Gathered Around the Fire

RETURN TO ME... ALL YOU WEARY AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST SHEMITAH - A SET APART YEAR TO ENTER HIS REST There has been a growing sense within me that we are each to return to our inheritance during this season. Which you all know, I have mentioned several times this past year. However, I saw something clearer this morning than ever before.  If we were under the old covenant, with the (physical) sacrifices of lambs and goats and bulls, then, of course, we would be returning to the (physical) land left to us by our earthly fathers, our (physical) earthly inheritance.  But we have entered into the New Covenant, where the blood of Christ speaks a better word. In this covenant, the spiritual has replaced the mere shadow of the old covenant, which dealt in the temporary (physical things) that have both a beginning and an end. These spiritual things are eternal and therefore our inheritance is a spiritual place or if you will it is a spiritual land ...

Metamorphosis is a symbol of new life, when Butterflies first crawl out of the chrysalis, they are a little nasty and wet and they have to let their wings dry out and harden for a couple of hours in the sun before they can fly. Despise not the day of small beginnings.  When we speak of release in the coming season, we are speaking of this process of crawling out of, the chrysalis of the last season. The past season of our lives is like the chrysalis, with wings still wet, too wet to fly right off. However, we have to come out of the chrysalis of yesterday in order to fly with the wings provided today. How long does it take for the butterfly to emerge? about 7 days to 10 days, or it can winter over and come out next summer. Well I was going to compare the seven years of Shemitah to the timing of the butterfly's emergence , but that is just ridiculous! or is it? What does a butterfly have to do with Shemitah? The butterfly emerges from the chr...

Again as we said before in an earlier post ( Acting Out on Purpose ,) many of the Old testament Prophets were commanded to act out the word of the Lord.  In this chapter 37 of Ezekiel even uses the word commanded in the text, in V7 and again in verse v10. However, in this passage, another element indicative of the gift 'in a man' rather than the 'gift of prophecy' is displayed here. Namely that, as the man of God prophesies, what has been prophesied begins to happen, immediately changing the reality. This is probably one of the most familiar passages out of Ezekiel, it is the valley of dry bones.  37  The hand of the  Lord  came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the  Lord , and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it  was  full of bones.  2  Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold,  there were  very many in the open valley; and indeed  they were  very dry....

Yesterday's post was about the numbers of the date 11-11-20-14 and I am sure some people think that even taking the time to do that is just goofy.  That has been the word used to describe me over the last fourteen years, so I might as well get used to it, to my critics, I admit it, I am goofy. But seriously, Why would anybody pay attention to the numbers of a date?    I am so glad you asked...   Because right after publishing yesterday's post on numbers, I was wondering if I would earn the title goofy again by some of those who might happen across this blog. However, I was encouraged by reading Ezekiel 24 this morning.  In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me: son of man, record this date, this very date because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.   Ezekiel 24:1-2 Here Ezekiel is commanded to record the date, 10-10-9. Let's just take a look at the numbers the Holy...

This Passage of Scripture came up in my daily reading this morning  and I thought I would share it here. Just as an aside I thought I would look at 11 since it is twice in today's roman calendar date. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then He adds: "their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.   Therefor brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, opened for us through the curtain, that is His body , and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed...

THE SHEMITAH PATTERN RE-EMERGES EVERY SEVEN YEARS FOR 21 YEARS! Each of these Shemitah transition years in my life were very significant changes for me and the people around me. They brought about a change of seasons and I expect this year will be no different. Many of the changes were moves from one place to another... geographical, spiritual authority, relational, or philosophical. I have compared these Shemitah years by the use of the pattern I saw of a six week (46 day) window before Rosh Hashanah, starting with the seven year sign of my house and the foundations of the CLC congregation. The dates of the first two are exactly seven years apart even to the day. The number 40 is significant of probation or trial, and the number six is the significant of man. so the 46 days mentioned in each story means ( trial of man, or probation of man), (whereas, 42 means probation or trial of the house) FIRST THE NATURAL  In 1993   Shemita...

Acting Out On Purpose...for God's purposes. Some of you have heard me say over the years that the prophetic person given to intercession is like a pantomime or an actor on a stage. They are called to act out with their life, what God is doing, or is about to do. This acting is not necessarily included in the gift of prophecy, but it can be included when the gift is the man, at least this was the case with many of the Old Testament prophets, and I believe it is still true today for the  weeping prophets, men  like Ezekiel, which are most widely known today as prophetic intercessors. I have sometimes compared this office to a windsock, if you look at the man who is a prophetic intercessor you can see which direction the wind is blowing and how hard it is blowing, or if it is blowing at all. God will blow on the man, as a sign for you, your family, your congregation, your city, your region and perhaps even your country. This analogy is even more appropriate bec...

Recently I woke up in the middle of the night realizing a connection between a couple of experiences I walked through this year.  I had previously thought of them as coincidence, with no understanding of their significance. Let me explain. in May 2014 I became aware that Cindy Jacobs was coming to the House Church in Eagan, MN to speak. I have a long history with the land and the building where the House Church now gathers. Although it has been called many things over the years, it started out as Jesus People Church, a remnant of folks who paid off the larger congregation's debt and re-consolidated their investment into the new building in Eagan .  My wife and I were part of that congregation for fourteen years from 1976 -1990. After we left, it became an independent Assembly of God congregation. When the pastor left for Colorado, it became a full-fledged, Assembly of God congregation. A few years later things changed again and it became primaril...

Let us hold fast the confession of  our  hope without wavering, for He who promised  is  faithful.    And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,   not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as  is  the manner of some, but exhorting  one another,  and so much the more as you see the Day approaching .   Hebrews 10:23-25 A personal message to the Mankato 7 - WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?... please read my post on the reoccurring patterns of Shemitah  I think when you look at the dates and the meanings for the numbers of those dates you will see a pattern that the Holy Ghost was giving us even back in the winter. that message should encourage you. Some of you have been meeting weekly for prayer for six years!  In the four years since I have joined this merry band of prophetic intercessors, we have worshiped God together, we have sung along with worship CDs, we have sung...