Prophetic Intimations 2013 Intro

I'll be posting weekly/daily 2013 "Intimations" beginning next week. These are things I believe the Lord is indicating to me that will be beginning (and ending) over the next year(s). 

2012 marks the end of a transition time from the past season to a new, experiential kingdom season of restoration (Acts 3:19-21). This past 2-years season has been one of the bride of Christ enduring the "conscious" absence of His presence as spoken of in Song of Solomon 3:1-5. The old, comfortable ways and places of communion have been mostly empty as He is calling His bride to arise and surrender in obedience to His Lordship in a greater confinement to His will alone. This season of "darkness training" is coming to an end and this remnant bride will be coming out of the wilderness, leading on her Beloved (Song 3:6). The brokenness, dependency and yieldedness learned in this past season have been preparatory to becoming the living habitation (Tabernacle of David) in this next. More to follow beginning next week....

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The Father’s Ways By Mike McClung

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse (Mal. 4:5-6).

One of God’s primary purposes for raising up and restoring prophets and prophetic ministry in the church in these last days is to bring generations together.  This not only includes generations of old and young in the earth, but also joining past generations together with the current generation, who will complete their mandates and fulfill their purposes. (Hebrews 11:39-40.)  There are multi-generational promises, anointings, ministries, mantles and blessings held in a spiritual trust fund for the end-time generation that fully embraces the Lord in intimacy and obedience.  The prophetic or “forerunner” ministries in the earth today are called to heal the breach that exists not only between the age groups, but also between the “fathers” of the ages past and the current generation.  God calls for fathers-leaders to arise who will fully take hold of His promises and join hands with both the saints from ages past and the youth in the current age.  These fathers-leaders are called upon to take the first step in the process of restoration and deliverance.

Days of Decision, Preparing for Days of War

Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow-- for their wickedness is great." Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. - Joel 3:9-14

Believers are presently being exercised to make decisions, and not to have them made for us as children. We are faced with decisions that will have far-reaching and powerful effects and consequences now and in the ensuing weeks, months and years. To many, the Lord is seemingly silent. We have been, much like children, used to asking the Lord to do such-and-such for us, for others, etc. His silence is His answer that it's now time for us to make decisions based on our intimate knowledge of Him, His character, His ways, and the knowledge of the truth through the word and indwelling Spirit of God. It will take FAITH...true faith and not that which has been bantered around as something we use to get stuff from Him. It's the "faith of the Son of God" who dwells within us, Who is also seated at the right hand of God.

These decisions cannot be based on common sense, or what it is the most comfortable, the cheapest, or the best for us, according to "Americanized" Christianity. Decisions must be based on the knowledge of God and what is righteous and just according to His nature and His word. Grow-up time! These decisions are a form of spiritual warfare that, if made wisely, will release a greater faith, authority, maturity and provision. The first decision, according to the passage above, is to arise, shake off passivity, and surrender ourselves for the purpose of spiritual battle.

Making these decisions, especially going against normal reasoning, will be the first step in seeing successful warfare that will release a greater harvest than we've even seen. Successful decisions that are made now will be the result of choosing to seek His face in intimacy and obedience in the past season. Those without a track record of an intimate walk with God will find these times very difficult, but there is still great hope and mercy if we stop what we've been doing in the past season, and pray, fast and seek His face NOW!

Understanding the Battle By Mike McClung

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Eph. 6:12-13).

Satan is a terrorist and does not fight fairly.  Most of us discover firsthand that if you serve in Christian ministry you may be putting yourself at risk. Unless you are called and anointed by God to the area of service you serve in, and have counted the cost, you are literally taking your life in your hands.  If you have ever had a leadership role in a church or ministry, you know the difficulty that can arise from even Christ-loving people.  When the people who claim loyalty to you wrongfully use, betray, deceive, reject, abandon, and even subvert you and your ministry, they simply help you qualify to participate in this end-time battle to restore the ruins of people’s lives and release the inheritance of the Lord in the earth.

Spiritual Warfare - What Are We Fighting For? By Mike McClung

And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7-8).

I used to believe this passage of scripture was metaphorical.  I do not believe this any longer in light of the realization of 24/7 houses of prayer arising all across the globe.  The restoration of the spirit of the Tabernacle of David (Acts 15:15-17; Amos 9:11-13) is literally being fulfilled in this generation.  Multi-generational companies of Christians are arising in many cities.  They yearn to see the vision, burden and calling of what is taking place around the throne of God (Rev. 4&5) established on earth as happened in King David’s day. (1 Chron. 16.)  A place for the glory of the Lord is being prepared in many geographic locations as the bride of Christ enters into the fullness of her priestly ministry and identity.  Once the priestly identity and ministry of the bride is restored, then the anointing of the Head will begin to flow over the entire body. (Psalm 133:1-3.) 

Joshua – Generations Joined/Generational Blessings Possessed By Mike McClung

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God (1 Cor. 2:9-12).

Limited vision produces limited people and limited fulfillment of purpose.  Mike Bickle, Director of Friends of the Bridegroom Ministries and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, once told me that he believed that imparting vision was the key to dealing with rebellion and lack of discipline in the lives of God’s people.  I believe this is a profound insight.  We become what we behold: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18).  Anyone who has ever driven a car knows the feeling of something catching their attention off to one side of the road, only to look back to the front to see their vehicle swerving in the direction they had just been looking.  One of the tragic things that has happened to the bride of Christ, especially in western society, is the lack, or inconsistency, of leaders in the church focusing the vision of God’s people on the Person and purposes of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Generation of Jacob By Mike McClung

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah (Psalm 24:3-6).

The Lord is a God of generations.  The Lord looks on us individually, loving, providing and using us - weak and broken human beings - to accomplish His will, but He also sees us interconnected with all of the generations of past ages.  When confronting error in the Saducees’ resurrection theology, He said, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matt. 22:32).  In giving this answer, the Lord also verifies that the Father thinks and sees generationally.

From Kairos to Chronos - New Season is Here!

A new kairos moment has opened.

This is the opportune time to repent, adjust and get positioned (Acts 3:19) for the new season (chronos - Acts 3:21) that is beginning. The Jordan (the waters of death to SELF - and death to anything else necessary) has opened, and the waters of death are piled up back to "Adam" (Joshua 4-5). It is the time of cutting off the sins and iniquitous patterns of past generations to enter into the full inheritance that Jesus has purchased for His body to walk in. 

I've personally never seen such an onslaught of death around me, personally and within my sphere. For those who know the Lord, it's a joyous time of knowing that they (anyone who has passed on) will be safe in the cloud of witnesses, while we face and overcome, through the power of the Spirit, the forces of darkness. 

There's an inheritance in Christ to be possessed, and enemies to be put under His feet to prepare the way, the nations and the earth for His return. We're in that last season. We must repent of the Babylonian ways and systems that have entered the temple of God (His individual and corporate body). A new ministry has been in the process of preparation for years, and is now ready to be unleashed with authority and power. They have been dealt with and will be dead to self, ambition and personal significance ("MY ministry", "MY rights", ad nauseum), and who only live and breathe to follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They will not fear the face of men or demons. They will speak the word of God with boldness and God Himself will back the word up with power. 

A great purging and purification is coming first to the people of God (the "oikos" of the "naos", or building material of the true temple of His body - see Eph. 2:19-22). It will then flow out to the outer court of the house, then to the cities and communities of that royal priesthood (Melchizedek) that have remained faithful to Him. There's always been a remnant. 

Things are in place.... The pieces are beginning to move.... The downfall of the accuser is imminent!

Hedged In By Mike McClung

Hosea 2:6-7; 14-16: Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and wall her in, so that she cannot find her paths. She will chase her lovers, but not overtake them; yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now.’ Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.” And it shall be, in that day,” says the LORD, That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master’….

We have entered a new season of restoration (Acts 3:19-21) in which the full purpose of God in restoring His fullness and glory in the earth will come to fruition.

Several years ago, the Lord gave me the scriptures, Joshua 3:1-6 and Joshua 5:1-12, as templates of the activities of the Holy Spirit that will lead the body of Messiah up to a “crossing over” into a final season of restoration. This will ultimately culminate in the bodily return of the Lord Jesus to earth. For the last twenty years, we have been in the process of becoming “Presence-focused”, with intimacy, worship and intercession taking central place in the body of Christ. As with Joshua and the nation of Israel (see Joshua 3:3), this focused pursuit of His Presence (the Ark) is what will lead us through the “Jordan” – a death to self – in order to enter into His fullness in this last season. Part of the process of preparing for this new season and entering this inheritance will entail a “circumcision” of flesh in the lives of a generation that has been brought up in a religious wilderness for the past 50 years (see Joshua 5:1-6). The Lord’s sharpened flint “knife” is coming!

A Letter From the Director of Lionheart...

To Our Lionheart Family and All Friends and Supporters of Lionheart Restoration Ministries and The Prayer Furnace of East TN,

The Body of Christ has truly entered a new era—one unlike any time in Church history. It has been said by many different prophetic voices over the last few months that the Lord is hitting the RESET button in the body of Christ. In other words, He is bringing sudden shifts in our mindsets and lifestyles in order to realign us with Him in the fullness of His purposes. Some of these “resets” have been subtle. Many, if not most, have been quite dramatic. Though this process is uncomfortable, we must learn to rest in the Lord because each reset is meant to bring us back to the original call of loving Him, pursuing His presence and establishing His purposes.

Lionheart Restoration Ministries is no different. The Lord has reset and realigned many things in our midst in the last few months. Each reset has been deeper than the last, and with each reset the Lord has brought us closer to Him and His perfect will as we have obeyed His word. Now it is time for yet another….

2012: Revive, Repair, Rebuild and Flourish

At the beginning of each year, I take time to seek the Lord for direction and a scripture that will describe and launch us into the next year and season. I began seeking the Lord in October around Yom Kippur about the new season that He is unfolding before the body of Christ. The scripture that He gave me as a strategic and intercessory template is Ezra 9:8-9.

Ezra 9:8-9: And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

Forming the Heart of David By David Townsend

Many places in scripture we see that during a time of great need, a man or woman of God appears to deliver a Word from the Lord and/or bring deliverance, seemingly out of nowhere. Their origins and/or training for the task are a mystery, and their sudden appearing like the signature of the God that sent them. John the Baptist, Gideon, many of the prophets—at first glance they all just seem to appear with no warning and immediately start doing what needs to be done. Many times, it only seems that way to the people of their time, other times they just appear in scripture, and we get no direct back-story. There is literally no word in the bible about Elijah before he appears before King Ahab and declares a drought. Moses disappeared in disgrace after murdering a man, only to re-emerge suddenly after 40 years with the boldness to confront Pharaoh to his face, and with the authority to work powerful signs of deliverance. And probably the most surprising of all, a 14-year old runt/shepherd boy named David, on an errand for his dad, ends up taking down a giant, leading the Israelite army to victory, and eventually, becoming king. Not only that, when he is finally king, he sets up kingdom that God said will never end.