Something About Midnight...

Often times I am still waiting for God to give me a word as I sit down to write my entry but this week, He spoke early! I was sitting at my desk and I heard in my spirit, “It’s something about midnight…” I kind of sat up and took a breath. And I begin to think of some powerful biblical moments that took place at midnight. I got a little excited because I realized that this is an important thing to take note of. I immediately wrote on a sticky pad – something about midnight- 10 virgins, Paul & Silas. Whoa! I then received a prayer in my email about praying at midnight because God has been known to move in the midnight hour! There’s obviously a lot going on in the spiritual realm at midnight and we need to be tapping into that.

The story of the 10 virgins is a familiar one. It’s found in Matthew 25: 1-13 and is often used to remind us that we have to be ready when Christ returns or risk the door being shut. But I don’t know that I ever really studied the fact that the Bridegroom came at midnight. Verse 6 says in the NIV, “At midnight the cry rang out: Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” I started to get excited because it just hit me that when circumstances look really bleak and there’s dark all around…if you are ready and waiting, Jesus will come and take you to another level…and it very well may be in the midnight hour! God moves at midnight!

If you will remember, Paul and Silas had been imprisoned by slave owners who were angry that Paul had called a spirit out of their slave psychic and caused them to lose their income stream. They were beaten, jailed and shackled.  Acts 16:25-26 says “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.” Think about this…these men were in a dark and terrible place. They were not only in prison, they were under close guard. In the midnight hour of their despair, they lifted up a praise to the Lord that got His attention. He sent an earthquake, in response to their praise, that shook the very foundations of the prison and freed everyone in the building. Hallelujah! I can praise God in my dark place and He will respond in a mighty way. But not only that, He can bring salvation out of that praise!  God moves at midnight!

Finally, do you remember the Passover? Moses told the Israelites to mark their doorframes with lamb’s blood so that when the Lord went through the land, their houses would be spared. “And at midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well.” (Ex. 12: 29 NIV) The Lord moved with precision and purpose through the land of Egypt in the midnight hour. He was faithful to His word. That stirred my spirit because I saw deliverance in that moment. I saw that God knows exactly what He’s doing and doesn’t just move haphazardly through our lives. He was looking closely for the blood on the door so He would know which houses to pass. That shows me that when He gets ready to move, it’s according to His plan and will be performed exactly as He has detremined. God moves at midnight!

There are other instances of God’s moving at midnight but I don’t want to keep you here all day. My revelation was that even in your darkest hour, God is active! But it also made me aware of how the spirit realm is active. We know that the devil loves darkness and moves around in the dead of night but God shows that He has the power over everything! He can turn your midnight into day. So if you’re up one night in the midnight hour, begin to pray and ask God to move in a mighty way. He’s the same God, yesterday, today and forever. Give God a Paul & Silas praise in your midnight and see if you don’t wake up released and free! Keep your oil flask filled with the Holy Spirit and watch God invite you into a next level experience. Ask God to send your enemies a message and watch Him execute His plans with precision.  God has not forgotten about you! He still moves at midnight!

AMEN

Good Morning, Holy Spirit!

Yesterday afternoon, I was in a funk. I started to get overwhelmed by circumstances and situations, the girls were whining, and I had a lot to do. My flesh wanted to give up. I wanted to lay down and just block it all out…and maybe scream for a few minutes! I asked a couple of my favorite prayer warriors to pray for me and I went on with what I needed to be doing. I could feel myself wearing the stress.  But just when I wanted to say something off, I felt the soothing presence of the Holy Spirit come over me. It was truly like a soft wind and I took a breath. I took a few minutes to rest in it and I was able to go forward. Have you ever been washed in His presence?

A lot of times, people do not give the Holy Spirit the honor He deserves. He is a powerful force that intercedes for us and inspires us. He teaches us and leads us. This is not intended to be a study of the Spirit because that would take way more space than I have. But I wanted to acknowledge His presence because it is through His inspiration that I am able to write this devotional every week. It is through Him that you are able to operate in whatever gift He gave you. It is through Him that we can be called the children of God.  If you haven’t read Romans 8 lately, please do! It is so encouraging to know who you are in Christ! Verse 14 says that “The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”  

So many of us experienced tough times in 2011 and are standing on God’s promises in 2012 but Romans 8:26 reminds us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Isn’t it comforting to know that you can go in your secret place when you are at your low point and the Spirit will intercede with the Father on your behalf?  John 14:16 goes further and tells us that He will abide with us forever. Have you ever been comforted by His intercession?

Many of you have been going through some type of consecration fast this month, whether corporately with your church or as an individual or couple. You’ve chosen various things to sacrifice and for a variety of reasons but the ultimate goal is to crucify your flesh so that your spirit can grow. You have most likely been charged to fill those places where you would have eaten certain things with spiritual things and your Word. Now is an awesome time to seek the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor 2:11) Your spirit is so open during a fast so tap into that awesome power and listen when the Holy Spirit speaks.

I want to encourage you today to let the Holy Spirit love on you. If you have lost a loved one, He is the great comforter. If you are lost and don’t know where to turn, He intercedes for you. And if you have been searching for answers, He is the truth. Rest in Him and find your peace…I’m a witness that there’s no sweeter place…

Standing on the Word...

It’s January and a lot of us are in a place of expectancy. Your faith is strong and you are saying all the right things. You believe God for the impossible and it feels like you are right at the edge of your breakthrough. Even though your circumstances are telling you something completely different, your faith is surging.  And then…silence! Situations seem to get worse and the way gets a little darker and you know that God is still there but you don’t hear him. You know that He’s promised you great things but they seem to be taking a long time. What do you do? How do you stand without giving in to the enemy and his plan to get you to give up and turn back?

You might laugh... but I have believed that I would be rich since I was a little girl. I have had a spreadsheet since I was very young with how I would divide my money up between my church, favorite charities, family and friends. It gets adjusted as time goes by and people come and go but I’ve always believed that it’s coming. What does that have to with anything, Ebony? Well...sometimes during these last few challenging months, I would look at my sheet and it seemed like the ink was fading right off the paper.  I know my breakthrough is right in front of me but sometimes it seems like the days are ticking by SLOWLY. My need may not be your need. Maybe you’re waiting on a healing or a job or a baby or a spouse to get saved.  How do YOU stand when it gets quiet?

Last night I sat down with my Bible and asked God for a word to get me through this silent time and He sent me directly to Genesis 28:15-22.

¹⁵ I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” ¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” ¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. ²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹ so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God ²² and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Jacob had just finished deceiving his father and taking his brother Esau’s blessing in the previous chapter. When he received this word from the Lord in a dream he was running away from Esau’s anger and death threat. But notice that God didn’t bring up His past. He didn’t remind him of how shady He was. He blessed Jacob right where he was.  If you are waiting on God to move in your life, don’t dwell on what you used to do or who you used to be, think about what you will do and stand on the Word. Jacob made a vow with God! It took 20 years for Jacob to return back to his father’s house but Jacob stood on the Word and did what he promised with his tenth and God blessed him over and over again because of their covenant.  

I was asking God to be present for me and He reminded me through His words to Jacob that He is with me and will watch over me wherever I go. And even better, He said that He would not leave until He had done what He promised! What an awesome God and He is not a respecter of persons! What He did for Jacob, He will do for you! He will do for me!

When it gets quiet, stand on the Word! My friends, God sees and knows everything that you are going through. He is an ever present help in the time of trouble. Believe what He says and stand on it. Continue to praise, continue to give, and continue to serve. Remember what the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:9 and don’t “become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”.  If God has promised you something, believe Him and confess it every day until it comes to pass! If it seems that God is silent, just know that He is working things out for your good! Keep standing, God is in control!

Amen!

Restoration is coming...

I love the beginning of a new year. It’s an opportunity to start fresh and rededicate myself to God’s purpose for my life. Even though this should be a daily practice in our lives, there’s something about a new year! It’s like we are at the starting line of a new race and we don’t have all the sweat and dirt and dust of the old year clinging to us, we are clean and focused on the journey to come. I intentionally buried many things in 2011 along with the shovel, and have determined that I will not pick those things up again. I buried the old Ebony and I won’t miss her. I truly believe that this is a season for restoration.  All of the things that the enemy has worked to take away from us will be restored through Christ – peace of mind, joy, health, finances. It’s our season if we will do what God says.

This week God brought me to Ezekiel 36, specifically verses 25 -28. Now, I must admit, this chapter is not all sunshine and roses but it is an awesome tribute to how God will restore in spite of us.  God is speaking to Ezekiel and telling him to prophesy to the mountains of Israel how He is going to restore them for the Israelites after their exile. He tells of how awful they behaved and why He scattered them all over and exiled them in the first place. God was angry and plainly says that He was performing this restoration, not for them, but to show forth His holiness through Israel after His reputation was blackened over and over again.

Think about this. Like Israel, we were doing our own thing, living the way we wanted to, and going against God’s will. But God looked down at us and even in His anger decided to take us, and clean us up. Why?  So that others might realize who He really is through the work that He has done on us! Ultimately He must get the glory. That is why this is not just a season of restoration but also of reconciliation. In verses 25 -28 God says, “I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I'll give you a new heart; put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed. I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You'll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You'll be my people! I'll be your God!”

God desires to wash us clean and renew our spirit so that we will do what He tells us to do and live by His commands. When we do that, we will back in our rightful places! On January 1^st, I felt like I could feel God getting the pitcher of water and beginning to pour it in my spirit. I was in desperate need of a soul and spirit renewal.  I was ready to replace all of the dead stuff with life!

 As He began to refresh my spirit, I liken it to earlier in chapter 36, when God tells the mountains of Israel that they “will burst with new growth, putting out branches and bearing fruit for my people Israel. My people are coming home! Do you see? I'm back again. I'm on your side. You'll be plowed and planted as before! I'll see to it that your population grows all over Israel, that the towns fill up with people, that the ruins are rebuilt. I'll make this place teem with life—human and animal. The country will burst into life, life, and more life, your towns and villages full of people just as in the old days. I'll treat you better than I ever have. And you'll realize that I am God. I'll put people over you—my own people Israel! They'll take care of you and you'll be their inheritance. Never again will you be a harsh and unforgiving land to them.”

That’s restoration, folks! Everything that looked dead or in ruins in your life is being rebuilt. Your life is being plowed in order to make room for all the life and fruit that is coming. God closes that section of scripture with the promise that those mountains will never again be harsh and unforgiving for the people. Many of us have survived some tough, dry places but if you keep going and pressing, you will once again feel your soul being restored. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t see things changing immediately in your situation, the enemy is just waiting for you to say the wrong thing and block you. Remember that God is pouring newness into your spirit and preparing you for the fruit that is about to come forth. He said that He’ll treat you better that He ever has before. Hang on to that and watch God move…

Happy New Year and AMEN!