(Source: thepaulzone)

A few weeks ago I wrote in my journal about how after spending every morning with God that week, I finally realized what He meant when He says, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Deut 8:3). In the midst of all this “living” and excitement that has been going on this past week, I have pushed aside that carved out time in the morning to spend with my God. I feel it. I feel the difference in my life when I’m not taking time to just sit in His presence. I have been so out of it this week, and I can even say that I felt lifeless. This morning as I poured out my heart to God, He refreshed me. When I said, “God, ‘turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged’” (Ps 25:16-17) He said, “draw near to the throne of grace, so I can give you mercy and you can find grace in your time of need” (Heb 4:16). I had read this verse so many times, but it became living and so beautiful when my heavenly Father spoke it to me. Today I didn’t feel groggy or “blah”, instead I was filled with joy and excitement throughout the day.

The reason I write this post is because so many people have not had this revelation. Too many people cannot with certainty say that in God’s presence they find fullness of joy and pleasure; they cannot say in their dry places that their souls truly thirst for God as a deer pants for water. Having quiet time is so much more than just spending time with God to know Him more and become more like Jesus. It’s a matter of life or death of our souls. I pray that God grants the revelation to each of His children of our dire need for His presence. The beauty is this: He satisfies that need. His word promises that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). God will meet you wherever you decide to sit and commune with Him, and soon you too shall sing:

“Your presence is all I need, it’s all I want, and all I seek. And without it, without it there’s no meaning. Your presence is the air I breathe, the song I sing, and the love I need. And without it, without it I’m not living.” - I Will Exalt, Amanda Falk

(Source: thepaulzone)

God has been stirring something in me for the past few days that was just confirmed by a conversation I had with Sophia. The dreams we have been dreaming for the past 3 years are now visible on the horizon.

Almost three years ago, God started moving in my life and the lives of some of my closest friends in a powerful way. He started depositing larger than life dreams in us, put a fire in our hearts for fervent prayer, and maybe the most significant thing was the burden ands subsequent promises/prophecies he gave us regarding our generation. We cried out daily for our generation and had a fiery passion to see revival break out around us. And there was one thing weighing heavy on our hearts: we knew God had brought us together for a purpose and would use us together in the future, but we knew that we would be separated for a season for individual growth and preparation. I can’t say exactly what happened, but slowly this fire began to grow cold. Maybe we were discouraged at the delay of God’s promises. Last summer we experienced a moment where we doubted all the dreams and visions. Was it emotional hype? There we were a year and a half after the dreaming began, and there was no sign of an all out revival, God hadn’t sent us out, and the spiritual atmosphere seemed colder than ever.

Quite a few months ago God started bringing up old dreams that laid dormant. It wasn’t just in us, but in our church as a whole. Week after week God would speak through someone telling us to dare to dream again. When remembering dreams that God had placed on the hearts of our pastors and leaders at for our church, an elder read out of Isaiah 62, telling the church it was time to prepare the way of the Lord and remove the stones from the path. He told the congregation that God is stirring up old dreams and visions, and it’s our job to remove the stones from our lives and the church as a whole, because God is coming with the fulfillment of those dreams.

Now of course when God is about to unleash and move in a mighty way, the enemy becomes very angry. Satan does all he can to wreak havoc to get God’s people discouraged and take their eyes off of Jesus. I’ve been seeing this in my own personal and home life. My best friend has seen it in hers as well. As we were saying today: poop is hitting the fan. I’ve always said to myself that I should be worried if satan ISN’T attacking me, because that means I’m no threat; I’m right where he wants me. We’re seeing outright attacks, but we’re also seeing a lot of brokenness and contrite spirits. While we may be quick to call the brokenness an attack, looking closer, I see it leading to a holy burden and grief for the state of our world and the church. I see repentance coming out of broken hearts. What I really see is stones being removed from our lives. I’ve never been so broken down as I have been recently. Every wall that I have built up is being demolished. Pride, selfishness, bitterness, and anger are being stripped from my life. It hurts. God touches wounds and it doesn’t feel pleasant at the time. There has never been a burden so heavy on my heart in regards to sin, both in my life and this generation as a whole, and there has never been so many tears shed. Just when I am bouncing up and down with joy because of what God has done, and am on the verge of thinking, “now I’m ready. No more crud to deal with,” and pride starts seeping in, God touches another sore spot. But He does it to heal. I am never left broken. Repentance doesn’t end at contrition. God fills me with joy and passion. It’s as if with each stone removed, I can see Him more clearly, coming right towards me. And He is carrying the dreams He have me sneak peek of years ago.

It’s three years later and the dreams are on the horizon. My friends and I are finally being separated, with a few of us being scattered about the country and world. Passion is stirring again. The flames are bigger than before. I just have the words of Pete Greig’s “The Vision” imprinted in my heart at the time. “Revolutionaries dreaming once again… My distant hope is His 3D.” All of the dreams we dared to dream seemed like a far off hope, but God knew what He was doing when He gave us those dreams. He already saw those things happening before His very eyes. And now, we’re going to see them happen before our own.

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest,
and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.
The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: “I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored;
but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.”
Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples.
Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

- Isaiah 62

(Source: thepaulzone)