"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." Mark 4:39
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The enemy's plans for this summer and autumn are to "stir up" the waters of humanity with hatred, fear, violence, suspicion, and pride.

Our job is to remember that we have the Prince of Peace living inside of us. We have the authority to reject the evil seed the enemy is attempting to sow in our hearts. We have the authority to speak, "Peace, be still!" over our nation--and expect His weighty peace and order to rest upon it.

The turmoil arises out of soulish strife. The enemy plants seeds of darkness in thoughts and emotions. However, when we live as a "New Creation," we carry a great peace that comes from the eternal realms, where Christ is seated in perfect supremacy. This is why we have power and authority over everything else. This is why we can speak "Peace, be still!" with the confidence that we are priests who rule and reign on the earth.

Right now, it feels like the darkness is gathering. But unless we also see the Captain of the Hosts gathering His army of light, then we are spiritually blind. Let us reject every lie and every shadow of darkness, and fix our eyes on the one who conquered every power of darkness when He said, "It is finished!"

Take a break today. Turn off the screens. Fix your eyes on the Lord of Glory until His peace floods your soul. Then, rise again, high over our nation and speak the golden words of our Lord: "PEACE, BE STILL" All things are subject to His rule and reign for He is still Supreme over all.

See Revelation 5:10, Colossians 1, 2 Kings 6

Last night, I dreamed that I was teaching at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) again (I taught there for two years when I first came to Charlotte, North Carolina).  In the dream, the school I was at had about 1200 students and it had very rigid policies that kept all the students under strict control.  There were two lines of students queued up to enter the cafeteria.  As I was waiting in one of the lunchlines, a teenage girl stood next to me.  She was dressed in a long flowing white gown, which looked like the white gown that Kathryn Kuhlman wore in her miracle services, with long flowing sleeves and wide cuffs.

Someone in the line asked, "Who wants to pray?"  Several students raised their hands.  I raised my left hand.  However, the girl raised both hands and said to me, "If you raise both hands when they ask, you can use this as an opportunity to bring the spirit of worship."  When we raised our hands up, the glory of the Lord came between the two lines of students.  It was like a line of demarcation, but many students began to move from one line to the other.  As they moved to the other line, the line became filled with pure white light.

In the next scene, I was in the staff parking lot, which had hundreds of cars in it.  Each car had a weasel in the engine and make-up in the glovebox.  Sometimes, in dreams, you simply "know" facts that you wouldn't normally know.  In this dream, I knew that the make-up was used by the staff when they went out to bars and clubs.  I also knew that the weasels could take control of the teacher's cars when they wanted to, often leading to chaos or causing them to crash.

Interpretation:

1. The Lord is going to raise up youth leaders in the Charlotte region who are anointed with power because they are fully consecrated as "Holy Unto the Lord."  (See Exodus 28:36) This is primarily what Kathryn Kuhlman walked in.  The Lord trusted her with great power and miracles because she "died a thousand deaths" before every service, which speaks of fully consecrating her heart, mind, spirit, and body to the Lord.
   
   
2. The youth movement that will rise in the public schools--and in the Charlotte region--will be driven by anointed worship.  This worship has a cyclical affect.  The worship will be powerful from the beginning because it is led by consecrated youth.  However, it will be so holy that it will serve to bring many from darkness to light.
   
   
3. The worship and prayer movement that is coming among the youth will erode denominational walls. When Jesus spoke to the women at the well and said, "God is Spirit and He is seeking worshippers who worship in Spirit and in Truth," it was within the context of God favoring one mountain over the other. Jesus' point is that the Father is looking for sincere and passionate worshippers, with no regard for their tribe or affiliation.  (See John 4:19-26)
   
   
4. A great awakening is beginning.  Timing is also important in dreams.  In this dream, it was early dawn when all of this was happening.  This is a time to wake up to the rising glory the Father is beginning to reveal.  This scripture comes to mind: "But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”  (Ephesians 5:13-14)
   
   
5. A line of demarcation is coming among students.  It will become very easy to tell who is living in the Light of the Lord and who is living in darkness.  For this reason, conversion will be like a holy virus that quickly spreads.  This is because students will be drawn to the Light of the Lord they see in their classmates.
   
   
6. The Lord will expose corruption, dark agendas, and sin in the CMS school district.  Don't be surprised if multiple scandals, corruption, unholy agendas, and sin is brought to the surface in the beginning of the next school year.  As the light of the Lord floods into the schools, darkness will be fully exposed.  This is so that it can be removed.  In addition, many teachers who have resorted to the sins of this world to deal with the very real stresses of the job will be given the opportunity to be set free to live a life of holiness.
   
   
7. Forerunners of a great move of God which is beginning in Charlotte, NC.  As we prepare for a season of great awakening and harvest in Charlotte, I believe that the  youth are going to be the 11th hour workers who will lead the way.  
   
   ​Every revelation from the Lord is like a "data point" in a massive grid of revelation He wants to give us.  Please pray into this vision alongside other important words being released right now for this region, especially Rick Joyner and Lou Engle's recent exhortations concerning "Azusa East" and the move of God beginning this September in the region.
   
   
   
   
   
   
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"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." --Acts 4:31

This watchword will require some back story.  Leading up to March of 2014, I received an urgent warning from the Lord about an impending earthquake in California.  This was something I prayed about with close friends, but kept private.  Others were receiving similar warnings.  That year, I believe the Lord turned what would have been a "big event" into a small event through prayer: a 4.4 magnitude earthquake did come on St. Patrick's day of that year, followed by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake on March 28, 2014.

I also had a strange prophetic experience in March of 2014, which I believe may apply to this month.  As I was in my kitchen, washing the dishes, I was earnestly praying for the West Coast in response to the words the Lord had given at that time.  I was suddenly filled with holy boldness and declared,

"Don't let the enemy decide when this earthquake happen.  Don't even let the angels decided.  Let your holy people decide, as they gather in holy counsel."  

As soon as I said, "...let your holy people decide," I heard a sound outside of my window that sounded like crystal shattering and an explosion.  At the moment this sound erupted, all the power went out in the house for two minutes.  My dog began barking at the place where the sound came from.  My boys ran to me and asked what had happened.  What happened is that I tapped into something on the Father's heart, and power was released as a result.  There was no natural explanation for the power outage or the strange explosive sound.

The reason I share this story is because when this happened, I also saw something which I believe may apply to this month.  In March of 2014, I saw this great earthquake held back and split up into smaller ones.  However, I also saw a great cloud of glory positioned over the Pacific Ocean, signifiying a wave of unprecedented glory, signs, wonders, and a harvest of souls which would have to wait until the saints gathered in holy assembly to decide that it was time.  When I saw this cloud, I realized that the earthquake was delayed...but so was the cloud of glory and harvest that will accompany it.  When I saw this, I felt that the Father was longing to bring the shaking and the glory I saw unfolding, but He is waiting for us to agree with Him.  I am posting these words now because I believe these things are now at the door.

I want to be clear in prophesying that a major seismic event is coming to the West Coast very soon.  I would not be suprised if this is even timed with the Azusa Now event, although the exact timing is not clear to me.  The Acts 4 earthquake happened when those who experienced Pentecost the first time gathered again in holy consecration to call forth a second wave of glory and harvest.  When they did, a "glory quake" shook the whole place where they assembled in holy counsel.  Likewise, the purpose of this "glory quake" is to announce the greater glory.  Its purpose is not to bring death and destruction, but to serve as a demarcation line between the "early house" and the "latter house" of Haggai 2.  The prophet Haggai wrote:

"And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ 6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LordAlmighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”--Haggai 2:5-9, NIV

The first thing this "glory quake" will do is shake down the walls man has built.  The "former house" of denominational walls and religious culture cannot hold the greater glory.  The walls that man has built to keep the Spirit of the Lord out of the church and to separate different streams in the Body are about to be shaken to the ground.  When this seismic event occurs, it will shake off ungodly prohibitions and restrictions that man has set in place to limit how, when, and where God can move.  This second wave of Pentecost will flood even more places than the movement that began in 1906 or the charismatic renewal--it will release a wave of glory and harvest that will transform the Body of Christ as we know it and begin to flood through major cities, bringing glory, harvest, and awakening.

I believe that now is the time for us to let the glory came in such a manner that the "whole region" is shaken.  This will not bring death and destruction, but the inauguration of the greater glory, harvest, and unity that we have longed for.

It may seem absurd to discuss food scarcity in a nation with a serious obesity problem.  However, unless we change our direction soon, our system of food production may collapse in the near future.  Before we examine what the Bible tells us about food scarcity, let’s consider a few facts taken from recent headlines: Today, the average farmer in America is sixty years old and there are not enough young farmers to replace them. Our weather patterns are demonstrating unprecedented and unpredictable shifts: We are seeing a dramatic increase in droughts, floods, and extreme weather. Genetically modified (GMO) seeds are now the foundation of the global food supply, but these highly efficient seeds make our food supply more vulnerable to a blight which could lead to global food scarcity overnight.  

Most of the experts who analyze our food supply are not even considering more dramatic events that could impact our food supply and distribution, such as wars, infrastructure problems, or economic instability. However, the most disturbing fact is even if we managed to have no wars, perfect weather, no blights, and an increase in production from new technologies, the world’s population could sill rise as much as 3 billion people in the next 30 years.  At some point, we are going to have to deal with food scarcity.  The good news is this may be the greatest ministry opportunity in history.

A Biblical View

The Bible makes it clear that food scarcity will be central to what happens at the end of the age.  Jesus himself said famines would be one of the signs of the end of the age (See Matthew 24:7).  Likewise, when John saw the black horseman holding a pair of scales, a voice from the throne announced:

“A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:7 NIV84)

In other words, the voice from the throne was announcing there would be hyper-inflated food prices and luxury food items would be highly valued.  However, the Bible offers us much more than this terrifying warning.  If we read its golden pages carefully, we can find patterns for turning the coming food scarcity into an unprecedented opportunity to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Leadership

When Joseph was shown a time of famine coming, he did not bury his head in the sand.  He mobilized the nation to steward their resources more effectively so that Egypt could become a refuge and a blessing to all of the nations around it.  As Christians, food distribution is one issue where we have the wind at our back.  Many generations of believers have organized food pantries for the needy and given generously to missions work that distributes food overseas.  Today, missionaries are digging new wells and working to turn deserts into farms in third-world countries.  

Despite our past successes, our food distribution plans suffer from the same malady as our plans for evangelism and discipleship: Our vision is too small.  We currently do not have an adequate structure in place to disciple the multitudes who are going to give their lives to Christ when the great harvest of souls begins in North America and Western Europe.  Likewise, we do not have an adequate structure in place to feed the hungry when the global food supply collapses.  We need to begin incorporating food production, storage, and distribution into our long-term plans.

The best way to for church leaders to show leadership on this issue is to identify and empower those who are called to lead in this specific area.  The answers to food scarcity will probably not be preached from the pulpit on a Sunday morning.  However, you may have someone in your congregation who has a desire to organize a farmer’s market, a seed exchange, or a long-term storage and distribution plan.  You may even have a teenager in your youth group who is destined to work the land or develop new technologies that will solve food or water scarcity. 

Stewardship

Adam was placed in the garden and told to tend it.  This capacity for effective stewardship was the basis on which God entrusted him with dominion over the whole earth.  However, food scarcity is a natural consequence of man’s failure to perform this mandate.  

Intercession is the most important kind of stewardship that we can exercise.  When Christ died on the cross, he did not redeem man alone.  He also redeemed all of creation because creation was cursed along with man.  The sprinkled blood of Jesus Christ is the basis on which creation will be restored.  Therefore, our stewardship of the earth must always begin with our administration of Christ’s redemption as a priests under the New Covenant.  Paul explained how creation longs for us to step into our ultimate purpose:

“The creation waits in eager expectation for sons of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:19-22 NIV84)

When we see drastic shifts in the weather, droughts, floods, or blights, we need to be confident in the authority that Christ has given us.  He sprinkled his blood over “all things in heaven and earth” (See Colossians 1:15-20).  Now, we are called to release that redemption over the earth itself through prophetic declaration and fervent intercession.  We can apply the blood of Jesus Christ to stop a blight.  We can prophesy to a storm and stop it in its tracks or call forth an unexpected rain-storm to break a drought.  It is time for us to start practicing and using this authority so that we will be fully equipped when we have an even greater need to use it.

We also need to learn to love creation as much as the Creator does.  It is much harder to prophesy to the weather if you never bother to look out the window or watch a sunset.  We are most effective at praying for others when we have learned to love them as the Father does.  Likewise, we will be more effective at stewarding creation and releasing Christ’s redemption over it when we learn to love its beauty and appreciate its complexity.  If we develop this love, then we will develop the right kind of stewardship. We make thousands of decisions that impact creation everyday, ranging from what we buy and how we eat to what we are growing in our backyard.  What would happen if every one of this decisions was guided by the Father’s love for His creation?

Distribution and Hospitality

In Acts chapter six, we see a meeting of all twelve of the apostles for the sole purpose of appointing a team of seven elders to organize food distribution.  This is because food collection and distribution was an essential ministry for the early church.  In the early church, there were some impromptu outbreaks of the Holy Spirit’s power in public venues, where thousands would commit their lives to being followers of Christ.  However, the actual discipleship took place in believer’s homes, where they would gather to spend many hours eating, worshipping, teaching, prophesying, and taking the Lord’s supper together.  Likewise, there will be millions streaming to the light of the Lord as the next move of God unfolds.  They may choose Christ in large public meetings in stadiums, in churches, or on street corners.  However, our homes are where they will actually be discipled to become a New Creation and do the works of the kingdom.  Our churches and our religious infrastructure are simply not sufficient to contain or disciple the harvest that will come in.  This is why it has been so long in coming.

For several decades, some church leaders have been strategizing how to best disciple the multitudes who will stream to the light of the Lord.  Now, imagine how this time of harvest would be different if the grocery shelves were empty or if a loaf of bread costs a day’s wages.  Some churches may be called to appoint teams of elders to oversee food production, storage, or distribution—just as the twelve did.  However, most churches will not be able to meet his demand.  The answer is in the simplicity of the New Testament model.  

The Bible gives us simple instructions: “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13).  I was raised in small churches that had weekly “potluck dinners” and fellowship.  We frequently had friends and families over to share meals.  We gave to food banks and held barbecues in impoverished communities.  However, the role of food in the next move of God is about much more than nostalgia. God is calling us to a much higher level of faith because the need will much greater than we can anticipate or prepare for.

When Jesus feed the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, he asked the twelve apostles to distribute this food to the needy.  As a result, there were exactly twelve baskets left over.  This was first and foremost a sign that confirmed Christ was the promised Messiah.  However, it also signified that those in apostolic ministry should be able to multiply and distribute resources effectively. This was also the pattern that we see in Joseph’s life and one that will become increasingly important as we enter seasons of greater shaking. 

Note:  If you're interested in beefing up your personal and community preparedness, follow the "homesteading" link at the top of this page.  

Over the past few weeks, I have had a recurring vision of a Native American kneeling down to the ground with his ear pressed to the soil.  From this low position, he can hear and feel the vibrations in the ground from a massive train that is quickly approaching, but is still out of sight or hearing for most.

As Christians, we usually expect the Lord to move in ways that are really easy for us to identify and understand. It is not wrong to seek or ask for clear evidence that the Lord is with us.  Jesus himself said that, "signs will follow those that believe." (Mark 16:17)  When the 120 waited on the Lord in the upper room, the Presence of God that came was unmistable and undeniable.  When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, a literal fire came from heaven that proved the Lord was with him.  This kind of manifestation of God's presence and power is not what we're currently walking in:  However, it's on the way and coming down the track.


The other mountain that Elijah climbed was called Mount Horeb.  (See 1 Kings 19)  On this mountain, the Lord was not in the fire, the earthquake, or the wind.  He simply spoke in a "still, small voice."  God's voice was so quiet that Elijah had to wrap his face in his mantle to hear it at all.  However, this is no less significant: Elijah was still hearing the voice of Almighty God.  

We are in a season where we know there's a lot of things coming down the track.  We expect an unprecedented outpouring of God's Spirit and multitudes coming to the Lord.  We also expect increasing shaking and turmoil to the economic, political, and environmental systems that man has corrupted.  

The Lord is calling us now to be like Elijah.  We need to wrap our faces in the mantle of the Lord and shut out all other distractions.  The answers we seek are not on television or the internet.  The answers are not at our favorite shopping center.  They answers may not even be at large meetings and crusades.  The answers are only found in the Lord himself, who is a shepherd that faithfully watches and guides his flock.  Jesus said, 

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27) 

This is a time for us to humbly return to the Lord and learn to hear his voice more closely.  Our goal is to "hear" Him so accurately and "follow" Him so closely that He will be able to acknowledge that He "knows" who we are.

Use this summer to draw closer to the Lord and prepare for what's coming down the track.  This "preparation" will be different for each one of us.  Some may be called to start a home group, pick up a paintbrush, or begin writing.  Others may simply be called to press in to wait on the Lord or intercede for others.  Some might be called to take some practical "prepping" steps that they've been procrastinating on.  The important thing is that each one of us learns to humble ourselves, shut out all distractions, and listen for the still small voice.  If you listen closely enough, you can even hear what is coming down the track.

The blueprints for what is going to happen in the Middle East cannot be found in our favorite cable news networks or political commentaries.  Usually, all that media outlets have to offer is a toxic stew of fear, despair, and hopelessness.  It is time to wash our eyes of this defilement and gain a fresh, new perspective from the Father.  This kind of renewal comes through heartfelt, searching prayer and a resolve to search the scriptures until we find the Father’s blueprints for restoration.  If we do this with a whole heart, then the Father will gladly give us His roadmap for restoration in the Middle East.

Most Bible teachers focus exclusively on the negative role of the Middle East in end times prophecy.  I have listened to hundreds of teachings about Armageddon, Gog, Magog, and the various wars and conflicts that the scriptures specifically warn us about.  Some of this teaching is helpful because Jesus made it clear that we should know the signs of the times and be aware that there will be “war and rumors of war” just before He comes (See Matthew 24).  The problem is that we have approached the end times with an attitude of panic, paranoia, and despair because we have not yet seen the Father’s redemptive purpose for the nations of the Middle East.

One basic principle of end-times prophecy is that catastrophic events are only the “birth pangs” that signify that the Kingdom of God is invading earth to displace man’s kingdoms (see Daniel 2, Matthew 24).  I fully expect many international and ethnic conflicts to become even worse at some point, because Jesus prophesied that they would (see Matthew 24).  However, He also made it clear that these are simply “birth pangs.”  Even in the midst of unprecedented turmoil, we must look for the new things that the Father is birthing in the heart of mankind.

This series will not focus on apocalyptic end-time prophecy.  There is already plenty of this circulating throughout the Body of Christ.  Instead, this series is designed to instill a Biblical sense of the Father’s plan for the Middle East.  My goal is to replace fear, despair, and hopelessness with faith, hope, and love.  We will know that we have the Father’s perspective on the Middle East when we have faith for Him to move there, hope that creates new possibilities, and genuine love for the people in each nation there. 

This first installment will focus entirely on Psalm 87, which I consider to be the most important road map for what the Father desires to do in all the nations of the Middle East.  This Psalm was written by the sons of Korah, who were given the specific task of being prophetic gatekeepers in the temple.  These men were warriors, prophetic minstrels, and guardians of the temple (see 1 Chronicles 26).  This is also what you will become if you take these prophetic promises to heart and dedicate significant time to pray according to these ancient promises.

Psalm 87
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
   more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you,
  city of God:
4 “I will record Rahab and Babylon
    among those who acknowledge me--
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush--
    and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
    “This one and that one were born in her,
    and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples:
    “This one was born in Zion.”
7 As they make music they will sing,
    “All my fountains are in you.”

The places mentioned in this Psalm coincide with what we currently consider to be the “Middle East.”  Rahab is a poetic name for Egypt.  Babylon coincides with modern Iraq.  Philistia encompasses many of the nations that surround Israel, as well as the Palestinian people.  Tyre is in Lebanon.  Cush encompasses several modern African nations.  In other words, this Psalm applies specifically to the region of the Middle East, encompassing every nation there.

At some point, the Lord is going to actually write down that these nations were “born in Zion.” This refers to multitudes from these nations being born again.  According to Hebrews 11, all New Covenant believers are actually grafted into Israel.  This Psalm applies that reality to the nations of the Middle East and promises that enough people will be redeemed from these nations that the Father himself will be able to record these nations as being “born in Zion.”

As a second witness to this promise, when John prophetically saw the harvest of souls at the end of the age, he proclaimed that it was a “great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language.” (See Revelation 7:9)  There is no nation excluded from this promise. 

We often focus on praying for Israel because the Bible specifically instructs us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).  The problem is that we have only seen Israel’s purpose in end-times prophecy as one of constant embattlement and turmoil.  The battles that Israel is facing today—whether they be about territory, morality, or religious conflict—are only birth pangs that identify the importance of what the Father wants to do there. 

The promise of Psalm 87 does not end with the redemption of the nations that surround Jerusalem.  It also leads to a movement of worship that celebrates the God of Israel as the source of all life.  The sons of Korah prophesied that all of the nations of the Middle East would have a large enough body of believers to be considered righteous nations.  Then, these righteous nations would proceed to sing out to the God of Israel, “all my fountains are in you…”  I want you to glimpse this vision in your spirit—I want you to see a restored Middle East where worship, love, and affection is continually being offered up to the Lord of Glory.  

In the 1990’s, the Body of Christ was mobilized to pray for the 69 nations in the “10/40 Window.”    During this time, many Muslims throughout the Middle East received sovereign visitations from the Lord in dreams and visions which led to their salvation.  The problem is that we have become so distracted and polarized by the War on Terrorism that we have forgotten the authority that we have to ask the Father for “the nations as our inheritance” (see Psalm 2).  It’s time to re-open the 10/40 window to bring in fresh air and light.  

Action Steps to Consider:

• Print out a map of the 10/40 window or a map of the Middle East.
• Ask the Holy Spirit for two or three specific nations that you can pray for regularly.
• Proclaim the promises of Psalm 87 over the nations that you were given.
• Ask the Father to begin a movement of worship and evangelism throughout the gentile nations of the Middle East.
• Continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
  

I don't always spiritualize the weather.  I am usually grateful for snow because it adds nitrogen to the soil.  I love the gentle rains of Spring because they water my young plants and fruit trees.  However, there are some times when I become keenly aware that weather is a prophetic sign that something significant is happening in the Spirit realm.

This is a Biblical concept.  In the scriptures, the storm that came when Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal was a storm of blessing from the Lord which broke a terrible drought.  We know both the drought and the storm were rooted in spiritual realities because they both came through Elijah's prophetic words and actions (See 1 Kings 17-18).  Likewise, when a terrible storm arose over the Sea of Galilee, Jesus rebuked it and said, "Peace!  Be still!" because this storm was demonic in nature (see Mark 4:35-41). 

Usually, weather is unremarkable.  Jesus said that the Father, "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)  For this reason, we don't have to be bothered with trying to find a "prophetic" purpose behind normal weather patterns.  However, extreme and unprecedented weather should activate us to pray and seek the Lord for clear prophetic insight.

Christ gave us some basic keys for discerning extreme weather and having a Biblical response to it:

Key #1: We need to discern when extreme weather is a sign from the Lord.

Jesus clearly rebuked the Pharisees for being able to forecast the weather but not knowing the signs of the times.  Jesus told them: 

“When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." (Matthew 16:2-3 NIV)

Today, we have the best forecasting technology imaginable.  However, it's not enough to know when a tornado threat exists or a category five hurricane is coming.  We need to have prophetic discernment so that we'll know how to pray.  Sometimes the weather actually is a sign of the times.  In these cases, we need to discern what's happening, why it's happening, and how we should respond in prayer or prophetic declaration.  

Sometimes, the names of storms, the shape of storms, the location they target, and the date that they arrive can be spiritually significant.  However, true spiritual discernment is developed only through practice, discipleship, and experience.  For this reason, it is a good idea for intercessors to communicate with each other, form teams, and actually talk about how they are interpreting extreme weather events.  This helps prayer groups to develop a prophetic consensus and disciple new intercessors at the same time.  

Key #2: Jesus rebuked a destructive storm as an example for us.

Extremely destructive storms are usually demonic in nature.  The Bible makes it clear that "God takes no pleasure" in evil (Psalm 5:4).  Jesus rebuked a destructive storm as an example for us, so that we would learn to do the same thing.  This is why as soon as he finished calming the storm, he turned to his disciples and said:

"Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Jesus was frustrated because his disciples were cowering with fear from the storm when they should have been rebuking it.  When we see terrifying weather events unfolding, it's tempting to simply cower in fear.  However, the most Biblical response that we can have is to speak peace and calm to the weather.  Anyone can pray a simple prayer of petition and we need more people who will commit to petition the Father when turbulent weather comes.  However, we will have more authority to command the weather when we begin to walk in a higher level of prophetic revelation and wisdom, just as Jesus and Elijah did.

Key #3: Be on the lookout for "signs in the heavens"

The Father will often bring "signs in the heavens" to confirm prophetic words.  I have often seen rainbows appear when God was about to reveal himself in a new way.  A few times, I have even heard thunder crash right over my head when I was in deep intercession.  My mother has seen recurring images of "holes in the clouds" or "glory portals," which signify heaven opening near the house of prayer that my parents recently built. In these kinds of cases, extreme weather, unique weather events, and cloud formations can give us important confirmation that we're on the right track. Even color can be important.  For example, If the heavens look like they are on fire, then you might be seeing an indication that God's about to move in a "fiery way."

It is no accident that Joel prophesied that we'll see more "signs in the heavens" in the very same chapter that he prophesied that the Holy Spirit would be "poured out upon all flesh" (see Joel chapter 2).  The Father will often confirm what he is saying with signs in nature.  We simply need to remember to look up.  


Most people miss what God is saying through the heavens because they spend too much time watching television.  It's time to re-discover nature so that we can re-discover what the Father is saying through it.  

I have included some pictures in the margin to illustrate my own journey with understanding extreme weather and signs in the heavens.  

John Paul Jackson went to be with the Lord on February 18, 2015.  I was led to look up Isaiah 21:8 because it corresponds to the date of 2/18. Here's what I found:

"Then he cried "A lion, my Lord!  I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime; I have sat at my post every night." (Isaiah 21:8 NKJV)

John Paul Jackson was a holy lion that God gave to the Body of Christ.  He moved in power, authority, signs, and wonders.  He also carried a remarkable prophetic and teaching gift.  The best way that we can honor his life is by walking with God in the same way that he did.  The truth is that every one of us can also become a lion or lioness who moves in power if we learn to hear from God clearly and become friends of God, which were the core messages of John Paul's life and ministry.

Whenever a significant leader in the Body of Christ is taken home, it serves as a prophetic sign that God is doing something new.  However, it also leads us to re-examine the message that they carried with renewed interest.

John Paul's ministry was primarily dedicated to restoring the prophetic gift to the Body of Christ.  However, his teaching was always carefully grounded in the scriptures and in loving friendship with God.  As we move forward into the future, we will need these foundations firmly established in our own lives.

Some of John Paul's most important messages were his teachings on "the Perfect Storm" and his "prophetic headlines." I consider these warnings of coming judgement from the throne of God to be the high mark of his calling as a prophetic watchman.  His passing should remind us to dig more deeply into what the Lord spoke through Him so that we can dedicate our own lives as prophetic and intercessory watchmen in the days ahead.

One watchman has left his post on earth and has found a higher watchman's post in heaven.  Now it is time for us to "sit at our post" in the night hours and declare what the Lord is saying.  

John Paul's teachings and prophecies can be viewed and/or purchased at: http://www.streamsministries.com/  


I strongly recommend the "Perfect Storm" DVD: