Restoration 2012: Preparing for 2013

Luke 15 v 29-32 (KJV) reads, "And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid (small goat), that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."

These verses end the famous story of the prodigal son, who asked his father for his inheritance, he then left, squandered it, and as a result lived amongst pigs (literally) even to the point of eating their food. When he came to his senses and shame flushed his face and flooded his heart, he purposed within himself to return to his father's house and be accepted as a servant. For he remembered that their servants were treated well. So he goes back and his father receives him as his beloved son, throws him a welcome home party and this is where we find ourselves in this passage of scripture.

• Today I want to focus on the prodigal son's brother because what was entitled to him  represents what 2013 will be for the body of Christ. 
• What is significant about the number 13? In Jewish culture when a boy turns 13 he becomes a man and introduced to the world as such through a ceremony called a Bar-Mitsvah. This year of 2013 we shall have our spiritual Bar/Bat Mitzvah because as the remnant we have entered into our own as mature believers in Christ. 
• The Lord has used used these past years to train our character and to mature us in love, so that we may become teachers instead of ones needing milk (Hebrews 5v12: For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat).
• The brother as the oldest was entitled to a double portion of the inheritance. Meaning the what was meant for his younger brother he got a double portion. 

As 2013 approaches the Lord wants us to grasp that "The double portion is great but realize that I have something greater for you, it's called 'All I have is thine/All I have is yours.'"  The Lord wants us to dream bigger and reach for higher heights. You want a promotion when God wants you to own the company, you work for others when He wants you working for your self. You're comfortable in your mediocrity when He's gifted you to impact nations; He wants us changing atmospheres, standing before kings, have our shadows changing lives, your prayers changing nations, your weapons destroying strongholds.....He wants you moving in the greater things Jesus prophesied you would move in.

In other words the brother was waiting to be given something that already belonged to him. He wanted a goat for a feast, but lacked the knowledge that it already belonged to him. Had he spent time with his father he would have learned that even the fatted calf was his for the taking. Wow, knowledge truly is power indeed. This is why it is important for us to dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91), so that we may obtain the secrets to living an abundant life that Jesus died to give us. We are waiting on God for things that he has already given us. Oh Lord open our eyes to see what is rightfully ours. Open our eyes to see what belongs to us. Open our eyes to see our son-ship and all that you have promised us is ours for the taking. Father in your secret place teach us divine secrets to access what rightfully belongs to us ("Poverty is not a lack of money but a lack of access." Dr Cindy Trimm, WTAL 2012).

This morning I decree and I declare:

• that you will embrace all that God has for you; 
• that you will eat the fattened calf in 2013; that you and your loved ones will hold feasts in the house of the Lord. 
• that in the secret place of the Most High is where you dwell as your Master reveals to you divine secrets to help you effortlessly operate as the royalty he created you to be. Teaching you to work smarter, and not harder.
• That you will stand tall as a son and daughter of Christ placed here from the kingdom of Heaven to change society for the glory of God.

NOW that we know what 2013 holds for us, what can we do in the remaining weeks to prepare for this glorious new chapter of our lives?

Genesis 2 v 9: And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3 v 4-5: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3 v 22-24: And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Rev 20 v 14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 22 v 1-2:  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

• More than ever we need to speak life. We need to walk with the Spirit speaking the word of God into our lives.
• Life and death are options set before us. The tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil were right next to each other in the middle of the garden; yet that which is forbidden was most attractive. Why? Why would two people who had never sinned and lived in the presence of God choose death? Why do I choose death (speaking unproductive words) when life has been set before me too? Because death works faster and requires less effort: It's takes one instant to destroy a friendship and years to build one; a few seconds for some one to die and 40 weeks to be have a fully developed human being; speaking and choosing life requires patience, long-suffering, time and dedication. 

Lord help us truly see death for what it is, chocolate covered vomit. Help us see past it's charms and seductions so that we don't find ourselves sitting among the pigs when we are called to be sons of life. Today Lord, we must choose life.Help us to see that life was the option you always intended for us to desire and embrace. (He brings back the tree of life when the new heaven and the new earth are created and death will be destroyed in the lake of fire)

In closing, the Bible says in Deut. 30 v 19:  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

• Life and death are in the tongue so what will you speak into the atmosphere today? The heavens and the earth have been commanded by God to record, take note or align themselves with what we speak.
• When you have a minute listen to a message by Bishop Tudor Bismark about the I AM factor. In a nutshell the message explains that our God is the Great I AM, and he has fashioned those words with creative power. What ever follows I AM comes to pass. So if we who are created as little gods declare that we are stupid, all the stupid in the cosmos will follow us. If we declare that I am what God says I am, the heaven and earth take record and align themselves with what we declare. 
• What is the Great I AM saying about you today? 

I've heard it said that on average it takes about 21 days to break a habit or develop a new one. Join me for the next 21 days to speak life into every situation of our lives. Join me in choosing to praise God when it's easier to complain, murmur or doubt. Join me in speaking life that we will sour above the storm and command the raging seas in our lives to be still. Join me in speaking that we are the head and not the tail. Join me in speaking healing in our bodies and relationships; join me in speaking that where we are right now is just a phase and not our destination; join me in speaking life, that we will live and not die; join me in speaking the love of Jesus to a dying world. Speak out into the atmosphere with me right now for a few minutes "the I am factor." Let heaven and earth record this day that you choose life. Declare it, declare it, declare it. Say it out loud so that your ears may hear it too and send a message to your brain that you agree with what the Holy Spirit is saying to your spirit. For the next 21 days join me for 30 mins each day in your own time to speak life and all that God declares concerning you; and see the amazing difference that comes over you. Speaking life will become a habit that you will carry on.