"Enlarge your tents"

In the last several months, God has been whispering into my spirit, "Enlarge your tents" (NIV).  I feel such hope and promise of blessing, even though I am overwhelmed in the midst of it. :)  Here is what God is speaking to my spirit... 

“Sing, O childless woman,
    you who have never given birth!
Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem,
    you who have never been in labor.
For the desolate woman now has more children
    than the woman who lives with her husband,”
    says the Lord.
² “Enlarge your house; build an addition.
    Spread out your home, and spare no expense!
³ For you will soon be bursting at the seams.
    Your descendants will occupy other nations
    and resettle the ruined cities. 
(Isaiah 54:1-3, NLT)

I see so many believers living under very small tents, surrounded by desert lands, or barrenness.  God sees our hearts and understands the vastness of our pain, our dusty fields of barren land that we cover up and keep hidden from the outside world, but they lay bare before the eyes of God.  God looks upon us with hearts of compassion and everlasting love!  He longs to pour His abundant life into our meagre tents and rain His grace on our barren lands to bring forth a bountiful harvest in His Spirit!!!  

He says, "My children are blessed and highly favoured!!"  He says, "Enlarge your tents!!  Stretch your curtains wide!!  Open your heart and your arms, hold nothing back!!  Lengthen your cords, prepare for more of My blessing!! As your cords stretch wider, your stakes go deeper, being rooted and grounded in love, all of your trust in Me!!" (some paraphrase, some NIV)

What does it mean to be blessed in the Lord?  Have you tasted the eternal life of God our Father, handed down to those who believe?  Have you eaten at His table and tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord?  1 Tim 6:13 (and somewhere in Jeremiah I can't presently find!) says God gives life to everything.  If you sow into the life of the Spirit, it is a spiritual principle that you will reap a harvest.  A harvest of what?  of more life in the Spirit!! :)  This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. (Matt 13:12)

Where are your fields of barrenness?  Is God asking you to enlarge your tent/house?  Are you sowing into the life of the Spirit in order to reap an abundant harvest of more life, more of Him, more of His Presence and glory to bear witness to the world around you? 

May God enlarge our tents and fill us with more of Himself that He might be seen and known and glorified in the world around us!!! 

"Fortress of Peace" by Natasha Erskine

The Lord has recently released me to write some new music and explore the ministry of His Spirit in prophetic worship...  He's been ministering to me with these lyrics I started writing several weeks ago.  They don't feel finished yet and this is just a portion of he song, but I felt a strong desire to share them:

(After the crying out of a child under a heavy load, the Lord gently responds...)

Child of mine, seek me and find
Try me and see, find peace in Christ
Let this world go and seek after me
and the kingdom of my love
Take hold now of me...
Lay your burdens down!  Lay your burdens down!

(After the child again crying out, unable to shake the heavy load...) - this part is really soulful :)

Child of mine, open your eyes!
The dead things have passed
Find new life in Christ
All that I am, I've opened my hand!
There's no hindrance than to keep you from rest...
Lay your burdens down!  Lay your burdens down!


Find rest in my fortress of peace!!!

The war is raging, but the battle is won!

For His own purposes, God has gifted and called me for spiritual warfare, (which in my books, goes hand in hand with worship).  In the natural, I typically feel weak and shy, but in my spirit, often many adventures are taking place... Recently God gave me a vision concerning my enemy. He spoke to me concerning the "angel of light" here in North America.  I have planted my feet in a stance of opposition against the strongman, the spirit of religion, that deceptively clothes the bride of Christ in dirty rags instead robes of righteousness (Zech 3-4).  


In my vision, I saw many innocent worshippers, praising God in their churches.  From their perspective everything seemed normal, but the view from heaven showed something quite different.  Instead of worshipping in Spirit and in truth, a cloak of darkness had covered their praise.  The "angel of light" had moved in and deceived many into thinking he was God.  So the worshippers were worshipping under the spirit of religion, the strongman over North America, one of the prominent false gods of our culture.


It looks normal when we look with our natural eyes, but in the Spirit, the overwhelming darkness of our day is quite evident.  But let's not despair!!  Where can we go from His Spirit?  Where can we hide from His Presence?  To God, the night shines as bright as day.  Darkness and light are the same to Him. (Psalm 139:7,12)


The more I am awakened to God's Spirit, the more I am aware of the deception in His church.  The more my eyes are opened to the guilt, shame, condemnation, striving, and endless lies that are cloaked around the neck of God's beloved Bride, the more His Spirit stirs up in me to call upon the worshippers, put off the yoke of slavery and let us worship boldly, before the gods (Ps 138:1), in spirit and in truth, for these are the worshippers the Father seeks (Jn 4)! and He will make us bold with strength in our soul (Ps 138:1).

Sweet whispers.

A quietness stills my heart as I meditate...

Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word in my tongue, but behold, you know it altogether.  You have hedged me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain it. (Psalm 139:1-6)

Search me O God and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  (Psalm 139:23-24)

I hear God speaking to me...

Be still, anguished soul.  Allow me to pervade the depths of your heart with my kindness, my gentleness, and my love.  Do not leave one thought untouchable to me.  Embrace My presence and welcome me into each and every crevice of your soul.  Let me lead you in the way everlasting!!  Let me redeem your brokenness to the fullness of your potential in Christ Jesus.  Do not hold back!  Count all things loss that you might gain Me, the promise of my rest, and eternal glory, forevermore. 

Deeper and deeper I tread into the river of gladness, the sea of His love, the abyss of delight :)

Meditations on Psalm 131

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me.  But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.  O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.


This chapter in the Bible speaks to a deep longing in my heart.  I find myself longing for peace and tranquility, for a calmed and quieted soul.  My heart's delight is when I find that place and experience the beauty of God's green pastures and still waters (Ps 27).  Despite my best efforts, though, life has a way of pulling me away from that quiet place, where I can hear the beating of my own heart against the whispers of God's Spirit, and into worldly noise, distraction, stress, frustration, etc.  How does one maintain a calmed and quieted soul in the midst of life and all its earthly demands?


Heart not lifted up.  The Message says, God, I'm not trying to rule the roost.  In seeking a place of peace, my worldly self strives for success, for position, for respect, for love.  Yet here, peace and tranquility lie within a heart not striving toward unnecessary greatness.  I sense this tension as I face difficulties and challenges in life and I echo the Psalmists prayer to remind myself, my heart is not lifted up...  

Eyes not raised too high.  I don't want to be king of the mountain (The Message).  The peaceful soul is not trying to attain something beyond its reach.  It is not competitive in nature, needing to be higher than another to achieve some victory or satisfaction.  It is content in knowing who God made it to be and how to move forward, truly offering one's self to bring goodness and blessing upon one's sphere of influence, not for the sake of achieving power, but in spirit and in truth.  Our greatest gain is when we know ourselves in light of who our Maker made us to be and learn to live out of that place of true power, peace, and love.

Things too marvellous for me.  How often have I fantasize[d] grandiose plans (The Message), wanting to "be somebody", to feel important, to value myself?  In the Kingdom of heaven, all things are turned upside down.  If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35).  In the kingdom of God, greatness is achieved through true humility, illustrated in v.2 like a weaned child...  Our success comes forth when we commit our way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass (Ps 37:5).

Like a weaned child.  My future, my value, my significance, my very breath... is in His hands.  And my good God cherishes this earthly vessel, and cradles me in His arms, and promises to love and protect me for now and forevermore.  When I put my hope in God, instead of my own self or any other worldly thing, like a weaned child is my soul within me.  


Father, I am not striving for control or aspiring to greatness of self.  I cannot live up to the expectation of worldly success and glory.  I fall short of glory.  And yet, I have calmed and quieted my soul within me, for I know that You, O God, are great!  And you hold me in the palm of your hand.  And I will live with You in glory forever and ever and evermore.  I put my hope in You, O God, my eternal King.