by Lynne Taylor | Jul 7, 2021
Many are familiar with 2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal will their land.
There has never been a time in my lifetime when I desire more than ever for our land to be healed. This verse tells us clearly, with the conditions explained, the way forward for this to happen. Isn’t that so like our loving Father. There is a problem and He provides the answer for the most seemingly impossible situations, because He is a God of love and mercy, a restoring God. Nothing is too hard for Him. But as is often the way, you and I as believers have a strategic part to play to see a resolution to the problem and most of all to take action to see the desired result. I, like many of you, am believing for a great awakening for the church, not only in NZ but worldwide. The word ‘awakening’ infers we have been asleep. For our beautiful Aotearoa to be in the state it’s in we have to question how ‘awake’ we have been.
Let’s look at this verse in bite size pieces.
God in His mercy is calling us to prayer, to humble ourselves. I like what C.S. Lewis said “A really humble man will not be thinking about humility; he will not be thinking about himself at all.”
I know I have failed in praying when I should, and put myself before others when I shouldn’t. I repent. To ‘seek’ means to crave, to require as a necessity. Jesus has not always been Lord and I’ve done things my way. I REPENT.
To ‘seek His face’ means to seek God’s presence.
Well respected prophet Bobby Connor has said that the greatest need in the body of Christ is His presence. God’s presence is with me all the time but I know for myself I sense God’s presence the most when I am worshipping Him to my favourite songs on Spotify or when He speaks a fresh revelation through His word. There are no shortcuts in our relationship with our Maker. Worship and spending time with the Holy Spirit in the word are vital for our ongoing relationship with our Heavenly Father. I REPENT of neglecting my relationship with God and being distracted with other things. God is speaking all the time and wanting to lavish you and me, His bride, with His love.
Do I have any ‘wicked’ (disagreeable, unpleasant, giving pain) ways that I need to turn away from? Am I always living out of faith? Hebrews 3:12 says “Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart (which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord), a heart that turns away from the living God.” I REPENT. I haven’t ALWAYS been pleasant and agreeable and no doubt have caused pain by my words or actions. My faith has wavered at times and I’ve slipped into unbelief. I REPENT.
When I live a life of repentance ‘I will hear from heaven’ and after knowing God most of my life I can testify to the fact that His voice has saved me, led me, encouraged me, comforted me, warned me, strengthened me and empowered me for which I am eternally grateful.
Lord Jesus I desire to be a true representative of yours on planet earth and I thank you that you are a God who sees my weaknesses is loving and forgiving and is always cheering me on to be more like You.
Thank you Lord that you will heal our land of Aotearoa. Show me my part.
by Lynne Taylor | Jul 7, 2021
Have you ever been in a situation and felt there was no way out. You find that no matter where your mind takes you there is absolutely no solution – to the natural mind that is.
Maybe that is where you are at right now. You have lost your job with no obvious signs of another one and your bank account is diminishing and you’re worrying how you can make ends meet. Or maybe you are in an unhealthy relationship which is causing you great emotional pain. Or maybe sickness has been plaguing you for some time. Fear has gripped some of you about your future and for you there seems to be no hope with no answers, no sense of destiny.
All of those scenarios are very grim and real to many BUT GOD! Yes, unless God intervenes because of His love and concern for you, the future would seem very troubling.
I want to encourage you with this story of Peter in Acts 12. Peter could identify with you and I suspect your situation could look more hopeful than Peter’s.
Peter was arrested and put in prison as a believer, for sharing his faith. He had four soldiers guarding him and he slept between two soldiers and was bound to them with chains. There were also guards in front of the prison door. But the back story is believers had met to fervently pray for him. SUDDENLY an angel of the Lord appeared and shone a light into his cell and commanded him to get up quickly and to gird himself and put on his sandals. Immediately HIS CHAINS FELL OFF. Then the angel told him to wrap his cloak around himself and follow him. You might ask, how would he get out of the prison? THE GATE OPENED BY ITSELF. He went straight to where his friends were praying. Although they were praying they obviously couldn’t get their head around the fact that Peter could get out of prison as when he arrived they thought he was his angel. Even though they would have been praying for his release, they could not believe that he was actually out of prison and on their doorstep. Isn’t that so much like us when facing impossible situations? We pray and find it hard to see an answer? But God saw their heart and their desire for Peter to be free and answered their prayers despite their unbelief.
So why not you? Why wouldn’t our loving God answer your prayers? He is a miracle working personal God and nothing is too hard for Him. He delights in impossible situations so He can turn up SUDDENLY and answer your prayers. He does hear your cry and He has never left you, and your destiny will still come to pass as you trust in your loving Heavenly Father.
by Lynne Taylor | Jul 7, 2021
In August 2020 I had a dream. I saw this huge dam and for some reason onlookers were aware that it was going to break. I could see inside the dam and saw it was beginning to break and I dived into the water. Then I appeared on top of the dam and there were many people looking on, aware of the possibility of it breaking. Then it became obvious it was starting to break. The people were waiting with excitement to see what would happen and it was like they were sightseeing and waiting for the deluge of water to be released.
I believe the dam represents the many blockages in the body of Christ that stop the flow of the Holy Spirit and delaying imminent revival. Some of the blockages being apathy, unbelief, lack of surrender and true repentance, having our own agendas and plans, lack of intimacy and prayer and hearing God’s voice, lack of love and obedience and more recently than ever, living in fear instead of rising up in faith in God’s wonderful promises.
It’s time to stand up in who we are as sons and daughters of God with satan’s schemes firmly under our feet and taking this land for Jesus. Revival is coming and the dam is starting to break but the people I saw in the dream were not prepared or involved in making it happen. They were looking for the emotional thrill of seeing the water flow, still living in their comfort zone, excited about all that God was going to do.
We are the revival that God is waiting to happen! If ever there was a time to be in God’s presence, allowing Him to shine His light into our soul, obeying and repenting from our wicked ways IT IS NOW.
We must ask ourselves “what should I being doing now to live daily out of a radical faith?” Prayer leads to action! “Lord I want to be as You in this world. Open my mouth to share the GOOD news, use my hands for healing and open my eyes to see people as You see them, give me a heart of love and compassion for those around me.”
My prayer is “Lord have mercy on us, forgive our sins and heal our land.”
by Alan Taylor | Jun 21, 2021
When Jesus saw from heaven all that sin had done in the world He said “I’ll fix it.”
He grew up in His dad’s joinery shop – He already knew how to make stuff cos He made the world. So when people brought Him a broken chair He said “I’ll fix it.”
When they ran out of wine at a wedding Jesus said “I’ll fix it.”
When the storm was threatening to swamp the boat and everybody in it Jesus said “I’ll fix it.”
When the crowds got hungry after a long day Jesus said “I’ll fix it.”
When the woman caught in adultery was stuck between the law of God and her guilt Jesus said “I’ll fix it.”
When the sick and the troubled came to him He said “I’ll fix it.”
When Lazarus died before His time He said “I’ll fix it.”
So He did. He fixed it all. And just before He gave up His spirit on the cross He said “It’s all fixed!”
by Alan Taylor | Jun 21, 2021
We read that Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Gen 3:15).
So what did they hear? Was it the sound of twigs breaking underfoot? Hmmm….. dead wood in the brand new garden and God breaking things. I don’t think so.
Was He humming to Himself “How Great I Art”?
Personally I think they heard with their heart and not with their ears. When King Solomon asked God for wisdom his actual words were “give me a hearing heart” (1 Kings 3:9).
Friends, we have fallen so far short of God’s original intention that even though God is in us, around us, and with us in every way – we still find it difficult to perceive Him and hear Him. Yet He still promises “My sheep hear My voice”.
Trust those promptings – they could be the voice of God. Listen to what others are saying – it could be the voice of God. See what catches your attention in the Bible or in a preached message – it could be the voice of God to you.
“Lord let the eyes of my heart be enlightened and let the ears of my heart be open. Speak Lord for your servant is listening. Thankyou that you promise that I will hear your voice, and I give you permission to choose how you want to speak to me.”
by Alan Taylor | Jun 21, 2021
Many years ago I used to make declarations about putting on the armour of God (Ephesians 6). Then I realised that each piece of the armour is more than just a declaration – they are attitudes and actions that draw from the resurrection life of Jesus within us.
Take the belt of truth for example. A morning declaration in our quiet time “I put on the belt of truth!” is worthless when we don’t do what we say we will do. When our actions don’t agree with our words our belt is loosened, our trousers slip to our ankles, and we fall over. If you’re finding the Christian walk is more like a stumble, maybe you are not always truthful in what you say and that’s why you’re tripping up.
Here are some examples of belt-loosening, trouser-dropping, entangling sins.
“Yes we’ll get together sometime”. But you never follow through. Here’s a tip: don’t say it unless you mean it.
“I forgot”. Let’s re-phrase that: “You weren’t important enough for me to remember”.
When we communicate one thing but our actions say a different thing we totally loosen our belt of truth. When our words are truth and our actions are in agreement we can have confidence that our spirit belt is buckled tight, our loose clothing is out of the way, and we are ready to do God’s bidding and run the race of life unhindered.
