Vision

         I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. ~ Joel 2:28

         This is one of those verses that gets me excited, and yet I have no idea what this looks like. I have tasted of this outpouring enough to know that... I don't know anything about this! I feel like we are on the edge of something huge. It's a new epic season. There's a shift taking place. When the Holy Spirit was released after Jesus ascended to Heaven, this is all Peter had to describe this kind of outpouring: Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. Acts 2:2-4 Then Peter stepped up and delivers the first of many powerful messages being filled with the Holy Spirit, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. v.14-15. That's when Peter quote's Joel. My point is, the Heaven's are open (since Jesus was baptized), the Holy Spirit is released upon all people, Salvation is for everyone (faith through grace no longer under the law), what are we doing with this? How is this effecting our lives? It's suppose to turn us upside down, and inside out! 

          Here's where I'm at. At the end of my fast, none of my circumstances had changed in the natural. After 40 days of denying myself food and seeking the Lord, the most noticeable change...was me. My view, my prospective, my trust in my strength and my trust in a very visible, unseen God. In the end, I was very weak, which is the best part. In my weakness, He is strong. Praise God! This is what Paul the apostle was talking about, boasting in my weakness.  I was hoping for breakthrough to come and sweep me off my feet. Instead, I heard, For this reason, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to take a stand whenever evil comes. And when you have done everything you could, you will be able to stand firm. Eph. 6:13. And also Habakkuk 2:1-3 I will stand at my guard post. I will station myself on the wall. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what answer I will get to my complaint. Then the LORD answered me, "Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly. The vision will still happen at the appointed time. It hurries toward its goal. It won't be a lie. If it's delayed, wait for it. It will certainly happen. It won't be late. Patience. Standing. Believing. Standing in Truth. We are so use to lies, that we need to be filled up with Truth. Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen. ~ Hebrews 11:1,3.   
       For those of you wondering, eating food after fasting 40 days was very disappointing. Food for your flesh pails in comparison to feeding your spirit. It taste good, but hurts the stomach. "Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation." ~St. Augustine. So it's a balance, between flesh and spirit. Fasting is a lifestyle. Fasting does not make God do something I want, but prepares me for what God is about to do.

         We stand...Trusting, and excited. Fully convinced that God will do what He said He would do. "It will certainly happen."  Waiting for the "and suddenly." And when it comes...all the Glory will belong to the Lord. Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know. ~Jer. 33:3 The adventure continues...

         

Knowing where I stand

         Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. ~ Psalm 119:105

        Day 36. This past week has been eye opening for me. Again and again I feel like I come to the end of myself, but feel a new sense of what grace is doing in me. Romans 5 through 9 is so juicy with freedom from the law, and revelation of grace. Verses I've heard a million times feel brand new and alive, speaking unearned favor into me. We can't earn grace, ya ya, got it. But do we really get it? We continue trying to do works for merit and feel distant from God when we screw up. Why is that? It started when the law began. God wanted relationship with the Israelite's and they wanted Moses to go and speak to God. They wanted to stay a safe distance away with rules to obey. They actually said that they could keep His laws and earn righteousness. Before the law was given, we see God showing grace toward the Israelites.  But right after the law is introduced, we see God blesses them when they obeyed, and distanced Himself when they sinned. The problem is that the law, holy in itself, can't make anyone holy. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. ~ Romans 3:10. The law is a mirror that when you look into it, you see your short comings, your failures, and your sins. The purpose of the law is to point to the fact that we need a Savior. Realizing that I can't do it in myself sets me free! Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. ~Romans 8:1-9. We didn't deserve that! We didn't earn it either! Yay God! It's only by Your Grace that I live! Grace! Encounter Grace again and again! Embrace Grace!

          

         I refuse to have my circumstances dictate the way I feel! I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.~ Psalm 17:6-9. It's amazing to me that in God's word it says 365 times, "Fear not!" That's one for every day of the year. Fear is defined as, "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid." 1 John 4:18 says,"No fear exists where His love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn't have perfect love." Everywhere fear has a hold, is a place that Love needs to invade! 

  

          I feel like I've been waiting and preparing for this moment in my life. A year ago, I felt like 10-10-10 was going to be significant. In January of this year, the Lord told me there would be a shift in my life from April to October. I had no idea that I would be facing what I am facing now. Today is October 9th. The number 9 means, "marks the end; and is significant of the conclusion of a matter." The number 10 signifies the perfection of Divine order, Completeness of order. I don't know what tomorrow may bring, or what it signifies. But I was made for this!