VIDEO: 5th Trumpet - First Woe of Revelation
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. (2 Timothy 2:14 AKJV)
In this scripture, Paul is instructing a young leader, Timothy, to keep reminding God’s people not to quibble about doctrine. The items in Revelation that we have no absolute interpretation of, should not cause petty disagreements. We should be able to look at the items we can definitely identify and agree to disagree about the rest. The last three trumpets are events we should be willing to disagree about for they most definitely could be metaphorical.
And I beheld and heard an angel flying through the middle of Heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the Earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! (Revelation 8:13 AKJV)
Before I understood the principles of God being just, I really thought that every Christian who really sought God would walk as Peter did once God’s glory was being poured out. Many have desired to walk in the anointing of the disciples like in the Book of Acts, especially Peter who healed all those who came into a shadow’s distance from him.
We are entering a time where the true disciples of Jesus will once again walk in His power and glory. When I read these words at the Agape Fellowship live meeting, the Holy Spirit said that was what this verse is about:
And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the Earth: and there were voices, and thunder, and lightning, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:4-5 AKJV)
During the worship preceding this meeting, as we sang songs about being beside still waters and receiving the provision of the Lord, God showed me a vision:
The enemy is building up his forces to usher in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse that will affect many aspects of every government. God will not dispatch Michael to disperse the enemy for this must come to pass so that the prophecies in Revelation can be fulfilled and for God’s will to be done.
We must be attached to the Vine and guided by our Lord to receive the provision He has for us. Jesus longs to lead you beside still waters. Come and learn from Him!
After this I saw four angels stationed at the four corners of the Earth, firmly holding back the four winds of the Earth so that no wind should blow on the Earth or sea or upon any tree. (Revelation 7:1 AMPC)
The four winds are usually mentioned as “being released” in connection with a great judgment coming from God. (Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 7:2; Zechariah 2:6) Now the four winds are being firmly “held back.” There is a space of time when God will halt judgment: this is echoed in the beginning of the next chapter:
When He [the Lamb] broke open the seventh seal, there was silence for about half an hour in Heaven. (Revelation 8:1 AMPC)
And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, see, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of Heaven fell to the Earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (Revelation 6:12-13 AKJV)
What could cause the sun to become black and the moon to be red? Sackcloth of goat’s hair was used in mourning and usually connected to a time when judgment had occurred. Since we can still see a red moon, this cannot be a sun that is entirely blocked. Perhaps it refers to an eclipse of the sun. Before we address the red moon, let’s talk about the stars.
The “stars of Heaven” which fell may cause this. To understand why, we need to look at more scriptures.
When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains… (Matthew 24:15-16 AKJV)
When our Lord was asked when He would come to rule and reign, He warned His followers to watch for the abomination spoken of by Daniel. We have identified this as the AntiChrist appearing in the temple of God halfway through Daniel’s Week. Those in Israel are told to flee to the mountains. This may not literally mean to run into the hills.
Then Micaiah said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd… (2 Chronicles 18:16 AMPC)
In the Lord I take refuge [and put my trust]; how can you say to me, Flee like a bird to Your mountain? (Psalms 11:1 AMPC)
While writing this article, the Lord led me to 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul speaks about this life and the next, to demonstrate why He was revealing our abilities in Heaven.
But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-38 ESV)
The apostle begins with a metaphor about seeds which must die to receive their full glory. What we sow in this life is only a seed for what will grow to the fullness when we die and receive our eternal body. Paul relates it to our existence in this way:
A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 23:2 AKJV)
The Hebrew word mamzēr (mam-zare’) is translated “bastard” in the King James Versions of the Bible, but is sometimes translated to mean “illegitimacy.” It not only means those who are born outside of wedlock or in incest, but the root of the word means to contemn (regard with contempt), to despise, or be ashamed of. If a pregnancy happens outside of marriage and the parents speak words of rejection, shame, or are regarded with contempt because of it, the same curse comes to that family line.
When a child is born outside of wedlock, a curse is passed down to the tenth generation. Ten generations means that it can be passed on from any one of our 1,024 ancestors. Since so many people can be affected by this curse, this curse applies to most people.
To remove a curse you must be willing to confess for yourself and your ancestors. Confess means to see it the way the other person does, in this case, God. It is easy to confess for our ancestors. We know it is God’s will for sex and the product of sex to happen inside of a marriage, otherwise it is called fornication. We simply state the fact that what our ancestors did was wrong.
Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. (Revelation 1:3 AKJV)
We obediently study the Book of Revelation, even if we may not understand all that is written within. We thank you Lord for blessing us as we do this, granting us wisdom about when it is at hand.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9 ESV)
We have established that the words of our Lord confirm that there will be a seven-year period of time of Great Tribulation. Jesus referenced the prophecy of Daniel before this statement, which ties these two events together.
The prior chapters of Revelation showed the churches upon the Earth and what they needed to do to be in right alignment with God. In this chapter, we now see what is happening in Heaven.
...These things said He that is holy, He that is true, He that has the key of David, He that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens (Revelation 3:7 AKJV)
We have previously stated that Jesus has the key of David and is holding open a door which leads to Heaven and the Secret Place. How do we know this is the door the Lord opens? It is best to let the Bible provide the interpretation when possible.
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in Heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1 AKJV)
When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15 AKJV)
We are told by our Lord to look for and recognize this event as being close to the time of persecution and His return to rule and reign. Jesus would not tell His faithful followers that they would “see” this event if Christians wouldn’t be here; we will be around when this event happens. What is the “abomination of desolation?”
Seventy weeks are determined on your people and on your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. (Daniel 9:24 AKJV)
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things said He that is holy, He that is true, He that has the key of David, He that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens… (Revelation 3:7 AKJV)
This church needs to remember that there is a key that belonged to David which can open a door. We must examine David’s life to see what key he possessed. We know that he was a worshiper, more than half the Psalms were written by him. These songs and hymns were used to worship God.
When researching the Book of Psalms we see that David, his son Solomon, and Moses wrote about the Secret Place. David mentions it in three Psalms: 7, 18, and 31. When you worship the Lord with abandon like David, not caring who sees, and only focusing on God, this will activate the key to the Secret Place. Now Jesus holds that key and He will use the key to open a door that no man can shut!
When I initially began studying the churches in the
Book of Revelation, the Lord revealed something to me in a vision with Him that
began like many others, with us dancing in the gazebo of the Secret Place. With
great excitement, He took me by the hand and said, “I have something I want to
show you!”
We ran into the forest surrounding the meadow where
the tiny table for tea sits. Deep into the forest, the Lord led me into a cave.
It took seconds for my eyes to adjust to the glowing light on the cave walls.
Jesus led me deeper and deeper into smaller and smaller jagged-walled caverns
until we were stooping over, traveling single file through a narrow passageway.
Despite the soft ambient light, the closing in of the walls had me feeling
slightly worried as I thought, “What could possibly be exciting in this place?”
About that time, we emerged into an enormous cavern. Crystals on the ceiling and walls glowed with a brighter light so the entire area was revealed. A waterfall at one end created a small lake in the middle of the room. The water was luminescent; glowing with diffused light from the walls. Without hesitation, the Lord dove into the water and I followed.
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the Earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given to him a great sword. (Revelation 6:3-4 AKJV)
As the second seal is broken, the second beast begins to speak. It is a young bull according to Revelation 4:7. Scripture shows us that a bull can represent nations, so this “being,” watches over the nations of the Earth to reveal how this seal will affect them. The next seal releases a horse of a different color with a different purpose:
The revelation given to the
Apostle John contains a lot of events and items which may be metaphoric, based
in the time period it was written. We can create many theories, but much of the
contents may not be correctly interpreted without divine inspiration from the
Holy Spirit or until they come to pass. For this reason, we must learn to agree
to disagree on some things.
Our salvation doesn't
depend upon correctly interpreting the information given in Revelation. This is
food for thought and consideration.
For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19 AKJV)
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:5 AMPC)
In this Psalm, David refers to the Secret Place as the “tent” of the Lord. Jesus will visit with us there, not as the Lord who reigns over Heaven and Earth, but as our Beloved and our Brother. These visits are physical, they are visions you experience with the Lord.
On a visit to the Secret Place, He asked me to tell you about this realm; a place that our Heavenly Father set apart, where we can see not only Jesus, but Abba (Papa, Daddy), instead of Almighty God and the Holy Spirit, as our dear Friend. To visit with Him in the Secret Place on a regular basis, we must “overcome” the enemy as described in Revelation. If we will:
And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, Who died and came to life again… (Revelation 2:8 AMPC)
There is a church who needs to remember that Jesus was the First Born of many and the Last sacrifice we need. They also need to remember that He died, but was brought to life again.
I know your works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but you are rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2:9 AKJV)
Jesus wants you to know about some basic ways Heaven works. The journey to discover this information began one Monday, during the Dream Interpretation meeting on Zoom. I lost all WiFi connection, then came back in with data on my phone. Within 10 minutes, again I was kicked out and this time I couldn’t open the Zoom app on my phone.
People who have had a near-death experience (NDE) or have been taken to Heaven, explain it as vivid beyond description. This is one part or one aspect of Heaven. To fully understand experiencing Heaven in this way, we must look to the Word of God.
The Old Testament is written in Hebrew and the New Testament was originally written in Greek. If we look to the language of God’s people, the Hebrew word most often used for Heaven is shamayim. It refers to the “unseen” or “invisible” realm and is both singular and plural. Most Christians agree that Heaven is a “spirit realm” because Jesus declared that God is a spirit being:
We will continue studying the Book of Revelation,
not assuming we will find all the answers, but knowing much will remain a
mystery until the events begin to unfold. We are quite willing to agree to
disagree on many of the interpretations which are only “theory” and cannot be
proven at this time. We study the revelation given to the Apostle John so that
our minds are open to possibilities, should these events begin to happen in our
generation.
And I beheld another Beast coming up out
of the Earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And
he exercises all the power of the first Beast before him, and causes the Earth
and them which dwell therein to worship the first Beast, whose deadly wound was
healed. (Revelation 13:11-12 AKJV)
We have discussed the first Beast. We also know that the AntiChrist will be healed of a deadly head wound. The last Beast was a spiritual army of Satan. Is this Beast also an army?
One of the blessings of Revelation is that through
studying it we can identify some of the plans of the enemy. On the surface, it
often seems cryptic and impossible to understand. If we let the Bible, and
especially the Book of Revelation, interpret itself, we can get a glimpse into
the playbook of Satan’s army.
And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a Beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1 AKJV)
Just as chapter 12 in the Book of Revelation briefly recounted Israel’s history, now a recap of Satan’s activity is given. Most of the imagery in Revelation is metaphorical. Let’s examine other scriptures to see how to interpret them.
And the Beast which I saw was like to a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (Revelation 13:2 AKJV)
Before we discuss the churches of Revelation, the
Lord has asked me to show you what it means to be the Bride of Christ, since
the Church is the Bride. When Jesus refers to us as His Bride, it is more than
a title, it is how He feels about you. If you were engaged to be married to the
person of your choosing, how would you feel about them? Here is how the Lord
revealed His feelings to me:
I was listening to a waltz-like tune (not sold in stores) that says, “You’re my one desire, you’re my one thirst, more than anything, I seek You first…” As I raised my hands and closed my eyes I saw myself dancing with the Lord, whose features were indistinct, but I knew instantly who it was, nonetheless. My right hand dropped slightly while my left came down in front of my stomach, mimicking the position in the vision. It seemed natural for my feet to follow the path the Lord led me on as we waltzed together.
Towards the end of the song, a thought that wasn’t mine entered my mind, “This is our song.”
Mulling over those words, I finally replied, “Lord, this song is about how much I need You. Why is it our song?”
To hear more from the Holy Spirit, we should always acknowledge Him. If we “miss” what is saying and operate in the flesh or soul, it is necessary to restore our connection to Him. One of our team members had this dream to show what needs to be done:
In a school auditorium a quartet of boys were performing. They were off key and didn’t really know the words, but the huge crowd loved them anyway.
In the next scene a team member and two other girls were pushing red dollies (box movers) around on the stage and were performing as if in a musical in a theatre. A small audience of family members watched as they paraded around.
Occasionally the dollies would slip and hit the performers in the face, causing their mouths to bleed and the loss of their canine teeth.
Once the performance was over, they went backstage where Lynn Hardy applauded their efforts by letting them know that sometimes accidents happen. A female teacher had their intact, unharmed, and neatly wrapped teeth in a bag. The teacher smiled encouragingly as she handed each person their missing teeth.
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7 AKJV)
The Hebrew word sôḏ (sode) is translated secrets but means “secret counsel.” God reveals His plans to those whom He calls as prophets. The Word of God, from the Old Covenant to the New, Genesis to Revelation, paints a complete picture of His entire plan for mankind. Hundreds of prophecies were fulfilled by the first coming of Jesus, yet God’s people, Israel, failed to recognize the events as they unfolded.
The fulfillment of the prophecies occurred during what the Bible translates as “feasts” but literally means “appointed times.” The Lord instructed Moses:Standing strong while you wait on God to do as He has promised can be hard. The Bible speaks of it this way:
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth… (Ephesians 6:13-14 ESV)
We stand against all that the enemy brings against us while we wait for God to open the door to the Secret Place. I will not explore the entire armor of God here, but before meeting with the Lord face-to-face, the “belt of truth” is what will fuel your tank while driving toward your destiny. The Word of God, the Bible, is the truth. It is the first thing mentioned when describing the armor of God. There are some hidden truths about the Secret Place that we can apply here!
VIDEO: NOT Visiting the Secret Place
Over a year ago, the Lord told me to visit Him
every day in the Secret Place to be strengthened and receive instruction. I
took this very seriously and did my utmost to spend time in worship and
meditation. Occasionally I’d miss a day and quickly repent.
Last month we recarpeted our entire house. For three weeks we moved everything from the rooms and pulled up the old carpet. On top of this, I decided to repaint one of the largest rooms as well. Needless to say, I was quite busy, working long into the night. Because of this, my meditation time was shortened.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.... to another discerning of spirits… (1 Corinthians 12:7-10 KJV)
The Holy Spirit brings gifts to help us in this life. It is critical that the full body of Christ, the worldwide Church, uses the gift of discernment for all things. The Greek word diakrisis (dee-ak'-ree-sis) is translated as discerning, but it also means distinguishing or judging. Some may be given a very strong gift of discernment from the Holy Spirit, but as a mature Christian we should all have a basic level of discerning good from evil.
When I was called into ministry, I asked the Lord, “Are you sure it should be me? Many countries and denominations don’t believe a woman can lead or teach.”
Before I began the journey into my calling, Holy Spirit took me through the New Testament scriptures which spoke about women leaders and put my heart to rest. In the last week, the Lord has sent seven people to inquire about women leaders. It is clear that He wants me to share what He has revealed with His body. Paul wrote many letters instructing Christians addressing how the Body of Christ should be organized. In order to fully understand what he wrote, we must:
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 AKJV)
Apostle Paul identified three parts of every person when writing to the Thessalonians. We are a spirit being in a physical body with a soul (mind, will, and emotions). God is composed of three parts, and so are we as His children. The spirit part of our being is perhaps the most challenging to understand but it is also the part of our being that connects with our Father the most. We can and should connect with our Father, who is a Spirit, in Heaven.
VIDEO: Avoiding Potholes and Staying out of the Weeds
There are two early journal entries I’d like to share with you to help you stay out of the weeds and avoid potholes while you travel the Roadmap to Heaven.
The trials of the last month fade away as I recall how the Lord has confirmed that this is His will for me. I am going to Heaven! Maybe not tonight, maybe not even tomorrow, but He has confirmed it: I'm going. The miraculous story of meeting my 8 ft tall guardian angel, Richard, face to face can be found in the free book Angels Believe in You.
The time in between breaths becomes long as my body completely relaxes. Inside, I rejoice, praising the Lord for His goodness. I am going to Heaven! My spirit soars with joy. Tingling power flows across my body in a strong wave each time I breathe out. Again and again power floods through me like waves of a torrential downpour.
The fourth and final signpost is “time.” It was the hardest to accept and I have struggled with it from the beginning. One of my earliest journal entries I recorded while walking the Roadmap, when I was very young in my walk, shows how God revealed this to me in a very personal way:
As I get
comfortable for the night, my thoughts speaking to the Lord aren’t exactly
respectful: “What's up with this? All day today your presence has been
surrounding me and now that I'm here, ready to meditate, You don't even call
me? I thought we were practicing for Heaven?”
Silence surrounds me. The Big Guy offers no guidance.
Today in the Secret Place the trend of rhyming in song continued. I won’t repeat the exact words, for that is very time consuming. Here is the gist of what occurred:
As we danced, the Lord pointed out that I was slightly out of rhythm with Him. Mentally, I went through all the challenges and tasks awaiting me and released each one to Him. Our steps finally came into sync.
There was one particular project heavy upon my heart. I began asking the Lord questions about it. Our steps got out of sync once more. A wistful smile played about His lips as He asked, “Do you not yet realize that I know what your need is? That I will bring the answer without you asking?”
I looked to the Lord for confirmation, “Is that why You brought Tony to be my husband? So that I would experience what it is like to be taken care of? To have my needs thought of on a daily basis?”
“It is the way a husband should care for his wife and am I not to be your Husband?” He answered.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty… (Psalm 91:1 AMPC)
God would not have Moses begin this Psalm by stating it only applies to those who are dwelling in the Secret Place if it were not His will for all of His people to come and be with Him there. This is a Moses generation. God wants to bring all His children to “The Secret Place” where He can speak to them face-to-face. He did this with Moses, and it was His original intent to have all of Israel visit Him this way.
The next two signposts came quietly as I tried to push into the Secret Place once more. I wasn’t at all sure they were the signposts. Surely it couldn’t be that easy. It is very fitting that I had to seek confirmation from the Lord for more than a week before I knew it was the next step to visiting with God.
Most people think of desire as a strong wish or a craving for something. This is only a small part of what the Holy Spirit communicated to me as the meaning of the third step in visiting Heaven. Desire is associated with passion and passion with love. Do you want to visit with God because you love Him and want to get to know Him better? Or is it just to have a new experience? Are you looking to connect with your Father who will be with you for all eternity? Or do you want some spiritual gifts to impress your friends and family?
It is the desire of your heart, your inner being that counts with God. He loves you and it is your love for Him that opens the door to the Secret Place.
Delight yourself also in the Lord: and He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms 37:4 AKJV)
Many people pray and quote the last half of this verse about God giving us the desires of our hearts. The “and” connecting these two parts says that to have one, you must have the other. According to “Strong’s Concordance,” the Hebrew word `anag means “to be happy about, take exquisite delight in.” The word exquisite in this context means intensely felt. Put all these words together and we have “to be intensely happy with the Lord.” Then He will give you the desires of your heart. Notice it isn’t seeing Heaven that we need to be delighted in, but in the Lord.
The Hebrew word nathan translated in the passage as “shall give” can be defined as “to produce” or “to put.” In other words, when we take delight in the Lord it produces or places His desires in our heart. Is there a way to increase your delight in God? How can we increase or even establish our desires?
One of the biggest obstacles to applying this signpost is the way in which we became a Christian. For many of us, we were told, “All you have to do is say this prayer and say Jesus is Lord, then you get to go to Heaven: it is a free gift from God.” If this is the way you became a Christian, that may be the issue in walking the “Roadmap to Heaven.”
We must look at what is said in the Bible in the proper context to fully understand it and apply it to our lives.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23 AKJV)
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 AKJV)
Through Jesus, we receive eternal life. We cannot earn our place in Heaven, it only comes through Jesus. Up until this time, people had to sacrifice animals in order to go to Heaven. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for all time, so now no more sacrifices are necessary. However, this does not mean there is nothing we are expected to do after we say that prayer.
Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. (James 2:17 AKJV)
It is by faith that you are saved. When you have faith, it will be followed by working for God in some way. Many of us did not receive this as part of the “salvation” message. If we look at what happens in salvation, we know where our “work” should begin.”
...That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.… (Romans 10:9 AKJV)
Jesus must be our “Lord.” When this was written, the audience was very familiar with what that meant. Today, many don’t understand and fully comprehend what is necessary for one to be saved. The word “lord” means owner: a landlord is the landowner. It can also mean hereditary right or preeminence to whom it is that service and obedience are due. We must be willing to OBEY and SERVE in whatever way He tells us to. Other places in the Bible refer to those who have taken Jesus as Lord as “bondservants.” These are willing slaves to a master. This means we agree to do things His way, not our way, and to put Him first in all matters.
The first step after accepting Jesus as Lord is to figure out who your new Master is and what He expects out of those following Him. How can you follow His ways if you don’t know what they are? If you did not know that you would be expected to find out who Jesus is and what He wants you to do when you said the prayer to take Him as Lord, you may want to consider rededicating your life to Him now. You can pray something like this:
Heavenly Father,
I believe that Jesus Christ is Your only begotten Son, that He came down to our Earth in the flesh and died on the cross to take away all of my sins. I believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day to give all of us eternal life.
Lord Jesus, I accept You as my personal Lord and Savior. I now ask that You come into my life and live with me for all of eternity. I thank You that all my sins are forgiven because of the blood You shed for me.
For me, I just said, “Father, I realize that I have sinned and done horrible things, even saying You are not real. Please forgive me for this. If You can use me in any small way, just show me. I am willing to do whatever You need me to do.” After I said this prayer, I began reading the Gospels to figure out who Jesus was. I suggest you begin with the Book of John, then continue with Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The Lord became a REAL person as I did this and my life has never been the same.
Until you submit to Jesus as Lord you will not have the “desire” necessary to enter into the Secret Place. In my heart, I really thought that I had messed up so badly that maybe God could only use me for something like cleaning up at a church or volunteering at a “food pantry” to distribute food to the poor (not to belittle these tasks, as nothing is too small to do for the Lord). I actually did volunteer in these ways as I began walking with the Lord again many years ago. You must be willing to let go of everything you want to do and be ready for what Jesus has for you. I can promise you this: once you embrace it, the job will be the most fulfilling work you have ever done!
Once Jesus is your Lord, it is through the first two signposts, communion and focus, that you then begin to develop the desire and delight which will open the door to the Secret Place. Understanding where desire comes from may help.
Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flows the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23 AMPC)
…for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45 AMPC)
The spirit of a man is often referred to as our “heart.” Jesus tells us in the Book of Luke that our mouth will naturally speak what is dominant in our spirit. If we must keep and guard our spirit, then there must be a way for things to be placed in it.
So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 AKJV)
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8 AKJV)
Faith is something that takes place in our spirit, not in our mind. Hearing can impact our spirit and we are urged to hear more of the Word of God. This means that one way our desire can increase is by hearing. This is backed up by Paul’s instructions to the Philippians when he tells them to focus on the good things as stated in the verse above. Jesus also gives similar instructions:
And He said to them, “Take heed what you hear: with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you: and to you that hear more shall be given.” (Mark 4:24 AKJV)
You must choose what you are going to listen to. What you are going to feed your spirit. Paul encouraged Timothy to “stir up” the gifts given to him:
Why I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands. (2 Timothy 1:6 AKJV)
When you “stir up” trouble, you are talking about and bringing attention to challenging things or unsettling the status quo or changing people’s perceptions. For years, marketing companies have known how to “stir up” people’s desire for products. Millions of dollars are spent on radio ads where items are spoken about. Billions have been spent on commercials where we’re shown what advertisers want us to buy. Ad agencies regularly pay movie directors big bucks for product placement. It serves both as a branding opportunity and as an occasion for their merchandise to be plainly on display in scenes that can be noticed by the viewing public.
This may seem complicated, but the reality is quite simple. Often, before you get to visit the Secret Place, your desire for Jesus may need to be stirred up. We can stir up desire for visits with Him by reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that speak of His time on Earth. We can also look elsewhere in the New Testament, but it may take some effort on our part:
Brothers, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14 AKJV)
Paul, who wrote more than half of the books in the New Testament, counted all he knew as nothing. He urged believers to leave their old ways, the ways of the world behind. They needed to press forward toward the job, the calling the Lord had for them. This is a choice we must make: that whatever God created and designed us to be, whatever job He needs for us to do, we shall do it.
All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. (Philippians 3:15 ESV)
If your desire for a deeper relationship with the Lord is lacking, talk to God about it with sincere honesty. Let Him make His will clear to you.
Here are a few things that may help:
This is a journey. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. If you get off track, just ask God to help you make up for lost time. After all, He is the God of second, third, and fourth chances!
My good friend, let’s call her Carol, was using my computer to complete a project so I headed upstairs to take a shower. Afterward, I decided to do a charcoal facial mask. The black paste on my face needed 20 minutes to dry so I couldn’t use my glasses to read the Bible or work on the computer. I decided to relax in my bed and worship God.
After listening to a couple of songs, I switched off the music. “Abba…” I called with a mental cry, “Daddy… can we play for a while? It’s been a rough week.” So far, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit had only appeared at church during worship, but my heart longed to spend more time with my Heavenly Father. I wanted nothing more than to be held in the arms of my Father for a short while but didn’t have any conviction that He would show up.
Out of the darkness, before my closed eyes, a shape appeared. His eyes glowed with an inner fire that was strong and comforting. He scooped me up into His arms and I hugged His neck, burying my face in His white, shoulder-length hair. “I love you…” I whispered. “I missed you.”
“I love you, too, and am glad to see you,” He replied. Then He asked, “What would you like to play?” I was so glad that He showed up. I was sure He’d have the perfect thing planned and didn’t really care what we played and told Him so. Before I could answer Him, He said: “Let’s play checkers.”
Checkers? That seemed like an odd choice to me. When I met with my Daddy before, He knew exactly what I liked… and I really wasn’t overly fond of checkers. I had long outgrown the simplistic game of strategy. Besides, if this isn’t Heaven it was close enough. Playing checkers was the last thing I wanted to do here!
At the table that appeared, I took my place none too gracefully, flouncing down onto the chair. I was mortified as my inner feelings were displayed clearly in my behavior: disinterested, I slumped to one side leaning my chin on my hand, picking a checker piece at random and moving it forward.
As the author of a fantasy series, I am used to making up stories in my head —it is a talent that earned me the nicknames of Space-case and Airhead growing up. Meeting with the Trinity takes place in my mind, but it is very different from creating fantasies in your mind.
In previous visits, I learned that all I had to do was think of a question. The small childlike version of me would ask, though not always in the exact words I was thinking. To me, this experience proved that it wasn’t my imagination at play: when I created stories, the characters did what I wanted, what I directed them to do. I created every word and every response.
Now, however, I had the unsettling discovery that inner feelings cannot be hidden in this special place with the Trinity. Emotions and feelings can determine the actions of my spirit being. This brings a whole new meaning to “being transparent.” The Bible tells us that God sees into our hearts. In this space with God, the reality of that fact is played out.
When I moved the third red checker piece into place, Daddy jumped it with one of His pieces. A few more moves and more of my pieces disappeared while His pieces invaded my side of the board. “This isn’t fair!” I said with a huff. I dashed from my seat and climbed into His lap like I was scaling a hill. “You know everything, I have no chance of winning!”
I sunk back against His chest. Words came forth like water from a broken dam, “I’m tired of losing! It seems like all I do is lose!” Tears poured from my closed eyes. Hidden feelings that I thought I had dealt with long ago were revealed. “I try and try, but everything I think I am supposed to do just fails!” Sobbing, I buried my face in His chest as He stroked my hair. Thoughts of my first series, the movie based on said book, the game based on the same book… even my delayed trip to Heaven flowed through my mind as He held me.
Softly He asked, “Look at the game. What happens when you lose?”
A glance revealed that His pieces had taken over two-thirds of my side of the board. “You move into that spot…” I whispered. Instantly, the Bible verse my mom always likes to quote came to mind, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 KJV)
“So I wasn’t failing, I was giving more of my life to You?” Just then the conclusion my mind had drawn sprung from the lips of the tiny version of myself.
“Exactly,” He whispered. The heaviness of pain, condemnation, self-doubt, and frustration fell away. A burden I didn’t even know I was carrying was lifted from me.
After a few more minutes of hugging (there is always lots of hugging in our moments together), He asked, “Want to go on the swing?”
I leapt down from His lap with the exuberance of the child I appeared to be. He picked me up and placed me on a big swing. My lips turned down in disappointment when I realized that if He went behind me to push, I wouldn’t any longer be able to see Him.
As the swing began to move He asked, “What do you feel?”
I focused on my spiritual body, mini-me. Suddenly, I was no longer watching the scene from a third-person perspective; I was in a little person’s body. There was a light breeze as I went up and down on the swing. I didn’t have to say it out loud, He knew.
“What do you see?”
Sight in this place was much different than our natural sight: it was more like a muscle. At first, things were vague without much detail, including God. But with each visit, things became clearer. I brought my eyes up, staring straight out, and strained to focus on what was before me. The scene wasn’t vivid as I’ve heard Heaven to be, but it was clear that the sun was rising over a mountain with a city below.
“A new day is dawning for My children,” Daddy confirmed, as I saw myself swinging.
While I was still swinging, I felt His arms wrap around me. It was like He was on the swing with me, holding me close. I could see mini-me swinging and God surrounding me as if I was riding on His lap. “Nothing can harm you because I am with you,” He told me.
Psalm 91, part of my daily prayers, came to mind, “He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge.”
I knew, beyond a doubt, that my spiritual self would be forever safe from all harm. “But what about the rest of me?” As I thought about my physical body I saw it lying on the bed. “What about my immune system that allows allergies attack? The vertigo that plagues me…?” Instantly a correction came. It was a strong knowing, a fact that appeared in my mind. My physical body isn’t really me; it is just a tent, a house in which my spirit lives. My mind struggles with a new question, “How can Your protection expand to include…?”
While I struggled to find the words, I realized that I could not see or feel God anymore. As I became more focused on my physical self, the spiritual world disappeared. “Daddy!” I cried, turning my mind from the physical body to the dark of the spiritual world. “Where are you? Come back!” It seemed like minutes passed while I called out for Him.
“I am here,” He appeared before me. “I will not leave you.”
I leapt into His arms. “But I couldn’t find you. I couldn’t see you!” I insisted, “I couldn’t even feel you!”
“Even when you can’t see or feel Me, I will always be with you,” His words were reassuring.
It is one thing to read the words of the Bible, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV), it is quite another to hear them from God, Himself. A feeling of strength and peace surged into my spirit.
Daddy put me down before Him, “It is time for you to go. There is work for you to do.” He tousled my hair and my heart soared. He trusts me to get things done.
The scene faded, but I knew that I would be back and have more questions answered; questions that I might not even know to ask, but that would mean more to me than I could fathom.
Loud footsteps sounded on the stairs. Carol called out to me. She needed my help. Feeling renewed, I was grinning as I climbed out of bed. There would have been no time to delve into that final question: How God’s presence with me can affect my physical body. Going downstairs, I hoped that would be one of the questions that got answered on my next trip.
After I helped Carol with the project, I told her, “I was spending time with God while this mud dried on my face. He said it was time to go just before you came up the stairs.” I tried to explain why my shower had taken so long, hoping it would comfort her to know that God knew she needed me and responded to that need.
“Well, that just makes me angry,” Carol replied.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you angry,” I apologized, before asking, “Why is it upsetting to you?”
“I have been going to the Courts of Heaven. I’m even doing it out loud now, and I haven’t heard even a word, much less God telling me it’s time to go!”
I understood her frustration. It was hard for me personally to see a “Christian” publisher with shady business practices flourish while I struggled. Many times, Christians will get angry or upset when they are asking God for healing and someone else gets exactly what they are asking for.
Over the years, I realized that the success of others didn’t take away from what God was doing, or going to do with me. God is not short on miracles. Rejoice when you see the supernatural work of God… He is not short on power or blessings and has plenty to go around. Rejoicing in someone else’s fortune is a great way to see it manifested in your own life.
I tried to apply logic, “I have been considering the fact that you and Alice don’t get to see as much in the Courts of Heaven as I do. Christ told Thomas, ‘blessed is he who does not see and yet believes…’ ” I said. “Maybe I am allowed to see more because I am explaining the process to others in the book about the Courts.”
Attempting to address part of the issue, I encouraged her further, “And remember, I have been at this for 16 years. You began seeking deeper experiences with the Holy Spirit a year ago and have come a long way since then. It may just be a matter of time.”
More Articles on the Courts of Heaven can be found in the:
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| Roadmap to Heaven |
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| Destroying Curses in the Courts of Heaven |
Many people think of boot camp as a place you train for combat. Any veteran will tell you that basic training is about three things:
Eager hearts cry out, hoping for a single word to confirm that He hears us. Yet, many times the only sound is silence. Over the years I have heard several reasons why God speaks to some and not to others. One night, as I tossed and turned, I brought each of these reasons before the Lord, stating why each of them did not line up with who I thought He was. |
Our rights to appear in the Courts of Heaven have been greatly undervalued. The missing key to our authority is here. Jesus has provided the access and the Bible shows us the court procedures. When we learn to operate in our rightful place as children of the Most High, the enemy will be defeated and we will see the victory we have prayed for.
The death of Jesus freed us from the curse of the law. However, we must declare this freedom just as we must make a declaration for our salvation.
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