Hello Friends!
Happy Happy New Year! Wow. What a year this has been. Epic, really.
But now it’s time to look forward.
I wanted to share what’s been on my heart for 2013. But let me first back up a bit to put it in context.
For years now I’ve seen this picture from the Lord. It comes before me quite often…. in prayer, while preaching, ministering, worshipping… but the picture has always been the same. I would see a very large sea of people that I knew was representative of the body of Christ. They would all be crouched over a bit, like they were huddled down on the floor. As I watched, I would see one person stand up. Then another. Then another. But I would never see more than a handful of people stand up, even though my heart was electric, anticipating more people to rise. Then the picture would stop.
Friends, can I just tell you how much I love the Body of Christ?! Yet I know there’s more love for His Bride to be poured out upon us all. It’s a love that the Lord longs to birth within His Church. A driving passion for the WHOLE church to thrive and beat with the Heart of God should pulse through our veins.
I can barely write this without shaking, as tears well up. This morning, as I was sitting with the Lord and asking Him about 2013, I immediately saw this very strong picture; It was the same sea of people, crouched over, huddled to the ground. But in a single, swift move, almost instantaneously and in total unity, they all stood up and looked forward. It was so powerful that the ground trembled and the sound of their feet thundered as they stood.
She’s going to stand up!
The very existence of the Body of Christ on this planet is the only reason the enemy has not had total rule. Our mere presence on the earth, as we house the Spirit of the Living God both individually and corporately, opposes Satan and all his works. When we shrink back in fear, the enemy tries to take the ground we’ve just given him. But the power of He who is in us is so mighty, that when we simply stand the enemy is defeated. This is the year that the Body of Christ will stand up. GREAT revelation of our corporate, global identity is on our doorstep.
Stand, my beloved friends. Stand and know who is within you.
Just as Joshua and Caleb faced the giants in the land they were promised, there are in fact giants in our land. The Israelites grew in strength, dignity and confidence as they fought their battle and took their land. The outcome of their battle was never threatened. The Lord had already promised their victory. But He still let the giants remain in the land for the children of Israel to learn to stand. This is what we must know; we are being trained to rule and reign with Christ for all eternity. He is determined to mature us through the battles. The outcome is not threatened. We’ve been promised the ultimate victory. But what happens within us as we overcome is greater increasing revelation and understanding. We grow up.
I feel like the Lord has been breathing upon His Bride and urging us to stand for quite some time. I don’t know how it’s going to happen, or what it will look like, but this I know for certain; this is the year that the Body of the Living Christ will stand up, with revelation knowledge of the Greater One within.
The very presence of the Church in the world stands in opposition to the enemy of our King.
Satan fears the day we stand.
Stand beloved one.
Just stand up.