Need a word of encouragement today?

You are a child of the King. God will be merciful to you today and bless you, and cause His face to shine upon you (see Psalm 67:1).

Seasons of Hope

I want to encourage you to begin to know that you can step into a season of hope no matter what your circumstances. Even though we know the world system is corrupt, we also know that Christ has given us His all-sufficient grace and mercy. Even when we don't act like His son or daughter, He still loves us.
I'm not speaking of the "greasy grace" that allows a person to do anything the flesh desires and use grace as a license to continue to sin. I am talking about the abundance of grace that we need on a daily basis which empowers us to have hope. Proverbs 13:12 says "...hope deferred makes the heart sick..." Since the heart is the Scriptural brain center that contains and expresses our feelings, when we lose hope we often wind up in a season of hopelessness, feeling sick at heart, so to speak.

Speaking from experience, I do not believe that there is anything that can compare with hopelessness. To me it encompasses losing vision and experiencing gut-wrenching loneliness and despair. Maybe you can relate. Having no hope overshadows us with a foreboding sense of doom and gloom. One might even compare it with having a shadow of impending death following you everywhere you go.

Yes, it is a miserable state of depression. In my book, Regaining Vision (order through 'The Elijah List'), I go into great detail to expose hope deferred and discuss the challenges that we experience when we lose vision. Losing vision comes from losing purpose and hope. Uselessness sets in and, before we realize it, we isolate and exclude ourselves from the very people that we love. It is the lie of the enemy. He knows the power of two (1 + 1 = 10,000).
To step out of this desperate state, we must begin to cast down everything that exalts itself against what God says about us. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, Apostle Paul gives us some insight. He tells us even though we walk in the flesh, our warfare is not a carnal fight, but "...mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds..." This passage goes on to inform us that we are to cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity (my paraphrase and emphasis added).

It is the knowledge of God that tells us that we are the head and not the tail. It is the knowledge of God that devised the plan to redeem the world that allows you and me to overcome by the Blood of the Lamb. It is the knowledge and wisdom of God that established an incredible plan by sacrificing His only begotten Son.

I know that most of us have heard this in Church. But from a hope-deferred viewpoint, the enemy knows that he is a defeated foe when coming against God's knowledge, so he challenges you and I instead. If he can mess with your thinking, he can mess with your life. If he can mess with our thinking, he can mess with our families and our finances, etc. This is why Apostle Paul tells us to give the enemy no place.

Getting The Point

I know that you are getting the point that the enemy has a plan to keep you cycling in hopelessness and despair. You are realizing, as have I, that the enemy attempts to establish a stronghold during times of hopelessness.
It is our responsibility to pull down his lies, bring negative thoughts that oppose God's truths into captivity, so that we can overcome seasons of hope deferred. Think on this a moment and you will realize that seasons of desperation, aloneness, hopelessness, and seclusion will truly steal our joy and rob us of all hope. That is not God's heart.
Saints, let me be direct for a moment. God often uses a season of hopelessness to bring us hope. God doesn't bring hopelessness, but He can use it. There is always a redemptive purpose with the Lord. Your assignment will always have an enemy.
In the Kingdom, the only ones rewarded are the overcomers. So when you begin to feel hopelessness, remember that the Word of God in you already has the ability to perform itself. So when hopelessness begins as a negative thought, cast down that imagination and give it no place. We must always remember that God not only gives us hope for tomorrow but strength for today.

Between Spiritual Seasons

An encouraging word can definitely be used when a person is in an unfamiliar season. These are seasons that usually spin us out of control. The only differences between our seasons are the ones that we are willing to overcome. We don't get to choose our seasons, we get to discover our seasons. It is during these times that we mature at a faster pace.
Just recently I was led by the Lord to write a book called Between Spiritual Seasons (order through The Elijah List). After pastoring and traveling for nearly thirty years now, it seemed that most people were either stuck in a season, coming out of a season, or going into a season. Either way, we are always in a season.

Getting caught "between seasons" can be very depressing and stressful. We all struggle with leaving our comfort zone that gives us peace, but crossing over into a new season can be stressful because we are not accustomed to the uncharted environment around us. It can even cause loss of vision, which the enemy uses to separate you from those you need the most.

New Seasons Can Bring Hopelessness

Shifting into new seasons can be quite challenging. Scripturally, we are told that our victory against the enemy, including hope deferred, was won at the Cross. The challenge is this: knowing, believing, and receiving that we have won (see Jeremiah 29:11). But know this, there is a tremendous pull from the old season that says, "Hey, come on back, you know how to survive in this season."
In my recent book, I give examples of different seasons you will encounter. Losing hope can come from the unknown as much as it can come from what is known. Transitioning from one season to the other can be done easily, but it's the attitude that will equal your altitude.

Warring Season Fatigue

When someone is prideful about being in a "warring season," they have been there too long. They're stuck! Believe me, it is not because they have conquered and overcome and have all the answers for others. It is only because of familiarity. It has become a comfort zone. I know what some of you may be thinking. Comfort in a warring season?
When a person is stuck in a season too long, it becomes a stronghold. It can make them feel more "spiritual." The real truth is they don't know how to shift into a new season and move forward. Without their understanding the need to shift, they will then unknowingly move into spiritual performance. Shifting from one season to another is not as easy as it seems. It can be very challenging, stressful, and even frustrating. In my book Between Spiritual Seasons I have provided several solutions on how to shift from one season to another.

Be Encouraged Today!

Saints, please allow me to speak another word of encouragement to you. When you feel trapped, and it seems as if there is no way out, Christ is always there. This is where our faith must abound. Let us not forget that during any spiritual battle faith becomes our most treasured asset. Sometimes it is better to enter into a spiritual rest when warring and allow the Spirit of God to do your battling. I can just hear you now saying "What? Are you saying I should rest during a heated battle?"
Yes, that is exactly what I am suggesting. When we rest in Him, the Word says that our trust and hope is in the Lord and not in what we can do. Having faith in our Lord allows us to remain steady and not fluctuate into high highs and low lows. Remember always that we fight from the victory and not to the victory. Unfortunately, many Believers do not fully understand their authority in Christ and they do battle in the flesh and not in the Spirit.
It is very important to also remember that warring seasons must be monitored by your discernment and others around you. Why so? One of the principle reasons is we must not spend so much time battling that we can't praise God. If we cast our cares over on Him, He will always shift us on through to our next season so that our purpose and destiny in Christ can always advance and not become stagnant.
In closing, I want to leave you with another positive thought, especially if you are in a time of active spiritual warfare. In John 10:10...Jesus tells us that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy; He says, "I have come that you may have life and life more abundantly" (my paraphrase). Without Christ, there can be no abundance. So be encouraged, dear ones, and fight the good fight of faith. Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world.

Please allow me to pray for you:

Father, I thank You for Your hedge of protection around these precious readers. I ask that you comfort them and make them steadfast through their shifting of seasons. Lord, I thank You that You are always watching over them and guiding them even when they feel weary and exhausted. As they walk through their spiritual seasons of change, I pray that they will always draw closer to You and that they may mature in the things to come. My heart is for them to be closer to You as they are empowered from season to season. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Mickey Freed
Senior Pastor, Lifegate Church International

With the passing of our friend Bob Jones and many other powerful saints, there seems to be a clear message of transition and transformation being heralded by the Spirit.

After Bob's passing the Lord highlighted to me Philippians 3:20-21 saying:
For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

By supernatural grace many will be transformed from a humble state into conformity with the body of His glory through the exertion of His power. This is a divine impartation that I believe will mark many in this season and change them forever. Paul clearly had such an experience on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9). Jacob likewise was radically transformed at the river Jabbok (see Genesis 32).

It will be like a baptism of fire coming upon those who have been set apart and prepared to be mightily anointed in this juncture of Church history. The Lord clearly has a strategic blueprint that is continuing to display His perfect plan and purpose for this age. It is His roadmap to the Prince of Peace with signposts along the way to indicate progress.  

Having Insight with Understanding

This crossroad is presently alerting us to a present release of spiritual virtue and Heavenly power for the vessels that have gone through a grooming and purging process in order to qualify them to carry this dimension of His authority. The Angel speaking with Daniel referenced this reality and its timing saying:

He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time." Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. Daniel 12:9-10
We are now broaching the completion of a spiritual stepping stone that ultimately leads to the Throne of Heaven. Many of the central figures used in the process of completing this important step in God's plan are receiving their Heavenly reward and crossing over into eternity. The Lord spoke it to us this way:

"These men and women have been carried to their reward so others can take the next step to go far beyond the valuable foundation established by these devoted leaders. As Elijah was a prophet in the wilderness, the Lord will now establish the Elisha's who will be prophets to the masses."

These Godly saints going home have left us with a rich heritage and a responsibility to carry Heaven's torch to greater heights. No longer will the Lord's anointed ones be hidden in the wilderness. They will now be revealed on a broad scale to a number of people in a corporate way. A new generation of radical prophetic voices will now emerge who have encountered Heaven and carry a fresh expression from God's heart.

The prophet Elijah once prayed and observed a cloud the size of a man's hand on the horizon of Israel. So also can we now perceive a new cloud to bring the "reign" of Heaven on our spiritual horizon! The prophetic prayers offered to the Lord for the release of governmental leadership will now be answered in a more pronounced way!

Becoming Militant

The Church is entering an age of militancy and spiritual confrontation. The "end of days" is characterized with great conflict. The struggle between "light" and "darkness" will continually escalate. We are entering days that will introduce amplified revelations of God's Kingdom and Heaven's spiritual economy. The Bible plainly foretells this battle as violent and spiritually bloody.

The Kingdom of Heaven truly suffers violence and God's army must take it by force. As was prophesied, "The Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it."
Our adversary will not willingly hand-over his influence in this earth without conflict. We may as well come to an understanding of this reality and accept it as a part of our generational calling.

Redemption was purchased in a most violent way. The shedding of the Lord's Blood was brutal and unattractive to the natural eye. Nonetheless, it was the greatest demonstration of divine love ever expressed.
The innocent blood of Abel cried out from the ground with a prophetic voice of recompense. Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant; His Blood speaks better things than that of Abel (see Hebrews 12:24).

It is the destiny of this generation of overcoming saints to enter the "fullness of the stature of Christ." It will be there calling to "taste the good word of God and the powers of the age to come" (see Hebrews 6:5). We have only seen isolated forerunners who introduced this more excellent way. A new day is upon us! This divine Life is in the Blood of Jesus; our quest is for a more comprehensive apprehension of its power.

Moving on to Maturity

The victory has already been won; it is now our place to appropriate it. This process is necessary for our spiritual development and maturation to rule and reign with Him as priests and kings. It would be quite simple for the Lord to eradicate every evil influence standing in our way. However, it is His desire to achieve it through us in a series of victorious battles that bring us to spiritual maturity.

These will be days of "blood and fire." Greater appreciation of the redemptive virtue of God's Blood and fiery conflicts between good and evil will prevail in coming days. Something truly noteworthy has been imparted into the spiritual DNA of this generation who qualify as overcomers – they are jealous for God in a militant way.

The Lord is a Warrior and those joined to Him share in His warlike attributes. His ministers are as a flame of fire and the angelic hosts assigned to co-labor with us are as winds that fuel the fire. This anointing will begin to address the "lukewarm" condition prevalent in much of the Western Church.

Emerging Warriors

Great warriors will emerge in this hour. The Holy Spirit is preparing a body of people to expose spiritual gates and open everlasting doors that the King of Glory may come in. He will reveal Himself as the awesome man of war Who is strong and mighty in battle (Psalm 24:7-8).
Substantial authority will be given to this warring band to sever the head from spiritual influences that have successfully stolen the inheritance of God's people. According to Psalm 74:14, "You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness."
God intends to retrieve His precious gifts and the vessels to which they are entrusted. These days will see many who are leaders of wickedness become vessels of light and righteousness. This is true in both the natural and spiritual arena. God is able!

Gleaning from the Past

For the past two decades I have had a keen interest in understanding modern revivals and the positive things that were done and also understanding failures and mistakes. Part of the mandate for this generation is to recapture and restore to the Church our lost heritage. Many forerunners and pioneers obtained a testimony from God and blazed a spiritual trail that left an indelible mark upon their generation and understood this high place in God.

Recently I was sharing some of the great things the Lord has shown prophetically that He will do in the last days through His mature sons and His spotless Bride. Someone then asked me, "How can these things be? They seem so tremendous!" When I inquired of the Lord the response came authoritatively saying, "Tell them there's power in the Blood. Tell them there will be the full appropriation of My Blood before the end comes."
Without the shedding of Blood there would be no forgiveness of sin or end-time plan of redemption (Hebrews 9:22). This empowerment will likewise be carried to the four corners of the earth. God is about to download, through His government, messages that teach and preach Calvary's Cross in profoundly powerful ways.

The Body of Christ has scarcely touched the great redemptive truths of the Cross; these will prepare the Bride for her union with the Bridegroom. The enthusiastic preaching of Christ's shed Blood will be recaptured in the Church through great revivalist in the order of John Wesley and George Whitefield.

New Wave of Revivalist

I was just recently in New London, Connecticut and preached from the very pulpit from which George Whitefield declared Great Awakening in 1740. You could feel the richness of the heritage and God's desire to release a new wave of revivalist to our generation.
Likewise, pastors and teachers will discover notable anointing on messages that stress the importance of the Lord's sacrifice and the great price of redemption. The Lord is coming with the now "opened" book of redemption in His hand. We are called to "eat it" and prophesy great mysteries of the

Kingdom to every nation, tongue and people (Revelation 10:8-10).
As in all wars, liberty and freedom are acquired at a cost. These realities will be imparted to those willing to consider the cost and pay it freely. We pay the price by allowing the pruning of the Holy Spirit so we may know Christ, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. There is power in the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Paul Keith and Wanda Davis
WhiteDove Ministries