picturesfromheaven

Happy New Year

This is the word the Lord gave me for our New Years Eve Service...I hope that you are blessed by it. Much love

Happy New Year…
Merry Christmas…
Happy Birthday…
Bless you…when someone sneezes…

These are all automatic blessings that we bestow on people. Blessings are good even when they are like a reflex. But I think that they are probably more meaningful when we purposefully speak a blessing over someone’s life. For a blessing is not just about making a person feel good by saying something nice to them. A blessing has the power to bring the words that are being spoken to pass. Words have power when they are being released in a blessing. A blessing is so powerful that even if it is spoken by mistake, it cannot be taken back, as we see in the story of Isaac’s blessing of Jacob and Esau in Gen. 17. To bless is to honor and praise. It is to speak God’s word and will over a situation or person. To receive a blessing is to receive power.

Blessings is not just saying glib sayings, it is finding God’s Will and speaking it over the situation. Blessings are not silent or quiet prayers; they are a public proclamation, always spoken boldly with authority and confidence.

DRY BONES - Ezek 37:1-10 (Msg)

GOD grabbed me. GOD's Spirit took me up and sat me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them — a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain — dry bones, bleached by the sun. He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Master GOD, only you know that." He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of GOD!'"

GOD, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am GOD!"

I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. 8 I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them. He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'" So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.

The problem is that we are just as automatic with some of the negative things that come out of our mouth. Negative things in the Bible are considered a curse and a curse was considered a catastrophe. The Hebrew word for a curse can mean anything from wishing harm on a person, to belittling them. As with a blessing, cursing in the Bible was more than just words, there was a power released to bring the words to pass.

Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them.
Rom 12:14-15 NLT

This is just the background for a prophetic word that the Lord gave me for this service. The Lord said, “This is the year of the mouth. It is a year of blessing or curses; your choice.”

PICTURE

I was taken to a place that was kind of troubling to me until I realized what was wrong. There was no sound whatsoever. The scene that was before was taking place in complete silence. I noticed that people’s mouths moved like they were talking, but there was no sounds coming from them. But I saw a stream of letters coming out of each of their mouths. After a moment the people began to move and it looked like they were being lead by the stream of letters coming out of their mouths.

§ One person was led to a swampy area, and they walked right into the swamp, willingly until they were stuck and unable to move.
§ Another person was walking on a rocky path, and they kept stumbling and falling on the rocks, hurting themselves. What was so remarkable to me was that there was a perfectly clear path just a little ways away, but their words took them to the rocky path.
§ There were other people that were being led into other difficult places but my eyes seemed to be drawn towards a person who was walking into a beautiful meadow. There were wild flowers all around and the person was led to a particularly beautiful garden where they stopped and smelled the flowers. Then they were led to a log, filled to overflowing with honey, and they used a stick like a spoon to partake of its sweetness. Then they were led to a quiet stream where they were able to get a refreshing stream.

About that time, I spoke without really thinking and I said, “Lord, this is not fair. The one person is getting all of these wonderful blessings while the others are stuck, frustrated and in pain.” The Lord broke the silence and explained. “You are not looking at their life situations, you are seeing the condition of their souls, which is determined by the words that they speak day in and day out.”

§ “The one is stuck in a swamp because they keep thinking and saying and doing the same things. They start to speak words of life, but something happens and they fall into the same trap and say negative things about their life. They are stuck. And they will remain stuck until they learn to control what comes out of their mouths.”
§ “The one that is stumbling and falling is because they continue to take offense at the things that are said and done to them. They are the ones that have chosen the painful path because they chose to always think the worse of situations and people. They complain, and they wallow. They blame everyone else for their condition, but they are the ones that have chosen the difficult path by allowing hurtful words to come out of their mouths.
§ The one in the garden is going through the most painful situation of them all, but they are speaking words of blessing and faith over their lives and over the people who have harmed them. They genuinely believe that their words have power to heal, to deliver and to set free. They do…and the blessings that they speak are being returned over them.


This is the blessing the Lord had me write out to speak over you.

THE BLESSING

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is your refuge, your place of safety; He is your God; trust him. He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.

"Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. "Speak tenderly to Christian Life Center. Tell her that her sad and frustrating days are gone and her failures are removed. For tonight starts a new beginning that is more than just the turning of a page on a new calendar; it is the beginning of new favor and of new blessing.

Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the South Suburbs of Chicago, "Your God is coming!" Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead you, if you are quick to respond completely. Do not ignore his promptings. For the Lord your God is a mighty God; mighty to save, mighty to heal, mighty to deliver, mighty to empower.

May God bless you with children who will be a joy and encouragement to you. May those who have strayed return to the fold, and those who have been faithful reap bountiful blessings. Bless their going out and their coming in. Bless them as they sleep and as they travel. Bless their relationships and bless their businesses. May you own your own land where you have only been a stranger. May you be blessed with promotion and inventive ideas. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed."

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. May you be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. So may GOD bless you and keep you, GOD smile on you and gift you, GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.

Gen 27 & 28, Isa 40:1-2,9-11, Ps 91:1-7, Num 6:24-26, Rom 15:13, 16:19-20

posted by pastorc @ 8:37 AM