A Cup of Coffee and a Slice of Heaven: What is in store for 2016?This is the season of re...

A Cup of Coffee and a Slice of Heaven: What is in store for 2016?This is the season of re...: What is in store for 2016? This is the season of restoration and manifestation Joel 2:25-27:  24  The threshing floors will be filled...

What is in store for 2016?

This is the season of restoration and manifestation

Joel 2:25-27:  24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm-- my great army that I sent among you. 

26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. 

27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.

How will this work?

Let’s look at some definitions: restoration 

noun res·to·ra·tion \ˌres-tə-ˈrā-shən\

: the act or process of returning something to its original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.

: the act of returning something that was stolen or taken

This is the season where new processes begin!  God is acting on your behalf to restore your life to its original design.  Look at it like this: If you put an address in your GPS and head out on a journey, the GPS doesn’t factor in distractions, fill-ups, car problems, etc. It just calculates a course.  Along the way; however, we may get distracted by a new restaurant, or an unexpected accident.  Sometimes we miss our turn because we couldn’t get to the exit ramp because of traffic,or because we weren’t paying attention.  When the GPS figures out that you have gotten off course, it says: RECALCULATING. God is recalculating your journey to get you back on track to the original destination that he set for you! Now that is praise worthy! Go take a lap.  I will wait.

Manifest:  verb (used with object): to make clear or evident to the eye or the understanding; show plainly; to prove; put beyond doubt or question:

God is going to make your destiny and your purpose clear, and show plainly to your sphere of influence that indeed His hand is upon you, without a doubt, or a question. It’s a season of elevation, naturally and spiritually. Those who have remained faithful will see God tangibly move in their situation. It’s harvest time.  We will reap what we have sown, regardless of what we have put in the ground. With that in mind, examine your seed!  If you have sown faithfulness, love, loyalty, and even money that is what you will reap.  If you have sown disobedience, complacency, bitterness, and pride, guess what you will reap? This is the time to sit with God, and settle the matter. Though our sins are like scarlet, He can make us whiter than snow (Isaiah 1:18).   There is a grace to meet the new challenges that manifestation presents. There is no room for fear in this realm.  We can be afraid—but God expects us to flow in our new place anyway.  It does not matter how we go; we still MUST GO!  

How will this work in your daily life?

If we were a priceless painting, and we became damaged because we had been mishandled, damaged in transport, or carelessly used, restoration would be needed. If God were the artist used to restore us to our original greatness there would be some undeniable truths that are considered:

1.       The fact that restoration is even considered expresses the value that the Artist attaches to the work of art;

2.       The piece of art is unique, so the materials that the Artist uses to restore it must also be unique and of the highest quality.

3.       Because the work is so valuable, the process to restore it is painstaking, and

4.  requires patience and perseverance from all who are involved.

Because God considers us to be unique and priceless, He is concerned that His masterpiece has been damaged. He is  beginning a process in us to bring us to our original design. This requires Him to use unique experiences, relationships and opportunities that will restructure and rebuild us. This is a painstaking process, and God will spare no detail.  He will do this in the following ways:

A Return to the Basics:    God is calling us back to the discipline of prayer and a more disciplined life. There are many voices speaking in this hour, and the Lord wants us to be in tune to the voice that matters; His. He is also calling us back to corporate prayer.  There is no way that a San Bernardino, a Charleston South Carolina, or a Chicago, IL should go unchallenged by the Body.  It is time that we stop trying to legislate morality, and address these issues where they belong: in the spirit.  We are not wrestling against flesh and blood! If we don’t want governmental measures that compromise the plan of God, we must challenge it first in the spirit realm so that we have the WISDOM of how to challenge it the natural.  We will see a rise in prayer revivals, shut-ins, 24-hour prayer rooms and the like.   By doing the work in the Spirit, we will see an increase of signs, wonders and miracles begin to manifest in the natural, we will see the corporate power of the Body begin to become plainly visible, and the Body will be more effective in the natural realm. Worship will become literally trans-formative; the tangible presence of God will rest in the prayer-filled atmosphere.  Revival is about to break out in Australia; simply because they love worship. 

Faith:. In John 21, Jesus encountered the disciples who had toiled all night and had caught nothing. At Jesus’ instruction they cast their net on the other side of the boat and tried again.  This time they brought up a haul.  God is asking us hope against hope, forget past failures and try again.  The trying of our faith is what works patience in us, and patience brings maturity. (James 1:3)

Maturity:  God is calling the Body to a new level of maturity. We must let go of the past, and all other unfruitful emotional ties. We must let go of self-pity and living like victims.Our God is GREATER! God is going to challenge unfruitful mindsets, habits, and behaviors. If it can be shaken, it will be shaken! God will require us to submit to the gentle pressure of the Holy Spirit, and to refocus our attention to His priorities.  He will also require us to be more corporately-minded. God is calling us to unity.  Unity commands a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 133).

We will also have to erect and respect healthy boundaries within all of our relationships. This is not a call to isolate, but it is an admonishment to make sure that we are not permitting our natural relationships to trump our heavenly relationship with God. There is a difference between meekness and weakness. We cannot be angry when the enemy keeps coming in because we refuse to shut the doors.

Service:  This is the season for faith based outreach programs to MANIFEST and begin to take care of HIS people!   This requires unity, faith, and maturity.  We want to influence; not  be the ones that are influenced!

Business:  I have prophesied this since 2013 and I will continue to sound the trumpet in this area.  God’s hand is on small businesses.  Business ideas have no better opportunity than now to come forward.  A wise businessman once taught that new business owners should not say “Ready, Aim, Fire”! New business owners should say “Ready, Fire, Aim!”  Just start something; anything!  We will find the niche for our business only when we step out in faith.  I bind the spirit of fear that holds the Body of Christ in bondage.  God wants to bless our businesses, but if we don’t start it, He can’t bless it.  Let’s get it crackin’!

Random Insights: Here are some things that I sense will take place. They are listed in no particular order:

·         We will see a marked increase in the population worldwide. More specifically, we will see an increase in multiple births. 
·         Women who have not been able to conceive will do so this year; again we will see them get “double for their trouble” lots of twins, and other multiple births.
·         God’s hand will be on small business…we will see small businesses explode and become very lucrative (see above). This is especially true for healthcare businesses.
·         Don’t sleep on  Marco Rubio.  I don’t know much about him, but God’s eye is on him. Please pray against a presidential assassination attempt even after Obama leaves office. Regardless of our opinions, such an incident will throw our country into utter chaos.  The intercessors must stay on the wall for the safety of our country. 
·         We will continue to see the exposure of systemic race/culture/economic disparity. A major periodical/media outlet will do an expose’ type of report or film which will cause the rumblings of a paradigm shift in America
·         We will see significant breakthrough in the treatment of HIV and diabetes, and some forms of cancer. 
·         We will also see a breakthrough in technology especially from China. China’s economic progress is a game changer in business.  A few years ago, I saw a red star rising in the east.  The Lord said that this was China. China is about to be a force to be reckoned with! While we are focused on the Middle East, China will double its economic influence.
·         There will be in increase in lawlessness in America; we will see more terrorism and hate crimes in the land.  Some of these will feel like run of the mill terrorism, but they will be less organized and seem more focused on vengeance and hate rather than a political or religious agenda. I feel like there will be an attack on the scale of Oklahoma City, but I think it will be domestic terrorism versus from Isis or the like.  I am not sure this is for 2016, but I sense a major terrorist attack on three major cities; one of which is New York City.  The other cities will be a southern city and a western city. I hope to be dead wrong about this.  This is a job for the intercessors! Get on the wall and give God no rest until the plan of the enemy fails!
·         We will see a “streamlining” in the church.  Many churchgoers will return to house to house worship and small group fellowship, or shift their worship to smaller store-front style churches.  Mega churches that hear the cry of the Spirit will begin to really focus on small group worship.  Christians will begin to reject church programming and will begin to actively seek fellowships that focus on worship.
·         God’s glory will fall in the smaller houses of worship. We will see increases of signs, wonders, and miracles in those places. This is where revival will begin.

God is still working out the last part of this season, so FINISH STRONG!!! Overall, I believe this is a time to celebrate. Restoration and manifestation is not easy, but there is a tangible result to the process.  Let’s set our face toward the new and commit to cooperating with the Lord. He has given us the grace to be victorious over every challenge. I am going to stand on Psalm 66: 8-12: Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; ⁹ he has preserved our lives, and kept our feet from slipping. ¹⁰ For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.¹¹ You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.¹² You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Love to all of you!

RD 12/12/15

Random Stirrings

     I had a client yesterday, and as I worked, my mind kept going back to a post in my personal journal that I made on 05/6/14.  I remember praying that day, and I kept seeing a red star.  I remember stopping the prayer and waiting on God.  I heard the Lord say, "There is a red star rising in the east". I began to pray over the United States.  And I saw a red flag waving. The Lord said that China would become a formidable power in the days to come, and that their power would be felt economically first--with the development of some game-changing technology. Last Sunday, I heard a prophet visiting the church that I attend echo the something similar, then a friend mentioned it as he shared what the Lord had shown him for 2015.  With that in mind, I am inclined to accept the word as valid because the bible says, let that facts should be established by the word of two or three witnesses (2 Cor 13:1).

     I believe that prophets should always work to make the word that they give be encouraging, admonishment, and comforting in nature.  I have always been very concerned when I hear prophets only prophesy the judgement of God.  Don't get me wrong; the judgement of the Lord is very real however, He does not wield power impulsively and without purpose in mind.  I say that because I believe that there is will be acts of domestic and international terrorism that will drastically effect the economy of the United States.  I believe that we will see an uprising of right-wing extremist groups that will attack much like the Oklahoma City bombings carried out by Timothy McVeigh.

A Cup of Coffee and a Slice of Heaven: What is God Saying for 2015?

A Cup of Coffee and a Slice of Heaven: What is God Saying for 2015?: What is God Saying for 2015 "Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your co...

What is God Saying for 2015?

What is God Saying for 2015

"Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs.” Isaiah 54:2

Overall:  This will be a season of great growth and expanded opportunity. There will be an increased hunger for the things of God and worship will shift to go higher in many houses of faith.  It will also be a season of acceleration in every area of our lives.  It is a Jubilee year in which God will eradicate debt (if we yield to his gentle leading and set order in our finances), deliver us from drudgery, and set us in our proper place in Him. God will show us that He is not slack concerning his promises! This is all in preparation for a revival in the Body of Christ that will be unprecedented and will bring many out of darkness into the marvelous Light. (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Peter 2:9)

What it looks like:

-This a year where we must enter into a Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4: 1-12). This does not mean that we get to take a yearlong vacation!  This means we must cease striving to “work” our way into a full and healthy relationship with the Lord. This not a heretical doctrine of demons that everyone is essentially saved, despite their decisions.  This is to remind us that as Believers we must accept our salvation, and our relationship with Christ at face value, and stop striving to be “right”.  Our righteousness is as filthy rags to Him (Romans 3:21-22).  We can never be “good” enough to earn His love, and we cannot not be “bad” enough to disqualify ourselves from His love.  His is pleased by our faith in Christ.  Therefore, we must cease working to be loved and/or qualified, and we must begin to seek God for our purpose in Him, and ambition only to complete our given assignment as He permits us. As a wise elder once told me:  “Stop trying to be good, and let God change you.”  This takes the wind out of a religious spirit that causes us to waste precious time flopping around and salivating at the altar like the prophets of Baal who were hoping to catch the attention of their God. We have His grace!  We have His love!  We have His acceptance! If we are human enough to accept that we have need of Jesus as Savior, He is God enough to change us through His process.   We must not fight that process by hiding the dross that has risen to the top in our lives and covering it up with vain works and religious exercises. We must yield by admitting our need for change; giving up our “right” to be right, and commit to doing all things HIS way. The work that He has begun in us will continue unto the day of Jesus Christ! (Phil. 1:6)

-God is going to settle some things. There are areas of our lives that have been hidden which will be brought to light. There are relationships, dreams, plans, and burdens that we have held onto hoping that God will do what we want in them.  This is a season where God is going to say “yes” to some things and an emphatic “no” to others. These matters will be made clear to us.  However God chooses to answer the question will be the final answer, so we must set our face to however that looks.  In some areas in our lives, that answer will bring great joy. In others, it may bring great sorrow. God is not a task master.  He will give us time to celebrate the yes’s and grieve the no’s. But He will not permit those of us who only want His best to build altars to our celebrations, nor will we be able to live in the grave clothes of the areas that die.  Whom the Son sets free is free indeed; but we must choose freedom. (John 8:36)

-The call to entrepreneurship will continue. Don’t be “scairt”. The hand of the Lord is on your business idea.  Start the process, and commit to working it out step-by-step.  The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just (Proverbs 13:22)…but the just has to get it crackin’!

-Spiritual Leaders, World Leaders, Celebrities, and Mothers and Fathers in the Faith will continue to pass away or step down from their current positions.  There is a new generation of leaders being raised up.  Wise leaders are already grooming successors and distributing birthrights to those who have been faithful to serve. In this manner, the Body of Christ will take some hits as the Lord exposes the some of the darkness, inappropriateness, and misappropriations that some leaders (spiritual and community) have committed (Jeremiah 23:1). Make no mistake that God’s flock is not only the Body of Christ.  It is the entire world.  While judgment begins in the Church, the Lord has set his eyes to those in business, and in government.  (Daniel 2:21; Psalm 75: 6-8). Take heart!  All of this will bring a great healing in the Body of Christ, as the Lord reveals the sources of division in the Body, and a real quest for the move of the Holy Spirit will over take denominational-ism.

-The prophets will speak; and the Apostles will set order:   The Lord has set the mantles upon the Apostles and the Prophets for they are the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2: 20-21).  Many who have been overlooked, set aside, or have been found patiently attending to the things of God in obscurity are about to be brought to the forefront. There are no “superstars” in Christ!  This is not to celebrate any man, but those who have been earmarked for ministry will be set upon a firm foundation in this season as God begins to send out the prophets and the apostles to dig up fallow ground in preparations for revival. Apostles will begin new ministries, and set the five-fold ministers in place.  We will see the anointing of Moses among community leaders as God begins to set apostles in the Body, business, government, and community.  The prophets will issue a clarion call to the Body of Christ to “make straight the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3).  Young (young meaning in ministry not in chronological age) prophets  and the prophetically tempered will accept their call and begin the arduous process of being “made” for ministry.  A word of caution for the zealous:  95% of what even a seasoned prophet does is in the secret place of prayer. Do NOT despise the days of small beginnings (Zech. 4: 10)!  Your intercession is like one who sits on the fence so another may cross over. Intercession will shift the atmosphere and change the climate. Seek the Lord in prayer and He will meet you there.  

-There is to be more civil unrest.  I began to prophesy in 2008 that the Lord was exposing the spirit of systemic racism, gender disparity and class-ism in the United States. We will continue to see the Lord exposing injustice and disparity in the United States. Please do not chalk this up to a race war.  This is not an issue of race, gender, class, or sexuality.  It is an issue of justice verses injustice.  I know that I am preaching into oncoming traffic, but the Body of Christ must stand on the side of righteousness.  Hate crimes against race, gender or the LBGT community is NOT the judgment of God.  It is an act of evil.  We must stand for the HUMAN rights of everyone—even those with whom we do not agree. We cannot be swayed by the manipulation of the media, social media, or the opinion of man.  The mercy that we measure out to the world will be the standard of mercy by which we will be judged (Matthew 7:2). In Obadiah, Edom was judged for sitting idly by and worse yet, raging against an already broken Israel.  In Amos Israel was judged for celebrating the troubles of others while haughtily thinking that because they were “chosen” that they were exempt for judgment. If we as the Body of Christ sit idly by and permit the abuse of civil and human rights, or worse yet, we work to protect those who violate the human rights of others, we are setting ourselves up to be judged.  What will happen when this spirit of hatred turns it eyes towards Christians?  How will the Body answer when it our human rights that is violated; not because of race or gender, but because we uphold the word of the Lord?  How will we respond when the government takes away federal funding and tax exemptions for our outreach ministries because we refuse to marry gays in the Church?  Who will be our Edom that sits idly by or worse yet will kick us while the Church is openly persecuted and abused?  That day will come!  It must come so that prophecy must be fulfilled.  If we search our hearts now, repent and extend our hands in love, prayer and mercy to those whose HUMAN rights are being trampled; we will see such mercy extended to us in the day of destruction.  This is also not just about judgment.  This is the Lord setting order so that real revival and a hunger for the heart of the Lord can come forward. Real revival will begin when the Body begins to walk in perfected (mature) love for HUMANITY.

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens wrote this in the opening paragraph of Great Expectations.  That is what we will see in the upcoming year.  Many of us personally will see some great highs in God as He sets us in our proper place, eradicates debt, and heals us and sends us forth in destiny.  But the same hand that comes to set order for us personally, must also set order for us as a Body, and we will see some lows. But we must take the mindset of Job: “The Lord giveth, and the Lord takes away; but blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Rd 12/27/2014

A Cup of Coffee and a Slice of Heaven: I Need a Drink

A Cup of Coffee and a Slice of Heaven: I Need a Drink: God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.&quo...

I Need a Drink

God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing." (Ephesians 2:10 (NCV)


My sister has decided to have a party for her students. As she was telling me how about it, you could her just a slight anxiety in her voice because like many of us in this holiday season, she is rushed, stressed, tired, and “peopled out”.  I asked why she did not ask me to come and help (I am a caterer), she said, “I did, and you said that you were not Florence on the Jeffersons.”  I frowned, and laughed. Yep, I did say that.
My sister and I are both ministers.  She is a gifted teacher, and preacher. She is married to one of the most anointed teaching pastors that I have ever met.  My sister teaches at a large Methodist university in Texas.  In between teaching classes and preaching, I cater.  We both care for aging parents, and we both mentor young, emerging leaders. As a wife, my sister still has to clean, cook, and take care of her generally self-sufficient husband. The hard part about this that all of us are also introverts—we genuinely love people, but there are times that the work becomes overwhelming, and tiresome.  We begin to look at the lives that we generally love to live and reduce to them to “everybody needing something from me”. We live the life of service to others.
As I prayed, a scripture that has been ringing in my spirit for the last several days came again to the forefront.  I picked up my bible and read it in its entirety: “15For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV).  Sometimes when scriptures sit in my spirit, it’s because a sermon is “brewing”, so to speak.  However, as I prayed, I realized it was the Lord speaking encouragement to me in this season.  “Ok, Lord,” I thought.  “It took a moment, but I got it.”
Anyone who is in a growing relationship to Christ is also called to service, because our lives are not our own.  The moment that we say yes to Christ, we are saying yes to living the life that has been planned for us before the beginning of time.  We are called out of self-centered living and loving, to a life of vulnerability, openness, care for others and agape love.  We do this for people who sometimes are selfish, dependent, thoughtless, entitled and demanding. If we are not careful, in our desire to “do our jobs” so to speak—we lose focus and become frustrated, tired, short-tempered and cynical. The call has not changed; but the place where we pull our strength has.  We move from living ministry to doing ministry.  We live ministry out of our call and our relationship with Christ.  We do ministry out of our own strength and obligation—and sometimes the fine line between the two becomes blurred.
I said as much to the Lord.  He said to me: “Ahh, so you see the difference.”  Then He asked, “Child, how did Christ manage to live a life of service when there were constantly people pulling on Him and needing his anointing?” At that moment, I heard Mark 1:35: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (NIV)”. He continued. “Child it is not that you will not become tired, but you must take time away from everyone, to rest and pray.  Come and sit with Me, not as one who is doing something for Me; but come to Me when you are heavy laden and find rest.  You don’t even have to speak.  I listen to your heart. Picture yourself reaching into your pockets and purse and giving me all your cares.  Then sit with Me quietly and allow me to restore your soul.  When you do this, you are drinking from My never-ending flow of Living Water, and not out of your drying well of human strength.  Renita (I knew that He was serious), taking a Sabbath is not a suggestion—it’s a command.  It’s okay to rest; and it is okay to say no.” Come confidently to Me and get your mercy, and I will give you the help you need.
I sighed.  It’s easier said than done; but it must be done.  The greatest joy that one can experience is to find purpose in life. However, it is easy to move from purpose to work; and it’s easier to take on obligation as a penance, rather than a reward. It is in those times, that I pray for the discernment to recognize the subtle shift and run to sit by the still waters of the Lord and find rest.