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Righteousness by Faith

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The Heavenly Key for 2019

In the month of December, God was leading us all to go deeper in Him, because this month of January will be a time of consecration and setting apart for God’s work in 2019. Then in February, we will watch God fling wide the doors of opportunity for us as we have been prepared with a new and fresh anointing that was cultivated through our tears in December 2018 and our purification in January 2019.

On December 25, Christmas morning, God woke me up with His overwhelming presence and a blanket of covering and He said the word, “Righteousness.” I knew that the whole month of weeping and tears, as in the valley of Baca (Psalm 84), had been Him setting me up to understand how this key was going to be important in 2019. He began to speak to me about putting on His righteousness and standing in this for the new year, and encouraging others to do the same.

Righteousness: The Key We All Can Access

The Word tells us that our faith is credited as righteousness. Righteousness is right standing with God that we did not earn, it is a gift that comes from Him. We receive it at salvation according to Romans 6:4-5 (NASB), “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

In our death, burial and resurrection in Christ, we are united with Him and His righteousness. This is a key we all have access to when we spiritually discern this truth and examine it from a spiritual perspective.

In Romans 4:2-5 (NIV), the Word says: “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.” (Photo via Unsplash)

This righteousness is a free gift we have been given by our own death, burial and resurrection in Christ Jesus and is a key to helping us walk in power in 2019. The Apostle Paul knew about this righteousness and speaks to this truth in Philippians 3:7-9 (NIV), “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Seeing Through the Eyes of Christ

This kind of righteousness is based on being right because of what Christ did for us already. The Apostle Paul tells us that what was important was that he “be found in Him” which is a Greek word “heurisko,” which means to see as Christ sees or perceives as Christ perceives. This means that Paul wants to SEE through the eyes of Christ how Christ operated in righteousness and how he too could apply this truth. This is a spiritually discerned truth, it is not something the natural world knows or even understands. The Apostle Paul wants to SEE, as in union with Christ by faith, how his Lord and Savior Christ Jesus walked in righteousness on this earth.

In Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV), the Apostle Paul says, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

The gift of righteousness manifesting on Earth through us is something we are to attain to. This gift is so powerful that Jesus mentioned it in Matthew 5:20 (NIV), “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

This means our righteousness must exceed that of law-givers themselves. We must supersede the earthly manifestation of righteousness first with a spiritual manifestation. So, how can we do this? This powerful key of the Kingdom of Heaven is made available to us who believe by faith we have received it. As we walk in righteousness we carry this supernatural Kingdom key that opens pathways to follow God, and we help others beyond the mockery we all receive from the world. The world is always looking to condemn and judge behavior and the function of righteousness or right standing from the perspective of act only. However, the heavenlies view righteousness as a gift that when worn by the recipient will produce an effect of Kingdom righteousness on Earth through acts of righteousness.

In other words, Christ changes us to BE righteous so we can DO righteous acts. The earth looks only to the doing part and is quick to be used of the enemy to condemn Christians and attack those who are spiritual. Those who walk in the righteousness of Christ will walk in a royalty of Heaven that will empower them to do the will of God and stand firm in face of the enemy’s schemes, all because by faith we WEAR His righteousness in our hearts.

How Does Christ Supplies Our Need for Righteousness?

The enemy is always there to supplant lies of the past or make our failures stand out to us or others. This causes us to strive to fix our issues, only to find out that we have no power to sustain because we don’t know His righteousness first. Righteousness is His power by faith.

How does Christ supply our need for this righteousness? The Word tells us He gives us the breastplate of righteousness: “Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness”(Ephesians 6:14 NASB). (Photo via Pixabay)

He also gives us the “robe of righteousness” according to Isaiah 61:10 (NASB), “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

We are also told when we learn to walk in His righteousness on Earth and have acts of righteousness that flow from being righteous in Him, that He gives us the crown of righteousness when we pass on to be with Him. This is in 2 Timothy 4:8 (NASB), “…in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

In summary, righteousness by faith is the heavenly key we all need for 2019. The enemy wants to keep you down and you must fight with the breastplate of righteousness or the robe of righteousness that you did not earn, but was freely given to you by your death, burial and resurrection in Christ. Don’t delay, ask God to open your eyes to SEE supernaturally as Christ wants you to see and perceive these truths that are spiritually discerned. I believe God wants to open your eyes now to this truth. This Kingdom key will sustain you throughout the year and bring you peace and power to attain to the goals He has personally given you for 2019.

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December Prophecy

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A Time of Suddenlies and Transitions

As we transition into new year 2019, for the month of December, we need to be aware of God calling us to go deeper in Him. The Lord spoke to me that “suddenlies” were going to happen to position people to move into a place of promotion in 2019, but these suddenlies would look different than what their hearts were seeking or even asking God for.

God has a great plan and you will move closer to your convergence time; however, in December, the suddenlies that come will take you deeper in God so you can move into greater territory in 2019.

When January approaches, it is always a time of consecration of fasting and prayer for many in the body of Christ. So, in the month of December, God is calling you to go deeper in Him so you will be ready after consecration for greater territories before you.

You need to know that suddenlies that have caused quick changes in your calendar or plans are God’s divine setup to draw you closer to Him, not a demotion from destiny. Take the time and praise Him as He leads and guides you to a greater territory but you need to go deeper in order to go higher.

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He says in Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV):

For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you shall call upon Me, and you shall come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart.

The emphasis in this Scripture is on the “I”. For He is the “I” in that Scripture, and He has plans for you, not your plans, but because they are His plans, He is fully capable to lead you to where He wants to take you.

Ephesians 3:16-21 is a prayer the apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus. He wanted Christians to know:

that He would give you, according to the riches of His glory, power to be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

God wants you to come to the place of knowing His love for you and living in His fullness. This is what will give you the capacity for your new territory. God is preparing you now to learn about this type of love that needs to be so deep and so rooted in your heart that you become a mouthpiece for God and share His heart with others. His heart is to do exceedingly and abundantly more for you as you walk in His will on earth.

So how will you join forces with God and accomplish this divine setup He is giving you in December?

He will take you to the deeper place in Him. If you keep your heart open to Him and Him alone during this time, He will prepare you for the pass-through into your purpose in 2019.

While many are superficially looking at their surroundings and are dissatisfied even with holiday parties and festivities, you can be finding more in all of this by searching for His heart of love and purpose.

The transition time is here, pass-through is upon us. The word “pass-through” or “transition” in the Hebrew is abar, which means “transition” or “to cross over,” specifically to cover as in copulation, a type of covering that is intimate and brings forth blessing, prosperity and multiplication.

In Psalm 42:7, the Word says: “Deep calls to deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and Your billows passed over me.”

The words in this passage, “passed over,” mean this is the passover or covering of the deep which gives us substance and depth to step into our time of consecration in 2019, ready for more territory.

This is also seen in Psalm 57:1, “Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me! For my soul seeks refuge in You; in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until the ruinous storm passes by.”

Also in Psalm 78:13, “He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters to stand as a heap.

And as the psalmist shares, who many believe is David, in Psalm 84:1-6:

How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints
for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my body cry out for the living God. Yes, the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even at Your altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they continually praise You. Selah Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the paths to Zion. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they makes it a spring; the early rain also covers it with pools.

This Hebrew word abar is the word revealing the pass-through in the Valley of Baca. Baca means “weeping.” But from there, due to the meaning of Hebrew word abar,they made it a prosperous place, because the word rain, translates “like an archer” or a teaching that gives them so much insight and knowledge that they were able to fill their pools. These pools are prosperity upon them.

Psalm 84:7 says, “They go from strength to strength; every one of them appears in Zion before God.” This is a time of strengthening, when you go deep with God in the pass-through or transition phase.

The Israelites were challenged in Numbers 14:7, “And they spoke to all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, ‘The land, which we passed through to explore it, is a very, very good land.”

The Israelites were called to pass through the land to see the exceedingly good riches of the promised land on the other side. Be of good cheer, as the pass-through leads to promotion and prosperity of knowledge and wealth.

So, He is beckoning you to come to Him and view this December as something different. See it as walk in the deep as He prepares you to pass through in this time of transition to consecration in January 2019, and then into February 2019 with the start of greater territory being apprehended for the kingdom of God, and you will be a key player in the spheres He has called you too.

Stay focused on Him during your “suddenlies” in the month of December, even your sudden stops, because they are invitations for depth so you can sustain during the times you will be required to pour out your soul to a new sphere of influence, which will come in February 2019.

God is covering you now; rest in His deep and watch what happens in 2019. 

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Zion Fire is Coming

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The Hebrew Year 5779 is fast approaching on Sept. 9-11, 2018, and God is bringing Zion fire to His churches in this new year. Mt. Zion refers to a location where the grace of God manifests. Zion fire is a fire that will start with the people of God first, a fire in those saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ that will then spread to the unsaved.

According to Scripture and specifically Hebrews 12:22-24 (NASB),

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven; to God, the Judge of all; and to the spirits of the righteous ones made perfect; and to Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant; and to the sprinkled blood that speaks better than that of Abel (Heb. 12:22-24).

Since Zion fire is coming, what must the church of Jesus Christ do to prepare itself? First, we must keep our own lamps burning. For Christians are called the light of the world.

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How do we do this? Scripture shares how Moses received instructions on the mountain concerning the building of the tabernacle, and one of the instructions revolved around the oil for the lampstand.

In Exodus 27:20-21, the word says, “‘You shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of olive pressed for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a perpetual statute for the children of Israel for generations to come.”

The Lord wanted His lampstands burning night and day. We are the lampstands that He is calling for a constant burn. As Zion fire approaches we need to recognize we are the instruments with the assignment to not let our lamps fizzle out.

As a member of the body of Christ, there are different stages of growth from infant, to child, to teen and finally adult. As the mature or adult members, we should have our lamps burning because we have harvested enough oil in our vessels.

When olives are pressed out and the oil flows into the vats it goes through a process of grinding and pressing under specific heat-controlled conditions. This type of pressing in the natural concerning us, God’s church, comes from trials and temptations and going through a process with God where we do not run from our God or our issues in a trial, but we choose to run to Him as our place of refuge. Jesus Himself went through a pressing process in the Garden of Gethsemane before His death, as the word Gethsemane comes from two Hebrew words, gath which means, a place for pressing oil or wine, and shemen, which means grease as from the olive, richness, anointing, fruitful and oils.

Oil pressing is a process the church cannot run from, but it has benefits for our lampstand to continue burning. When we draw close to God in the midst of our trials He uses this pressing into Him as an opportunity to put oil in our vessel. Using the spiritual disciplines during our times of trials, praying, fasting, giving, worshipping and studying the Word of God will help us draw near during the difficult times and this will mature us in the trial.

Let’s look at the Parable of the 10 Virgins as guidance of what Jesus is teaching us, regarding, the importance of having our vessels filled with oil for Zion Fire to burn bright in a dark world.

In Matthew 25:1-13, the Parable of the 10 Virgins reads:

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them. But the wise took jars of oil with their lamps. While the bridegroom delayed, they all rested and slept.

“But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.’

“The wise answered, ‘No, lest there not be enough for us and you. Go rather to those who sell it, and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they went to buy some, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us.’

“But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matt. 25:1-13).

Apparently, the wise virgins according to the Greek word, phronimos, had cautious character and practical skill during their trials. They took the oil in their vessels with their lamps. The word “vessel” in the Greek is aggeion, from the root, agkale, which means “bend,” “ache” and “curve.”

In other words, our vessels or our temples are clarified as a place of bent or ache. This is the place where the oil was put. However, the other five virgins were clarified as being lazy in the pressing process. This means that during their trials and temptation, when the pressing on them became too much, they chose not to be changed in the process. They did not work out their issues with wisdom and alertness. They did not draw near to God in the process, so He called them foolish. The foolish ones asked for the oil of the wise ones.

Matthew 25:8 says, “But the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.'”

But the oil was in their vessels or broken places of their soul. It could not be bought from them. It had to be acquired in the pain or pressing.

The wise even sent them away to go buy oil elsewhere, but the Word says they never came back with any. As a matter of fact, when they returned, the Scripture never says they had oil, it just says they asked to be let in, and the door was shut because they didn’t get ready with their oil. Pressing is a process in life, and you must be looking to your Savior daily as you press so you build confidence and intimacy in relationship with Him.

I wondered, Who are these people selling the oil in their alabaster box? This pressing comes with a cost, and they found no one to give theirs away. It was too costly, as it was only true to the broken vessel itself. If it is not your own oil, you won’t find true value in it. It is a counterfeit, as it came at no cost to you and was not pressed out through the relationship you personally had with God in your trials. In other words, you cannot buy another’s oil to grow spiritually.

To sustain Zion fire, you must come with your own oil in your own lampstand. Then you are ready to be a light that will not burn out because you are wise and trust Him in the trials. You now shine brighter and can light the world. Only the mature can keep their fire burning when the trials come, and the enemy tries to put out your zeal for God.

At the end when the foolish virgins wanted in, verse 12, He said, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.”

Knowing Him means we must labor with Him; we must turn to Him in the midst of our trials and temptations; we must be willing vessels broken but ready to be intimate with Him in the breaking and the healing.

How much oil is in your vessel? Understanding that is a key to how long you will burn in the revival or Zion fire, the church fire, without burning out. 

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August Prophecy

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Get Alone With God Now So September Blessings May Flow

I hear the Lord petitioning His people to come alone with Him to a place of abiding in His presence as the Hebrew Year 5779 is fast approaching. The opportunity to participate in miracles, healing and revelation knowledge is coming forth in dramatic ways as God’s fall festivals approach starting with Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 9-11, 2018.

In order for this supernatural move to happen, the Lord reminded me that we must pull ourselves away and get into a quiet place with Him where we are forsaking all others and idols that are drawing us away from Him.

In Revelation 2:1-3, we see, “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write: ‘He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, says these things: I know your works, your labor and your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles, but are not, and have found them to be liars. You have endured, and have been patient, and for My name’s sake have labored and have not grown weary.”

We need to return to our first love if we expect to see our lampstand burning bright when the Hebrew New Year happens in September and double- portion time is upon us. How does this happen? We must forsake the idols of distraction and mental strongholds, and we must take every thought captive and listen to Him. Some of these idols are the love of money and our discontentment with our current circumstances as stated in, Hebrews 13:5, which says, “Let your lives be without love of money, and be content with the things you have. For He has said: ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you.'”

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Jesus repeatedly showed us that He had to have time alone with the Father. In Matthew 14:23, the Word tells us that after He had seen the miracles of the loaves and fish, “When He sent the crowds away, He went up into a mountain by Himself to pray. And when evening came, He was there alone.” This word “alone” comes from the Greek word meno which means “stay, in a given place, state, relation or expectancy, as to abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand and tarry.” This is the same Greek word that is found in the word “abide” that we read about in John 15:1-4 (NKJV):

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that bears no fruit, He takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean through the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in Me.

We must learn to come alone with Christ and abide in Him now in the month of August, so we can be ready and trained for September blessings to flow. Do not delay in making a plan to get alone with Him. Change your schedule, forsake your idols of money, relationships and security and establish a strong relationship with Him now through abiding in the vine. We must get alone with Him and listen to the Spirit above the chatter of the mind, so we can be trained to reign with Him in this season. You can train yourself to be alone with Him daily so that your lampstand will burn brighter than ever when the new year comes around. Renew your mind and make a change today to get alone with God. 

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