The End, or the Beginning?

When I was about fifteen years old I watched a Hollywood portrayed movie of the End Times. In the movie, I remember the main characters were trying to figure out what was happening on the earth. They went into a hotel room in a panic to find a Bible (apparently they were not folks who kept a Bible in the house) and they turned to the book of revelation and noted the “Seven Seals” and sought to find out what was going to happen next.

That evening, I remember on the news there were updates of the Gulf War and I saw pictures and video images of Americans that didn’t look like they were “winning”. I turned off the television and went outside to our large second story wrap-around porch and was walking around looking into the beautiful night sky. I looked up to see the moon was a strange blood-orange color. My heart was racing, as I began to confess my sins to God.

Now raised a good Catholic girl I walked in what I would consider a ‘healthy’ fear of God, but I certainly did not know Him.

I tried to read the Bible and understand it, but it just didn’t make sense to me. Years would past, and I would come to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and accept His love and free gift of salvation.

Why I was always intrigued with the study of the End Times, I don’t know, but my journey into pray-reading and asking for more revelation on the subject has been intensifying ever since.

I have never been satisfied with any “End Time” eschatological teaching that’s been out there, everything leaves me with more questions.

So I came to the conclusion, I must focus only on what I personally have revelation from the Father regarding the Word, Jesus, on and allow Him to add to my ‘well’ of God-knowledge.

I continue this pursuit, gleaning from others, but seeking revelation for myself. It is just the beginning!

The Road and the Wisdom of God

I have heard it said by Graham Cooke, and others, "God allows in His wisdom what He could prevent by His power."
I will not attempt to delve into the deep in this blog post, but rather focus on the Road.
There is a well known passage that has to do with the "narrow road". Does that ring a bell? I hear this quoted all the time that the "road is narrow". Actually, this passage, Matthew 7:13-14, in the New King James Version says this:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Interesting here that the "gate" is narrow, and the "road" is difficult. Another great verse about the road, Isaiah 42:16:

"I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them."

There are many verses about the "hard" road, the "rocky" paths, etc., but what excites me is that Jesus is leading Israel, and us, through it. He is the one at the front line leading! He actually leads us through darkness, through trials, through rocky places, and it's His wisdom!

Many many years ago I had this amazing revelation that has really helped me through trials. I pictured myself climbing this steep mountain. The Lord showed me this like a documentary film being playing in my minds eye. In the picture, I had a harness around my waist and was trying to climb this perfectly smooth shiny mountain. I kept slipping and sliding all over the place.
Finally, the Lord said, "here, let me help you out," and a large rock appeared before me. I was able to grip it and use it to pull myself up higher. Then another rock appeared, and another, and so on. The Lord showed me that the rocky road is actually what gets us to the top.
Four years ago I was going through a battle of the mind, a war raging, and I set my heart on Him and remembered this revelation, and out of that season birthed this song:

"I just can't get off this road, I'm tired, I know
on the outside, I might look weary,
The signs are so clear,
but others are trying to get me to take the easy exits,
This road may be hard, but I'm not moving,
I got more strength in me than I ever knew and
Though it's narrow, I can see whats at the end of this rainbow."

I hope this encourages you to grab hold and embrace the journey, the difficult road, and enjoy the stretching, the tension, and the deep places that launch you higher! - gina

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Please Leave a note...

Have you meditated on John 1:1 before and it led you all kinds of places?

I get so tripped up because I 'll be meditating on the beauty of Jesus, and then the next thing you know I getting revelation of the sacrifice of the cross, creation, redemption, the coming kingdom, the middle east war, and there I go!!!

I slow down, and ask myself, ,"God, what are you saying about who You are here?"

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5

What are your revelations on this passage? Any good cross references it takes you to? I'd love to hear! thanks!

the red letters

It is difficult to translate what is received in a moment of revelation- like when you are dreaming. You are in a place and there are people there. Without a word being said you know where your at, why the people are there, their motivations, etc. without a conversation happening. There is a 'download', if you will, of information passed to you in an instant that lay a foundation for the "movie" that is about to take place. You can have a three-minute dream, that takes ten pages to write down- that is like the revelation I am talking about.

It occurred to me today in a great moment of revelation as I was teaching on how Jesus KNEW the Word of God that Jesus, being the Word, contained in the Word, is released by the Word. By every word, every "red" letter that Jesus said, we are connecting to Him when out of our mouths we with our breath speak the red letters.

I cannot adequately translate the understanding I have received, and am still mediating on, however, there is something stirred up in me to seek after; the mysteries of releasing the spoken words of Christ.

We know that there is great power in the spoken word; by His words He created all things, and in the tongue there is the power of life and death (Prov. 18:21). Considering the power of the spoken word, now consider the power of Jesus. Jesus the God-Man in all His miraculous splendor.

Now, add to that the consideration of John 1:1-3:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

So now when you utter the red letters out of your mouth you are connecting with God in such a powerful way- for Jesus IS the Word, and the very power that creates life, that brings hope, miracles, and peace, those words are not merely 'words', they are Jesus Alive.

Oh the Mysteries of Christ!

-gina

Meditating on the Word

Bible stories and scripture memorization have great value, however the Word of God is deeper and more powerful than we give it attention. Many churches and Sunday schools are preaching and teaching the Word in a “wide dimension”, meaning giving the Body of Christ a little bit of the Word here and there, spread thin, and even “watered down”.

We are trying to keep the attention of adults and children alike so we try to wrap the Word of God up in a way that people can “digest” easier, even for kids. But what if we just took time to teach children how to meditate on God’s Word and gain revelation for themselves?

When I personally began to meditate on God’s Word with this model, my whole prayer life changed. Everything about God, the Bible, and Christianity was re-written for me, as if I had re-formatted a computer (which was me) and began re-loading all new programs on it. My love and fascination for the Word increased dramatically as well as my personal understanding and revelation of the Word.

“O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.” (Psalm 119:97-98)

It is my desire that my children would also experience a love and fascination for the Word of God, that the Word would be alive and real to them. In practicing this model with my own children, I have seen them not only memorize the Word of God, but they are dreaming it, painting it, journaling about it, and hearing God speak to them through it.

Of course the vast expanse of the knowledge of God's Word has yet to even be scratched as far as I am concerned, even after three years of practicing this model. However, I have tapped into more than any Bible school class or seminar has taught me through Bible meditation, and I want to encourage everyone seeking more of God to do the same.

I am putting a curriculum together for facilitating this model with children, but in the meantime, below are a few resources that will help you.

If you would like to hear Kirk Bennett's teaching click here

If you would like to download the Study Guide from IHOP click here

- gina

The Life and Words of Christ

Last week I randomly decided in the middle of my devotional set I needed to sing the sermon on the mount, it messed me up.

let me back up...

Four months ago a young lady was over our house visiting and she begins sharing her frustrations of being in programs, internships, schools, and such. She said that she just needed to "know Jesus in real life". I will keep the individual nameless...

She went on to say how she wished she could take a year of study on Christology, after all, isn't HIS life where we draw our knowledge of God from?

God speaks to me in different ways, at this moment, the light went on, bright, hot. I was challenged, I knew the "life of Christ", but did I know the Man?

fast forward...

So we arrive at our new assignment, building a Children's Equipping Center or the Bay Area region at Convergence House of Prayer. I am praying over what to do with the Children here (topically) and I am hit with "the Life of Christ" as if it was a burning conviction with the fear of the Lord.

Currently, I had been studying the Song of Solomon, the End Times (I'm on the Millennium right now), Israel, and I never quite got back to Joel which I was suppose to finish last year. I try to study an hour a week on each topic in addition to my meditation time, which is usually a psalm. So as you can imagine, I am falling short of my over-achieving goals constantly and now I want to add the 'Life of Christ' into the mix.

I get more and more scattered as the weeks go on, and then it hits me. I need to just study the burnings on my heart and teach that to the kids at the CEC. (As opposed to studying everything I want to study, study what I'm teaching, write this, write, that, etc, etc.)

What are the foundational studies of the House of Prayer? Uh, Jesus, the God-Man, yea. Let's go there for a bit shall we?? Ha!

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God - Matthew 5:8

After all, this is what it's all about right? Right.

Back to last week....

I've been intrigued with the "unnamed woman" who brought the oil of spikenard to Jesus and broke it over His head, (more on that in another blog) and so I start there, spontaneously feel like the Lord is leading me to Matthew 5. As I begin to sing the verses of the Sermon on the Mount, the revelation of Jesus and the Kingdom of God begin to pour into my heart. I may have been singing three words the whole time, I don't remember, but it was the best translation I could manifest for the spiritual dialogue exchange I was having.

So, back to the basics, back to the cross. Back to the simple seeking of Jesus Christ, God in flesh, Yeshua Messiah, whose words are life.

Needless to say, I'll be singing Matthew 5 for a while, thats a great way to study, and hope I encouraged you to study the Life and words of Christ too.

-gina

Territory Expansion

There have been times where I have fasted to fast, to be faithful.

Times when I have fasted for severe need of breakthrough in one area or another.

Sometimes I have fasted the simplest little thing - and yet it was so hard and sacrificial.

Other times, there was so much grace to go on water alone.

One thing in common, territory gained.

This is the last week of a forty day fast many have been on approaching the Regional Gathering of Corporate Prayer for California, AKA, the Call. (www.thecall.org)

As I am increasing my personal fast this week, I feel this excitement in the Spirit as I partner with God, seeking His will for our State, and crying out for mercy. The more I partner with His heart, the more natural the groaning are released from deep within. I would like to use the word "effortlessly", but the groanings are the work of childbirth, its just at that last stage of transition where you don't think, you just push!

"Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes." Isaiah 54:2

My personal revelation here is not necessarily physical territory, but spiritual territory expansion. I believe the Lord is saying,

"Rise up! My fair one! don't hold back! Don't retreat!! Partner with Me and your heart will be enlarged!"

* See you at the Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 9/4/10

- gina