Living Your Destiny by Graham Cooke

All of the tests you presently face are there to develop you into the person you need to be to live your destiny. Everything you are going through has been aligned by God to forge you into the person He has called you to be. Your destiny is unfolding before your very eyes. You have a battle to win, and He must prepare you for it.

When we embrace the idea that God has a plan for us, no issue should be able to stop us. The statement, “This situation will be the death of me,” is completely incorrect. The truth is that this situation will make you into who you are destined to be.

God partners with our present situation to prepare us for the future He has designed. He uses every test, every challenge, every hurdle, every issue to sharpen us for what is to come.

We can use the prophecies over our life to navigate our way through our present circumstance. God wants to establish intimacy as a way of life. He wants to cover us in His favor. This process starts by God establishing the fact that He is our source. Quietly and deliberately, God will strip away every crutch we have been relying on and obliterate anything that detracts from His ability to provide for us.

He wants to take away the false sense of security most of us have been clinging to. God is not in the business of playing second fiddle to anything—and certainly not to the many ways we try and take care of ourselves.

Lesson one is to go into the future and bring back the traits and intimacy we will need to fulfill our destiny. We must understand what that intimacy will look like. How must our relationship with God evolve and grow in order for us to become the person He has destined us to be?

When I was 31 years old, I had a dream about the kind of relationship with God I would have when I was 45. It was so alluring, so magnificent, so amazing, that I did not want to wait 14 years to get there. I was so hungry when I woke up that I immediately began to pray for that kind of intimacy to happen right away. I discovered something in the process of fighting for that word—I didn’t have to wait until I was 45 for it to come to pass. I had been looking prophetically at a 45-year-old who had lived in that intimacy for ten years!

Our timeline is not always God’s timeline. He often wants to bring breakthrough far sooner than we dare hope. I wanted that intimacy at age 31, thanks to God creating a deep hunger in me for it. I thought about it, meditated on it, prayed for it, and began to come into powerful times of worship. An hour worshipping God would turn into two and then three and sometimes six. I desperately wanted to know God, and God always answers an extreme desire for intimacy.

Prophetic words come to pass as our intimacy and reliance on God develops. Intimacy is a part of our destiny. Look at the prophetic words over your life and ask yourself about the intimacy you will need to live in that kind of wonder. Become hungry for that relationship, and your destiny will come into focus.

In Genesis 18:9, God says a remarkably simple thing about Abraham, His dear friend: “I have known him,” (NKJV). God wants that same intimacy with us, and has guaranteed that it can occur through the love and motivation of Jesus. Intimacy draws us and keeps us in the presence of God. Jesus taught on the importance of this relationship in John 15:4-5—

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

Intimacy is a reciprocal act; there is exchange and dialogue. It is not a one-way street. There is interaction between us and the Lord Jesus, and that interaction results in us staying, dwelling, and remaining where God has put us in Christ.

The enemy wants to knock us out of that place of intimacy. He knows how key that relationship is to everything the Lord wants to accomplish, so he tries to poison it from the start. Without water, a seed won’t grow; the enemy wants to kill the seed of our destiny before we grow even a single inch. But our job is to be so established in an intimate relationship with God that nothing can come between us and Him.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,” David sang in Psalm 139:23-24. That is the very crux of intimacy—allowing God to look deep into us and remove any blockage between Him and us. Everything in our lives, every situation we go through, is about growing our intimacy with God.

Visionary Advancement Strategies Newsletter May 9, 2010

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Good Fruit by Bob Mumford

Other [seed] fell on the good soil and yielded a crop,

 some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.^[1]

In spite of adversity and inherent dangers, some seed does manage to grow and conquer in this present life—some thirty, some sixty and some hundredfold. Thirty-fold is considered fruitful and sixty-fold very fruitful. It is seed bearing after its kind. This kind of fruitfulness is what it means by the verse “you will know them by their fruits.”^[2]  Hundredfold fruit can be seen in the fruit of the Spirit, which is love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.^[3] Peter told us that if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^[4]

Reaping good fruit requires time, cultivation, and weeding. God puts various people in our life to help cultivate the seed. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.”^[5][6] We must let the Seed grow on its own accord; we cannot demand or expect fruit before its season.

God designed repentance to make room for Agape to grow.^[7] It is repentance that allows us to move toward being perfect (telios), meaning complete and fruitful in the manner in which the Creator intended. Fruit is Agape and Agape is behavioral. Good fruit fulfills the whole law and does no injury to another. If our behavior doesn’t change, Agape is not being cultivated making it impossible to manifest good fruit. To be good farmers, we must “be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.”^[8] 

Note the three uses of Agape in these verses: well-beloved, walk in love, and Christ loved us. Jesus described the good fruit of Agape as feeding the hungry; giving water to the thirsty; welcoming, lodging, and entertaining the stranger; clothing the naked; giving help and ministering care to the sick; and visiting the prisoner—and doing so as if we were doing it to Him.^[9] It is evident that walking in Agape has to do with behavior not doctrine; it changes the way we conduct our life, the way we speak to our wife and children; it changes us on the inside.

As sons and daughters of the Kingdom, Father seeks to replicate His Own Love in His Own people. The evidence of Christ-like behavior becomes the measurement or standard that we are of Christ and not engaged in some cultic or religious activity. “You will fully know them by their fruits.”^[10] It is clear in the New Testament that the ultimate way in which a person or doctrine is to be measured is by the amount of fruit produced. 

Thoughts & Questions

v How would you describe hundredfold fruit?

v Explain why fruit is Agape and Agape is behavioral.

v What is our job as sons and daughters of the Kingdom?

---

[1] Matthew 13:8

[2] Matthew 7:16

[3] Galatians 5:22-23

[4] 2 Peter 1:8

[5] 1 Corinthians 3:6

[6] Mark 11:13

[7] Matthew 3:8

[8] Ephesians 5:1-2

[9] Matthew 25:34-40

[10] Matthew7:20

It Matters (Part One) by David VanCronkhite

"Our lives begin to end

 the day we become silent about things that matter."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Here I stand!"

Martin Luther

Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr. were once nobodies. Nobodies who one day said, "Basta! Enough!" Nobodies who did nothing more than take a stand because they saw something wasn't right. They began to declare publicly what many knew but were afraid to address. They had a sense that God was at hand and God was with them. They knew the injustices, the bondages of the people they loved, and that the reputation of the God they loved was at stake. They did the only thing they could; they took a stand against the ruling kingdoms of their world.

They understood it was not about the people--flesh and blood--but that something happens when the controlling systems of the day try to corral the people into a life-destroying status quo. What history has proven when people take a stand is that the systems will raise their ugly heads. Change becomes the catalyst for a dangerous, life-altering confrontation. And change plays for keeps. It takes no prisoners.

Luther, King, and those who stood with them were not foolish men. They weighed the cost and determined they could not continue life and remain silent. They saw, and because of what they saw they took a stand. They saw people, the poor and the poor in spirit alike, in bondage. And they persevered through the darkest days of popular opinion against them, which, in both cases, were fueled by the established doctrines of the Church.

Luther and King loved the Church, but they loved the Father of the people of the Church even more. So they could no longer stay silent. They loved enough to say what was wrong. They had to speak out against the systems that promised freedom and then enslaved.  They had to offer a solution. First, a spiritual solution with the "how then should we live?" solutions to follow. They decried what was being done to the people in the name of Jesus, in the name of God the Father as wrong!

The Silent Minority  

No doubt, they too heard the taunts of "Who do you think you are? What special grace do you have? How do you know you are right?" equally by their peers, friends, and opposing factions. And it wasn't like everything was wrong. There was just enough of the correct foundational belief systems in place that made it all look right but brought death to the people instead. The systems of religion, commerce and politics came together to discredit and attempt to shut them down.

Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr. fought through because it mattered. They risked all, going against the prevailing values, opinions and beliefs of the Church. They saw that something was terribly wrong. The systems of man had a tight reign on the freedom of men and exercised it as it saw fit for its own well-being. They saw the poor and the poor in spirit were being systematically imprisoned into the systems. Too many people were in slavery.

For Luther, one little word--faith--started a reformation. One action--a piece of paper listing the wrongs of the Church nailed to a door--declared the time had come. He was asked if he couldn't focus on the good about the Church and forget about the wrong. He answered with a hammer and a nail and ninety-five things gone horribly wrong with the established Church. It started another movement, a reformation, or perhaps it was a revolution.

And it was costly, very costly. It's always costly to go first with change; to say something is wrong with what you have given your all to. The Book says no one wants the new, believing the old is better. That's easy to see 500 years later, but at the time few wanted to lead this battle.

Today, it matters to me and a lot of others that the losers of life, the disenfranchised, and the disgraced hear about the Kingdom of God and all that it offers. It's no longer enough to promise people heaven with a prayer or hell without one. It's no longer enough to base all of Christianity on a code of morality with no hope if one fails.

It matters that one can be set free from the bondage of pleasing man, believing he is pleasing God. It matters that we have little awe for the loving God who sent the Son to do only the Father's will and represent His Kingdom.

It matters that the poor and the poor in spirit, especially those deemed as cast-offs by the systems, know that they are deeply, deeply loved by God but are instead taught they are hated because of their failures or beliefs that are contrary to accepted norms of religion.

It matters that the lonely find this King, find His Kingdom, and experientially receive His promised, eternal Seed; that they are transformed at such a depth that the whole neighborhood wants to know what happened when they see love coming from every pore of their flesh.

It matters that the supernatural be restored to the body of believers and that we quit the nonsense of presenting God as suddenly taking away all that is supernatural. It matters that our youth have to watch a Hollywood production to see the supernatural at work instead of finding it in the Church, the rightful heir of the supernatural, relational Father and Son. 

It matters that we give the Holy Spirit permission to move supernaturally in our lives and in our midst; that we give control back to God to be God, Jesus to be Jesus, and Holy Spirit to be Holy Spirit.

It matters that Christianity has been enveloped as a political party of conservative non-sinners and any who do not submit to the political agenda are deemed anti-Christ, anti God; and that we dismiss people we disagree with by a wave of the hand, and losers need not apply.

It matters that doctrine has somehow become more important than relationship; it matters that the biblical stories of God's immense, unconditional love for losers are instead twisted to condemn the people they were designed to give life to.

It matters that a King loved, forgave and continued to forgive on His way to establishing a Kingdom founded on love and entered through faith by grace; and that faith expresses itself through love instead of an angry God.

It matters that our lives begin to end the day we become silent because we fear man and his shaming words more than the Creator of man.

It matters that we each have the ability to honestly, unashamedly tell our stories and walk out our personal journeys seeking home, seeking a Kingdom, and seeking God.

It just matters!

         
David VanCronkhite    david.vancronkhite@gmail.com

Miraculous Agape Powered Relationships by Robert Ricciardelli

For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior, a true matter of the heart: faith expressed in love. (Galatians 5:6)

God has made numerous promises regarding the power of faith. Faith can move mountains. Faith can heal diseases. Faith can receive answers to prayers. Nothing is impossible with faith. Yet many know the power of faith and still are not seeing many positive results in terms of the quality of their relationships.

“If the Kingdom of God is anything, and it is everything, it is relational, supernaturally relational” (David VanCronkhite)
 
Faith without works is dead, and equally so, faith without love is dead.
I have a friend who fasted for 27 days wanting the supernatural power of God, and at the end, all he got was skinny. But over that incident and many years of searching, it came down to the revelation that miraculous faith is birthed through supernatural agape love.

Love’s first step is relationship
Once we realize the power of Father’s agape love through Christ, we must now extend His love to others. His love actually becomes the fuel for relational desire. It becomes the active ingredients in each of us to know how much we need each other. God becomes a friend to us that sticks closer than a brother, and as ambassadors of His love, we become that type of friend to others.

Love Yourself First
Do you love who you are in Christ? God loves you, and He wants you to love yourself in His love, and not the world’s version of self-love. This godly perspective impacts greatly our capacity to love others. We must realize how wonderfully made we are, understand our limitations, and fully embrace God’s unlimited power within us. We are people who carry sparks of the Divine Kingdom within us. When we trust that God unconditionally loves and embraces us, we can befriend ourselves and reach out to others in loving relationships.

Significance of Our Presence
There are places in our own hearts that we ourselves cannot see. Even when we know a lot about ourselves, like our gifts, weaknesses, or motives, a large part of ourselves remain in the shadow of consciousness. Other people, especially those who love us, can often see those areas better than we ourselves can. We will never fully know the significance of our presence in the lives of our friends. That's a grace that calls us not only to humility but also to a deep trust in God and in the relationships He desires to establish with others. 

The Currency of the Kingdom is Relationship
Currency of the Kingdom is relationship and the currency of relationship is conversation. The quality of our conversations directly influences the quality of our relationships. Sharing of hearts is transformational, beginning with God and extending to others. People near you want to engage in meaningful conversation with you, and a conversation that flows well both ways can harvest a relationship that reveals God's glory.

Be a Good Friend
To have good friends you need to be a good friend. It is foundational on love as a never-ending commitment. Are you a servant in the relationship, and look out for their best interests? Patience and understanding is needed during tough times. Being friendly with a genuinely cheerful outlook matters. People like to be around positive people. At the end of the day, true friends become family.

Friends are Easy and Always
A friend is a safe harbor that is often God's messenger of His grace and healing in the most critical of times. A friend is a person with whom we can share our solitude, our silence, and our prayer. A friend is the person we share our most intimate secrets with, or nothing at all. With a friend we don't have to say or do anything special. With a friend we can be still and know that God is there with both of us.

Agape Ambassadors See Strength Hidden in Weakness
Who has time for a hurting friend when it is easier to be with the healthy ones? "Newsflash", we all are part of the imperfect tribe called humanity. When we errantly dismiss people, we hinder their growth by ignoring gifts that are often buried in their wounds. Agape Ambassadors know that strength is hidden in weakness, and that true community is a fellowship of the weak with a very strong God.

Touch of Healing
As conversation bridge relationships and connects hearts, touch becomes a powerful expression of that love. Babies receive a lot of touch, and less as they grow older. Touch often gives more life than words. A warm handshake, a hug, or a kiss, can be powerful moments that can restore, forgive, and heal. Everyone who touched Jesus and everyone whom Jesus touched were healed. God's incarnate love and power went out from Him and goes out from us to heal one another.

Community is Not a Talent Show
Community is not a talent show in which we dazzle the world with our combined gifts of intelligence, health and wealth. In true community there can be many forms of poverty beyond economics, such as bankruptcy in spiritual, emotional, and physical health. New life comes from acknowledging one another, and the richness that comes from needs being met through the sharing of each other’s lives.

Start today in building safe environments built on agape Love
We can begin to ask the Lord how we are doing as a friend first to Him, then how we are doing in being a friend to others based on God’s value of whom we are. As we take assessments of those we are called to love and befriend which includes spouses, family, and children, we can begin to move in His strength and not our own. Watch the miraculous take place as we move in faith that is expressed fully in His love that is within each of us.

                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Robert Ricciardelli along with his wife Joyce are the founders of the Converging Zone Network and Visionary Advancement Strategies. Through their connecting ministry, newsletters, and social networking platforms, they bring collaboration to over 100,000 each week in various spheres of society.

Robert's 25 years in Corporate America has given him a broad world-view of the Kingdom of God in everyday life.Robert speaks at churches and conferences regarding the Kingdom of God, and practical ways to advance His Kingdom into every sphere and mountain of society. Robert is also a Kingdom business consultant, and a transformational  life coach, assisting in the discovery of solutions that advance the destinies of individuals, faith communities, and businesses.

www.convergingzone.com
www.vision2advance.com
Email: Agaperoad@gmail.com

Captured by God's Love by Janice VanCronkhite

Captured by God's love There is nothing more horrific than the enslaving of innocent children in the sex trade. Stories of victims of human sex trafficking have haunted me and I've often wondered what I could do to help. I mentioned it to the Lord one day and soon a door opened for me to present an art workshop in a home for young girls who had been rescued from the sex trade. I jumped at the chance.  Captured I was warned that the girls, ranging in ages from 14-18, typically were distracted with guest speakers. I was no exception. But when I began to share my testimony and tell the stories behind some of my prophetic paintings, I had their full attention. They asked questions and seemed eager to hear the Word through the simple explanations of how Jesus shows me what to paint and how to paint it. Through art I was able to share the gospel in a very natural way. The girls were thrilled to get a creative impartation from above and do their own inspired pastel drawings. With great revelation, each one enthusiastically shared what God had shown them and how they interpreted it with vibrant colors. They seemed to glow, and you would never suspect their past traumatic circumstances. I received some precious thank you notes from the girls. One said she had never done anything like that before and One of the girls wrote "God has changed me" around her drawing. that she never felt as she did while creating her piece. As I left that day, another girl presented me with a drawing of a butterfly and the words "God Has Changed Me." The butterfly perfectly symbolized the ongoing healing, freedom, and transformation happening in these precious young women. I know God is restoring their lives. And I left with a deeper understanding of the power of art to be used in the process. My visit that day inspired the painting Captured. Not only have these girls captured their Father's heart, the Father is capturing them with His love. I saw that the chains that once had them bound are transformed into His pure chains of gold that lovingly hold them in His presence forever.

Reserve your spot at the art retreat       There is one spot available for the "Diamonds on the Lake" retreat May 27-30 and one opening for the "Releasing the Art and Creativity of Heaven" retreat June 24-27 at my Lake Oconee studio near Atlanta. A perfect place to paint. If you are interested in reserving your place for either retreat or want more information, contact  me ASAP. I limit each retreat to eight women ensuring an intimate setting where each participant receives the personal attention and encouragement needed to move into her next creative dimension. Schedule Janice to speak at your church, conference, or to present a prophetic art workshop. Contact Janice for more information.

May Special Buy three 5x7 art prints and receive one FREE! To avoid being charged for your free print, you must indicate your choice in the customer note section  during checkout, not the purchase area.

The Whole Earth Groans with Birth Pangs by Doug Stringer

Regardless of your eschatology or view of current times we are going through, I thought it was good to share the teaching below by Doug Stringer. There is no question that there is a shaking going on, and it does not matter what you think it all means as much as how prepared you are in Him to go through whatever may come. Fear should never be in the equation as Father is not surprised by any of this and remains on the throne of all things. 

My prayer is that you read below with the lens of encouragement, readiness, and a listening ear to what the Lord specifically is calling you to do to prepare for all the good that will come from the shaking, along with the challenges that come as well to our humanity. But like Doug says below, I believe we will rise up, we will become stronger, and we will be able to point many towards His eternal Kingdom... 

Robert Ricciardelli...

Three things the Father wants to give you when everything around you is shaking

By Doug Stringer

(Based on Original Teaching, March 5, 2010)

The earth is shaking.

In January, hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives when the nation of Haiti was shaken by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Close to a million people were left homeless. Only a few weeks later, an astounding 8.8 quake shook the nation of Chile. The Chilean quake was so powerful that scientists estimate it moved the earth's axis by as much as 8 centimeters and even shortened our day by 1.26 microseconds!

These tremors represent just a few of the thousands of earthquakes that will be recorded around the world this year, according to estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey.  But earthquakes are not the only kind of shaking happening on earth. Natural and human disasters, economic and political crises, terrorist attacks, wars, famines, and disease—these are all the news headlines we see around the world.  The earth is shaking!

Spiritual Seismophobia

Between the evening news and box office movies touting the end of the world, it’s easy to become afraid. The “shaking” around us causes our minds to start racing with questions. What’s going to happen? Will our economy fail? Will terrorists attack us? Will there be a war, a hurricane, an earthquake, or some other disaster that hits close to home? Will life as we know it change forever? Will we and our loved ones be safe?

When news of the Haitian and Chilean Quakes hit, people stated, “All I can explain is that it was apocalyptic.” We’ve heard the different fodder regarding the movie 2012 addressing the Nostradamus prophesies, Chinese, Mayan and Aztec prophesies.  People are sensing there’s something about 2012 that is apocalyptic.

I’ve been asked what I think about the prophesies and the movie 2012. My initial response is that for some people the end is coming in 2 minutes, 2 days or 2 years. Regardless if it’s 2 months,  2 years or 20 years the real issue is how are we living the time allotted to us right now… the lives we live before entering the portals of eternity.  As my spiritual grandfather, the late Revivalist Leonard Ravenhill asked, “Is the life you are living worth Christ dying for?”

Just what are we to make of all these events in our world? For starters, we can look to God’s Word and be confident that He knows what is going on. Jesus said in Luke 21:11, “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”  But why do you think the Lord told us these things would come? Was it to cause us to fear? To bring us anxiety and uncertainty? 

No! Perhaps the most important part of Jesus’ message is found two verses later in Luke 21:13: “But it will turn out for you as an occasion for your testimony.” When we hear about wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, we don’t have to be afraid. These are our moments to rise up and share the good news of the kingdom of God.

All That Can Be Shaken

Beloved, it is critical that we understand—There is more shaking to come. On this point, the Bible is clear. We have already looked at Luke 21. Let’s look at a few other scriptures as well:

Romans 8:22 – “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”

Haggai 2:6-7 – "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty.”

Hebrews 12:25-29 –  “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking, for if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.’ This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”

As Hebrews 12 says, all that can be shaken is going to be shaken. This world and its failing systems, its corrupt governments, even creation itself—it’s all going to be shaken so that only the unshakable kingdom of God remains. We can count on it happening.  All we can do is be prepared.

The View from Above

I recently had a dream about God the Father that helped me understand three things God wants us to have for the days ahead. In the dream, I was like a child, and all around me was a sea of people. The sea of people represented the world, and they were moving in a mass of noisy confusion. As a little boy in the crowd, I couldn’t see what was happening because of all the people around me who were taller than me. I couldn’t hear what was going on because of all the chattering voices.

Suddenly, I saw an image of the Father picking me up and putting me on His shoulders. He lifted me above the sea of people where I could now see and hear clearly what was going on. I was being carried safely on Daddy’s shoulders, with an elevated view of everything around me.

This is the Father-heart of God. We live in a world of confusion and chaos, with voices clamoring all around us. And just like a child lost in the middle of a crowd, it’s easy to become afraid and feel like you don’t know what is going on. But our Father wants to lift us up upon His shoulders where we are safe, and where we can see with a new perspective and hear His voice above all the other noise.

As I reflected on this dream, I knew it held lessons for God’s people in the last days. And I want to share with you three things I believe God wants you to have to be victorious even in the midst of shaking. These three things are Perspective, Peace, and Purpose.

Perspective: An Elevated View

The first thing that the Father did in my dream was to lift up the little child upon His shoulders. What was the result? The child had a new perspective, an elevated view.

In Psalm 61:1-2, David prayed, “Hear my cry, O God, attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”  What do we need when we are overwhelmed? We need to go to the Rock that is higher than we are, where we can see above the confusion and the chaos and get a heavenly perspective.

Without the proper vision, we will perish (Proverbs 29:18). We need to be a prophetic people who understand the times we live in. We cannot afford to prophesy frivolous things when God is trying to show us the fire on the horizon. We must see the bigger picture.

How do you get this prophetic vision and revelation that comes from above? How do you get the understanding and insight you need for the days to come? You need an encounter with the Father. He alone can give us the perspective we need to stand in the days to come. Call out to Him, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Peace: Safe on His Shoulders

In His final days on earth, Jesus spoke at great lengths to His followers about the days to come. In John 16:33, He told them, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

As long as we live on this earth, we will have trouble. There will be days of shaking ahead. But the voice of Jesus gives us peace! He wants us to know that even though there is trouble all around us, we belong to the One who has overcome the world. We are His children and He wants to carry us on His shoulders.

Peace is something we all need. When catastrophes strike, we need peace. When the economy fails, we need peace. When we face an uncertain future, we need peace. When everyone around us is fearful, we need peace.  Jesus said in Luke 21 that men’s hearts would fail them from fear and expectation of the things that were coming on the earth. Fear, anxiety, stress, and sorrow will overcome many. But for those who know their Father, who are lifted up and carried in His arms, there is nothing to fear.

Purpose: An Occasion for our Testimony

We live in a world literally being shaken off its axis. There are tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and economic and political uncertainties all around us.  In the chaos and confusion, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. It’s easy to feel like you don’t know what to do. But the Father is saying to us, “Shhh. Quiet your heart. Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). He picks us up, puts us on His shoulders, and says, “Look around. This is the big picture. Get my perspective and my vision. Look clearly at the days in which you live.”

“But it will turn out as an occasion for your testimony.”

 God’s intention in lifting us upon His shoulders is not just to give us peace and comfort. It’s not just to give us a better view of things. God is infinitely interested in the billions of souls hanging in the balance. He cares for those who are being shaken and who don’t know that they have a Father who cares for them. And He is looking for His people to stand in the gap for those who are perishing.

The book of Numbers tells the account of a terrible earthquake. In Numbers 16, we find out that the sons of Korah rose up against Moses and Aaron and sinned against the Lord. Because of this, the Lord caused the ground to shake and to open up. The earth swallowed the sons of Korah and a plague broke out against the people.

Moses and Aaron could have easily stood back and watched. They could have said, “Well, they’re just getting what they deserve.” But instead, Moses instructed Aaron to take his censer, which represents intercession, and to make atonement for the people. Verse 48 tells us that Aaron “stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.”

When disaster strikes and the earth shakes, how do we respond? Are we a people who will intercede for those who are perishing? Or do we stand back and say, “They’re just getting what they deserve.”

Psalm 60:2 says, “You have made the earth tremble. You have broken it. Heal its breaches, for it is shaking.” It is the Lord who is bringing a shaking to the earth. He is establishing his unshakable kingdom and bringing judgment to every structure man has built that is not on the right foundation. But even though the Lord is bringing the shaking, we are still called to be intercessors standing between the living and the dead. Let us cry out for those who are perishing: You have made the earth tremble, Lord. Now heal its breaches! Bring life to those hanging in the balance, whose foundations have crumbled.

People are suffering all around us. They are suffering from disaster and disease. They are suffering economically, emotionally, and spiritually. They need you. They need me. They need those who have an answer to their problems. They need those who have peace in the shaking.

Creation’s Longing

Our purpose—to share the good news of the kingdom—is part of what the shaking is all about. Romans 8:22 says that all of creation is groaning. Why is it groaning? Romans 8:19 tells us. The earth is waiting for the sons of God to be revealed! When everything around us is shaking, our moment to arise has come!

Your neighbors, your colleagues, your family members, your community, your nation—they’re all waiting for you to share the answer you have. Romans 8:21 says that creation is waiting to be delivered from the bondage of decay into the glorious liberty of the children of God. You and I were made for such a time as this.

Don’t get lost in the chaos and confusion. Don’t be overcome by fear. Let the Father lift you up on His shoulders and show you the sea of people—the people all around you who need to know of the unshakable kingdom that is coming soon. Receive His perspective, His vision, and His revelation. Receive His peace, knowing that you are safe in His arms. And be stirred by His purpose, to rise up and let Christ be revealed in you.

The earth is shaking. Let us arise!

For more of Doug Stringer’s teachings, audio and video messages please visit www.DougStringer.com. For information and to support the on-going ministry of Somebody Cares, please visit us at www.somebodycares.org.