HarvestWord.org
Copyright@HarvestWord.org All Rights Reserved
Gilgal
September 27th, 2017
This is a continuation of Crossing Over. If you haven't yet read that word I suggest you do before reading further.
Joshua 5:2-8 "At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” 3 So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way. 8 Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed."
In Crossing Over I spoke of a call in the Spirit going out to those who would hear it, a call to mature in the things of Christ. There is a generation about to arise in the body of Christ; a generation not composed of age, gender, ethnic group or calling, but a generation of burning hearts; those who will not succumb to the Laodicean spirit of lukewarm or casual Christianity. This is the same generation that I spoke about in Elevator Dream.
The Lord has shown me that this is a season in which He is continuing to refine and prune those that He has chosen to be harvesters for the coming Harvest (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). Many have already been through this process and have been waiting for the Harvest to begin. To be frank, I believe this season is a 'last call' for those who wish to be used as harvesters from the beginning of the Harvest. For those that will stay in the process, it is a maturing which will test, mold and grow you in ways that you didn't believe were possible in such a relatively short time. The Lord is looking for those who will endure His purging of the 'old man', so that His likeness may be seen more fully in you. It is a season where the Word is both a sword (flint knife) and water; cutting the old away as well as bringing cleansing and healing (Hebrews 4:12). This process is not just for pulling out 'tares of the soul', but also for removing 'traditional' ways of reading and understanding the Word which prevent us from seeing Jesus as He truly is. Remember He is the Word. This is an hour for 1 John 3:2-3 "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." I don't believe that this verse is for the future; that it is a promise for now. If we want to walk as Jesus did then we need to have more of His character and likeness in order to more fully demonstrate His power.
For me personally this season has been coming in waves; short seasons of the Lord dealing with things in my heart that don't belong there. At the same time, He has been leading me to books and teachings which have been correcting some wrong understandings of both the Lord Himself and what His Word actually says (or doesn't say). Then short periods of relative quiet and peace. Then it begins again.
Some weeks ago the Lord gave me a vision. In my spirit I saw my own body, as if I was outside myself and could see inside my chest. As I was looking inside my chest I could see my heart, lungs, stomach etc.; it was like a model or poster you might see in a doctor's office that shows what the inside of a person's chest looks like. However, my heart wasn't in the shape of a biological heart, but rather in the shape of the symbol we typically use for a heart. My "heart" was clear, as if made of glass (Psalm 139:1). As I watched, I saw the Lord lean down from above, drop a burning coal on my heart and my heart caught on fire; not a small fire but a blazing one. But then something odd happened. The scene froze, then as if it were a video it began to "rewind". It rewound so fast I couldn't tell what was happening but then the scene stopped and then what I saw began to move forward again. I saw the same scene of my body and 'heart'; yet there was a difference. Inside my 'heart' I saw sticks of wood standing vertically (idols), and it was half-full of water. But the water was dirty, and had a mold or moss (traditions of men) in it and floating on top. I felt disgusted and ashamed at the condition of my heart. But then, I saw pure water being sprinkled on my heart. I knew it was coming from the Lord, even though I didn't see Him. The pure water wasn't just from the Lord; the pure water was the Lord. The more and more this pure water was sprinkled on my heart, the cleaner the "water" in my heart became. Finally, it became so clean and clear that as I was looking at it was hard to tell if the water was actually still "in my heart". It was only when my heart 'moved' and 'stirred' the water could I see it was still there. The vision ended but I knew that it would not be long before the Lord would come and 'set my heart on fire'. So while I had been honestly discouraged at the condition of my heart when I saw it, I was greatly encouraged at what the Lord is going to do in myself and others. Ezekiel 36: 25-27 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
As the Lord has been doing this work in me, my perspective on a lot of things has changed. I see the Lord differently, and when I read the Word I have noticed a difference as well. I also view certain teachings, relationships and even some issues differently now as well. I have been tempted to change things in my life based on my new perspectives. However, the Lord has cautioned me that to do so prematurely would be a mistake. First of all, I could interrupt what the Lord is doing in this season, and possibly even disqualify myself from moving forward in the next season. Secondly, even when the Lord is finished in this season (when is the Lord ever truly finished working on our hearts?), I will require a season of rest and restoration. Joshua 5:8 Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. I caution you strongly; if you feel led to make significant changes during this time, be sure it is the Lord calling you to do so. Also notice that the entire nation stopped moving forward until those that had been circumcised were healed. Whatever support you have, share with them how the Lord is working in your life. Maybe not all the details, but enough so that they know how to be specifically praying for you. The Body of Christ needs you to release what the Lord has put in you to help us all go forward. Also, remember that there are others going through the same process as you; we should be praying for each other, even if we don't know each other in the natural...we do have a bond through the Spirit.