Wednesday, April 4, 2012

April: A month of reprieve, rest, and advancement

The month of March was a time to receive marching orders and God was giving His people directions for these next few months. You can read my post about the month of March and how it was a preparation right here. During the last week or two of March I became aware of a vicious attack by the enemy against the people of God. I experienced it along with a number of other prophetic people I know. It was an attack to not just distract but to destroy. It was an attack so severe, that if we had chosen to succumb, it would have been devastating physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I remember at one point feeling so entrapped that I was willing to give into this temptation. I was standing there ready to give in and all I could do was pray in tongues as I was moving towards giving in to the devices of the enemy. It was the grace of God, and the Holy Spirit interceding through me, that shifted the atmosphere around me and gave me the ability to escape.

I share this because I realize that it was not just an attack against me but was a strategy that the enemy was using against those who posed a threat to him. It was an attack of desperation. The enemy knows that the Kingdom of God is arising in power. The enemy knows that as God's people arise, in authority, that it will mean the advancing of light and the vanquishing of darkness. I have had incredible attacks before. When I was ministering at Cal State Fullerton I experienced three attempts on my life within a 5 month period. But this was more vicious and more desperate than anything I have experienced before. I saw it as a confirmation of what God is bringing us into.

But the month of April brought instant relief. This attack is over. I have been able to rest and rejuvenate my body. For the last week of March I could barely eat. I remember realizing on Friday that I hadn't had a real meal in 2-3 days (what was weird is that I wasn't hungry). The first two days of April were spent doing nothing but eating and sleeping. I asked the Lord what all of this meant and this is what I am sensing in the Spirit.

The last two weeks of March was a time of testing. It was a time where God showed that He would be triumphant over the strategies of Satan. The enemy wanted to abort and destroy the destinies of God's people but God demonstrated that His Spirit and His Grace would stand between His people and the wrath of the enemy. God was also demonstrating that it is Him working through us that enables us to overcome. Our righteousness is through the power of His blood and resurrection. This gives us a spirit of humility which will keep us grounded in Him.

The first week, and to a lesser degree the second week, of April is a time of rest. It is a time to strengthen ourselves and allow the Spirit to minister to us. After Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days, and was tempted by Satan, the angels came and ministered to Him. Allow the Spirit to move in you. Do not allow the enemy to use guilt against you. You are an overcomer. It doesn't matter that the enemy brought you to the very edge where you gazed upon what he was enticing you with.

The Lord has brought us reprieve from these attacks. We now have an authority over them that we didn't previously have. Ask God to show you this authority. The enemy attacks us with our destiny. Do you have a call to preach purity? The enemy will attack you in that area. Do you have a call to foster unity within the body? The enemy will attack with division and rebellious thoughts towards leaders. When you win a battle you gain an authority in that area. And even though it may not feel like victory, as you barely resisted, it was in fact a victory.

As we enter into the middle of April we are going to see a realignment within the created order. Watch God as He gives us some visible signs of renewal in the natural. It is going to be a season of freedom as the weightiness of the past two months are going to melt away. Pray against fear as it will be one of the main areas where the enemy is going to work this month. Guard against isolation. There is good isolation (and many of us were in that secret place during this past month) but then there is bad isolation. Press inward towards God and utilize the strategies that He has given you during the past month.

When you are moving in your destiny and calling there is a grace for protection. Do not allow fear of attack keep you from doing the work that God has given you. In fact, when you shrink back when you should be moving forward you can open yourself up to the attacks of the enemy. David would have never fallen into sexual sin with Bathsheba had he been on the battlefield as he was supposed to be (which is a topic for an upcoming blog post). Positioning is key to this season. Press onward and grab a hold of the destiny that God has for you. Press onward and hold onto the strategies that He has given you. Do not allow disqualification to come near you. Surround yourselves with those who will speak truth and destiny into your life and remove yourself from those who speak condemnation.

As we move forward in the month of April we will receive greater clarity. As we move forward, with the strategies and plans that we have received, we will take back the ground that the enemy has stolen from us years ago. As we retake our calling and destiny we will move into a higher plane and gain a greater vantage point. This will position us to move into the authority that God has for us. He has been releasing promotion and greater authority since the beginning of this year but we are going to see a dramatic shift in the spirit realm, with ramifications in the natural, happen in June through September of this year. We will feel the shift starting in mid to late May building into a crescendo in late July. In August and September there are going to be dramatic signs and wonders as we exercise this authority. Even those who are not sensitive to the things of the Spirit will take notice at that time.

I leave you with this charge, do not allow the failures of yesterday to hold you back from the victories of tomorrow. God desires you to have the heart of an overcomer. Jesus came and died so that you might have the fullness of victory. Jesus is the greatest intercessor and He gazes down upon you from the throne of heaven and intercedes for you to be victorious in all things. The Holy Spirit lives in us to give us guidance and to work through us even when we are at our weakest. Press forward and believe that the grace of God is more powerful than anything on this earth. There is no sin, no failing, no mistake that is so big that it can't be canceled and covered by the blood of the Lamb. Grab ahold of everything that God has for you. Press onward towards the goal for which Christ has called us heavenward and lock your eyes with His loving and passionate gaze.

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