Sylvia Neusch's Blog

Dial In and Tune to God's Frequency

I was spending time with the Lord recently and seeking His heart on all the chaos, confusion and deception swirling in the atmosphere...

Position Yourself for Encounter!

Recently, in an encounter with the Lord, I felt He was issuing a passionate invitation to position ourselves for powerful, life-changing...

When the Lord Delivers, He Delivers Fully!

You may find yourself in a place right now where it seems the odds are stacked against you. You may feel as if your back is up against the wall and you have nowhere to turn. Be encouraged, for though the enemy wars against you, the Lord is setting you up for a glorious victory and Divine deliverance. And when the Lord delivers, He delivers fully!

Remember, the gates of Jericho were securely barred, no one going in or coming out before Joshua and the children of Israel began their march around the city. The tightest security had been put into place making the odds of victory seem incredibly low. Our God loves working with this type of odds.

The Jordan was at flood stage when Joshua & the people were ready to cross.

Young David opposed a huge giant with only a sling and a stone.

The widow of Zarephath had just a little olive oil and a handful of flour.

Elijah faced the 450 Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.

The children of Israel encountered a securely barred Jericho.

God's greatness, power, and might are displayed when we find ourselves in these circumstances. When all is said and done, it will be clear that His hand has accomplished the victory. But, often God gives us a part or role to play.

The priests had to set their feet in the Jordan.

David had to gather his stones.

The widow of Zarephath had to first make some bread for Elijah.

Elijah had to first build and soak the altar before praying for God to come.

The children of Israel had to march in silence before shouting.

Obedience is key to our breakthrough because it demonstrates our faith in the One who will deliver. We put feet to our beliefs and do those things that the Holy Spirit instructs us to do.

Then, there are also times when the greatest display of our faith is to STAND FIRM and wait for the Lord's deliverance. It doesn't say "stand shakily" but to STAND FIRM, indicating an inner conviction and confident reliance on God alone to accomplish our deliverance.

The Israelites experienced a daunting situation as they camped at Pi Hahiroth after fleeing Egypt. Here they looked up to see the feared Egyptian army overtaking them. It seemed all of their fears were about to be realized and they were terrified. Enter the DELIVERER!

"Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long." - Ex. 14:19-20

"During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." - Ex. 14:24-25.

Many are on assignment from the Lord right now. You have left family, friendships, jobs, and financial security behind to follow the call of God into this new era with Him. You may be experiencing the enemy's hot pursuit and threats to overtake and destroy you. Know that your DELIVERER is the same God who delivered the children of Israel from the clutches of Pharoah and his army. He is still able to hem you in, behind and before, with His supernatural protection and covering. He is still in the chariot wheel jamming business, and just when you think all may be lost, He stretches out His mighty arm to save and deliver.

The Lord has DRY GROUND for you right in the middle of the tumultuous waters that swirl around you. Take courage, for your testimony will shout, "SURELY THE LORD HAS DONE THIS THING! WHEN THE LORD DELIVERS, HE DELIVERS FULLY!"

Orphans and Prodigals are Coming Home!

We are in a time where the orphans and prodigals are going to TURN towards the Father. Where some have given up on them, He has not. He has been watching, waiting, and pursuing them because His love NEVER gives up. Body of Christ, families and friends, BE READY because they are coming home. They are coming back into the fold and coming back into your hearts. We must welcome and greet them with forgiveness, love and acceptance.

 

Some have known the gift of salvation yet continued to walk in life with the heart of an orphan or that of a prodigal son or daughter. They have not yet known or experienced the healing and revelation of His love that would break these chains from their heart. The story of the “Lost Son or Prodigal Son” in Luke 15: 11-32 is a great example of two sons who walked in life with orphan hearts. They had a good earthly father, but they were blinded to see what was truly theirs all along.

Below you will find mentioned some of the characteristics of those who walk with an orphan heart and mentality. It is a condition of the heart, or a mentality because when the individual is a born again believer, their spirit has been renewed and the Holy Spirit lives within them. However, the person may still live out of their soul as if they are an orphan, and believe in their mind that they are. This is not an exhaustive list, but it will hopefully be helpful for those who are struggling to find breakthrough. For others it can serve as a way to pray for the prodigals in your life.

Characteristics of an Orphan Heart & Mentality:

 

·      Emotionally cut off from true fathers, often rejecting fathers or other authorities in their life.

 

·      Believe they are a self-made man or woman, looking to earn affirmation from their accomplishments or what they do.

 

·      Walk in continual comparison with others resulting in jealousy, envy, bitterness, and anger.

 

·      Believe they have no inheritance and they must fight for what they get.

 

·      Often use control and manipulation to achieve things or promotion.

 

·      Deep feelings of fearfulness & insecurity, as well as lack of peace.

 

·      Unable to celebrate the successes and achievements of others.

 

·      Unable to trust God and others because of core lies they have believed.

 

A Word to the Orphans and Prodigals

The Father is running towards those with an orphan heart or spirit to bring healing and a revelatory grace for breakthrough. The Father is running toward you, His sons and daughters, with the family ring, robe, and sandals. He won’t be deterred or hindered. He has been watching for you and waiting for you to TURN TOWARDS Him. 

 

Can you see Him? He is running towards you, filled with love and compassion. How He has waited for this time! He has longed for you to KNOW who you are and whose you are. It doesn’t matter what you have done or what you have believed. But you must TURN!  TURN and look into His eyes. Do you see that His eyes blaze like fire?  It is a fire of His zeal and love for you. It is a fire of His anger towards the evil one who has robbed and stolen the lives of His royal ones. The Father has stopped at nothing to make a way for you to once again be part of His family. He gave the ultimate sacrifice, His beloved One and Only Son, so that you could be FREE. 

 

You are FREE to run into the Father’s arms. You are FREE to experience His love and warm embrace. You are FREE to experience total forgiveness and healing of your body, soul, and spirit. That which you can step into freely, cost the Father everything. But you must STEP IN.

 

Can you feel His BEST ROBE lovingly placed on your shoulders? It is a robe of belonging, intimacy, and protection. You have been CHOSEN and marked to receive inheritance.

Do you see the RING He has placed on your finger? It is His ring of lineage and lavish value for you. As you wear His ring you will be continually reminded that you are your Beloved’s and He is yours.

As the SANDALS are placed on your feet you are reminded that you are now protected and cared for by your Father. As you receive the sandals, it is a time to STEP OUT of old patterns of self-preservation and control, and a time to STEP INTO a glorious surrender and trust of the One who loves you like no other.

  

It is time now to fully follow this One with His blazing eyes of fiery love. He’s taking you to a CELEBRATORY FEAST to announce to the world His JOY over you. You once were lost, but now you are FOUND! Now REST and RECEIVE His unconditional love.

"...But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

 

 

Daydream Believers, Arise and Build in 2025!

Recently I woke up hearing the phrase, "Daydream Believer", which was the title of an old song popular in the 60's. Since I hadn't thought of or heard this song in years, I began to press in to hear what the Lord might be wanting to say. As I listened,

I felt I heard the Father saying that it is time for the Daydream Believers to arise and build. It is time to put feet to the dream seeds that God has sown and nurtured within you. As you believe in Him, you will see these dreams come to fruition. Yes, the realization of that which has germinated inside is upon you. God is bringing dreams into actualities. But you must become a daydream believer. Believing is a key component in seeing your dreams manifest into actualities.

The Cambridge dictionary defines "daydream" as "a series of pleasant thoughts about something you would prefer to be doing or something you would like to achieve in the future."

Watch and take note of what you daydream about, because often it is an indicator of deep desires, potential, and calling. God is often in the longing and yearning you have experienced. The Holy Spirit will lead each one through a process of consecration and purification. That which is not of Him will be pruned or weeded out. Trust His process as He knows you infinitely and intimately.

Know that your faith is the actual substance of those things you have dreamed and hoped for. You can bring your faith to the courts of Heaven for it is the evidence of what He will do as you believe. Though the thing you have faith for is not yet seen or realized in the natural, it is an actuality in His Spirit realm. You must learn to live from this place, your seated position in Him. This is a place of governing, but also a place of Divine perspective and limitless creativity.

Seeing From Your Seated Place

Do you see what He sees? What you see is what you will get as you learn to envision from your seated position. This is a place of learning to imagine and picture the things He has spoken to you. You will never step in to take your promised lands until you can envision yourself doing so. Caleb could see what God wanted to do so he was able to operate from a place of confidence, assurance and courageous faith as he boldly said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." (Num. 13:30b) Caleb was a daydream believer, but he was more than that. Caleb was a fearless believer in His God, the promises He had spoken to him, and the generations before him. Like Caleb, you are learning to see as God sees.

Hold on to what God has spoken to you for His words are the building blocks of your faith. Learn to place your faith in who He is, and not in what you can do. You are entering new territory. Old methods and ways of operating will no longer be sufficient to navigate this untraversed terrain. Trust the ancient paths, but not the old wineskins. Discard the hindrances and things that would hold you back. Refuse to harbor unforgiveness, offense, or fleshly appetites. Choose the narrow way and road less traveled. Shake off the garments from past seasons and refuse Saul's armor. God has fresh mantles, anointing, and grace to release for those who choose to believe and follow Him into the new.

God Seeds Produce a Harvest

Know that God's words and promises go forth as seeds. His seeds always germinate and grow to produce fruit when you believe. His seeds always produce a harvest when they are combined with faith. It is not your self effort or striving that will cause the harvest to come, but your simple childlike trust and faith in your good Father. You are a carrier and co-creator with Him of things destined to be birthed in this new era.

Are you confident? Be confident of this; He will carry on to completion the good work He began in you. (from Phil. 1:6) You have only to yield and obey. God will release to you the strategies and plans to bring to fruition that which He has nurtured inside of you. What began as a daydream will one day bring abundant harvest.

Don't be afraid to step out. He will take your little and multiply it into much. He will take your weakness and reveal His strength. Don't allow the days of dark and gloomy skies to cause you to doubt what He has spoken to you in times of light and revelation.

Believe like the psalmist David when he said, "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." (Psalm 139:9-12)

He is the Light of the World, and He has made you light as well. Trust His light to guide you. He will shepherd you through the dark places and order your steps to bring you to a place of Divine convergence and fulfillment. Mary was blessed because she believed that there would be a fulfillment of that which was spoken to her from the Lord.(Lk. 1:45) You will be blessed as you believe as well.

It is a time to arise and build. Tap into the grace that Heaven is releasing right now for the builders. Anointed builders have first dreamed of a plan. Before there was a building there was a desire and a dream. Nehemiah felt a deep desire. Nehemiah had a dream to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, bringing those deep desires to God in prayer. God breathed on those dreams, birthing them into reality, bringing Divine inspiration, favor, and resources to Nehemiah and those who helped him build.

Step into the slipstream of God's grace, Daydream Believers, as you arise and awaken to build with Him. The God of All Creation will bring blessing and favor to you as you move forward to advance His kingdom. Build on earth as it is in Heaven.

God is Replacing Exhaustion with His Divine Propulsion

Recently, during a time of corporate worship, I sensed that many around me were feeling weary and exhausted. The storms of life, coupled with stress and heavy burdens, were causing many to feel spent and overcome. As I sought the Lord on what He would want to say or do, I felt I heard Him say, "I'm replacing exhaustion with My divine propulsion".

The Cambridge dictionary defines propulsion as "a force that pushes something forward".

In this coming season, I believe we are going to experience God's divine propulsion available to us in greater measure than many of us have experienced before. For those who choose to believe and tap into His supernatural supply, you will experience a grace that pushes you forward with less effort.

Here is what I feel I hear Him saying in his hour: "Come to me My weary ones. Come to Me and wait upon My strength. Yes, instead of weakness you will know My strength. It is a supernatural exchange I have made available for you.

I long to comfort you, My afflicted ones. You who have been battered by life's storms, I have healing and renewed strength to offer you. I have a higher place for you to soar, up above the chaos and turbulence that surrounds you now. I am giving you a grace and anointing to fly with eagle's wings. As you soar above those things that have caused you anxiety and trauma, you will now see from My perspective. But, in order to soar, you must now RELEASE. RELEASE those things that you don't understand and the weights that have held you back. Release to Me your fear of the future and trust My hand upon your life.

Now RECEIVE the grace I am giving you to soar. My divine propulsion will push you forward when you feel you can no longer move on your own. My Spirit wind will move you forward as you wait upon My carrying grace. Receive with the heart of a child, My weary ones.

As you release and receive, even now the wind of My Spirit is causing you to rise above. Your eagle's wings will give you the ability to rise above the storms and complexities of life. I'm restoring your youth and healing your wounded heart as you look into My eyes. It is in My gaze that you will find peace and hope for the days ahead.

I will REBUILD you, and you will be STRONGER than before. Your breaking will become a place of strength as you give to Me your weakness and brokenness. I will bring beauty out of the ashes, and deep riches out of the storms, as you place your trust in Me. As you come to Me, I will replace your exhaustion with My divine propulsion.

"Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones." Isaiah 54:11-12

A Time to Birth, Battle, and Build

I heard the Lord saying, "You are in a time to birth, battle, and build, but it is not a time to be unaware. For though much opposition has come against My people, you are equipped to battle.

The threats that have come against you are smoke and mirrors and you will refute every lie that has exalted itself against My knowledge. Keep up your shields, warriors, and refuse to allow the lies to penetrate your hearts and minds. Your enemy's intent is to defer hope from your life, bringing despair and distraction, but know that I have surrounded you with SONGS OF DELIVERANCE. Your weapons are not of this world and My battle plans will confound the enemy.

Refuse to allow your gaze to move from the tasks at hand. Do not listen to the taunting voices that would seek to divert your time and attention. It is a time to FEAR NOT. I have made provision for every obstacle that you will encounter.

Do not let the enemy's idle threats hinder the work for it is a time to build. As in the time of Nehemiah, build with one hand and hold your weapon in the other. My word must dwell in you richly. Honor My word and the wisdom that is now yours in Christ. Listen for the sound of My voice and honor those who herald the trumpet sound. When you hear My sound, run towards it for there you will find breakthrough grace and My war room strategies.

I am restoring your fortunes and bringing you out of captivity. No longer will your dreams be cast aside or forgotten. I am loosening the ties that have bound you and you will find your restrictions falling away in the light of My favor. You have cried many tears in your years of sowing, but you will soon return with songs of joy and the fruits of abundant harvest.

I have planted My seeds of vision within you, nurturing and tending them so that when the time of birthing has fully come, you would be ready. NOW is the time of building, birthing, and fruit bearing. Now is the time of exploding and exponential harvest.

Do not doubt what I have sown in you in the secret place. Do not doubt the dreams and visions that have awakened you at night. You are not bringing to the table just any dream, but dreams birthed out of the seeds that I, your Father, have intentionally sown for this time and season.

It is time to ADVANCE. Move forward and advance with me and I will reveal my battle plans as you carry the vision. Just as Gideon placed the trumpets and empty jars with torches in the hands of his warriors when they went out against the Midianites, so will I place My unique and secret war strategies in your hands for this building season. I will bring confusion in the enemy's camp as you move forward carrying My God-seeds within you.

Yes, I will cause your enemies to flee as your faith-filled battle cry becomes 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.' (Zech. 4:6b) By My Spirit you will see the birthing of the God-seeds you have carried. By My Spirit you will build according to the blueprints of Heaven's dream design room. By My Spirit you will defeat the enemies that rise up against you.

It is a time to birth, battle, and build. Advance forward courageously and watch for My delivering hand and favor to build and birth in this time of exponential increase for My Kingdom."

"When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them." - Psalm 126:1-6

God is Delivering the Deliverers!

As I was spending time with the Lord, I heard the Lord say, "I am delivering the Deliverers!" As I pressed in to hear His heart, this is what I felt I heard Him saying,

"Many are walking through a time of intense purification and refining. I am bringing the dross to the surface and those things that have sought to weigh you down and hold you back are being removed. My Deliverers, you must embrace My fires of deliverance for it is My heart that you walk in the wholeness and fullness that is your inheritance in Me. I am preparing My people, I am preparing My Deliverers for new assignments and new exploits."

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29)

"For I am calling and commissioning many who have encountered and embraced My fire. Burning bush moments are coming for those I am commissioning and you will find yourself standing on Holy Ground. Take off your shoes and come in close to hear and receive. Do you feel the very earth groaning beneath your feet? Do you feel the earth groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God? I am coming to do that which I have promised and all of creation is waiting. I am coming to touch the generations and I am calling and commissioning My Deliverers.

Your words and hesitation have often been like My servant, Moses when he said, "Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"  (Ex. 3:11) My answer to Moses then, is My answer to your questions, now, "I will be with you."

I am branding fresh revelation of identity on your hearts, a new Holy Spirit breathed-on awareness of who I created you to be. I am UPGRADING and REVEALING layers you have not seen before now. I am pulling identity treasures from beneath the surface and polishing them to reveal surprising, new facets of your potential and call in Me. Yes, you are known in Heaven and you will be known on earth as My fire comes to purify, sanctify, and embolden you, My Deliverers.

Welcome My fire, you Freedom Fighters. My fire will bring forth purity. My fire will bring forth clarity. My fire will yield the purest of gold and you will know what I deeply value and desire. You will function as My priests, My ministers. I am awakening My passions in your heart and you will be My Isaiah 61 Tribe. You will bind up the brokenhearted. You will be a voice to proclaim freedom to the captives. You will carry My light into the darkest of dungeons declaring FREEDOM to the prisoners who have languished alone and forgotten.

My fire will change you. My fire will bring forth Divine purpose and purge those things that hinder. Yield to My hand and purpose, Deliverers, for there are many who will line up in the shadow of your freedom. Your victory will become their victory as well. I have seen the misery of My children and I must have My Deliverers. I am calling forth My Esthers for this time. Hold My words close to your heart and do not doubt, for out of you will flow My LIVING WATERS to deliver, nourish, and set many free.

My Deliverers, press in to hear My thoughts toward you and establish these in your heart. For with these words you will do warfare and defeat your enemies. I am calling you by a NEW NAME. Bend your ear to hear and hold all of My words close to your heart.

Your enemies cringe at the confidence that is possible as My true sons and daughters lay hold of all that I am speaking and revealing. You have been given unlimited access and favor to move on My behalf. Step into your place My Royal Priests and Mighty Deliverers, for I have clothed you in garments of salvation and My glorious robes of righteousness. The treasures of My heavenly realms are yours in Christ Jesus.

 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.  So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.  And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:7-10

Keys to Build with Heaven

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband--the Lord Almighty is his name--the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:2-5

"My child, I give the call for expansion before it appears. Listen to Me and I will share with you keys to access Heaven's realm of assistance. When you act in faith on the words I have spoken to you, you set in motion the activity of Heaven to aid in seeing the vision become a reality.

My power does not back presumption to see the thing accomplished. But, your obedience to My voice and words will unlock the resources and angelic realm to assist you in building.

You must put aside fear of failure and remember who I am. Yoke yourself to Me and purpose to walk in step with My Spirit. I will show you the way to go and direct your steps. My child, your way is not hidden from Me. Your plans are not disregarded by My eyes. I see it all, past, present and future. Before you formulated your deepest dreams, I was there, knitting you together in your mother's womb. I made you exactly who you are and have gifted you uniquely and purposefully so that you can step confidently into all I created you to be.

You truly are My workmanship. You are made to portray a facet of My heart and kingdom that only you can reveal. So, run fully into all that I have for you! Don't hold back or listen to the robbing voices of doubt and unbelief. You are made to build! You are made to soar!"

"Pioneers, You Have Entered the New Frontier!"

Recently, I heard the the Holy Spirit say, "Pioneers, You have entered the new frontier!". As I meditated on this reality, I remembered that a frontier is often referred to as uncharted territory. The Cambridge dictionary mentions "a frontier is a border between what is known and what is not known. " I sense that is exactly where we are as the people of God. We are stepping out of what has been known, and now stepping into what is not known.

The Church is going through such a deep and massive change that it is hard to put it into words. It is difficult to describe something when you haven't seen it before, but many are sensing that something unusual is taking place. Even amid all the changes and transition, we can rest assured that God is masterfully positioning us for the new, and all that He desires to birth will surely come.

This journey we have been invited to embark on may feel scary, unnerving, and sometimes confusing, while at the same time exhilarating and thrilling to realize we are a generation He is calling to pioneer the new with Him. In fact, as I prayed through this word, I kept seeing a picture of astronauts preparing and training for space travel. Astronauts spend many hours in training where the training systems seek to simulate various scenarios they will encounter and experience as they step into the outer space realm. But, even with all their training, they will undoubtedly still encounter things that are entirely new such as extreme temperatures, unusual terrain, and loss of gravity.

Just as astronauts are true pioneers who have chosen to step into the unknown and vast universe, this generation is also called to encounter and bravely pioneer things that are entirely new. I am using the analogy of astronauts and space travel because there is a lack of language to describe the monumental shifts we are experiencing and about to experience in the days ahead. The Church is not just starting a new program or Bible study, but stepping into an era of Church reform and transformation unlike anything seen before. We too, have a vast realm to navigate called the "Spirit Realm" that we will continually be exploring for the rest of our lives and into eternity. As pioneers of the new, we are ambassadors of the kingdom of God, establishing the values of our Father wherever we go.

Promises and Presence

As a teenager, I frequently watched the TV show, Star Trek, where the mission of the Starship Enterprise was "to boldly go where no man has gone before." This could be a fitting mission statement for the Church in this new era, and it is not so different from the words the officers told Joshua and the Israelites when they prepared to cross the Jordan River into their promised land. The officers gave instructions to follow the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant:

"When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before." Joshua 3:3-4a

Like the Israelites, we have never been this way before.

The officers gave very clear instructions to the children of Israel as they were about to set out to cross into their land. The ark of the covenant was a constant reminder of God's promises to them and a visible representation of God's Presence with them. A covenant is a "two sided" agreement or promise. God had promised and covenanted to be with them and they covenanted and committed to Him as their God.

Covenant is Key

As we venture into this new era with Him, we also need the signposts that mark the way for us. Could it be that the same constants that got the children of Israel to their destination are exactly what we need when we can't clearly see the way? When the road ahead is unfamiliar and sometimes hard to see, we lean into His promises and our everlasting covenant with Him. He is who He said He is, and He will do what He said He will do! We also can rejoice that we are never navigating the way alone. Not only is His Presence with us, His Presence is in us!

Because of the blood of Jesus Christ we now operate under a new covenant with Him. Under Moses, the children of Israel experienced an external covenant of law and rules. But we are a people of the new covenant. Under this covenant, God actually changes hearts and minds and He fellowships with us from a place of intimacy and deep connection.

"This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Hebrews 8:10

"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." Hebrews 9:15

I believe our covenant with Him is going to be emphasized and highlighted by the Holy Spirit more and more in the days ahead. Each time we take communion we remember, acknowledge and offer gratefulness to Him for ransoming us from the darkness and setting us free to walk fully as His sons and daughters. I see a spirit of BOLDNESS coming on the Church as we step into greater revelation knowledge of all Christ purchased on the cross. Communion is not only an exercise in remembering, but a powerful weapon against the enemy as we proclaim His death and all that it accomplished.

"This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." I Cor. 11:24b-26

A Warning in Times of Transition

As I was meditating on the uncharted territory we are stepping into, I felt I heard Holy Spirit say, "Watch out for golden calves". In Exodus 31 and 32 we find that Moses had gone up on Mount Sinai with the Lord to receive the two tablets of the covenant law. He was evidently gone for quite a while and the people began to complain and murmur. Having left Egypt, they were already in a time of great transition, and now the one who was leading the way had disappeared. In the absence of what they had become accustomed to, they became uncomfortable. In their discomfort they pressured Aaron to create an idol in the shape of a calf and they quickly turned from God's commands, worshipping the golden calf.

I felt God's warning to us is that as our norms and routines are altered and shaken, we would not be tempted to create substitutes that are not of His doing just to soothe our discomfort. Much of the time God has to remove some things before He can bring the new. It is often the lull or the in-between place that we find to be so difficult. This is not the time to resort to old methods or to institute programs or structures just to fill a space. God is preparing a completely new wineskin for the new wine. If we fill it with the old wine, there will be no room for the new thing He is releasing.

The Role of Grace in Transition

If you have experienced a feeling that the grace has lifted for you in a particular area, be watchful and pray that He would give you eyes to see what He is doing. Often, that feeling that the grace has lifted is God's way of moving us from one thing to the next.

We are sometimes unaware of just how much His grace is present for us in our current assignments until the grace lifts or moves to another assignment. However, we still seek to walk obediently with Him through these uncertain transitions because finishing well is just as important as starting well.

When the children of Israel had crossed into their promised land, they were finally able to eat the fruit of the land. The manna had been their sustenance through all the years of wandering in the wilderness. It was truly a picture of God's grace for them. The manna stopped the day after the Israelites ate the fruit of the land. Though the manna had been God's wonderful provision and grace for them, that particular grace lifted, and it was no longer needed. God had something much greater for them than the monotonous manna. They had entered a place of abundance and a land flowing with milk and honey. How sad it would have been if the children of Israel kept foraging the ground for manna instead of eating the fruit of the land. As pioneers of the new, we need eyes to see the fruit of the land that God is giving us, and hearts that are quick to release to Him the blessings of the past era. Like Paul referenced in Philippians 3:13, may we be a people who are "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."

As we journey into the new frontier, we are not to be fearful, but a healthy fear of the Lord is to our benefit. We must understand that we cannot do this journey on our own. We are totally reliant on Him to guide us every step of the way. His promises and Presence are our signposts and we can anchor our faith in the everlasting covenant we have with Him. We celebrate that covenant every time we take communion, remembering all that He accomplished on the cross and proclaiming His death as a weapon against the enemy. We receive God's grace for the times of transition with the core belief that He is taking us from glory to glory. Not only are we part of an unshakeable kingdom, but a kingdom of continual increase and expansion. What a privilege to be alive today, pioneering the new with Him for such a time as this!