Thursday, February 6, 2014

God is Moving - We Are at the Beginning of Something Beyond Anything We've Ever Seen - Robert Hotchkin

Robert Hotchkin:
God is Moving - We Are at the 
Beginning of Something 
Beyond Anything We've Ever Seen
(The Elijah List)

All around the world the Body of Christ can feel the stirrings of a great move of God. We are at the beginning of something awesome, something global, something beyond anything we have ever seen. For years now, we have been believing for it, praying into it, and declaring it. 

God is moving. The key for the Body in this hour, is to discover how to move with Him and follow Him into all He has for us.

It may sound simple: We pray for God to move, He begins to move, we move with Him. But actually the early stages of a move of God can be the most challenging part. So often when God begins to move the response of the Body is not, "Yay! God is moving!" but instead, "Hey! God where did You go?!"

Seeing New Aspects of His Fullness

A move of God by definition involves God moving. Which means we may not "find" Him exactly where (or how) we have in the past – because He is doing a new thing. Mind you, He is not changing, God never changes (Malachi 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). But He loves to reveal more of Himself to us in greater and greater depths and dimensions so that we can know more of Him (and thus make more of Him known to the world around us).

Often the way He does this is by blessing us with a season where He seems to not be doing things (or even meeting with us) the way He has in the past. He does not stop being who He "has been," but He adds to our revelation of all that He is by helping us see new aspects of His fullness.

He woos us into a greater revelation of all He is by leading us from the comfort zone of what we have already come to know of Him.

Think of the Israelites in the desert. They knew the Lord as Deliverer, the One who brought them up out of Egypt. And now He was leading them – cloud by day, fire by night – across the wilderness into all He had spoken to them of in the Promised Land. Day by day the Israelites learned to look for and follow the presence of the Lord. Sometimes, for days, He would remain in one place with them, helping them to see and know Him as Provider, Healer, or some other aspect of I AM.

Cloud by DayBut then a day would come when the cloud would move. The Israelites had to be in active relationship with the Lord to realize He was not "where" He had been; they had to be looking for the cloud of His presence each day. When the cloud moved they had to trust that He was still with them and seek where He had moved to, so that they could follow.

It is the same for us today. God is moving. The key to following Him into all He is bringing us into begins with us trusting that – even if we are not finding Him where He "was," He is still present. After all, He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5-6).

God is wooing the Body right now in a powerful way. There is a great grace for increased intimacy and relationship with Him – a great grace to know Him in new ways and follow Him into new depths.


ElijahList Prophetic Resources

A Place of Song of Solomon

Prophetically speaking, I believe we are in a place similar to the end of Song of Solomon 2 and the beginning of Song of Solomon 3.

In Song of Solomon 2, the Lover is wooing His Beloved to a new place in verse 10, "Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, and come away," he invites. He then goes on to declare that "the winter is past…the flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come…the fig trees are budding, and the grapevines are in blossom," and then he repeats his invitation for her to arise and come away with him (Song of Solomon 2:13).

God's Arrow of LoveThe Lover is announcing that it is a new hour, a new season, and that he has new things to show her, new places to take her, new heights for them to soar to together. 

She is hearing him on some level (SoS 2:8), and yet at the beginning of Song of Solomon 3 we see that while she is yearning for her Lover, she is still reaching out for him where she has always found him – and discovers that he is no longer there (SoS 3:1).

She has a choice to make. She can continue to search for him where he has been, or she can respond to the invitation to arise and step into the uncertainty of the unknown, discovering him in new places and in new ways (SoS 3:2-4).

She chooses the latter, and in doing so embarks on a journey with her Lover in which she comes to know him, rely on him, and lean into him to such a degree that she is completely transformed – so much so that her peers do not even recognize her when she returns (SoS 8:5).

Like in the Song of Solomon, we have entered into a new season.

The Lord is beckoning us, wooing us, inviting us to come away from where we have been and arise into a new place with Him – a place of greater revelation and demonstration of all that He is.

If you have noticed lately that things seem different, or you're not quite finding God "how" or "where" you have in the past, do not despair; do not be discouraged. He is simply answering your prayers. He is moving. He is inviting you to come along with Him.

Arise Beloved!

Prayer Directives:

So let's pray this for the Body of Christ:

1. Our hearts will be fully His, and we will follow where He is leading.

2. We will discern the times, know His intentions, hear His voice, and follow His lead.

God's Arrow of Love3. We will value what has been and all that He has done to date, but we will also be excited and expectant about what He is doing and what is breaking forth in the earth.

4. None will be left behind, and all will hear and respond to His invitation to arise and come away with Him into this new time, this new season, this new move.

5. That we will love one another as He loves us, so even if some respond to His beckoning at a different pace or in different ways than we do, we will respond in love and with encouragement.

6. And most of all, that the fullness of what He has planned for this season will come forth and that He will receive all the glory and all He is due!

Robert Hotchkin

Email: robert@xpministries.com
Website: xpmedia.com/channel/rhotchkin

Robert Hotchkin fervently believes every Christian is a miracle-working explosion of the Kingdom waiting to happen. His ministry empowers Believers to live fully from their restored relationship with the Father through the finished work of the Cross. His preaching, teaching, and ministry inspires Believers to grab hold of their restored relationship with the Father through the finished work of the Cross and walk the earth as Jesus did – destroying every work of darkness everywhere they go!

Rob is a passionate lover of Jesus Christ and that passion is truly contagious! He ministers with strong faith, releasing revelation, prophetic decrees, healings, miracles, and the love of God. He is a true carrier of the glory and revival. People have been healed, refreshed, set free, and empowered through his life. He believes for Heaven to impact lives and regions everywhere he goes.
ElijahList Prophetic Resources



A Fresh Move of the Spirit and a Warning - R. Loren Sandford, Charisma Magazine



R. Loren Sandford
R. Loren Sandford
We are coming into the time of a new outpouring of the Spirit. This will not be a reliving of past revivals, nor a continuation of the movements of recent decades. It will be different in ways that would be difficult to explain apart from the actual experience of it.
I can say only that a fresh newness is coming to us who can receive it and that it will be more rooted in the Father's heart and the character of Jesus than any that have come before.
Be aware, however, that historically whenever there has been a fresh move of the Spirit, opposition has erupted. It comes in two forms. The first comes from those who don't really want the Spirit to move, who can't handle the mess it makes or who find their theology threatened by it. It would seem that the spirit of religion cannot allow for anything to occur that human beings cannot control or understand.
I learned long ago that one person's order and decency are another person's boredom and death and that not everyone will be comfortable with the freedom revival brings. Hidden in what might outwardly appear to be chaos may be a well-established order and set of protocols.
On the other hand, beneath an outwardly reserved appearance, someone might be having a deep and powerful experience of God. Let criticism stop, and let us respect one another's natures!
Realize also that it is biblically sound for God to act in ways that are unprecedented and out of the box. There was, for instance, no biblical precedent for the gift of tongues on the Day of Pentecost. While Joel and others foresaw the gift of the Spirit, no passage of the Old Testament could be construed as a clear prophecy of that gift. While God will never actually contradict Scripture or act in a way not consistent with His own nature, He nevertheless "does whatever He pleases" (Ps. 115:3), and we would be wise to make room for it.
The second form of opposition comes from those who want revival and don't mind the mess it makes but who think themselves immune to deception. Specifically in these days to come, the enemy will access weaknesses and unhealed regions of the heart to twist words and perceptions in order to paint the leaders of that move of the Spirit as having less-than-pure motives or as having said abusive or inappropriate things that were neither said nor intended.
As the words actually spoken get twisted and changed, offense will be taken, then held in the heart and fed. If not actually altered, words spoken innocently and in righteousness will often be perceived in ways that distort their meaning and intent.
Those who get caught in this trap will be led to believe that their "discernment" is godly and accurate so that correction becomes exceedingly difficult and is often rejected. The enemy intends this to cause division and to wound and weaken leaders so that they cannot lead as effectively as God intends. Lest anyone in my own circles think I'm speaking specifically of you, know that I am in touch with pastors and leaders in many places who tell me stories that reflect the dynamic I'm articulating. It is not uncommon and comes with the territory.
This two-headed demon of opposition rises simultaneously with an increase in the move of the Spirit and blinds those caught in it to what is really going on. Not one of us is so holy as to be immune to this! I have been privileged to live through the charismatic renewal, the Vineyard movement, shades of Pentecostalism and lately the Toronto Blessing, and I have seen this dynamic played out every time God has launched a new thing.
To think that you are immune to it constitutes the kind of pride that comes before a fall. Don't fall prey to the enemy's strategy! Stand for oneness. Keep your heart clean. Before assuming anything about the heart of another or even what you think you understand from what you've heard or seen, ask questions and then honor the answers you receive.
What's coming is glorious, but the way is narrow that leads to life.
R. Loren Sandford is the founder and senior pastor of New Song Church and Ministries in Denver, Colo. He is a songwriter, recording artist and worship leader, as well as the author of several books, including Understanding Prophetic People, The Prophetic Church and his latest, Visions of the Coming Days: What to Look For and How to Prepare, which are available with other resources at the church's website. 

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Hatikva by Dudu Fisher



Legendary Israeli singer Dudu Fisher's beautiful rendition of Israel's national anthem featuring photos of the IDF with the words scrolling in Hebrew and English.

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"Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations." Israel365

Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations

and set up My banner to the people, 

and they shall bring your sons 

in their bosom, and your daughters shall be 

carried upon their shoulders.

ISAIAH (49:22)
 

הִנֵּה אֶשָּׂא אֶל גּוֹיִם

 יָדִי וְאֶל עַמִּים אָרִים נִסִּ

י וְהֵבִיאוּ בָנַיִךְ בְּחֹצֶן

 וּבְנֹתַיִךְ עַל כָּתֵף תִּנָּשֶׂאנָה

ישעיהו מ’’ט:כ’’ב
 
hee-NAY eh-SAH el goy-EEM 
ya-DEE ve-EL ah-MEEM ah-REEM 
nee-SEE ve-hay-vee-OO va-na-YEEKH be-kho-TZAYN 
oo-ve-no-ta-YEEKH al ka-TAYF tee-nah-se-NA

Israel Inspiration


Isaiah describes the great contributions that the nations 
and non-Jews will play in the resettlement of the 
Land of Israel. In modern times, great Christian warriors 
for Zion have emerged to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy, including 
Orde Wingate, who passed away 69 years ago this week. 

An officer in the British army in the 1930’s, Wingate trained 
many of the future leaders of the Israeli army. Wingate 
drew on his love and knowledge of the Bible, and distilled 
strategies from the battles of Joshua, Gideon and King David. 
Known throughout Israel as “Hayedid” or, “The Friend,” 
the Jewish people remember Orde Wingate, whose 
Biblical passion and contributions to the State of Israel 
cannot be overstated.



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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

How the SodaStream Scandal Debunks the BDS Movement

How the SodaStream Scandal Debunks the BDS Movement

Wednesday, February 05, 2014 |  Ryan Jones  
The scandal over Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson's representation of Israeli soda-maker SodaStream reached a peak just prior to last Sunday's Super Bowl, during which Johansson's SodaStream commercial officially debuted.
Scores of reporter, both foreign and local, amassed at SodaStream's flagship factory in the so-called "West Bank," the very factory for which the company has taken so much flak, in order to find out what all the fuss was about.
Johansson had found herself rebuked by various elements of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that insists any Israeli business operating out of areas claimed by the Palestinian Arabs is by definition "exploitative."
In other words, it matters not that SodaStream has dozens of other factories in Israel-proper and around the world producing far more than the "West Bank" plant. The fact that the company operates at all in the disputed territories marks it as unethical and worthy of nothing but scorn.
It would be simple for SodaStream to simply close the "West Bank" plant and put all this mess behind it. But CEO Daniel Birnbaum has explained several times that there is one overriding reason he has rejected the "easy way out": it would put nearly 1,000 Palestinians out of a job, and a job that pays far more than they could earn elsewhere, at that.
And right there is the reason that the whole SodaStream scandal actually debunks the BDS movement, and demonstrates how it is actually exploiting average Palestinians for the sake of a nationalist, anti-Israel agenda.
A simple look at the numbers and the firsthand testimonies of Palestinian employees proves that far from being exploitative, SodaStream is providing the kind of jobs and incomes that Palestinians could only dream of in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
SodaStream employees, both Arabs and Jews, earn an average Israeli salary, which is roughly triple that of the average Palestinian Authority salary.
Birnbaum doesn't want his Palestinian employees to lose those benefits, even though it would be easier for him and the company to simply shutter the plant. The BDS movement, on the other hands, does appear to give a rat's ass about so many Palestinians losing such lucrative jobs, so long as the area is cleansed of one more Jew-owned business.
So which side, one must wonder, is truly looking out for the well-being of average Palestinians, and which is simply using them as pawns in a grand nefarious scheme?
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Facebook Takes Place of Bible in Most Americans’ Lives - Jennifer LeClaire

Facebook Takes Place of Bible 

in Most Americans’ Lives



Facebook
Facebook reading is more popular than the Bible in the U.S. and Canada.


What can you say about a nation that readsFacebook more than the Bible?
Facebook, which celebrated its 10th birthday on Tuesday, reports 757 million daily active users. About 19 percent of them are in the United States and Canada, which translates to about 143 million people logging on to read Facebook posts each and every day.
According to a 2006 CBS News poll, 15 percent of U.S. adults read the Bible (or some other religious text) every day. The Associated Press did some quick calculations to determine that these numbers mean about 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada read the Bible every day. And that was eight years ago. It’s more likely that the number of Bible-readers has declined rather than increased, given the downward spiral of our nation.
Now, I’m by no means anti-Facebook. I’ve got about 100,000 people on my Facebook page, and I use the medium as a tool to minister to the masses. So do many other ministries. Joyce Meyer has nearly 5 million Facebook followers, and Jesus Daily has a whopping 25 million! Clearly, God is using Facebook.
For all the wonderful ministry happening on Facebook, though—including teaching videos and apps—it is no substitute for reading the Bible. After all, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Somehow, even if Facebook were a part of mainstream Galilean culture, I don’t think Jesus would give up fellowship with the Father to check Facebook. It's become a near addiction for some people.
But let me go back to my original question: What can you say about a nation that reads Facebook more than the Bible? We’ve got our priorities out of line. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). But how many seek first the kingdom of Facebook on their smartphone each morning rather than seeking God? Selah.
Here’s my point: Facebook can be a wonderful ministry tool, but for most people in America it’s merely a distraction. (I can’t tell you how many Christians send me multiple invitations to play Candy Crush or other time-stealing games, for example.) Of course, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is not to blame. If it wasn’t social media, people would find—and have historically found—something else to entertain them, whether it’s television, movies, radio or a seeker-friendly church that tickles their ears with feel-good messages that don’t produce change.
The bottom line: America needs to turn back to the God of the Bible, not the god of social media. The Facebook statistics, and the AP’s spin on them, is just more proof positive that America is rapidly moving in the wrong direction. We need to put God and His Word back in the center of our lives, even if that means missing out on the encouragement that ministries are offering on the platform. So, yes, let’s use Facebook as an evangelism tool. By all means. Let’s use social media to network with those of like-minded faith and equip believers for the work of the ministry. But let’s not allow it to become a substitute for personal fellowship with God and His Word. Amen?
Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at jennifer.leclaire@charismamedia.com or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
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