Garris Elkins: "I Want You to Write a Large Future" (A word for 2014)

Recently I was teaching in a training school for emerging leaders in California. During a question and answer session someone asked me, "What are you seeing for the year 2014?"

I responded to the question by saying that at the end of each year, I would normally ask and wait concerning a word from the Lord for the upcoming year. I did not, however, have a specific word at that time. As I was responding to the question, the Lord gave me a picture.

I saw an immense sheet of paper that covered a huge tabletop. The sheet was so large it extended out to the edge of the visible horizon line where it disappeared. The paper was brilliant white. Nothing was written on the paper – it was a clean sheet.

The next day, after returning home from the ministry trip, the image came to me once again. This time I saw a large pen – one of those antique, feathered writing pens – it descended down into the image and rested just above the surface of the unmarked sheet of paper. As the pen was suspended over the paper the Lord began to speak to me.

"I Want You to Write a Large Future"

"I want you to write something new. I did not just erase words from the past. Rather, I have provided a new place for you to write a fresh script for your life. This is something new I am inviting you to write.

"This is your assignment. I want you to write a large future – a future that may seem presumptive at first. I give you permission to presume on My goodness.

"Write like a person who has discovered My love for the first time. I want you to write in excitement without punctuation. I want your writing to be breathless with anticipation and expectation – a writing that flows from an increasing excitement at what might be.

"I promised in My Word to give you the desires of your heart. I instructed David to write the words, 'Delight yourself in Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.' I am telling you to delight yourself in Me as you write and I will give you the desires of your heart.

"As you write, your inspiration will come from the increasing level of your delight in Me. Write as a lover would write from the depths of a shared passion. Write from your delight in Me and let your passion for Me fuel your text."

When the Lord finished speaking, the pen was still suspended above the sheet of paper. I sensed the pen was waiting for a hand to reach out and take it and begin writing.

Our Heart's Desire is Purified When We First Delight in Him

God has provided us with prophetic paper, pen and ink. He wants us to believe He is comfortable with His children writing out a new future as He watches. Our delighting in the Lord protects what will be written. Our heart's desire is purified when we first delight in Him. Our delighting in God must precede our desire for a new future if our desire is to remain pure. 

Pick up the pen and begin to write:

• Write a new future for your family.
• Write a new future for your health.
• Write a new future for your church.
• Write a new future for your finances.
• Write a new future for your nation.
• Write a new future for your dream.
• Write a new future for your ministry.
• Write a new future for your city.

Write! Write! Write with a delight in God's goodness. The words you write will invite the promises of God to come and join the text of your future. This new script will become the story of a new chapter in your life that is about to unfold in 2014.

Garris Elkins, Senior Leader
Living Waters Church – Medford, Oregon
Email: info@prophetichorizons.com
Website: garriselkins.com

Elijah List Publications
528 Ellsworth St. SW
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

2014: The Year of Manifest Victory

As I look at 2014 I see a year of manifested victories. There have been things that you have been laboring and fighting for. The breakthroughs have already been accomplished but the manifestation of those are now going to be visible. 2014 is both the ending and the beginning of two cycles. It is the ending of a seven year cycle and the beginning of another seven year cycle. It is a bridge year as the Church crosses over into her destiny and purpose. I see 2014 as a foundational year for the end-time Church.

As I stand at the end of 2013 and look forward I am filled with hope. I have never had such a measure of hope for a coming year. I have had excitement, I have had faith, I have had other emotions, but never such a measure of hope. This is a year like no other in recent history. This is the year when we are going to see the manifestation of a greater level of victory within our own lives, within the lives of our loved ones, and within our churches.

This isn't the foundation of a primary story. This is a foundation of the second story. This past cycle was building the first story of a building and this coming cycle is the second level. 2014 is preparing the structure for this second level. We are stepping into a time of reformation and awakening for the Church and for the world as well. God is preparing His Church to be an instrument of revelation as His Divine Grace will be made visible to the world in the coming two years. As this second story is built through these next few years we are going to see a death blow dealt to the religious structure. We are going to see the Kingdom structure gain an authority of position and influence within society.

All of this building is going to be done from a place of rest. These past few years have been a time of labor and toil but the Lord is calling us into His place of rest in this coming season. No longer will we labor and toil but the Lord will labor for us. We are going to see the fruit of our past labors come into being. We are going to effortlessly build from the place of rest. There is no labor within the Presence of God. This is a year of divine rest. Many will look upon the sons and daughters of the King and wonder how they are accomplishing so much. Many will seek us out and ask us what our secrets are. But the answer to that is the favor of the Lord. Just as God blessed the flocks of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so will He bless His people this year. This is the year of the hundred-fold reaping.

I see the mountain of business highlighted in this next year. We are going to see tremendous breakthrough in many Kingdom owned businesses. New revenue streams are being unlocked right now for the manifest sons and daughters of God. I see revenue streams and business deals that have been demonically held back. But the Lord is dispatching His angels to cut off this demonic opposition. We are going to see opportunities come out of nowhere. God is raising up His businesspeople to be a sign and a wonder upon the earth.

Many of these businesspeople are being brought forth as conduits of wealth. They have been found faithful and now God is going to bring them great things. Millions and billions of dollars are going to flow through their hands. I see an alignment coming into being between the business and entertainment mountains. They are going to fund many Kingdom projects within Hollywood. There are scripts sitting on shelves that have been held back for such a time as this. These projects are Kingdom developed and God wants the profits to be reaped by His Kingdom workers.

Furthermore, I see a legion of justice workers arising from the boardrooms of corporate America. God is commissioning business men and women to address the biggest issues of injustice upon the earth today. They are going to use the expertise that they have gained within the business mountain to attack these issues head on. They will be able to address many of the political and economic roots of these issues.

2014 is going to be the year of testimony as many Christians, who are in places of influence within society, are going to become more outspoken about their faith. We are going to see powerful testimonies being proclaimed in mainstream media. I see the Holy Spirit having His way on late night talk shows as celebrities speak about the Lord's goodness in their lives. I also believe we are going to see many prodigals return home to the faith of their youth. God is honoring the prayers of the mothers and grandmothers. These things are going to continue though 2015 and 2016 as well. In addition I believe there are going to be between two to five very prominent people come to Christ. These are ones that the religious church has given up upon as too far gone. They are known today as notorious sinners but they are going to be filled with the Holy Spirit and will have a turn around as dramatic as Saul to Paul. My word of caution is to be patient with them as the sanctifying process will take time. It will take them awhile to overcome all of their past life.

This September is the 70th anniversary of Aimee Semple Mcpherson's death. We are going to see a shift in the spirit realm at that time. There was a mantle that Sister Aimee was prevented from receiving. This was the mantle of an industry prophet. She had a powerful ministry to many in Hollywood. But she herself felt the call to become an actress, which her board prevented her from pursuing. During the summer of 2012 I was brought up into the heavenlies and I was shown the mantle of an industry prophet that had been prepared for her. It has been held back for such a time as this. But this time it won't be released to a single person but rather an entire company. These men and women are being prepared even now. They have powerful prophetic anointings but are currently unknown within the industry of Hollywood. But when this mantle falls upon them they will be catapulted into prominence. They will be ministers first and entertainment professionals second. However, the world will know them by their excellence within media. These men and women are going to bring Hollywood back into alignment with its call and destiny. This company will feel the shift during the last ninety days of 2013 but it will take a longer season before others will take note.

I see the Asian-Americans highlighted at this time. They are arising in power. No longer will they be marginalized and ignored. The Asians are claiming their place within the political discourse of our nation. No longer will this be a nation that is dominated by white Europeans. The Asians are coming into their destiny- both within society and within the Church. Watch for a shaking of certain structures that try to resist this. We as a Church have much to learn from our Asian brothers and sisters. There is a new missions movement that will be largely spearheaded by Americans of Korean and Chinese descent. They will take the expertise of the 20th century missions movement, with the passion of the 18th and 19th century mission movements. We are going to see a greater marriage of prayer and missions as well. This is the year in which those, who have been called to finish the Great Commission, are going to receive their call if they haven't already.

This coming year is going to see a great shaking within the abortion industry of this nation. This past year has seen the passage of some of the most pro-life legislation of the last 40 years. Legislation that has directly challenged Roe v. Wade. I believe that we are going to see even more legislative and judicial battles over this issue of life. I believe that the issue of abortion will once again be heard before the US Supreme Court. They are going to be petitioned numerous times within these next two years. We as a people need to pray that they will hear these cases and that the highest court of the United States would come into alignment with the court of Heaven. We are in a kairos time for the ending of abortion within America. Do not forget the African-American people for they hold a key in this battle for life.

Last year I prophesied that 2013 would see a great confrontation between the religious spirit and the Kingdom structure. We saw this made evident when a well known and respected minister declared war against the charismatic and accused us of having erected an idol in our churches while calling it the Holy Spirit. I'm not going to address this in depth beyond saying that I pray for this man, and others who are deceived with him, and ask God to open his eyes. But, we are going to see even more of this in the times to come as the Jezebelic structure seeks to divide the body of Christ. But we must first receive victory in our own personal lives before we can see a corporate toppling of this pagan structure that enslaves so many of our churches. The religious spirit will try to bring lies of condemnation and disqualification to you. I have seen the enemy become increasingly vicious with this during the latter part of 2013. I see these attacks being exposed during 2014 and God's people walking in a greater level of truth and freedom. God is preparing us so that we might be carriers of His divine grace. But we must come into a greater revelation of that grace before we can release it to others.

This is the year of building from divine rest. This is a sabbath year in which past debts are being wiped away. This is a time to eat of that which has been sown in the past few years. Do not say that your hope has been cut off. Your hope will spring forth once again in a measure that has not been seen before. This is the year of partaking of the goodness of God within the land of the living. The dead things are coming alive once again!

Invest in Israel

One of the things that God has gifted me in is the ability to discern the financial markets. I was able to fund most of my college career with the profits that I made in the stock market. Currently I don't have the funds to invest but still monitor what is happening within the financial markets and from time to time give advice to close family members. Recently the Lord impressed on me the importance of investing in Israel.

Now this is interesting as I rarely receive a prophetic word about an investment. But this is something that was burning in my spirit as something that the body of Christ should do. Now I had no idea of whether this was a good investment or not but after some research I found that Israel is a growing economy with great investment opportunities.

Israel has more companies on the American stock exchanges than any other foreign country besides China. They are a nation of innovation and are the home of amazing scientific minds. They are also the home of great natural resources that are just beginning to be discovered.

With any investment you need to enter into it with discernment and wisdom. Seek the advice of your financial planner. My Dad's investment broker confirmed that Israel is a great nation to invest in and recommended two different mutual funds that are comprised of Israeli companies. There are other investment opportunities as well.

But more than the mere investment opportunity is the blessing that will come when we sow into Israel. God has spoken that the wealth of the world will come from afar into Israel. By investing in Israel, if we are able to, we are committing a prophetic act. Furthermore, we are blessing the economy of Israel by investing into it.

If you have a retirement account or if you currently invest then I highly suggest that you look into the possibility of investing in Israel. But as with all investments enter into it with wisdom.

"No old dirt in the new year!"

This is a saying of my grandmother. She would often herald it, when my mom was young, to motivate a cleaning binge in the days before New Years. Of course the house was already pretty clean as a result of Christmas preparations but that is besides the point. For the past few weeks I have been remembering this saying and it has been impressed upon my spirit.

I have heard several other prophetic voices echo similar words about these next few weeks as we prepare to step into 2014. I believe these next 30 days are key as God readies us to cross over into 2014. Several areas are being highlighted right now:

1. In the natural. Clean your room, clean your car, get rid of clutter. I'm spending the next week reorganizing everything that I own and dumping junk that I have accumulated. I'm getting my car detailed this month as it is overdue for a good vacuuming and cleaning. Step into 2014 with your natural surroundings clean and organized. This will give you greater productivity as well as improving your mental state.

2. Reorganize your priorities. Take stock of everything that you have going on in your life. Identify those things that don't have a purpose in your life. For us to step into a level of greater purpose we must be able to eliminate those things that our purposeless to make room.

3. Eliminate old mindsets. Identify those lies of the enemy that are tormenting you. Identify lies and untruths that you may have come into alignment with. Receive the victory that Christ has for you. Don't cross over into 2014 burdened and enslaved with these things.

4. Habits. Identify bad habits that are holding you back from who and what God has called you to be. Create a plan to reform those habits and start now- don't wait until 2014. Identify new habits to create in 2014. Less media, more exercise, better eating, and less time wasting are just a few examples.

5. Relationships. Ask God to show you those relationships that you need to let go of. Ask Him to show which relationships to strengthen. God is realigning relationships in 2014.

6. Activities. There are changes that must take place as we move into a greater level of calling and purpose. Submit your schedule to God and ask Him to show you where He is realigning you. There are things He is asking you to let go of and other things that you are meant to pick up in this coming year. If you submit your schedule and plans before the Lord then He will bless them.

God controls time for it is a created concept by Him. There is no reason why you can't do all of what God has called you to do. I see too many people who feel that they don't have the time to do all that God has given them. There are two reasons for this. The first is that they might be doing things that God hasn't truly called them to. The second might be that they aren't in proper alignment. If you come into proper alignment, both naturally and spiritually, then you will be able to operate in excellence and do all that God has given you.

The time of divine grace!

Over the past two months I have been seeing 5:55 quite often. I can't count the number of times I have looked at the clock and it was exactly 5:55. I know that five is the number of grace and three is the number of the Godhead. Three fives equals fifteen which signifies divine grace or a greater intensification of grace. I have been praying into this and asking the Lord what He is trying to show me with this revelation. I firmly believe that we have entered into a season where God is revealing His divine grace to His people and moving us into a time of great favor. It is up to us to walk in that favor.

The favor of God is upon us as His children. We don't have to work for His favor as it is a free gift. Does a child have to earn their place with their parents? I've never heard a parent complain that they didn't like their baby as the baby hadn't done anything yet. Have you ever heard a parent say that they would start loving their child once they became useful? Of course not! That's how God views us. He loves us because of who we are- not what we do. We are human beings- not human doings! The Father spoke over Jesus at the time of His baptism "this is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased." The Father was pleased in the Son because of Who He was. This was prior to His ministry and all that He did upon the earth.

This is a time of revelation. Have you seen people who walk in radical favor? They don't know a life without favor. This is because they understand who they are in God. They live a life expectant of favor and are able to receive it. God wants to release this revelation of favor to all of us. This is a time of resurrection as we are being reborn into the communion of the Godhead. Allow yourself to receive all that God has for you. Open yourself up to all that the Lord has for your life.

God wants to exalt you. God wants to bless you. Don't live a life bound by the poverty mindset. Don't live a life thinking that you aren't worthy. Don't live a life thinking that you deserve anything less than blessing. God wants you to have good health. He wants you to eat and to have a roof over your head. God wants you to be able to meet your needs. Lack is not from God. The One who feeds the sparrows is the same One who cares for you.

Look for your dreams to come true. Look for the promises that you have given up upon come to fruition. But first you must allow yourself to dream again. You have to pick up the old promises once again. You have to remember the things that the enemy tried to steal away. God is restoring what the locusts have eaten. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal all of those things to you. Start to pray into them. Speak them forth. We must walk in faith that He who has begun a work will faithfully complete it. 

Start to sow into your promises. Sow into your destiny. Look for fertile soil to sow into. I know one minister who received a promise from God about a television ministry. This man sowed an offering into a very prominent television ministry. Shortly afterwards God blessed him with several open doors and this minister know has a television ministry that is touching hundreds of thousands, if not millions, around the world. I have numerous examples like this. Are you called to work among the sex-trafficked? Start to radically sow into anti-trafficking organizations that you value. Do you want to move in deliverance? Sow into deliverance ministers. You will reap what you sow. Be intentional about where you are sowing for you will reap accordingly. Now I am not talking about your tithe, which is a firstfruits offering, this is an offering that is above and beyond. The tithe unlocks other doors of blessing and prosperity. It breaks the curse (this is another teaching for a different time).

Stop focusing on what you don't have and focus on the blessings. If you have to praise God for a glass that is a quarter full then do so. Don't even look at the three quarters that is empty- it doesn't matter. If God provides money for you to pay one of your bills then praise Him and know that He will provide for the rest- don't focus on all of the other bills that still aren't paid. I have started walking in this. It is a lot more fun and a lot less discouraging. Over the past several months I have received enormous blessing. I had a traffic ticket completely dismissed as soon as I stepped before the judge (there was no reason why it should have been). I had an order downsized at work and still received the full commission amount because I wasn't properly notified of the change (this was $500 into my paycheck just because someone "dropped the ball.")

I have even more testimonies but these are just a few. We receive blessing when we walk in blessing. We receive blessing when we release it to others. Walk with a mindset of favor for you are royalty. The mark of Heaven is upon you! We are in the time of God's favor revealed upon the earth. We are in the time of God's favor being released into the lives of His people.

God's House as a Depository of Wealth

God has always intended for His house to be a depository of wealth. We see this in Solomon's temple. If we total up the amount of gold and silver that David gave for the building of the temple we would have a modern value of $5.6 billion US. Other scholars have totaled up all of the gold and silver that the Bible mentions of belonging to Solomon (most of which was stored in the temple) and that comes out to over $50 billion. God ordained for His house to be a praise in the earth.

Our modern banking system traces its roots back to ancient Babylon where individuals would deposit their wealth into pagan temples for safe keeping in exchange for a hefty fee. Our modern debt structure also comes from these origins. The modern financial structure comes from a system that was built to control wealth and use it to sow into pagan worship. Promissory notes (paper money) were created so that bankers could increase the amount they loaned. This invention brought forth a debt economy.

Everything is intertwined. We see this in the Babylonian structure that has influenced so many segments of society. The debt structure was empowered through other pagan structures such as sexual immorality, etc. An example of this today is the hip-hop culture that makes flashy displays of wealth alongside of symbols of immorality and perversion.

The enemy only knows how to pervert- he doesn't know how to create. The enemy wants to control the wealth that is meant to be controlled by God's people. He steals, kills, and destroys. God has ordained for the wealth of the world to come into the house of prayer. We are about to see the largest transference of wealth that the world has ever seen. Solomon's temple was a mere shadow of this coming transference of wealth. Kings and queens came from around the world because of the glory of Solomon's temple and as they came they brought caravans of camels bearing offerings for the house of the Lord.

We will see the houses of prayer become the greatest depositories of wealth in the world. As we build a dwelling place for the glory of God it will attract wealth. But the Kingdom structure doesn't consume- it creates. The Kingdom structure doesn't hoard- it releases. The houses of prayer are going to be conduits of wealth as the apostles will direct it to where it needs to go. A major role of the apostolic office is the releasing and creation of wealth.

A key component of wealth is justice. They enemy has built his wealth structure upon slavery and the debt structure enslaves all those who come underneath its control and influence. The houses of prayer are going to be conduits of wealth and will direct massive sums of money to address and correct injustices around the world. God will marry the spirit of prophecy with the financial structure. The apostles will receive divine strategies from the Lord and they will have an abundance of resources to carry them out.

There are some key lies that need to be broken off of the body of Christ in this hour. Some of them are:
-That wealth is inherently evil
-That desiring wealth is wrong
-Poverty is Godly
-Individuals can't be trusted with wealth
-Government is meant to be the steward of wealth
-Ministers shouldn't be wealthy

We must renew our minds and come into alignment with God's truth before we can enter into the blessing of wealth. There is a corporate blessing that the Church must receive so that we might be the stewards of wealth that God wants us to be. We are at the cusp of the greatest move of God that the world has seen. We will see a billion souls come into the Kingdom and a great ransoming as the chains of slavery will fall off even more. Along with this clarion cry of freedom will be billions and billions of dollars laid at the feet of the apostles to be released into the world for the glory of God.

UC Berkeley: The Bear is Awakening!

This past weekend I was at UC Berkeley for a historic prayer meeting in which about a hundred students, representing about a dozen campuses, gathered to contend for revival at Berkeley. UC Berkeley is the crown jewel of the UC (University of California) system and has affected culture more than any other campus in the western United States. Berkeley is truly a culture shaper and what happens at Berkeley ripples across North America and, from there, the nations of the world.

The sleeping bear that is Berkeley is waking up and will rise up with Kingdom power within its veins. The spirit of apathy is being broken off. The chains that are over Berkeley will be broken and I see thousands casting their chains at the feet of Jesus. We are entering into a time of Jubilee in which things are going to be returned to their rightful owners.

There has always been a war fought over Berkeley for it has been ordained as a culture shaper. Those who hold the keys of Berkeley will choose how it effects the culture of our nation. The enemy has dispatched hundreds of his agents to war against the Kingdom of God so that he might remain in control of the land. I saw the satanists and witches around the campus and I was there for only a few hours. I could sense in the spirit that there were literally hundreds of people engaging in witchcraft and the occult. These agents of darkness are trying to oppose what God is doing on that campus.

We are going to see dozens of bears arise in the midst of Berkeley. These bears are going to devour the agents of darkness and chase them from the land. Some agents will actually be taken out (by them losing their lives) as a result of angelic judgement. Other agents are going to flee the land in confusion and despair. There are going to be others who will repent and come to Christ. I see hundreds of bears arising with holy vindication in the hearts. Many of these bears are going to be intercessors. There are going to be even more angelic bears. As the prayer movement continues to advance they will marshall an angelic response to their prayers.

The Lord is releasing His refined gold to the saints at Berkeley. His glory is being carried by them and will be released in magnificent wonder. Berkeley will carry the glory of God and be a revealer of His character to the nations of the earth.

I see a new speech movement arising upon the campus of Berkeley that will once again touch the nations of the world. This time it's not going to be a sound of rebellion- it's going to be a Kingdom speech movement. I see apostles, prophets, and evangelists arising upon the campus to release the word of the Lord. There will be massive moves of salvations in the open spaces of Berkeley. There will be prophets who will reveal the power of God through signs and wonders. Apostles will stand and establish new movements and expressions of the Kingdom.

God has sounded the alarm! He has released His sound and has called forth a new movement upon His favored campus of Berkeley. This year we will see the stirrings of the bear and in the coming two years we will see the bear demonstrate the power of the Kingdom. God's glory will come to Berkeley!

The Invitation of the Open Door

God has placed an open door before His people. There are corporate doors and there are individual doors for our lives. On the other side of these doors can be found the land of opportunity. But before we can see our opportunity we must first press through the open doors. Some of us have glimpses of our promised land but there are others who have no idea what their promised land is. All that we know is that there is a land of promise on the other side of that door that we must enter into.

In the past we often had to discern whether a particular door was within God's will or not. But I say right now that every open door is God's will. There are no bad doors. There are good doors and even better doors before you. God will make it plain which door you are meant to enter into. There will be no doubt in your mind and there will be an intense clarity as you choose which door to enter into.

God is giving His people an invitation to press through these doors as we leave this current season and enter into the manifestations of destiny. No longer will we languish in hope deferred. We must press through the door of promise and enter into the land of our opportunity. Once we press through the door we will see the promised land laid out before us as Moses did upon the mountain.

Before we can enter into the doors placed before us we must let go of those things that are encumbering us. There are mindsets, habits, and bondages that will keep us from entering through those doors. These things will keep us from entering fully into the land of our opportunity. We must leave these things in the current season and not take them with us. If we try to hold onto these things then we risk becoming misaligned in the land of the promise.

The land of the promise is one that must be conquered. It took the Israelites generations to take their promised land fully and yet even then they didn't remove the pagans from their land and rule it fully. This was because they were misaligned. They allowed themselves to become compromised. We must consecrate ourselves fully in order to take full possession of the promises of God. If we try to take full possession, without full consecration, then we will fall as the Israelites did.

We can't conquer the Kingdom of Darkness if we are aligned with what it stands for. We can't fully advance the Kingdom of Heaven when parts of us wish we were in the world. We can't burn with the fullness of Heaven's glory when parts of our hearts belong to the spirit of the world. We must allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us those things that need to be purged from us and we must circumcise our hearts at this time.

This is not to say we must be perfect and without sin. All of us are with sin. And all of us have been made perfect by the blood of Christ. When the Father looks upon us He sees us without sin for the righteousness of Christ covers us. This is about what we choose to align ourselves with. The Israelites were not condemned for their sin (it was covered by the lamb of the atonement)- they were condemned by their idolatry. We must not allow ourselves to be aligned with the spirit of the world. We must not allow ourselves to be ruled by darkness but we must be ruled by the Holy Spirit. The days of the compromised middle are over- no longer can we waffle between two opinions. We must serve God and God alone!

This is the time of the open door and the land of the promise. It is time to cross over and to take possesion of what God has given you. Now is the time to walk into your destiny and to make it yours. Don't allow yourself to put it off any longer but press through that door!

September: A Final Push

At the end of 2008 God gave me a blueprint of the next several years and what He was going to be accomplishing within His Church. We are in an era of preparation as God is raising up His end-time generals who will lead His end-time Church.

2008 was a year of new beginnings and open gates for God's people to step into their identity and anointings.

2009 was a year of transition from those beginnings into a new natural order.

2010 was a year of establishment as the Church was put into order to receive what God has for us.

2011 was another transition between the natural order into a new governmental order.

2012 was a year of apostolic government as God established His apostles and released a greater authority into His Church.

Back in 2008 I was filled with excitement about 2012 but I had a holy fear of what was to come in 2013. I knew it wouldn't be good. I saw it as a year of rebellion and backlash against all that God was going to do in 2012. I didn't know what it would look like but I saw it as a year of all out war against the apostolic structure. As 2012 unfolded I was able to obtain greater clarity of what 2013 would bring. Much of what we are currently experiencing is the wrath of the enemy as he is desperately trying to cut off the apostolic structure. We are in the midst of a war as the religious spirit is speaking death over us. We must arise and speak life over ourselves. To read more about this confrontation go and read my word for 2013.

2014 is a year of rest and rebuilding. It is a foundational year as we prepare for a new era. 2014 is the floor of the coming apostolic age that is to come. I will be releasing more about 2014 in the months to come but I see it as a year of refreshment and divine rest as we emerge from the current war for the hearts of God's people. There is a coming war over the Church but right now there is a war being fought over the hearts and minds of those who have been called to lead the end-time move of God on the earth.

Right now we are in a season of refinement and purification. God is revealing those things that cannot remain in our lives any longer. This is a time of Babylon's influence being exposed. God is showing us the lies that we have bought into and improper mindsets that we have adopted. Daniel was able to stand pure in the midst of Babylon because Babylon wasn't within him. If we are to take the mountains of culture then we need to walk in a powerful measure of purity. We are in a time when the compromised middle will be impossible. Either Babylon will claim us or we will be instruments of righteousness within the Kingdom of God. 

Recently the Lord showed me that He is clearing the ceiling of 2013. He is clearing the air of all impurity and mixture. He is calling us to a higher level. But there is no limit to the ceiling. We are in a time where God is calling us to go higher than we ever have before. The ceiling of 2013 will determine the floor of the coming era. God is calling us into a season of consecration and contending for these last few months of 2013. We get to choose how high we will go in this current season. The floor of 2014 will be where the ceiling of 2013 is made. 

For the past week I have been pressing into what God is saying about 2014 and the next few years. I have been asking the Lord to give me His blueprint as He did before. I found myself saying that we were ending one cycle and entering into another season but I realized that this wasn't accurate. We are entering into a new era of the Church. I believe that the Church will never be the same again. We are going to see the emergence of the victorious end-time Church.

Both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur fall within the month of September this year. This is the holiest time within the Jewish calendar. This coming Hebraic year is one of the "door." I believe that there is an open door that God is calling us into. This is a time where we are meant to grab ahold of our destiny. We are to grab ahold of the angel of the Lord, as Jacob did, and not let go until we receive a blessing. No longer will we allow ourselves to look forward to destiny but we will walk our destiny out. This is the time of fulfilled promises as we are in the midst of a wrestling match of sorts. We are wrestling with God as we are coming into alignment with our purpose.

God has been reawakening past dreams and longings within your heart. Take advantage of this season. Ask the Lord for increased revelation. Ask the Lord to give you dreams and visions of your destiny. Don't allow others to define you but allow yourself to be defined by the Spirit of the living God! We have been created in His likeness to live according to His character. Push past rejection, self-doubt, disqualification, and the lies of the enemy. Enter into the garden of the promise as God reveals Himself to you. It is within the heart of God that we discover our purpose.

This is the time of revelation! 

The Mantle of Cyrus

The Lord is raising up His Daniels, Esthers, Ezras, and Nehemiahs within the midst of culture. We are seeing a company of consecrated ones arising within every segment of society. They have been hidden for such a time as this and they are being released into their destiny and purpose in this hour. As God releases them we will see the Cyrus anointing emerge as well.

The prophets have been speaking about a transference of wealth coming to the Church for sometime now. It is the mantle of Cyrus that releases this wealth into the hands of God's people. Cyrus was a pagan Persian king who the Lord anointed to rebuild His house. Isaiah uses a messianic term to describe Cyrus. If it was not for Cyrus we would not have seen the second temple. God is releasing His Cyruses but they will not be able to step into their calling until the Church steps into her purpose.

Before Cyrus could proclaim the rebuilding of the temple, the time to do so had to come to pass, and Ezra and Nehemiah needed to be prepared. Daniel was instrumental in paving the way for the circumstances that were required. We must position ourselves to receive the wealth that the mantle of Cyrus will release while God is stirring in their hearts. But we can't wait for the Cyruses to emerge for we must step out into our destiny before they can. We can't wait for the wealth of the world to be released before we begin those things that need that wealth.

We must exercise a gift of faith and step into what God has for us. We must step into the projects that God has called us to. As we step into our destiny God will align us with the Cyruses that He has prepared for us. There are men and women of wealth who are burning with a passion to release that wealth. Many of them do not know it yet but they are waiting for God's people to emerge. They will be filled with an excitement and they will write checks of great magnitude- above and beyond what we need. They will say things like "this is what we have been waiting for" and "the world needs projects like this to be released."

If God has called you to something then He has already prepared the provision. Many of us have had Cyruses prepared for us but fear is holding us back. We won't discover who our Cyrus is as long as we remain in fear. Fear is an attack of the enemy to keep us from destiny. God is calling us to get out of the boat, and go before the kingpins of industry. God is releasing the mantle of Cyrus on kingpins within each and every industry and segment of culture. We must not be afraid to step out and we can't be afraid to receive the wealth that has been prepared for us.

The mantle of Cyrus will release wealth with no strings attached. A prominent prophet recently told a friend of mine to not be afraid to receive government money for her ministry. I believe that this is a word for many of us. Yes, there will be some who will come and try to control through their funding. But the mantle of Cyrus is not one of control. We are going to see billions of dollars come into the Kingdom as a result of the mantle of Cyrus being released upon the earth. I see the mantle of Cyrus coming down right now! We have seen a few forerunners emerge but we will see an entire company of Cyruses arising! Let us step into what God has for us so that He might align us with the Cyruses of the world and release a provision above and beyond our needs and desires.

Revival among the LGBT community

Almost six months ago we moved our house of prayer into West Hollywood. West Hollywood has one of the most influential homosexual communities in the world. Demographics from the city state that 41% of Weho's population is comprised of gay and bisexual men. Gay pride is part of the city from its culture, landmarks, and even the city logo. Because of this, and my interactions as I walk the streets of the city, I have been meditating more on how the Church must respond to this community and how God feels towards it.

Lonnie Frisbee, on his deathbed, prophesied that the next great revival would be comprised largely of gays and lesbians. Many other prophets have prophesied similar prophecies. I firmly believe that God has planted something great within this community. I don't condone their lifestyle. The enemy has attacked them greatly and brought confusion into the place of their identity. But these people hold a great destiny and I believe that it is for that reason why the enemy has attacked them so greatly.

This past week, during pride weekend, I had the Lord speak to me. He reminded me about how the rainbow was originally created by him as a sign of His covenant with mankind and the mercy that He demonstrates to us. There are those who have perverted it as a sign of rebellion. But as they wave the rainbow flag they are in fact engaging in intercession unknowingly. They are waving the sign of God's covenant of mercy over themselves. God is saying that He will demonstrate His mercy to this community. His law states that they are engaging in sin and rebellion but He is proclaiming mercy over the gays and the lesbians. He is declaring His destiny over them.

Revival is always demonstrated through the unlikely ones- the ones that religion has discounted. The Church has stated that you can't be gay and Christian at the same time. But I am saying right now that we are going to see the gays come to Christ by the thousands. Many of them already know Christ but are prodigals. They have wandered from the truth because they don't know how to reconcile it with their feelings. As they come back to Christ they will encounter the Holy Spirit. We are going to see mass revival within the LGBT community. But we will have to be patient with them. We will have to let God take His time with them to bring full freedom.

I don't understand all of this. I don't understand what this revival will look like. But I know that we need to have love and grace to those who struggle. It doesn't matter what the sin is. What matters is the person's heart before God. There is a passion within the LGBT community that will make the rest of us jealous. There will be a dedication to the prayer room as they come to Christ. I see prayer rooms being established in places where most of us would be uncomfortable going. I see a worship movement arising of dance and music being advanced by men and women waving the rainbow over their communities.

The expression of the rainbow will change as revival will release transformation into the LGBT communities of North America and beyond. The rainbow will no longer signify rebellion but will be a sign of freedom and joy within the Lord. There is a breaker anointing that will be carried by men who once were enslaved but are now free.

As the Church we must welcome this coming move of God. It will challenge our thinking. It will cause us to reevaluate what we once thought true. It will cause us to look more closely at our own sins and shortcomings. But we must welcome this move and we must welcome our brothers and sisters as they return to us.

Francis Frangipane: The Lord Whose Sword Is Drawn

Of all the names that the heavenly Father could have given His Son, it is most significant that He chose the name "Jesus," for Jesus is the Greek form of "Joshua." Joshua, you recall, was the Hebrew general who led God's people into war. To be prepared for greater victories, we need a greater revelation of Jesus Christ; we need to see Him as He will be revealed in the last moments of this age: a Holy Warrior, dressed for battle.

Will You Recognize Jesus When He Comes?

Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" Joshua 5:13

There is something about the time just prior to a move of God that causes many to wonder if the Lord is for them or against them. He seems confrontational – too intense, too "different" from the One we have learned to trust. Yet during these last few years, this is exactly the situation in the Lord's relationship with the Church. The Lord has stood before us with His sword drawn. He is calling us to follow Him in war.

Perhaps you have been through a time where the tip of Christ's sword seemed aimed straight at your heart. Let me reassure you, God is for you. In fact, it is His expressed purpose to release this same "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:17), through your words and prayers. But before the Lord's sword will come through your mouth, it must first pass through your heart.

Do not withdraw or be terrified at this new unveiling of the Son of God, for He is, in fact, fitting you for battle. By the time you are fully trained, you will be a fearless warrior in His army. Yet we must be realistic about our current state: most of us have been pampered and undisciplined. We have not understood the day of warfare that looms before us. Nor are we prepared for the final raging of satan as his time shortens (see Revelation 12:12).

Isaiah tells us that "The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies" (Isaiah 42:13). We have known the Lord as our Savior and our Shepherd. These revelations of our beloved Master are no less true because a new aspect of His nature is revealed. It is simply that this new dimension is so startlingly different from how we have known Him. Be of good cheer, this frightening Warrior King, with His sword drawn, with the shout of war upon His lips, is the same blessed Savior who died on the Cross for our sins.

Yet in truth, we cannot soften the shock of this great unveiling of Christ. Our immediate dismay shall be in no way less dramatic than that which was revealed to Joshua on the plains of Jericho. Our concepts will be shaken and fears confronted.

Looking again at Joshua, truly he had already known the Lord in a wonderful, intimate way in the wilderness tabernacle. But here standing before him was a new revelation of the Lord. The Son of God Himself had come as Captain of the Host to lead His people into war.

Ultimately, these refugees from Egypt and their wilderness children would defeat many nations stronger and more numerous than themselves (see Deuteronomy 9:1). They would do the impossible through the power of the Lord.

Though initially Joshua was taken aback, both Joshua and the people with him were more prepared for this battle than they realized. Their time in the wilderness had conditioned them for war.

Likewise, the wilderness for you has not been a time of punishment but a season of preparation and of learning obedience. You have watched in fear the decline and spiritual death of church leaders who repeatedly disobeyed the Lord. But you have not stumbled over their disobedience; you have learned from it. Today you walk in the fear of God and are not blinded by the sin of presumption.

Before Jesus returns, those who have passed the wilderness tests will receive another revelation: Christ will be revealed to them as Captain of the Host. They will be ready to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

...And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" The captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:14-15

This new unveiling of the Lord is holy. Overnight the Lord brought down atheistic communism in the former Soviet Union. Since then, hundreds of millions of people from many nations have found salvation in the Son of God. God is touching many nations. Let us not gainsay nor criticize what we may not fully understand. We are beginning to perceive the Lord as He truly is and as He will be released in the last days. He is the Lord of Hosts.

The promise of the Lord, which we read earlier, is that He "will go forth like a warrior. ...He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies" (Isaiah 42:13). Within the ranks of the advancing Church, Jesus is raising a war cry. Can you hear His shout in the intercession? There is new authority being raised up, a new generation whose voice thunders with the cry of prophetic prayer. Through the Church, Christ Himself is prevailing against His enemies. Indeed, the gates of Hell shall not stand against the Church Jesus is building (see Matthew 16:18). The hour has come for us "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is [our] head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15), the Warrior King!

This message was adapted from a chapter in Pastor Frangipane's book, The Three Battlegrounds published by Arrow Publications, Inc.

Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
Email: francis1@frangipane.org
Website: frangipane.org

Don't eat your seed

Scripture speaks about the tithe and the offering as being a seed. When we bring our tithes and offerings into the house of the Lord we are planting a seed into the soil of that house. What we sow we will reap. We receive financial and spiritual blessings when we sow our finances into what the Lord is doing.

I know one couple who tithed from their wedding gifts. They had a rather large wedding and received about $30,000 in cash gifts. After prayerfully considering where to tithe that money they sowed it into a well known prophet who had blessed them through her books. About six years later they were then introduced to that same prophet; they now consider her a spiritual mother and covering for them and their ministry. I firmly believe that some of those doors were opened because they chose to sow into that soil. I also believe that their ministry had doors opened because of the blessing of that seed.

What do you desire to do in your ministry? Do you desire to move in signs and wonders? Then sow into ministers who move in signs and wonders. Are you desirous of an evangelistic anointing? Then sow into evangelists. Those who receive a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive the prophet's reward.

We must also sow into what we see the hand of the Lord upon. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek and His descendants walk in that blessing to this day because of that offering (Hebrews 7:1-10). Our sowing unlocks blessing for future generations. We don't want to sow into dead soil. We must sow into ministries that are advancing the Kingdom & moving in the ways that God has called them.

Tithing must be done with our first fruits. When a farmer would harvest their crop they would first set aside a portion as seed for the next year. They would not eat that seed no matter what. Sometimes a farmer would have a small crop and their entire harvest would be set aside as seed for the next year. In the same way we must treat our first ten percent as sacred and set apart for the Lord. The Lord can do more with our ninety percent than we can do with our hundred percent. If we honor the Lord with our tithes and our first fruits then He will always provide. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need (Malachi 3:10)

The question is what do we have our faith in? I have never heard a story of someone who walked in righteousness, tithed faithfully, and did not experience the Lord's provision. It's easy to tithe out of our abundance- it's a lot harder when we receive our paycheck and it isn't even enough to cover all of our bills. Don't rob God. I have learned this in the past year. I have always honored the Lord with my tithe- even when I didn't know how I would have gas or food for the week. And the Lord has always come through in amazing ways. It is incredible how He can stretch our money or bring in income from unexpected sources.

Ask the Lord to give you the faith and the encouragement to tithe. Ask Him for guidance in which ministries to sow into. Ask Him to enable you to bring in not just the full tithe but an offering as well that is above and beyond. As you do this you will see even greater things released into your life. I speak blessing and multiplication over you, your family, your finances, your career, businesses, and every area of your life as you walk in the blessing of Abraham.

Jane Hamon: Year of Beauty From Ashes

...the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you. Deuteronomy 23:5-6

Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around. Proverbs 13:12 (MSG)

A Turn Around Year!

As I fasted and prayed the first week of the year, I really felt the Lord say, "This will be a turn-around year for My people. Breakthroughs, miracles, advancement, prosperity, opportunities, will all come into fruition as people shake off the difficulties and discouragement of the past years and arise in faith to see the promises of God come alive even in the midst of an adverse spiritual climate in the earth. I am turning that which has been sent against you for evil to begin to work for your good."

There is no doubt that the last several years have been times of great challenge for individuals, for the Church, and for nations – especially America. We are living in times of great shaking, which will produce great reformation for the Kingdom of God. I have often reminded our congregation that there is no victory without a battle, and that in order to be an overcomer one must first have something to overcome.

This will be a year of tremendous turn-around for those who are aligning themselves to the purposes of God and who are obeying His voice.

It is a year where God will give us beauty for our ashes, the oil of joy for our grief and mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (see Isaiah 61:3).

This will be a time when those spiritual forces and circumstances, which have tried to rise against us to bring us under a curse, will instead be turned to a blessing for us.

I call Heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days... Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Vision of the Piñata

On the last Sunday of 2012, during a worship service at Vision Church, I saw a vision of a heavenly piñata being broken open and spilling out the blessings from on high. Having attended our grandsons' birthday parties a few weeks earlier where a piñata was broken open, I understood the significance of what I was seeing.

At a party, a piñata is suspended on a string and pulled up and down while a blindfolded guest takes a stick of some sort and tries to hit it hard enough to break it open. The person operating the string will often pull the piñata up and down to avoid it being hit. Eventually, several partygoers, though blindfolded, connect enough times and the piñata bursts open, spilling candy and small toys on the ground, precipitating a scramble of the children to gather up the spoils.

I felt the Lord say this: "The enemy has tried his best to discourage My people by constantly pulling blessings from within their reach, making them feel their warfare and spiritual disciplines are futile to obtain the promised blessings. But," the Lord says, "I am taking the blindfolds off My people in this next season and they will hit the mark and release the blessings from Heaven. I have put weapons in their hands that will break things open: praise, prayer, obedience, decreeing My Word...all these things that will cause that which has seemed out of reach to now rain down in abundance upon My people. This will be a time of gathering up the spoils for those who are positioned. These are spoils of miracles and blessings as well as an outpouring unlike earth has ever seen before."

I believe this year will be a year of outpouring and blessings as God's Word acts like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces (see Jeremiah 23:29).

This will be a year of great contrast and distinction between the righteous and unrighteous. We are certainly living in times when we are seeing this contrast played out all around us in the earth. We are in a time when darkness will get much darker, and light will get brighter in contrast. We will see more instability governmentally, economically, and socially, but at the same time we will see the people of God arise in great glory, strength, wisdom, and power. I really felt God say things will get worse in this nation and in the nations, but that He certainly isn't done contending over America and neither should we be.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you and His glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-3

1. Turning Robbery Into Recovery

The first mention of the number thirteen in Scripture speaks of a rebellion which occurred. In Genesis 14:4, we are told in the 13th year of the reign of Chedorlaomer, an idolatrous pagan king who was oppressing the people of the region, the kings under his wicked rulership said, "Enough is enough." They rose up against Chedorlaomer, but because of his superior military strength he crushed their rebellion, emptying their lands of the spoils of war, punishing them for trying to be free. One taken captive was Abraham's nephew Lot and his house. Abraham mobilized 318 trained, skilled men of his household and this small band of mighty men overthrew the empire of Chedorlaomer and took back all that was stolen, and then some!

The enemy has tried to bring people into captivity, and often in the process of appropriating our freedom that Jesus gave His life for, we find the enemy rising up against us with even greater power than before, trying to keep us captive. This is a year for us to rise up as mighty men, to break out of the oppression and captivity of the enemy, declare "enough is enough," and to take back all that has been stolen in this last season.

In the fall of 2012, I saw a vision of a boxing ring with two evil opponents dancing around looking for someone to contend with. One was named The Destroyer, the other was named The Devourer. But no one was opposing them. Then I understood why. I saw on the back of each of their robes the words "This Is Just Life." People believed that all the robbery and difficulty they were encountering was "just life" rather than fighting to take back what was being stolen. It might be wise to inventory what the enemy has robbed from each of us in this past season, then contend and demand a double payment in return. Exodus 22:7 says a thief, when he is caught, must pay back double. It's time to contend!

2. Turning Barrenness Into Blossoming

As I set my heart to hear what God is saying to His Church as we began the year of 2013, I had several visions which all had a theme of dry, desolate, desperate situations turning around. I saw a desert that was hot and dry begin to receive great amounts of rain from heaven. As the dry ground received the rain, seeds which had been lying dormant for years suddenly began to spring forth and bloom. Where there was previously no point in sowing in that desolate land, the rain transformed it to become a place of great fruitfulness and blessing. This brought to mind Isaiah 35, which speaks of the desert blossoming, the dry land becoming a pool and springs of water, blind eyes being opened, deaf ears being unstopped, the lame walking, and the redeemed of the Lord singing and rejoicing at the transformation taking place all around them. What caused this turn-around? The outpouring of rain from Heaven!

In 1910, in the Pentecostal outpouring at Azusa Street, William Seymour prophesied that in 100 years there would be a release of God's Shekinah Glory that would be more powerful and farther reaching than what occurred at Azusa Street. In 1913, in the Stone Church Revival in Chicago, Maria Woodworth-Etter echoed this prophetic word when she declared, "We are not yet up to the fullness of the Former Rain and that when the Latter Rain comes, it will far exceed anything we have seen!" It is now that time, and these dormant prophetic promises are coming alive to produce unprecedented harvest for the Kingdom of God.

The Word dormant means that which has been asleep or inactive. God wants to bring an awakening to His Church as never before! He also wants to awaken gifts and callings within each of us that have been lying dormant. He is waking up prophetic promises which have thus far been inactive. It is a year to see things blossom and come to pass. It is a year of fulfilled promises!

Genesis 17 tells us of the circumcision of Ishmael at the age of 13. But there is a far greater story here that speaks of a time of fulfillment of promise. When Ishmael was born, Abraham was 86 years old. At age 99, God came to Abraham again, 13 years later, to let him know that Ishmael was not the fulfillment of the promise. But even though Abraham was willing to settle for a substitute fulfillment, the God of covenant would fulfill His Word His Way. This was the time God revealed Himself as the God of Covenant to Abraham and instituted the sign of the covenant, which was circumcision. That was the year God supernaturally broke the spirit of barrenness off Sarah's womb, and Isaac (laughter) came forth a year later when Abraham was 100 years old.

Joseph received promises from God in two dreams. As powerful as this revelation was, Joseph spent the next 13 years living the exact opposite of what he had been promised...betrayal, slavery, false accusation, abandonment, imprisonment... But because Joseph positioned his heart to believe God and to continue to stand on His promises, after 13 years of seeming failure, God used every bit of suffering he endured to catapult him into fulfillment.

This is a time when God is honoring prophetic promises He has made to us, which we may not even be contending for anymore. Either we have forgotten these precious promises or, perhaps, we had a form of fulfillment that was less than what God intended and we have settled for less than the best. God wants to fulfill His whole promise to us and break the spirit of barrenness off our lives so we can produce all God has called us to walk in.

3. A Year To Turn Frustration Into Finishing

The Church is currently in a season of contending against the Prince of Persia. This was the ruling spirit in place during the return from exile from Babylonian captivity (see Daniel 10). It was also the spirit in place over the land of Israel during the reformation/restoration/rebuilding of all that had been destroyed during those 70 years away. It was a spirit that brought hindrance, delay, and frustration in the midst of the reformation period. The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and Daniel were written during this civil government rule. Ezra deals with the rebuilding of the temple (the Church), while Nehemiah deals with the rebuilding of the city.

When you study the Book of Ezra, you see the process of what happens after Cyrus comes into power. He released a decree which freed the captives, released wealth and weapons, and authorized the Jews to return and build. But I also clearly saw that two other kings came along to try to undo all Cyrus accomplished. This threw the rebuilding into 16 years of delay. These two kings actually wrote counter-decrees that negated the decrees of Cyrus. The first king was Ahasuerus, whose name means "I will keep you poor and silent," and the second was Artaxerxes, whose name means "Restrainer and Maintainer." Both of these forces have been at work to hinder the reformation momentum and keep people self-focused and discouraged.

Ezra 4:4-5 says, "Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia."

What broke the spirit of delay and hindrance? What bound the Prince of Persia from withholding resources? The prophets began to prophesy! When they did, the people were mobilized, they shook off the discouragement of the last season, and the power of Cyrus's decree trumpeted what the other decrees proclaimed. We must understand that when God issues a decree, the enemy always issues a counter-decree to hinder and delay. We must decree what God has said, then we will see an even greater miracle! In Ezra, the subsequent kings added strength to Cyrus's decree. They added greater wealth transfer, greater authority in the land, and an acceleration of completion.

Ezra 6:14 So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

When the people heard the voice of the prophets and were mobilized, they went from fatalism and frustration to finishing!

One other significant example of this finishing anointing is seen in the fact that it took Solomon 13 long years to finish his palace. After this point he entered a season of rapidly building a number of other structures. I believe this signifies that as we press through to see certain things finished in this year, it will result in a shifting of gears into a season of acceleration for God's reformation process.

4. A Year To Turn Around From Battling To Survive To Battling To Possess & A Year For Victory Against Incredible Odds

We all know that Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until an unbelieving generation died off. For 40 years Joshua and Caleb battled to survive. But at an appointed time they were to come out of a survival, maintaining mode and shift into battling, possessing, and advancing.

Joshua was the appointed leader of this possessing campaign. He led the nation in supernatural victories against the enemies in Canaan. His victories began by defeating Jericho by the strategies of the Lord. To do this he had to actually pick a fight with an enemy that seemed impossible to overcome. But God gave him strategies for victory against impossible odds. This strategy involved marching around Jericho once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day, blowing the trumpets. On the seventh time around, on the seventh day, this was actually the 13th time they encompassed the city. On this 13th time around they blew the trumpets and shouted and the mighty walls of Jericho fell down flat!

This was the first of many great victories in the conquest of Canaan. This was completely impossible in the natural, but when Joshua and the armies of Israel fulfilled their obedience, God was standing ready to avenge them of their enemies. Walls of impossibility fell down flat! This signaled a new era of possessing the gates of their enemies.

We are now in the same season, but it will require us to shift out of a survival mentality into a mentality of overthrowing and possessing. We will see this application in the spiritual realm first...then we will see it manifested in overthrowing mindsets, philosophies, world views and unrighteous systems.

Esther's Revolution

In the Book of Esther, during a season of reformation in Israel, Esther had been chosen to be queen within the ruling Persian empire. God positioned her, not just for personal favor, but for preservation, legislation, and retaliation against the enemy. In the story, Haman manipulated the king to sign a decree for the extermination of the hated Jews. This slaughter was to take place on the 13th day of the month of Adar. But when the king heard Esther's plea regarding her people, the king instructed her to write a new decree in the king's name and seal it with his signet ring.

So Esther and Mordecai did not just nullify the attack of the enemy but rather wrote a new decree authorizing the Jews to rise up and destroy those who would have tried to destroy them. On that day, Haman's ten sons were killed and 75,000 that tried to kill the Jews were instead destroyed themselves. This ushered in a new time of favor in the land, even under Persian rule. This also marked a new feast day for the people of God....Purim. This was a time they celebrated.

...as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. Esther 9:22

This year we need to be so filled with faith that the enemy will be forced to back off his strategies of destruction, knowing that his curses are being turned back on his own head. It is a year of turn around and gaining ground for God's Kingdom sake.

5. A Year To Turn Famine Into Fruitfulness

Interestingly, there are 13 famines mentioned in Scripture. This will be a year when God will supernaturally give strategies to His people as to how they are to respond to famine. We are in a season of spiritual famine but also a time when many are experiencing economic famine as well. Abraham and the widow of Zarephath were both strategically repositioned during a time of famine without losing out on their inheritance. The widow of Zarephath and Isaac both sowed strategic seeds in times of famine that released a supernatural harvest for their land and their house.

Isaac sowed in the land in the time of famine and reaped a hundredfold in the same year. The man began to prosper, he continued prospering until he became very prosperous...and the Philistines envied him. Genesis 26:12-14

A Year of Double Fruitfulness – The Joseph Factor

Do you realize there were actually 13 tribes in Israel? There were the original 12 sons of Jacob, one of which was Joseph who was carried away into Egyptian captivity. Joseph, whose name means "increase," actually prospered, and caused Egypt to prosper in the time of famine. During this time, as the right hand man to the Pharaoh of Egypt, Joseph married an Egyptian woman and bore two sons while in Egypt. Egypt is a symbol of the world. These children, birthed at what was a seemingly inopportune time in captivity in the world, became his double portion of his father's inheritance. After being restored to his family, Jacob adopted Joseph's sons as his own and instead of giving Joseph his single inheritance, he gave each of his sons an inheritance, resulting in a double portion for Joseph.

The first son was Manasseh, whose name means "God has made me forget all my trouble and all of my father's household." Ephraim...who would be considered the 13th born to the lineage of Jacob...his name means "Double fruitfulness" because Joseph said, "God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." When Jacob was asked to lay hands on Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph positioned his hands so that his right hand of blessing would rest on Manasseh as the older of the two, but Jacob crossed his arms over and gave the firstborn blessing, which is a double portion, to Ephraim.

For 13 years Joseph suffered, but at the end of that time he was promoted and stepped into the blessings of the Lord. This is a year to forget your troubles from the last season and embrace the fact that God can cause you to be fruitful even in the land of affliction.

It is time for the Double Portion blessing of fruitfulness on our lives. As we choose the life of God's Spirit we will see every curse turned to a blessing; and all that the enemy meant for our evil, God will see to it that it produces that which is good! Happy 2013!

Jane Hamon
Vision Church @ Christian International
Website: visionchurchci.org

Tom and Jane Hamon are the senior pastors of Vision Church in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Their ministry together is an example to the Body of Christ of a husband and wife team working in tandem and unity to accomplish God's purposes. Their ministry is characterized by a rich deposit of God's wisdom to provide apostolic covering for the Church, prophetic teaching and ministry, and demonstration of Kingdom anointing and power. They travel as an apostolic/prophetic team to the nations, imparting both the spirit of wisdom and revelation to establish the Church and break open territories through spiritual warfare for the Kingdom of God to be experienced in a powerful and practical way

Jane Hamon has been featured on Christian Television on TBN and through co-hosting with Gordon Robertson on the 700 Club. She has also written several books, including her very practical work on Dreams and Visions, her call to marketplace ministers called The Cyrus Decree, and her proclamation over women in the Church to arise and be The Deborah Company.

Look at the fruit- not the giants standing in the way

Most of us are quite familiar with the story of when the 12 spies were sent to spy out the land of Canaan. They came back with reports of great natural abundance in the land- including bunches of grapes that were so large that it took two men to carry them. But they also came back with reports of the giants in the land. These giants were large - descended from the Nephilium and ten of the spies said that it was hopeless as they felt as grasshoppers in comparison. Only Joshua and Caleb had the faith that God would provide Israel with the strength that they needed to take their promised land. Unfortunately, all of Israel believed the report of the ten spies without faith. Israel rebelled and were ready to go back to Egypt. As judgement they had to spend forty years in the desert instead of entering into their promise. Only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter into the promised land- an entire generation passed without seeing it.

All of us have promises from God. Some are corporate promises that are available to all believers. Others are personal promises that God has given you through the prophetic word. But the enemy has his agents that try to stand between you and your promises. And then there are the natural circumstances and obstacles that have to be overcome.

What will you choose to focus on? Will you look at the fruit within the land? Or will you look at the obstacles that stand in the way? What is your faith in? Is it in the power of God to overcome? Or do you have greater faith in the obstacles between you and your destiny than God Himself? There is a question here that all of us must answer. We are in a time of decision. We are on the cusp of the greatest move of God that the world has ever seen. But we must ask ourselves who we will serve and we must choose what we will put our faith in.

Joshua and Caleb were not any more qualified than the other men. They were not warriors of renown. They simply had faith. God's not looking for the qualified- He's looking for the willing. God is looking for those who have the faith in the things unseen and see them as if they were already here. God is looking for those who will take up their cross and follow Him. God is looking for those who will pursue the fullness of their destiny- no matter the price.

The choice is here. The choice is ours. The gospel is free but it isn't cheap. The Kingdom is advanced by those who are willing to pay the ultimate price. We die daily so that Christ might live within us. Will you choose to focus on the prize? Or will you sell out to the giants of the land? All of heaven is cheering for you. So raise your gaze heavenward and press onward!

We Need the Oil of Renewal

A few weeks ago, my car's transmission was experiencing some problems so I had to take it into the shop. The Lord has always spoken to me through this car so I was curious to see what He would reveal to me through this. The mechanic explained how there was a faulty seal on the transmission causing the fluid to leak out. With a lack of fluid the clutch wasn't lubricated and started grinding against itself. If this had not been fixed the transmission would have seized up resulting in my car stalling as I drove.

We need to be lubricated by the oil of intimacy and renewal. The transmission controls the power of the car. In the same way we control the power of the Holy Spirit as He moves through us. We are a conduit. But we need to be renewed through intimacy. Power without love is dangerous. We have seen people who moved in great anointing but they later burnt out because their personal relationship with God was lacking. We must baptize ourselves with the oil of heaven each day so that we might be pure conduits of His power.

We can't allow ourselves to be contaminated by the things of this world. God is about to pour such an incredible measure of His power- the likes of which we have not seen before. We have to be responsible for this power. The mightier the warrior- the more gentle his or her heart must be.

We must learn when to take breaks in order to take care of ourselves. If a car is never maintained the entire engine will fail. In the same way, if we neglect our own intimacy before God then we will crash and burn. We must observe times of rest, times of soaking, and a lifestyle of conversation before God. We must also be in relationship with others who will hold us accountable and keep us in check if need be. A life of surrendered humility is key in order to receive the fullness of what Heaven has for us.

Garris Elkins: A Vision of His Defining Light

I don't often post prophetic words by other authors here on this blog but I felt that I should post this one as it speaks powerfully and accurately on where the church is today and where she needs to go.

We have just come through a moment in time where the Church has been repositioned into a new place. Few of us really understand this new position. Something has changed. This new place is not yet fully defined, but will become more evident with each passing day as we seek God's face.

As I prayed to understand this repositioning, I began to see an image. In the image we were standing in a dark room. I could sense this was a room of transition. I could see someone standing at a dimmer switch that controlled the level of light allowed into the room.

As the dimmer switch was moved up, the level of light within the room began to increase. Those of us in the room started to see dimly lit objects around us. Things that seemed fuzzy in the low light level now began to take shape and definition. As the room became fully illuminated, four objects in the room became visible – a box, a boat, a sword and a journal.

I Saw a Box of Expired Methods

As I looked across the room, the first object I saw was a box. It looked like one of those antique wooden steamer trunks used for travel a hundred years ago. Across the face of the box was a large label that read, "Expired."

God was letting me know that some of the methods of ministry we have used in the past would no longer be used in the future – they had expired their season of usefulness. Methods that worked in the past had become, for some, a place where faith was no longer needed. The methodology linked to the known methods had now replaced the vulnerability of stepping forward in faith.

I Saw a Boat With a Punctured Hull

In the side of the hull of the boat was a large hole, just below the water line. It was obvious this boat would not be able to float if launched. This hole was defined as "Self-promotion."

Self-promotion had punctured the hull of the ship where ministry was allowed to become an industry. Industry in the natural requires promotion and advertising in order to survive in the marketplace. I felt the grieving of the Lord over this issue, when He said to me, "If I be lifted up – not what you do in My name – I will draw all men to Myself." I began to repent of this very sin in my own heart.

I Saw a Sword With a Dull and Chipped Blade

This sword was large, like a medieval knight's war-sword. The dulled edge of the sword was also chipped. I got the sense that it had been used to strike objects in its dulled state and was chipped because it had lost its ability to cut.

I knew this sword represented the Word of God. At first, I tried to understand what this meant since God's Word is described to us as "active, alive and sharp." The Word of God is a powerful weapon, so why was it not cutting?

I began to understand what I was seeing – this was an image of the Word in our hand unused, not the Word in its purest sense. The Word in the hands of some has grown dull because of the lack of use. Our opinions about life, ministry and the Kingdom had replaced the Word. As a result, it was easier to try and use the sword as a weapon to motivate people toward our opinions.

I believe God is asking some of us to navigate this new place through a return to a Word-based understanding of life and calling. As these images and words came to my mind, the blade of the sword began to repair and glisten in sharpness under the reflecting light in the room.

I Saw a Journal Covered With Dust

This journal was titled "Principles." There was a layer of dust covering the journal. This journal of principles had not been handled for a long time. I began to understand that principles we discovered in the last season had become slogans for our lives in the current season. These principles had lost their power because they had not been used. They had only been spoken, observed and recorded. The dust had gathered on this journal of principles because they had not been handled and had not come in contact with our inner man.

As I continued to view this now fully illuminated room and its contents, I realized God was calling us to see clearly and to make adjustments that will yield abundance and fruitfulness in this new place. The Early Church did not walk in assumption, nor did they follow intricate and developed long-term plans. They lived in the moment, dependent upon God to illuminate each step they took. This dependence on Him kept the room of their lives clear and uncluttered so they could move freely into the new and unchartered future of faith.

Father God, turn up the light of Your presence in the room of our lives. Show us the clutter. Show us what we need to reactivate. Make Yourself known to us in this new place so that we can move forward into the full light of Your presence.

Garris Elkins, Senior Leader
Living Waters Church – Medford, Oregon
Email: info@prophetichorizons.com

Garris Elkins' ministry, Prophetic Horizons, is a ministry of teaching, writing and prophecy committed to raising up a prophetic generation to speak to the cultures of our world with the empowered voice of Heaven. Garris and his wife, Jan, are the Senior Leaders of Living Waters Church in Medford, Oregon, and have two grown children, Anna and David.