earth would speak throughout all eternity. These words would be a strong testimony of God's goodness and would stand up against the accusations of the enemy. The enemy would bring accusations against God Himself, and our words spoken on earth were a testimony that would prove those accusations wrong. I realized how vitally important it was for us to speak of God's goodness, and all of His attributes while here on earth. Those who would accuse God, blame Him, and be bitter against Him, would not be among this great cloud of witnesses. These ones were aligning themselves with the enemy, making themselves an enemy of God.

I was also reminded of what the Lord had shown me before about God's goodness. When we say God is good, it's not that we are judging Him and determining that He meets our standard of what is good so we call Him that. No! We realize that He IS good. He is goodness itself. Goodness is defined by Him. All that He says and does is good. When we say God is good, we are saying that we submit to His definition of what good is. We don't judge Him, but we see His goodness in what He says and does, and we honor Him for that.

We must repent of any accusations we have spoken against God. We must repent of any and all words we've spoken against Him, anything along this line at all. We must be washed in the blood of Jesus. He will forgive us. Then we must remain focused to speak of His goodness. These words are eternal. This is why praise and worship is so important. We are testifying to God's goodness in a legal procedure. This cloud of witnesses was seated as in a court proceeding. The words of our testimony are legally binding. I saw that there was something powerful about the words spoken on the earth. As we spoke of God's goodness while we were here on the earth, it had a greater impact than speaking those same words in heaven. When we speak of His goodness in the midst of trouble, and the temptations are there to doubt His goodness, His love, or His faithfulness, they are powerful words of testimony that silences the enemy. And they will do so forever.

Caffeine Free Prophecy

Several years ago, the Lord spoke to me about not drinking coffee before ministering in our Sunday morning services. When I asked why, He said, "It interferes with the anointing." Now before you get upset about this, I'm not saying this is a hard and fast rule for everyone. It may be that this was just true for me at the time. However, I noticed a difference when I stopped drinking coffee before ministering.

Coffee tends to make me jittery, and whenever I was ministering to people, whether teaching in a group or giving a personal prophecy, this caffeine effect would compete with what the Lord was saying, making it more difficult to minster. After I stopped drinking coffee, I noticed a greater level of peace and depth inside, and felt like I was able to hear the Lord more clearly and in greater detail and accuracy.

The point I want to make, is that we often recognize that the spiritual realm affects the natural realm. What happens in this world is birthed from the spiritual world. We know that things like doubt and unbelief can stop the promises of God from becoming a reality here. However, it's also true that what is going on in us or around us physically can stop or hinder these promises too. Fatigue, illness, anxiety, as well as food or other substances you consume, can interfere with the good things of God getting through.

Whether you drink caffeinated beverages or not, the world around us can tempt us to be rushed and hurried in everything we do--even in our time with the Lord and ministry to others. When we are in a hurry and our adrenaline is running high, how easy is it to run with the first thing that pops into our head without pausing to make sure we have the full understanding of what the Lord is revealing? We need to be sure we are listening to everything He is saying, and that we understand it correctly.

You know how annoying it is when someone interrupts you? How much worse is it when they turn around and tell someone what you said, and it wasn't even accurate because they never let you finish what you were saying! They didn't take the time to make sure they understood the whole point you were trying to get across. If we're not careful, we can do this to the Lord too, and end up "prophesying" things to people that are not completely accurate.

These kinds of prophecies or teachings are very shallow at best, and can be very wrong and misleading. Of course, we all make mistakes and thank God for His mercy when we do. We don't intentionally want to mislead people and He knows that. But we don't want to be careless either just because we allow the things of this world to hurry us up and not listen to Him fully. Make it your goal not to give out "caffeinated prophecies," but to walk in His peace at all times so you can hear, understand, and release the full depth of what He's saying!

Downshift

We are entering a time when there will be great acceleration in the gifts and ministries God has given. This means you! God is getting His people ready to do some powerful things in the earth. However, there may need to be a downshifting first. In a vehicle, downshifting is necessary if you are in too high of a gear for your speed. When this happens, the car sputters and stalls. This can be very frustrating. Especially if you really want to go somewhere! Do you feel as if there has been some sputtering and stalling out in your life and call? You might need to downshift.

Downshifting means you pull back from doing things. You slow down. Oftentimes, we get so excited about what God has called us to, and rightly so, but we try to go out and do everything all at once. We know we're supposed to be flying down our life's road at 80 mph, but we keep stalling out! What's happening is that we're trying to do it in our own strength. We have great motivation to do what we're called, but we don't have the power of God backing us. We need to slow down, get into His presence, and allow ourselves to be driven and empowered by Him.

You may have a great desire to move in a higher gear of the Spirit, but take the time to sit before the Lord so you can become motivated, driven, and led by Him. Get rid of all the attempts to self-accelerate. You might have great ideas and plans, but you'll stall out if they are not in alignment with the heart of God. Be led and driven by the Spirit (Romans 8:14).

Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness (Mark 1:12). We need to allow ourselves to be driven, led, and motivated by the Spirit of God. It's great that we have desire and passion to do what we're called to do, but we also need His drive in order for us to accomplish what we need to. If we are so stubborn that we keep trying to accelerate while in too high of a gear, we will encounter failure over and over again.

Think of it as the speed you are going is the motivation and passion of your call. You are called to do a certain thing, at a certain speed so to speak. The gear you are operating in is like the motivation and passion of God. If your speed is not in sync with His gear then it won't work. You'll stall out. If you're trying to fly forward without the heart and passion of God driving you, then you won't have His power backing you. This really is a good thing because without His heart and power motivating you, you could be dangerous.

However, once you align your passion and call with His heart and nature, then you can accelerate quickly. You will be able to shift gears at the proper time, your speed in alignment with the heart and power of God. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power and went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38). The Spirit of God and power of God always go together. The fruit of the Spirit reveal God's nature (Galatians 5:22-23). Because Jesus had the Holy Spirit, He had the heart of God, His character. Along with that came the power, and He was able to go about and "do" what He was called to do.

Line up the passion for your call with the nature and character of the Spirit, and you'll have the necessary power to fulfill your ministry. You'll be in proper sync and timing, and will accelerate at just the right time without the frustrating process of stalling out!