PROPHETIC WORD: The Lord says, “IT’S TIME!”
“He has made everything beautiful in its time”
Ecclesiastes 3:11
IT’S TIME.
Something NEW is starting now!
A window of opportunity has opened before you.
Someone reading this word today is moving from influence to impact! It’s time!
It’s time to follow Jesus into uncharted territory.
It’s time to step out of your comfort zone.
It’s time to be everything God destined you to be.
It’s time to take a risk for the Kingdom of God!
It’s time to speak with absolute confidence and courage, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
It’s time to receive the GIFT OF BOLDNESS.
When we find Peter and John in Acts 4, we see how God can swiftly and radically transform the lives of His people. These blue-collared fishermen didn’t have formal religious training, yet they stood boldly before the Sanhedrin council and shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with power!
The same God who lived inside them still beats through the hearts of believers today.
There will come a point on your faith journey where all the hours you spend in the secret place with the Lord will become unmistakable in your life.
A relationship with Jesus Christ absolutely transforms the lives of believers and you’re a living, breathing testimony of God’s amazing love.
Look how far you’ve come!
All things really are new!
The fruit of the Spirit is BLOOMING in your life and the glory of our Heavenly Father is shining through your spirit for all to see!
The same discipleship program the apostles and early believers received from Jesus is the same one gifted to you.
God has enveloped your entire world with His extravagant love and the aroma of Jesus Christ follows you wherever you go!
The Holy Spirit has prepared you to help others find the same kind of transforming love and power in their own lives.
In this season…
God wants you to speak even when afraid.
He says talk even when silenced and tell about Him even when it goes against the culture or societal norms.
As you continue to step forward with cheerful courage -- God will supernaturally infuse you with His glory to finish the work!
This is a MOVEMENT.
THE GIFT OF BOLDNESS
In Acts 4, the first-century church numbers have swelled rapidly in a short amount of time. The gift of the Holy Spirit was igniting through the early believers, and the word of the Lord accelerated like a fast-moving wildfire. The unstoppable grace of Jesus Christ was changing the lives of people from every background.
A blueprint was set in motion that focused on the power of witness and evangelism.
The early believers and apostles were a ragtag group of nobodies that Jesus chose to become somebodies.
The Holy Spirit gifted them with supernatural BOLDNESS to activate the message of Christ!
The Greek word “parrhesia” in the Book of Acts means free-flowing speech rooted in authenticity and truth. The early believers understood their parrhesia wasn’t based on human wisdom or ability, but the Holy Spirit boosted them with courage to speak with unrestrained boldness.
They were fearless, proclaiming the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ to a world in desperate need of a Savior.
When the Lord ignites parrhesia in our spirits, He fuels us to live with great love and compassion -- speaking the right words at the right time to make the most impact on the world around us. Holy boldness is a passionate kind of fire that derives from a place of intimately knowing and loving Jesus! We can’t help but speak about the majesty of our King, the One we call “Abba Father!”
In Acts 4, Peter’s fearless faith stunned the religious leaders, taking them by surprise and making them unsure of how to proceed.
“The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him” (Acts 4:13, TPT).
Instead of the leaders seeing the truth before them, they went the way of diplomacy and said: “Let’s scare them a little, tell them that they will be punished for speaking the name of Jesus, and we’ll see if that way they are silent” (see Acts 4:16-17). However, they couldn’t deny that something powerful was at work.
They wanted Peter’s preaching and healing ministry stopped, but he refused because his commitment to God and the Lord’s people was more important.
When people tried to silence the apostles, God’s power was released even more through them.
We learn that opposition becomes a portal for God’s amazing grace.
The Gift of Boldness is a Holy Spirit-infused ability to confidently communicate with “all-out openness.”
God’s power rests upon a believer when you bravely step forward to share the Good News. Parrhesia is not based on arrogance or conceit, but rather, the Lord will breathe His spirit on a person to stand up for their faith, with an obligation to speak the truth.
With this gift, the Father puts a flame in your belly to carry out a mission to proclaim the gospel regardless of what others say.
Remember: the words you share, teach, write, sing, produce or speak have eternal value, so the Father will help you proclaim His heart and mission without fear or shame. You must trust His promptings even when afraid.
The Lord is not looking for theologians and scholars to serve as Kingdom messengers. He chooses what the world considers weak to confound the wise (1 Cor. 1:27). Jesus takes ordinary people and trains them to be Kingdom pioneers for His plans and purposes. That way, He gets all the glory and honor. The Lord selects people who wholeheartedly follow King Jesus without any agenda except to glorify Him.
HE PICKED YOU ON PURPOSE.
Too many of us shrink back and use the excuse of humility to hide when God wants us to lead. We fall into the trap of wanting to please people, or we stay in the background so that others won’t know the true essence of our hearts. We hide our skills and talents because somewhere along the way, people made us feel ashamed for the gifts we carry. The Lord has sent me as a messenger today to awaken someone from a spiritual slumber because the old way of doing things is gone. The Lord is about to empower you with parrhesia -- with boldness and confidence -- so you will finally step into destiny. You have been called for great and mighty things in this lifetime, and you can no longer hide behind your shell.
God has stamped you with His approval, and that’s all that matters. You are chosen. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and Yahweh loves you as is. Stop worrying about what other people think. Remember, the Lord will fight your battles. He knows and sees every conversation, and anyone who tries to silence you will ultimately have to face Him someday. What you carry matters to the Lord Jesus because He has predestined you to bring His seed to a world that needs hope.
God’s words cannot be extinguished or silenced.
People will absolutely try to shut you up -- but Yahweh is sovereignly watching over to ensure His word is carried out.
My sister or brother in Christ -- it’s time to step into the new thing.
God wants you to take a risk for the Kingdom. As you step forward and try -- the Lord will release an extravagant flow of boldness to empower you to speak the heart of Jesus Christ with free-flowing speech. It’s time to come out of your shell and follow Jesus into the unknown. He’s going to help you. Don’t quench the flame of the Holy Spirit.
As you move, God will move with you. It’s time!
“Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your passion toward him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let him fill you with excitement as you serve him” (Romans 12:11, TPT).
A NEW PROPHET OF THE PEOPLE
On paper, the prophet Jeremiah was the least likely to be called by God. He was shy, introspective, tenderhearted, often cried, and seemed quite emotional. He was constantly battling between his natural inclinations and the calling God put on his life.
However, Jeremiah was the perfect candidate to be used greatly by the Lord because of his temperament and personality! What the world might consider important — like power, prestige, charisma, flash and eloquence — holds little weight in the Kingdom. God looks at the heart!
Jeremiah explained how he was too young and didn’t know how to speak. Moses told the Lord he wasn’t a great speaker either. God told them to step forward anyway because their weaknesses actually made them more potent for the Kingdom. They would have to rely on the Father instead of their own gifts.
The Lord doesn’t allow excuses when someone is called because His plans and purposes are more paramount than your comfort.
God said to Jeremiah: “You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Then God reached out and touched Jeremiah’s mouth and said, “I have put my words in your mouth” (Jer. 1:7-9).
Before Jeremiah became a prophet to speak the word of the Lord, he was first trained to be a seer.
The Lord asked him, “What do you see?”
Jeremiah said, “I see the branch of an almond tree,” and God said, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled” (Jer. 1:11-12).
There’s a very unique play on words here because the Hebrew word for “almond” comes from a root word that means “to watch” or “awaken.” In other words, the Lord watches over to make sure His word comes to pass. The Lord used signs to teach Jeremiah just like the Holy Spirit teaches us lessons through dreams, creation or reading the Word of God.
We learn to “hear” the voice of our Father with our eyes.
The almond tree has prophetic significance in the Bible and for believers even today. It’s the first tree to awaken from winter hibernation, and it often blooms first — but bears fruit last.
In fact, some almond trees will blossom and flower but won’t produce fruit until years 5-12.
Some of you are almond trees in God’s beautiful garden of grace. The Lord cares about every step of your growth process, and what seems like delay is God’s perfect timing.
The growth of the almond tree can’t be rushed. The soil conditions, the sun’s glare and the land’s temperament all factor into the almond finally producing fruit. Even the period of waiting has a purpose because the almond tree is maturing and growing.
Then one day, God says it’s time, and the almond tree starts producing a harvest to nourish others.
In Genesis 43:11, the almond is described as “the best of fruits,” and in Numbers 17:8, God uses the almond branch to supernaturally appoint Aaron and the tribe of Levi as priests.
In Israelite culture, a rod was a symbol of authority.
Overnight, Aaron’s rod “sprouted, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.”
A dead piece of wood was brought to life. God’s choice of leadership was clear.
Earlier we talked about how the almond tree was the last to produce fruit, so obviously, this was a massive miracle. The Lord of the Harvest was speaking loud and clear that Aaron was God’s chosen priest.
God cannot be mocked, and He still miraculously produces fruit through His chosen leaders even today. The budding rod was a reminder to the people that God doesn’t put up with rebellion to Him or His representatives on earth (1 Cor. 10:10). Those who murmur, complain and speak harshly to divide the body of Christ will be rebuked (James 5:9).
God can and will use creation to reveal His power.
“Miracles in the Bible are often of this sort: natural events in unnatural conditions, timing, and placement.” (Allen)
The blossoming rod was a symbol of authority and a sign to the rebels that God was in control.
So what is the Holy Spirit saying?
Some of you are up for a breakthrough! You have spent enough time in obscurity, learning and simmering in God’s classroom, and you’ve been approved by the Holy Spirit. God is going to teach you how to thrive under pressure. Sometimes success can actually be harder to handle than failure because you have so many people and things coming at once. The Lord is going to walk you through this new terrain because you’ve never been this way before. In years 1-5, the almond tree is left alone as it grows. When it starts producing fruit, the harvesters come to shake the tree and all those almonds then start to feed people.
It’s still the same tree, it just has a new role to nourish others!
It’s time to bear fruit!
God has already marked your tree for His glory.
Carved into the bark is the word CHOSEN.
Be strong and courageous in this season.
Live with PARRHESIA!
Remember….
Fear comes from looking inward, but boldness comes from looking to Jesus!
IT’S TIME.
