I feel strongly that 2021 has been a year of stealthy launching that many haven’t even realized yet. On the surface it’s felt like endless chaos, fires to fight, and complications to solve. It’s been fears to extinguish, changes to navigate, and foundations to fix. It’s felt like there’s been little room for new creativity, innovation, and advancement. It’s felt like there’s been little capacity to think of stepping into new ventures or launching ministries and movements but yet God has used this year in a way you couldn’t have imagined – to do those very things, to recalibrate us and set our feet on a new path and trajectory and lead us to our PROMISED LAND! Enjoy!
I need to encourage those who have made a significant DETOUR this year and are still trying to figure it out.
At first it just felt like a DISCONTENT… like in an instant God just removed the joy or grace from a particular way you were going.
It took you by surprise and even made you question your heart, your motives, but now you have come to know – It was actually God who was doing something deep in your life.
You felt like a train that departed the track you were always going full-steam ahead on and began moving into an unknown direction.
You left behind the favor, the opportunities, and the fruit you knew you would see if you had continued in that way.
You left behind the alignments, the connections, and the open doors that were there for you but God was leading you in another way, to different doors you couldn’t see, people you hadn’t met, and rivers and streams you hadn’t crossed.
You let go of the dreams and desires you had been working so hard in fulfilling. In a moment you gave them away because the call to this new way has felt so compelling.
It’s been a dichotomy because this faith decision has felt like handing in all your chips with no promise of any outcome except knowing you are moving where your spirit is leading you.
In fact since you made this decision it’s only brought chaos, mess, confusion, and extreme hardship in many the areas you were once settled in.
Oh pioneer of His heart. I feel your season, I feel your pain and loss, I feel the heart gymnastics this season has been. I feel your courage. I feel your fire. And I feel His joy and excitement for you because you have not yet seen where this is going, but soon you will!
This detour has cost you everything, but you knew that continuing the way you were going would have cost you even more – your joy, your purpose, and integrity.
You detoured because His voice led you that way. You detoured because you chase His heart not ministry ideals.
You detoured because you had to follow where He was going above all else. You detoured because it was your worship to go where few would say yes to go.
SURVIVAL HAS TO END HERE.
Then I heard the Lord say,
“Send a message to the fallen ones – I’m standing them to their feet again. Mighty ones, dust yourself off because we are going to finish this together. I will revive you with My kiss and you will come alive again!”
“You have been in Marah (bitter waters) and have trudged through the long and hard season of Egypt but I am leading you out!”
“But you must lay down your survival mindset. You have been living without the joy and adventure you need to truly pioneer and break into new ground. You can’t create like that. You can’t dream like that, so lay it down and give it me!”
“This is where your heart needs to come back to life if you are to embrace what I am leading you into that is why I have placed a PAUSE over you so that you could surrender the napsack of the bitter season. You can’t carry Egypt with you and I can’t let you or it will poison your tomorrow!”
“This is where you need to trust Me in the details of this transition. You don’t need to be in damage control anymore but prioritize My presence and you’ll live in wonder again”
This is an excerpt from the complete post published at nateandchristy.co.
Author: Nate Johnston
Nate and his wife Christy host online courses to train, equip and empower people as they walk through deep inner healing, identity issues. They release regular encouragement and prophetic words to the body of Christ through social media and create simple, bible-based books and resources to help edify and empower the body of Christ to walk in their full authority and identity as Sons and Daughters of the King.
Dear Br Nate,
Thank you very much. Truly a word, by the Spirit of God, and for me, in my season.
Thank you Br. James for this posting.
I am in tears as I write this, on a Shabbat Shalom day, and the Torah portion is “He appeared”, when He appeared to Abraham, promised Isaac and Sarah laughed.
A picture of the Lord Restoring and bringing comfort to his people, that is, us, at this point of time.
I am much encouraged and continue to wait.
Come Lord Jesus. Glory to You alone.
Amen
Paul
God is taking some to a new level:
Romans 12:1-2
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 8:14
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:12-13
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Many are called, FEW are chosen.
Paul wrote,
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Only eight were saved when God judged the world the first time. God told Elijah, only 7,000 were saved in Israel or one in a thousand. Only Lot and his family were saved from God’s judgment of Sodom. Only 120 were in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost. 70% of American Christians believe there are more than one way to reach Heaven. How many are walking the crucified life?