Lions, To Your Feet!

Lions, To Your Feet!

Off and on for the last few months, I have been drawn to Isaiah 40. For the last week, I have been especially drawn to verses 1-5. I’ve always found the passage to be paradoxical. The verses begin with God saying, “Comfort My people. I have forgiven them - the season of judgment is over” (verses 1-2, Sheets paraphrase). That’s nice. But then Jehovah continues by prophetically speaking of and describing the ministry of John the Baptist. Not so nice.

John had a bulldozer anointing: clearing debris, leveling mountains, filling valleys, straightening crooked places - in human hearts! His message to everyone was, “Repent!” To some, he wasn’t so nice: “Repent, you brood of vipers!” (Luke 3:7).

Comfort? Not so much.

However, it wasn’t John’s message that was comforting. It was the purpose, the intended result of his message, which was preparing the way for the appearance of Messiah, the Savior of the world. He would bring the glory of God to earth (verse 5): “Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together.”

The building of every new house starts with the “comfort” of a bulldozer. The building of Christ’s Kingdom does, as well. He uproots the old, then builds the new. John, then Jesus.

I went to minister in Clarksville, TN, last weekend, with these thoughts stirring in me. While there, my friend Clay Nash prophesied the following:

“The Lord says, I had to take you out of your comfort zone in order to bring you into My comfort.” He had me! “But, let it be known that My comfort does not comfort in the way your comfort zone does. My comfort conforms you...to My image.

“The conforming to My image (brought about by My process of comfort), will bring you out of ‘the old,’ in order to take you into ‘the new’ (your inheritance). I am bringing you out of the barren wilderness...but now you must allow My Spirit to remove the wilderness mindset that has become ingrained in you during the recent journey.

“For the days ahead are days of living sacrifices - yielding, remaining still - upon my altar. I am a consuming fire that must consume all that is not Me. But the days that lie ahead will prove that your surrender to Me is your strength. This surrender, resulting in a newfound strength, will be triggered by your hunger for My presence, a presence that leads you, not only from strength to strength, but from faith to faith and victory to victory.

“Your surrender will cause our oneness to become a bond of love, and you will see the promises you have battled FOR become the promises you will battle FROM. In this new place I have prepared for My body, you will discover the words that set the enemy to flight will be, “It is Finished.”

Whoa!!!

“Out of your comfort...to Mine...which conforms you to look like Me...so I can give you your inheritance...now you must think differently...you must be completely surrendered to Me...and what you battled for, you will now battle from.” What a great word.

Yesterday, I shared with you a portion of a dream given by Holy Spirit to comfort us. It spoke of hope deferred and discouragement from the 2020 elections continuing to stall the growth process of many in the church. They couldn’t mature from “sheep” to “lions”. Like Isaiah 40, the dream’s beginning, which describes this problem, isn’t comforting. However, later in the dream the Lord made it clear He had no intention of allowing this setback to continue. He instructed me to issue a command, “LIONS” (He called them lions, not sheep), “TO YOUR FEET!” As they stood, Holy Spirit blew on them, bringing healing and transformation. If you didn’t see or hear the post, please do so.

The comfort many of us envisioned for America last November didn’t come. To millions of us, the process was flawed, the results catastrophic. God, however, is saying He wants to use this outcome to strengthen us and expose evil. We will emerge stronger, more like Him and functioning from a position of victory; those who oppose Him, while promoting death, polytheism (many gods), secularism (the removal of religion from government and public policy), government control, immorality and lies will not emerge from this season stronger. They will be exposed as fools.

The dream we looked at yesterday comforts by assuring us Father has no intention of leaving His kids in a weakened state. He fully intends to heal all who are in a hope deferred stall. He wants us to be bold, courageous lions, not just sheep. Our Commander desires us to be warriors, not passive sheep bleating for more food. He demands faith, not fear. Our Father is asking us to trust His ways and processes, assuring us that as we do so, He will do as He promised. We will release a roar, take our inheritance - our promised land - and we will war FROM the victory we warred FOR with our prayers.

The Elijah List recently posted a prophecy from Katie Barker in Australia. It, too, speaks of God turning the tide of weariness caused from intense warfare. Here are portions of the word. (You can see the entire word ,here.):

“Many have been in an intense season of spiritual warfare, but the Lord has heard the persistent prayers of His faithful ones; the battle is shifting and your day of deliverance and occupying new territory is at hand...

“I heard the Lord say, ‘Many of My front line warriors, intercessors, prophets, Kingdom builders and advancers have been under intensified attacks this year. The enemy has been relentless in his attempt to bring roadblocks, hindrances and weariness to these ones in their continued stand to see My plans and purposes come to pass. The flames of the battle have continued to intensify, but My faithful ones have continued to stand and push forward. They have spiritual eyes to see the battle and they know the territory and promise that awaits them, as they know I am faithful to bring to pass all I have spoken...

“The Lord continued, ‘The battle over the destinies of individuals and regions has been intense. The battle intensifies on the edge of breakthrough. Many are at the cusp of breakthrough, the cusp of the new territory and land they will occupy, and the cusp of a complete change in their situation. Now is the time to stand in faith on all I have spoken, and to break off the lies of the enemy that say the shift will not come. Now is the time to wage war with the promise I have given you...

“‘Rise up and take up your sword. Decree My words at the leading of My Spirit. Strengthen yourself in Me and allow your faith to arise. Surround yourself with others who will stand in faith with you and will strengthen you in your stand. Wage war through worship as you turn your eyes on Me and use every weapon in your arsenal. Wage war with My word and see Me make the path straight before you...’

“The Lord said, ‘A fatal blow is coming to the enemy's plans on the back of strategic, supernatural keys of revelation which I am releasing to My people at this time. As My faithful ones spend time in My presence, specific and strategic revelation on the keys to overcome the enemy will be released. As these keys are used, hindrances and strongholds will be broken and swift justice and advancement will come...

"’Don't you know that God, the true judge, will grant justice to all of His chosen ones who cry out to Him night and day? He will pour out His Spirit upon them. He will not delay to answer you and give you what you ask for. God will give swift justice to those who don't give up. So be ever praying ever expecting…’ (Luke 18:7-8 TPT).

“The Lord said, ‘I have heard the persistent cries of My people and I am coming to bring swift justice. Recompense and restoration will be seen. This is a demarcation time – a time where a line will be drawn and a shift seen in the battle as My just verdict is released. The demarcation line is a battle line or boundary line where the enemy will no longer be allowed access. The demarcation time will see territory given back to My people. My justice will bring an overturning of the enemy's plans.’”

What a great word! And now, on the strength of the dream and these two prophetic words, I’m going to issue the command Holy Spirit gave me in the dream, along with the request to Holy Spirit. If you are struggling in your faith, if you are weary, if passivity has taken over your heart, receive these words into your heart and spirit now.

“LIONS, TO YOUR FEET! WIND OF GOD, BLOW UPON THESE LIONS AND BRING THEM INTO THE POWER OF THEIR TRUE IDENTITY!”1

Now, let’s get on with the process of helping turn this nation back to God!


Pray with me:

Father, release the wind You spoke of in the dream. Bring forth the true identity of the ekklesia. Like a roaring lion that stands, shakes his mane and releases his mighty roar, cause them to arise with strength and boldness.

We speak over Your people this day that the blood-sucking ticks of disillusionment and despair are destroyed. We speak hope into the church. Bring forth the conformity to You, of which You spoke. Weariness, be gone, in Christ’s name!

Now, Lord, SEND THE WIND!!!

Our Decree:

We decree that all weariness and hope deferred is broken off of the ekklesia. The roar is being released.

Click here to watch the prayer.https://youtu.be/16Lduzv1RLk

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Taken from Give Him Fifteen: Releasing the Roar, 6/14/2021; ,www.givehim15.com.

~ Dutch Sheets