Dear friends,

It is critical today that we discern our spiritual seasons; in other words, that we discern what God is doing in the world today – what He wants, what He wills at this time. To explain what I mean, let’s look at John the Baptist. He recognized immediately the spiritual season He was called to as the one who was to foretell the coming of the Messiah. He knew the hour he was in and what God had planned. He knew the mind of God. "Behold the Lamb of God!" he proclaimed fearlessly and relentlessly. John the Baptist was utterly fearless and utterly anointed to tell the world the Messiah had finally come to earth. I can't help but marvel at the words of Jesus, who said later in Luke 7: 8: "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (NKJV)

Can it be so? -- ...he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist who was the greatest prophet ever? We must understand what these incredible words mean to us today. First of all, it means we will be brought together as one body, not as a bunch of denominational groups isolated from one another. God is breaking down barriers and shattering comfortable customs and certain dead traditions that lack the Holy Spirit. He is putting an end to the slumbering, unprepared church. Look for it! I tell you, where there is hunger, poverty, sickness and threats of death and destruction, we need the power of God demonstrated. We need miracles, signs, wonders! We need leaders, prophets and intercessors anointed by the Lord to lead the army of God.

I am telling you there is coming a huge shake-up in ministries. Men and women who have no business standing in pulpits leading flocks will be brought down. Great will be their fall. Loud will be the sound of their demise. A great exhaustion and frustration will come over these church leaders because they function without the power of the Holy Spirit and without the anointing of God. Many of them are good, decent people with good intentions, but in the days to come the Church will not survive on good intentions. God will judge those in the House of the Lord who bring forth strife and disharmony to the flock and to the workers. Even as I write this I feel His abhorrence of the evil some have brought before His Holy Presence.

The book of Ephesians speaks of an "administration of the fullness of the times" when all things will come into alignment under One Head, Christ Jesus. As the body of Christ comes into its true calling, manifesting truth, humility, authority and unity under His Headship, we will move into increasing magnitudes of operative spiritual authority and power. This will happen more and more as we unite as one. And I tell you, we are now entering a time where we will truly walk in one accord, as it speaks of in Acts 2 and John 17. It is happening. Barriers are coming down all over the place. Even from my small position, I see in my meetings people of all denominations, all cultures coming together as one. Readers of my books write to me and these are readers from countless countries, languages, and even religions – and they are coming together as one in Christ. This is true across the globe. But, let me tell you, we are not coming together in mere good will, nor are we fraught with ambition, pride or want. This uniting of His children is a divine powerful move of His Spirit. "In the last days I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh ..." I praise Him for the home churches, the small fellowships, the huge churches and conferences celebrating His Holiness and His power. We are seeing miracles, signs and wonders as we never dreamed of.

I pray for those leaders in churches who simply have good jobs, who work until retirement and then hand over their positions to other non-spiritual leaders. I pray also for those leaders who are betrayed and burned in the work of the Lord, who leave the ministry bitter and wounded. Oh Jesus, touch them! I know what it is like to be a wounded warrior. I’ve been there, too, but God delivered me beautifully. In later teachings I will talk to you about the beautiful healing of toxic church experiences. These toxic experiences can either build us up to greater glory in Him or tear us down and rip from us our inheritance and divine destiny.

The Holy Spirit is ushering us into the apostolic church age when the Bride of Christ, that's us, the Church, will do the "greater works" that Jesus spoke of. We, the Church, will look to her Bridegroom for all things, who is Jesus Christ Himself. God is not looking for a people who are merely existing and surviving. Rather, He is looking for a people who love, adore, worship Him; a people clothed in humility and overcoming faith, who know His Word and have learned to overcome, a people who can change the events of the world calling forth His will and His heart in spiritual authority to the nations. We are to be intimately concerned and acquainted with the holy shift and move of God for the affairs of the earth. We are to pray forth the righteousness of Jesus and watch as shifts will take place in governments (Isa.22:19-23) in legislation, in church structure and in the spiritual climate over homes, cities and nations.

Let's proclaim with other ministries across the globe that now is time to wake up and take our rightful place in the Kingdom of God as His blessed, beautiful children.-- Let's wake up now, discerning the lateness of the hour and the need to arise and take our place in the army of God. Rom.13:11,12: And, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Let us decree:

Marie Chapian
dwp.bigplanet.com/mariechapian

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