2011: The year of the sharpened sickle

Since writing my previous post the concept of the sickle has been burning on my heart. I feel that there is several aspects of that word in relation to this year.

1. Harvest of souls

There is going to be an explosion of evangelism. God is raising up His evangelists and pouring His power upon them. This is the season of the teaching evangelist. We are going to see the raising up of many end time harvesters. God is sharpening the sickle and showing them how to utilize it.

2. Harvest of promises

God is going to bring many promises to fruitation. We have been believing for a season of favor to come. Now is that season of favor where we will see many promises come true.

3. The ripening grain

Many of us have been sowing in intercession. Our prayers and proclamations have gone out as seed. This year we will see much of that seed spring forth and bear fruit.

4. The end of waiting

Many of us have been waiting at the edge of the harvest field. We have seen the grain ripening and have wished to join in the harvest but have been sidelined for various reasons. The Lord is calling His evangelists and teachers into the harvest field. Come and join!

Rick Joyner: All Christians Should Know the Voice of the Lord

Rick Joyner: All Christians Should Know the Voice of the Lord

This coming year the goal of our study is to be able to discern the voice of the Lord better, first for our own guidance, but also in the unfolding events of our times. Nothing is more important for us to do this year than to love God more and follow Him more closely. Only then can we love each other the way that we are called to love.

As we have learned with so many prophetically-gifted people in our church and ministry, if they will inquire of the Lord about a person, He will show them things that can help them. If they inquire of the Lord about a city, He will show them things about the city that can help it. The same is true for a church or a nation, a ministry, a mission, an industry, and so forth. It is the same gift of the Holy Spirit that reveals all of these things. Even so, after a time, prophetic people will often start to specialize in hearing God for individuals, or for churches, cities, nations, etc.

Understanding the Voice of the Lord

When I'm flying my plane, I will sometimes turn the speaker on to listen to the controllers rather than wear the headset. Almost every passenger who flies with me says they cannot understand a single word that the controller is saying and they wonder how I can. More than the volume or tone of the speaker, the reason they cannot understand the controller is because the words that are being used, or the way that they're being used, are unfamiliar to them. To prove this, I have sometimes asked the controllers if they knew the score to a big game, and when they start talking about sports or something my passengers are familiar with, they can understand them fine.

My point is that many do not understand the voice of the Lord for the same reason—the words, or the way the words are being used, are unfamiliar to them. This is basically what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:12-14:

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Many Christians have a belief that the Lord will only speak about spiritual things, or about what He is doing in His Church, but this is not the case. Often, He will speak to us about the things that we are interested in just so we can begin to know His voice. In His own walk on the earth, the Lord spoke to people about the things that were important to them. God cares about everything we care about. God is so big that we tend to think He will only get involved in the big things, but He seems to enjoy getting involved in the most personal, even seemingly trivial matters with His people. He'll speak to you about your child's little league team or your diet. It does not have to be a problem for Him to give us counsel either—it's mostly about relationship.

As we see in John 10, the Lord's sheep know His voice and they follow Him because they know His voice. All Christians should know the voice of the Lord and easily be able to distinguish it from all of the other voices in the world. However, not every Christian is a prophet or has prophetic gifts. The basic difference between hearing from the Lord on a personal basis and prophecy is that if we have a gift of prophecy it is for others, not ourselves. If you have a gift of healing, it is not to heal yourself, but others, and the same is true with all of the spiritual gifts.

The Only Way to Mature is Through Experience

For this reason, the most prophetically-gifted people I know do not hear prophetically very well for themselves. This is because the Lord has made His Body to depend on one another so we will have to walk together as we are called to accomplish our purpose.

Think about this principle with the two best dream interpreters in Scripture—Joseph and Daniel. They were both extraordinary at interpreting what others received, but neither one of them could interpret their own dreams well. Daniel's revelations actually made him sick, and he was told to seal them up until the end of the age when their interpretation would be given.

I am making this distinction here because many people who start hearing from the Lord begin to think that everything they're getting is for the whole Body of Christ, or for the nations, when often it is just for them. Not being able to distinguish this has brought much confusion to the Body of Christ. This is one reason why much of the Body has had such bad experiences with the prophetic that they don't want to have anything to do with it now.

Learning to distinguish what the Lord is saying to us personally and what He may be saying to others simply takes maturity. I have prayed often for the power to be able to lay hands on people and just say, "Be mature in Jesus' name!" but it has never worked. The only way to mature is through experience.

You can't blame church leaders for only wanting prophetic ministry that is mature, because it takes a lot of work to help people mature. However, if you want a mature prophetic ministry, this is virtually the only way to get it. The maturing process for both the prophetically-gifted and those who will relate to them enables a true relationship to develop where the prophetic ministry can be useful.

Most of the people who read this Word for the Week are relatively mature Believers. However, we can be mature in one area but quite immature in others. The goal for our study this year is that regardless of how mature and experienced we are in knowing the voice of the Lord, we will go twice as far as we have before this year in revelation, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. We will need this in the coming year, but this is why all of His gifts were given to the Church—we need them.

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org

Luke Holter: "You Will Drink of Victorious New Wine"

2010 was a year of hardships for the Church but lift up your heads, because in 2011 you will celebrate victory over the things that mastered you in 2010. The victorious Believer will arise in 2011 and be as bold as a lion. The power of Love will carry you into victory this New Year and the Church will get a glimpse into who she is.

Recently, I was traveling to speak at a conference in San Antonio, Texas, when the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about 2011. I had been searching in my heart as to what the Lord had for the Church this next year; I so desperately wanted to get a word from the Lord on it. I spent several weeks seeking, and at the most unexpected time He gave me an answer that I believe will both uplift and encourage the Church in this hour.

After arriving at the hotel, I could feel the Holy Spirit when I got into the room. I sat down and started praying and inquiring of the Lord what He had for me. I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, "2011 is the year of Victorious New Wine." I could feel the weight of this statement and began to ask what does it mean?

Victorious Over Your Enemies

The Holy Spirit said to turn to the story of Abram and Melchizedek in the Book of Genesis. As I began to read the story I was astounded at the invitation coming to the Church in 2011.

The story goes something like this: Abram was fighting the armies of Sodom in the valley of Shaveh (the Kings Valley) and was victorious over his enemies in battle. Then the priest Melchizedek came out with bread and wine and offered them to Abram to bless him for the victory. Then the King of Sodom told Abram to go ahead and take the spoils from war and Abram said that he will not – because Abram didn't want anyone claiming they made Abram rich. This was a powerful concept to not take the spoils so your enemies can't boast.

Genesis 14:17-23, And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.

Abram and Melchizedek: Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all. Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself." But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of Heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'—

In 2011 - We Will Overcome!

I do believe that 2010 has been a hard year for us as a nation as well as for the Church, as an apostolic governing Body. We have seen many hard situations economically, as well as personally. 2010 has been a year of God testing character and the enemy trying to win the war in our minds concerning our destiny, but I'm telling you that in 2011 we will overcome!

I believe even as March approaches that we will start to see a powerful breakthrough and victory over the enemy that devastated our economy, families, and lives in 2010. We must stay strong and fight because we are fighting in the Valley of the King and we will be victorious!

2011 will be a down payment of the Kingdom on earth! The tide will turn and you will see the Lord "Like a FLOOD" smash the works of darkness in your lives. He will show you kindness and will rescue you from those things that overtook you in previous years.

When the enemy reminds you of the struggles of 2010 put your head back and laugh and take a drink of new wine. When the enemies of your past come back to get you off course from your inheritance, remind yourself that the victory is already yours and the Lord alone will cause you to be bold as a lion and crush the head of the enemy!

You will drink of victorious, new wine which is the very Blood of Christ Jesus. It is the Blood of Jesus that the victory is in, and thus the very invitation to overcoming is in the Blood!

Luke Holter
Prophetic Sheep Ministries
Email: propheticsheep@yahoo.com

2011: A year of favorable transition

Each year I ask the Lord to reveal what the coming year is going to bring. Several years ago He gave me a blueprint for the coming years. 2011 was going to be a year of transition between the establishment of a new natural order and the establishment of apostolic government over His Church. During 2011 we will see a greater laying of foundations as the apostles are being prepared for their season. Several years ago we saw a similar move with the prophetic. This year of transition is going to be key for a number of the offices.

2011 is a year of the sickle. We are going to see the passing of several mantles. The office of evangelist is going to see a measure of favor and power poured upon it. There are many evangelists who have been playing other roles while waiting for a release. I don't know if this is the year of full release but I hear the phrase "sharpen the sickle" for the "fields are ripening unto harvest."

2011 is the year of the intercessor. During this transition year there will be a lot of warfare over the lives of those called to the apostolic office. God has raised up intercessors to cover them and fight on their behalf. Those, who are being warred over, won't feel the full intensity of that warfare. God is also going to show His apostles and prophets divine strategies in the battlefield and a greater authority over the angelic realms. We can direct God's heavenly host to fight much of our battles for us.

2011 is the year of apostolic preparation. God is going to be showing His prophets what a true apostle looks like. He is going to be inclining the ears of His apostles towards the prophets. We are going to see the beginning of a realignment between the apostolic and the prophetic. 2012 will see the maturation of that partnership as the two offices will work together as one. God has cloaked His apostles in garments of preparation in order to protect them from the eyes of the world during this past season. These garments are going to come off in 2012 and this year will see the formation of new mantles to replace them. There are mantles of old that have been waiting in heaven for the end of the age. These mantles are going to descend upon those who have allowed themselves to become new wineskins during this past season. When this unveiling happens we will see the true power of the apostolic.

2011 is most of all going to be known as a year of favor to the Church. God desires to release great grace and favor upon His bride. We are going to see increased access in the marketplace. We are going to see greater wealth come into the Church. We are going to see the world start to look to the Church for answers to their problems. This is all as we look forward to the establishment of apostolic government. We are going to see the Daniels and Josephs start to rise up to take their place. This will be a year of their positioning. Much of it will be confusing to us but will be more clear in retrospect. 2011 is going to be an amazing year filled with favor, grace, and fruitfulness both in the spirit and in the natural.