For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel. (Isaiah 44:3-5)

This has become one of my favourite Scriptures over the past year.  The Lord is constantly reminding me of this Scripture.  I see it all the time.  Quite often when I go to preach in a new place I will see this passage and I know that the Lord is reminding me to tell the people to believe for the greater outpouring.

Last Friday, I went to my old church in Kinburn.  The church was recently renovated: new carpet was put down and new chairs were put in.  It looked very nice.

While there I had a vision.  I saw an angel flash under an umbrella and then I saw it begin to rain down on the umbrella.  It came in torrents.  What I saw was that the umbrella was quite useless in holding back the rain and that everything was completely drenched.

I began to ask the Lord about this vision and I felt He said that what is coming will not be held by what men have currently put in place.  No form of religion will be able to withstand the mighty outpouring of the Spirit that will take place.  People will be swept into the greater glory.

And what Glory we should expect.  I believe we are going to see even greater healings than what we have seen already.  I believe that signs and wonders will increase.  I believe the authority of the average believer will be able to call down fire from heaven.

Yesterday I felt I heard that the Elijah anointing was going to increase.  Indeed many are already walking in such an anointing but many more will rise in the seasons ahead with greater power and authority than they have walked in before.  God is not going to withhold His strength from us in the coming hour.  We are going to see the greater things.

I know that some of you are going to see your family members rise up in this anointing. My prayer for you is that you will not grow weary in waiting.  This is a promise from God.  You have heard the words for a long time and they will come to pass.  God is faithful and merciful and He will do as He has promised to do.

I pray that you will also be swept into the glory of the new move that is going to occur.  I pray that you will not miss it and that your eyes will be open and that you will taste and see that the Lord is good.

For the last number of months I have been on parental leave.  This has afforded me incredible moments with my four sons.

Yesterday my sons and I were out in the backyard mowing the lawn and tidying up toys.  After a couple of hours, my two middle sons spent some time in the tree swing.

The kind of excitement that they both showed when they were pushed way up high is something you have to experience rather than read about, but let’s just say that sheer joy was the expression on their faces.  They were having so much fun.

As I was playing with them I thought about the relationship I have with God.  How He is much higher than I am.  How His thoughts are indefinable toward me.  I am so much more than a child and yet so much less than God.

Just as there is this relationship of love and dependency between me and my sons, there is the same relationship between me and my God. As my sons need a father, so I need my God.

1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 

The very expression and the very countenance of God is love.  He is always smiling at you.

One of the blessings that Aaron spoke over the Jewish people can be found in Numbers 6:24-26 which says, “The LORD bless you, and keep you: The LORD make his face shine on you, and be gracious to you: The LORD lift up his countenance on you, and give you peace.”

The very face of God is love and peace.  Just like my sons and I look at each other with expressions of love toward each other, so does our God want to smile and have fun with each one of us.  He wants you to be happy and He wants to make you happy.  It brings God great joy to bring you joy and to take care of your needs.

When God’s peace and joy are in your hearts, there is nothing else you really need.  His peace will calm every storm and see you through every fire.   You will walk many years and many miles knowing His grace upon your life.  You will look back through time and realize that His hand has been with you all along.

I can remember a time before I allowed God to smile upon me and I consider those years to be cursed years.  My life was a mess that only God could undo, but He did fix it, and now I am extremely happy and blessed.

In fact just yesterday I realized I am now in my 9th year of blessing.  It hit me that it was almost 10 years since I came to Christ.  It has gone by so quickly, but what great years they have been!  And I know that the years ahead will be the same—filled with blessing, joy, peace and love in God.

I know you desire the same for your life and I am here to tell you that it can happen.  Ask Him to come to life in your heart today and see what He will do.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. (Colossians 1:21-22)

There are times that the enemy comes like a lion to accuse the brethren (Revelation 12:10).  His voice can be fierce and like a raging fire before your eyes.  Such hopelessness can enter into your spirit when he speaks.

Last week I attended a conference in Whiting, New Jersey.  People from all over the world were there.  It was exciting to hear people speak about our God and Saviour from so many cultural backgrounds.

One theme stood out to me in the conference and that was the subject of spiritual warfare.  A gentleman by the name of Darryl Pack from Chicago preached a sermon on Luke 10:19 which says, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

It was the last part of this verse that stood out to me in the sermon: “and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” I have heard this verse many times, but I have to be honest. I don’t know if I was convinced of the truth of it.

There are times when the enemy is fierce and I have been frightened by his threats but the truth is every time he has risen against me his foul plots have come to nothing. That is my experience.

My boys and I went for a walk in the woods at the conference.  We were staying at America’s Keswick which is a beautiful 300 acre property with lakes and ponds.  The birds were singing at all times and the forest looked like something from prehistoric times.  I thought a dinosaur would come out of the woods when I was there.

We went to one of the ponds to walk across a bridge and sit at a gazebo in the middle of the pond.  As we were going onto the bridge I saw this snake resting in the water just below the bridge.  For me, being Canadian, this snake was a gruesome sight.  I didn’t know if it was poisonous or not.  My sons saw the snake dance upon the waters and then disappear.

I walked up to a man who was from the area and asked about the snake.  He said it wasn’t poisonous but was just a common garter snake.  I thought to myself it looked dangerous but really it wasn’t.

And really that is the way the devil’s schemes are to the Christian.  They feel painful, they look poisonous, but according to Luke 10:19, “they can’t by any means hurt you.” 

Another scripture says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD (Isaiah 54:17).

Nothing can hurt you.  No financial assignment, no sickness, no family problem, no worry, no creditor, no enemy.  Nothing can hurt you.

Do you believe it?  Has this revelation really entered into your heart?  You will know the next time a problem comes your way.  Your reaction will determine it.

It is Ok to be frightened on the road to reaching your destiny, but I pray that you will become strong in the Lord and the power of His might so that when the enemy comes your way you will stand, and when you have done all that you can you remain standing.

I also pray that you will become strength to those who do not have this revelation, so that when their confidence fails them in the face of the devil’s schemes you will stand, even for them.

Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord,is in you. (Psalm 25:20-21)

Perhaps there have been times when you have gone through absolute terror in the face of the unknown, as I have. You know, when it feels like you are going to be devoured by the enemy of your soul.  There have been times in my own life when the attack of the enemy against me is so strong that the only refuge is to hide within God.

I find that one of the strongest things that I can do in the face of trial is to open up the Psalms and begin to read.  It is as though David went through everything I went through, but always managed to find his God through it.

And so as I read the Psalms great refreshing begins to wash over me as I seek to find my God even in my own trials.

Over the last few days I have felt great panic in my heart in the face of unknown circumstances coming toward me.  I don’t know about you, but I often envision bad things in the face of new circumstances.  I hate to say this, but there are times that I meditate on the “what ifs” rather than the nature of my God.

What if bad comes my way because of my lack of knowledge? 

What if the enemy triumphs over me? 

These attacks can be a little more subtle and have great power like a word from a friend who says that something bad is about to happen to you, but you will overcome.  It can sound like a word from God, but there is no heaven’s dew upon it.

Have you ever faced a word that sounded like God, but caused great fear and shame in your heart?

Even if you make mistakes, God is there loving and protecting you.  I have seen it time and time again in my own life.  I don’t always make the best decisions and not because I am trying to be devious, but because I lack knowledge.

The Lord in these moments is gracious and forgives and helps me to stand even when the decisions I made may have been wrong.  He can make a way even when there seems to be no way.

These thoughts bring me great peace.  What a God we serve!  He is the God of the miraculous and His ways are always good and He has good in store for all of our lives. 

That has been my experience over the course of my Christian life and I know it can be yours as well.  So don’t give up hope, but continue steadfast in Him and watch how He guides your path and keeps you even in the face of your mistakes.    

This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

When I was a boy I grew up in Newfoundland, where the school systems that I was a part of were Christian in origin.  Every morning we would meet in the home room and a part of our tradition was to recite the Lord’s prayer.

This prayer was instilled inside of us so that we remembered it word for word.

I have read books on this prayer and I have heard many preachers preach on this prayer, so I guess you can say that I have become a student of this prayer.  I think one thing we need to understand is that this prayer is both simple and very deep at the same time.

Even though this prayer has been in my heart for 35 years or more, there are times that I look at it and something very fresh bursts in front of my eyes.

About a year ago as I was reading it I became very aware that a part of God’s plan for our lives is to be sustained by Him alone.  Every day as we come into agreement with the words of this 10 line prayer we believe for our provision for that day.

Many people want to win the lottery so that they will never have to worry about money again, but winning the lottery is no assurance that you will not lack.  Lack is a way of the world and is not in God.  In God in Christ I shall not want ever again (Psalm 23).

And so it becomes biblical to pray that God will provide our daily sustenance, which to me includes everything you need to sustain your home.

Just in the last two months I read this prayer again and something new popped out once more.  I was getting upset with God a little because it seemed evil was having its way with my family when I went on ministry trips.  Three times in a row one of my sons ended up in hospital when I was away.

I felt that this was unjust.  Many told me to pray a daily covering to be protected from evil, but I just couldn’t process in my heart or mind why such a prayer was necessary.  And then I read this prayer again.

It says, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  And there I had my answer right in my face.  Jesus taught us to pray that we would be protected from temptation and evil.  In that moment I became aware that Jesus intended us to pray very often that we should be protected from the devil and his minions.

This new thought brought a new strength to my spirit for war. Every time I considered my family while I was away, I prayed for their protection.  And a new faith rose up inside of me that no matter what came, God would protect them and bless them.

I ask the Lord today to strengthen you and to give you peace in the face of all your trials, whether they be money problems or attacks while you sleep from the devil.

Know this that as you continue in your prayers God is faithful and will provide a way where there seems to be no way.  This is biblical. It is also my testimony.

May it be yours as well.

 

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:17-20)

I have read the above scripture dozens of times but as I read it today, a light of clarity began to burn in my heart. And the witness of the truth of the meaning of the verse came alive within me.

When I came to Christ 8.5 years ago, I began to understand that I was now a very blessed and highly favoured man.  My life situation did not warrant me thinking this way of myself.  In fact, before Christ, every curse that you can imagine came upon my life, and in that moment of this revelation my life was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt.

No power or strength of my own would have allowed me to overcome the obstacles that I faced in my life, but the power of Jesus inside of me, inside of the veil of my heart began to work a new understanding of the blessing of Abraham upon my life because of His finished work.

Psalm 24 says, “Swing wide, you heavenly gates, that the King of Glory might come in.  Who is this King of Glory? He is the Lord strong and mighty.”

I remember having a vision of this gate and came to understand that when this came open it was because I gave my heart to Christ.  As I entered into relationship with Christ, the door between who I was and what I would become swung wide open and I knew that every promise of God was mine because of Jesus.  Jesus had walked through that gate and into my heart in the moment of my salvation.  He now dwelled by the Holy Spirit deep within me.

The thought burned inside of me with such certainty that I knew that I knew in that moment that my life would experience the overlapping waves of blessing.

As I read the verse above I see that the writer of Hebrews also experienced this certainty in his heart.  He describes the sure certainty of the hope that came alive in his heart.  He describes the hope coming alive beyond the veil, inside of him and as a sure certainty that he would inherit the promises of God for his life.

The Bible is filled with the promises of God and Holy Spirit also speaks these promises into us through the breath of angels and prophets.  As we grasp that inner witness of the promises, we begin to know that we know that these things will come to pass.

Perhaps you have encountered a word of promise deep within your heart.  You know the promises of God because they are rooted within you.  I decree with all certainty that if that word be from God then it shall surely come to pass over you.

Has God spoken a word about your future, about provision, about the salvation of a loved one, or healing for you?  Then know this–that word will come to pass.

Moreover, if you be in Christ, in God the hope of a better tomorrow awaits you on earth.  You shall not lack any good thing, and what of the great eternity that rests just over the hill top.  The hope of God that burns in our hearts like a flame in our inner man sustains us through every tribulation and trial.

You know what I am talking about because you have walked with him and talked with him along life’s narrow way. Amen?

“All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be)”–Matthew 28:18-20

I just woke up from a dream I had in the middle of the night.  I saw the Captain of the Lord’s army. He was a man of great authority and experience.  He understood his position in the army of God and knew how to use his authority.

But what also stood out to me is how he looked down on me from a very high place in the spirit.  As he spoke to me he spoke as one with great authority and he commanded me to begin to understand my own authority as a commander in the Lord’s army.

When I spoke to him I didn’t speak to him as a soldier.  I was speaking to him as someone who only understood the army in a partial way.  I saw the four stripes on his shoulder and I said, “You are a Captain, aren’t you?”

He looked at me and in so many words said, “You are a Commander in the Lord’s army.  It is given to you to understand the ranks of his army.  You shouldn’t have to ask me what my rank is; you should just know.”

And certainly a man of war does not need to ask his fellow officer what his rank is.  It would be a disgrace to an officer for a soldier not to understand the ranks in the army. Men of war understand the authorities that come with each rank. They understand their own rank and their own authority and it should be the same in the Lord’s army.

A person in the Lord’s army has been given authority to heal the sick and so we should be praying for the sick whenever they come near us.  Our faith should be such that as we pray we believe that this person will be healed.  We don’t waver in unbelief.  And if our faith is weak, then we ask God to strengthen our faith.

When a person who is demonized comes near us we should not fear but rejoice!  Our faith should be such that we know that because they are near us, they will be set free by the power of Jesus’ name flowing through our lips.

It is the name of Jesus that brings us authority (Luke 10:17, Mark 16:17 and Acts 3:6). When we understand the power that is in that name we will not fear no matter what comes our way.  Yes, even death might raise its head against us but we will not shirk in the face of it. We will command it to leave in the mighty name of Jesus and it will leave, not because of any strength of our own, but simply because we understand the power in the name.

And when we preach the unadulterated word of God that He gives us, signs and wonders will follow, because this is the word of God.  When you go into all the world and preach, God is faithful and will not let you preach without following it up with power, with healing, with deliverance, and with resurrection.

All you need do is go and preach.  All you need do is pray.  And as you believe in the name of Jesus, then authority will follow your word because you are a person of rank and authority.  He will send the armies of heaven to you to back up his word.

I pray that in this hour of the Rising of the Lord’s army that you will come into a right understanding of your authority in Christ.  I pray that you will also have a visitation from the Lord or from an angel.  I pray that a mighty one will speak into your ear so that you come to understand the power that lies dormant in your heart in Christ.  And I further pray that you will begin to operate with that authority.

“And in my name they will drive out demons.” (Mark 16:7)

A month ago I was ministering in a town in central New York.  There were about 40 people present in this meeting and I was prophesying over them.

Off to the side I could see this woman who looked like she had gone through a lot in life.  In fact I was discerning the operation of a number of demons oppressing her.

She kept standing there waiting for a prophetic word and eventually it was her turn.  When I approached her a very interesting laugh rose up in my spirit and I leaped toward her.  It was like a warfare laugh.

She jumped back a little and a look of shock rose upon her face.  She started to take these big breaths and said, “I can breathe! I can breathe!”

She said it had been a while since she felt that way.  It was an exciting deliverance to witness.

I was in Colorado Springs a couple of days ago to meet a young man who wanted me to minister to him.  I spent 10 hours with him and trained him in a number of areas in prophetic ministry.  A couple of giftings were released in him during that time.

He took me to a mountain top called “The Garden of the Gods.”  I noticed many people who looked very “dark” in the spirit.  It was extremely cold outside, but these two guys were bundling up to take a walk into the mountains.  They looked like drug addicts.

I was told that witchcraft is very real in that region.  Last year a mountain where pagan priests practice their arts burned on fire for almost a month.  My friend said that in nearby Monument there is such high level witchcraft that witches have been spotted riding brooms in the sky.

I only ministered to this young man and his family.  As I was there oils and gold dust flowed from their hands.  They were amazed at the miracles that were taking place in their lives.

That night as I slept a witch attacked me in the spirit.  A darting pain overtook my leg— one of the worst I have ever felt.  And on the way back from the airport my friend spun his car out and ran into the median on the highway.  The enemy was not pleased that we had been ministering in the region.

These things did not come with fear for me.  I understood before I ever went out that these things could happen and so when they did I had a joy in my heart.  I knew that if the devil was not happy then we must be taking ground for Christ.  Each time that I am attacked it is just another sign that I am doing something for the Lord.

As we go in His name these things occur.

I challenge you today to step outside of your comfort zones for Christ.  You might not need to go halfway across the country to a high place of the Gods, but perhaps there is a miracle waiting to happen on the end of a telephone, or in your neighbour’s house.

Trust the Lord to go with you and you will see Him move.  Signs and wonders will follow as you share in Jesus’ name. After all, He says it is in your destiny!

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Some of you, like me, are old enough to remember when these words used to be sung in church quite regularly. I remember singing this song in my Bible College days. Without even understanding the significance of the words, I would belt this song out at the top of my lungs.

The name and blood of Jesus always lifts darkness from me. I have wrestled with demons in the night that have tried to choke me and overcome me, but I have always overcome by the blood of Jesus.

I remember one time going down to my family room in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep. After an hour or so I managed to slip back into that glorious unconscious state, when a dark spirit came into the room around me.

I opened my eyes to look and it was complete darkness, darker than any night that I have lived through before. It was the kind of darkness that you might imagine the Egyptians encountering as a plague.  I was paralyzed. I tried to open my mouth but nothing would come out.

If you’ve gone through this, then you know what I was wrestling with. I have learned to apply the name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus to such experiences.

I cried out to Jesus and the paralysis left me. I got up from the couch and ran upstairs where my wife was sleeping, but before I got there I woke up inside of another dream and started to go through the same thing all over again. I cried out to Jesus and the mercy of His blood again, and once again the darkness began to lift. I got up and went up stairs for real this time.

Each time I called on Christ and spoke His name and His blood the darkness lifted.

The song I quoted above then becomes more meaningful when you’ve gone through these experiences. You realize that the blood of Jesus is indeed glorious in the face of a supernatural battle. You come to understand that when you call out the name of Jesus you will overcome and be victorious.

In Psalm 18, David finds himself surrounded by darkness and his enemy, so that the only thing he knows to do is cry out to his God in heaven. We read that God got up from where He was sitting on His throne and rode the backs of His angels, with dark clouds surrounding Him as He approached the earth to fight on His son’s behalf.

As He came close to the crisis, lightnings and thunderings came out of the cloud as darkness was suppressed beneath God’s feet, and all of this because of one cry of His favoured son.

Romans 16:20 says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” As you cry out to God, His peace comes into your situation, a peace that the enemy always flees from. So call out on the name of the Lord today and expect to receive a great victory.

There is no depression, anxiety or evil that can hold you down in the face of Christ our Lord.

You are more than a conqueror in Christ. You are in fact an overcomer, so the next time darkness tries to hold you down, remember that there is power in the Name of Jesus and in the blood of the Lamb.

What is missing more in the church today than anything else is the missionary spirit.  I don’t meet many people who are willing to go anywhere and do anything to release the gospel to people.  Some do it for the love of God and sometimes others seem to do it for profit.  Paul recognized this, didn’t he? (Philippians 1:15-18).

There are some evangelists who ask for a lot of money and expenses to be covered in order to bring them into a region.  I am not sure this is biblical, but sometimes when these  people ask me for money I will cover them, but I would much rather work with people who when they are asked to preach don’t set a price but come because they have the opportunity to preach.

And even when they do ask for money, God often says to me “cover it for them.”   I have agreed to thousands in expenses at times because an evangelist will ask for it.  The Scripture that I apply to justify this is Matthew 5:41-42 which says, “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”  I will agree to these expenses for the gospel’s sake, and God always provides.

I have preached and ministered in many places.  I have gone half way across the country and the world, most of the time paying my own way to do it in order to speak or preach to a handful of people.  I will do this because I know that God will honour it and new frontiers for the gospel will open as a result.

A missionary spirit is one that looks to the horizon and not to the ditch.  You see the possibilities and not the limitations.

When someone asks you to come speak you don’t pass it up because it costs too much.  You trust that God is calling you to that region and agree to go believing and trusting God to cover your expenses.

Some of my greatest experiences have come when I have agreed to go without knowing where the resources for the journey will come from.  For me this is the biblical model.  I don’t see Paul and Peter asking how much money they will get in advance for going on a journey for the Lord.

Jesus taught his disciples to go into the world and preach and not to worry about their money belts because money would come their way (Matthew 10).  He told them not to worry about what they would eat or where they would sleep.  It would be taken care of by the journey.  Faith knows that God is more than able to supply all its need according to His riches in glory.

I have incurred up to $2000 in expenses for a trip and only received $300 in return.  This happens a lot, and yet God is always faithful.  On that particular trip, the Lord showed me in a dream that I would be given an envelope to cover the expenses.  Within three or four months I received $2500 in one week–more than enough to cover my trip.

God is faithful and if we learn to trust him with our traveling needs the journey is much more exciting and more than likely you will minister in more places and see more miracles.  In the last two years I have preached in places I never thought I would ever go to.  Doors have opened for me in far off places.

The signs and wonders that follow my ministry as a result of trusting God this way are very intense.  I have seen God do things that would amaze the most ardent skeptic.

I believe God can do the same for you. I pray today that the obstacles blocking your faith to journey will be unplugged so that you will become a mighty missionary wherever God sends you.  I pray that you will do what is in your heart to do and perhaps what others never thought you would do.