Avalanche Refresh

Steve Hill released a prophetic word two years ago about a coming spiritual avalanche. The full word was posted at the Charisma News site, and a fuller explanation was posted on the main Charisma site.

In a dream last night, I recalled Steve’s word. I was walking at the top of a snow-covered peak. I watched as a stainless steel cannon ball was fired at the upper levels of the sloop. It was meant to cause an avalanche. Based on Steve’s word, I would consider this to be an action that was initiated by God, but it was still a dangerous situation. There was no need to fear though for those with the right footwear. Those who walked on the peaks wearing sandals did not need to be afraid of the avalanches. For me, sandals speak of humility and a simplicity of trust in Jesus. It is an uncomplicated, unsophisticated faith that causes us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

I woke up this morning thinking about the goodness of God. In particular, I was focused on the intentionally of God’s goodness. The world at large can accept that God loves them, but I think that there is an assumption that God’s love is an automatic action, a default state if you will. It is almost as though we imagine God as being "accidentally kind". In reality, God has gone out of his way to show us kindness, mercy, patience, and forgiveness.

It is through a relationship of trust with Jesus that we are saved. I grew up hearing that we trust in and adhere to Jesus in order to be saved. That is true and yet, the focus is off. We trust in and adhere to Jesus because of who He is: He is the only begotten Son of God. He is the manifestation of the radiance of God’s glory. He is the righteous and holy judge before whom we all will give account of our lives. It is out of a recognition and a proper response to who Jesus is that we enter into relationship with him. Out of that context flows the care and intentional kindness of God.

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[c] depart from iniquity.” – 2 Timothy 2:19

As we focus our hearts on the nature of God, we will stand secure on the solid foundation of God. There is no slippery slope for us when we walk in a humble recognition of who God is and of who are before him.

A Different Sort of Stamina

I have had various dreams and prophetic experiences in which I saw hard times ahead. I have shared with others that God is creating within us endurance for what is on the horizon. Others have seen and predicted economic collapse and civil unrest. Accordingly, I usually think about stamina in the content of standing strong in the midst of overwhelming pressure and sadness. Today though, I had a thought come to mind as I was walking around my workplace, “What if God is developing in us a stamina for joy?”

In March of 2010, I had an amazing dream about a coming revival. In the dream, I was with a group of believers. One of them made a rough calculation of how many people had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior in the last 2,000 years. To give us a visual representation, they filled a glass jar halfway to the top with water. As we observed, the water in the jar continued to increase as more people in our day came to a personal trust in Jesus. In an approximately 2 year period, the water filled the jar to the very top. We were experiencing true revival. People were not debating the gospel with believers: They knew the basic facts, and they had a personal conviction that they needed to get right with Jesus. The most exciting part of the dream was I knew that we would empty the jar to allow for more water to fill it. When we did, I knew that the greatest increase was yet to come!

In Luke 15:10, Jesus told us, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” If one person coming to trust in Jesus causes joy in Heaven, what would it be like if millions of people came to trust in Jesus? It would be wave after wave after wave of joy. Can we handle that much heavenly joy?

It is my belief that our lives will intersect and interact with Heaven’s realities in a greater way in the coming years. Many of our ideas about God comes from our earthly experiences rather than heavenly experiences. The darkness of this world has given a certain religious glimmer to soberness and sadness. What if we are destined to experience a greater level of heavenly joy than we have ever known? If that is the case, it is time for God to give us greater stamina for joy.

Ice Cream Makers and Sabbath Rest

Two weekends ago, I commented to a friend that I would love to have a hand-crank ice cream maker. My family owns a small electric unit, but the concept of making ice cream purely by hand seemed magical. That next week, I walked into the local thrift store. There on the shelf, it waited for me: An original Richmond Cedar Works hand-crank ice maker.

I knew that God had postured me to receive it. There was something to cause me minor concern though. I paid $6 for it. Later in the week, I found myself researching the prophetic meaning of the number six. Among other things, it can mean “Human labor contrasted with God’s rest” and “Rest (six full days bring us to seven : rest)”. There was an immediate connection between the concept of human labor and laboring to make ice cream, but I could not reconcile that with the belief that God had blessed me with the unit.

On the following Sunday, we mixed up the ice cream custard base, purchased ice, and got to business. We cranked and cranked and cranked. We figured that the ice cream would be ready when the crank was too hard to push. Sadly, the plastic beater broke in half. No more ice cream maker.

I was deeply confused by this. How could God bless me with a hard to find item and then allow it to be so easily broken? It was only as I thought about the $6 that it came together for me: We are moving from our labors into the time of God’s Sabbath rest. What worked in those six previous days will no longer suffice on the Sabbath.

Many of us have worked hard for God. We have seen little fruit for our labors, and we have taken comfort in the sweat, tears and sacrifices that we have made for God. Now, it is the end of our labors. God is about to do something in our time that cannot be earned. It cannot be qualified for through human labor. He is causing every place of “Look at what I accomplished for you, God!” to be broken beyond repair. We are beginning to transition from boasting of our works to boasting of God’s works.

Do not grow discouraged as your best achievements unravel. The brokenness being produced will allow God to use us in a way that far surpasses our finest labors. It is just the end of who we are in this world’s system and the beginning of who we are in Christ. Abandon the ideals of human perfection and acceptance. It is time to sit in Daddy’s arms and know that we are loved as His children.