Day 6: Re-emergence of the Forerunner Spirit

DAY 6: RE-EMERGENCE OF THE FORERUNNER SPIRIT

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Forerunner Themes for a Forerunner Year
Blood moons over the fall feasts… Wars and rumors of wars… Stock Market soars but rumors linger of a coming crash… Israeli peace accord now in motion…

Aren’t you glad you never have to live bored! With all this before us, today and tomorrow we’re going to focus on one of the most important forerunner themes of 2014—that being tables.

That’s right, tables.

Holy Spirit spoke to us that 2014 will be known as the “Year of the Roundtable.” He is emphasizing tables this year—the Table of the Lord, prophetic roundtables, tables where deals are made, etc. Tables represent communion with God, and apostolic community with each other. It’s no coincidence that Chuck Pierce launched into 2014 with a conference called “Come to the Banqueting Table.” And this year God is preparing a table before us even in the presence of our enemies!

Dutch Sheets at the Table
So lets start with a prophetic experience the Lord gave me back in 2008. I saw Dutch Sheets step away from a table on a beautiful sun-soaked day. While he was absent the light faded into darkness—and then he came back and sat down at the head of the table.

I believe the transition from brightness to darkness has actually occurred during the time period between 2008 and 2014. It’s interesting how Dutch Sheets’ life conveys a similar transition. Shortly after sharing this word, Dutch actually stepped away for a period of rest. He then entered into tremendous change in his ministry, both in expression and location. Dutch is now at the “head of the table” at Christ for the Nations!

The word below was originally shared at the outset of 2008. Though much has already been fulfilled, there’s still much more to come.
RE-EMERGENCE OF THE FORERUNNER SPIRIT—Word for 2008
Recently the Lord released me to declare a word that has been in my heart for more than a year. It is with great excitement and anticipation for 2008 that I share with you the Re-emergence of the Forerunner Spirit.

The Forerunner Calling
Lets begin with some context. Forerunners are called to go ahead of the broader body of Christ to “prepare the way for the people.” In other words, their labors are primarily to pioneer a new expression of God’s heart and work. To me the call of a forerunner is best summed up in Isaiah 51:16: “I have set my words in your mouth, and have hidden you under the shadow of my hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, you are my people.”

Three primary missions of the forerunner calling are identified here.  The first mission is to establish the heavens—to bring breakthrough in the spirit realm so that a move of God can have free course between heaven and earth.  Once a portal is opened, we have the honor of maintaining an open heaven through the communion of worship, intercession and passionate obedience to His voice.

The second mission is to found, or lay the foundations, of the earth.  The work of a forerunner is apostolic in nature. Christ must be laid as the chief cornerstone, and the foundations laid with much care.  God desires in this season to recover our apostolic foundations—even as a nation—and build His kingdom instead of our own.

Anointing to Prepare the Way
Part of the forerunner mantle is an anointing of preparation—to build by the Spirit for future realities we couldn’t possibly know how to prepare for in the natural. Just ask Noah, or Joseph, Elijah or Paul. They established works by the Spirit that impact us massively even today, when they had very little understanding of the scope of their labors.

The third mission is to say to Zion “you are my people.” In other words, God passionately desires to call back a covenant people who do not know He cherishes them in His heart.  And we are all qualified through the blood of Jesus as His covenant people! Part of preparing the way is standing with the Lord in prayer until the hearts of those He claims are penetrated by the expression of His heart for them.

The Re-Emergence of the Forerunner Spirit
In a dream this October, I found myself talking with an apostolic leader who, in his call as a forerunner, has been mightily used by God to call people to prayer for America. (Note: I am now free to say Dutch Sheets was the leader I saw, and we have had great dialogues regarding the word below).

We were talking at length around a white table outside in the sun. Then this leader suddenly got up and took a walk.  As he did, everything but the table turned very dark, almost as if an invisible dimmer switch had been turned in the heavens. Then the leader re-emerged, and sat down again at the head of this white table.

In the dream, I then asked him what the Lord was showing Him for 2008.  I thought he would identify a political leader needing our prayers this election year. Instead, he said to me, “this year God is giving apostolic authority in prayer to release the River of God, and to direct its path.”

Note: I believe this word is actually for 2014, more even than 2008. More later. 

Darkness of the Hour
Many things are being conveyed in this dream. First, darkness is increasing. Nationally and perhaps globally, we have entered into a new season of spiritual engagement.  Perilous times have come, and the stakes for the body of Christ have become much higher.

Individually, many have been in a season described in Matthew 25 where “the Bridegroom was delaying.” Life and circumstances have grown more challenging.  Revelatory light has become more dim. Hearts are being tested.

Retooled for Advancement
Secondly, the Lord is drawing many away into a season of communion with Him. God is inviting us to the Table of the Lord, to daily receive Christ’s life-redeeming body and drink deeply of His precious blood. In the dream, the table never lost its luminance even as the darkness increased. His communion is the only place of safety, light and true satisfaction.

In the midst of this season, God has been retooling many of His forerunners for great advancement in 2008. We will find a recovery of vision and of apostolic momentum we could not have received any other way. There is a re-emergence of the forerunner spirit.

Releasing the River
I also understand from this dream that the release of this River is a top priority for 2008. The Lord is now calling His body to forerunning prayer so that this substance of Heaven can be released and directed to the churches, regions and nations on His heart. He is releasing a perpetual stream of justice and transformation. “Let justice roll like a river, and righteousness like an everflowing stream” (Amos 5:24).

Forerunning Prayer for Awakening
A cry for lost souls has been strangely absent from our prayer meetings these last few years.  But this cry is now being restored to many in the body of Christ.

During the second great awakening, an intercessor affectionately known as Father Nash worked with Charles Finney for regional evangelism.  Nash’s job was to go ahead of Finney, find a few intercessors, and literally weep for souls between the porch and altar until God broke through.  He would then summon for Finney, and the lost would literally be swept into the Kingdom by this river of awakening.

This year—in 2008—God is again uncapping this well. The anointing of forerunning prayer for awakening is being restored to the body of Christ. Tears of compassion and travailing prayer will again flood our prayer rooms. Because God is releasing apostolic authority in prayer to release this river of awakening, and to direct its path!

And don’t be surprised if Ishmael again discovers a well and becomes addicted to the springs of living water.  Heaven’s resources are now being extended for a great awakening in the Islamic world. In the days of Finney no ground claimed by spiritual darkness remained impenetrable to the gospel of Jesus Christ. God is again looking for intercessors who will cry out until this river of Christ’s salvation breaks through into hearts, homes, cities and nations of the Islamic world.

Pressure from the Other Side
Many prophets have shared how God is using storms in the natural to represent the work He wants to release. Early last May, Jolene and I were en route to minister in Lawrence, Kansas. As our plane was landing in Kansas City, He told me to decree that “the angelic blockade is over.”

I had been familiar with demonic blockades—strategies of the enemy to withhold needed resources in the spirit and the natural.  But I had never heard of an “angelic blockade.”

The Lord showed me a vision of four angelic hosts, very tall and very strong, struggling to keep shut what appeared to be four gates in the sky. They were responding to immense pressure from heaven’s side of the gates.  The pressure came from the substance of accumulated answers to prayer.

No More Delay
In a flash I knew that these resources were being withheld by these angels until God’s heart had been satisfied through repentance, and His body had matured enough to properly steward His substance.  And I knew that it was time to decree the release of these covenant resources. Interestingly, later in the week Kansas and Missouri were deluged with flooding as rivers and streams overflowed their banks!

In 2008, the Lord is saying to many people and even many movements, NO MORE DELAY.  The angelic blockade is over.  A maturity has been gained that will propel this move of His Spirit forward with a depth we have never before seen. He is again releasing a forerunner anointing to bring salvation and transformation to the earth.  Lets tap into this river and prepare the way of the Lord!