4But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you,says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.'6 "For this is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 8 The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!"

As I was praying and seeking the Lord this week He began to show me two things. The first was a vision that was repeated again this week and the next was a physical manifestation of trembling in my body. As I prayed my body began to shake and tremble and the words shaking all things, I'm shaking My Church, and the Eternal will remain was uttered. The Lord began to show me a vision of Himself sweeping through the Churches and flipping the tables over. I watched as many of the tables were turned over and continued to spin from the force of the Lord. He then turned to look deeply into my eyes and He spoke these words "because I love her" I was so touched by the Lords love for His beloved Bride. Please hear His heart for us, It is His love for us that will compel us to move, that's calling us higher, that's beckoning us to go deeper still.

In the scripture above two things stood out to me like the Lord put a highlighter to the words. The first was get to work and the second was be strong. This shaking is coming to remove the complacency of our comfortable, stable, and lukewarm lives. The Lord would rather you be hot or cold but not lukewarm! I know it's not easy to hear but it is needed. Don't you remember the moment you first encountered His love and freedom? Don't you remember the dreams you and Him dreamed up together! Don't you remember your zeal for Him? How that He was the first one you said good morning to and then the last one you said goodnight to!! He misses you and your passion for Him, just as much as you miss Him. You let the dreams fade and have settled for good enough! But the greatness He is calling you to is not about you!! Get up and go! You hear Him calling you, you see what He is showing you but yet you stay. Why? The risk, the sacrifice, the work required? Oh Lord come shake us from our selfish, self sufficient, and self centered lives! I have seen it in my own life and the Lord shook me up and left a limp in my heart that cannot be removed. Go the easy way, trust me on that.

I'm not wrestling this time. Let me invite you into some personal shaking of my own. Four months ago the Lord spoke to my husband and I saying "Go to Ft Worth and give me your house, this is an old dream,and I have new dreams for you now. First of all let me just say, I did not plan on spending my Summer getting my house ready for sale or the soon coming packing process. I did not plan on moving from my home after being here for 8 years! This was a brand new home when we bought it, a dream fulfilled, and a place full of memories. Hear me now? Oh but the call of His voice and the love in His gentle words penetrating my heart" Come and follow me." And so we Go because we love Him so.

Where are we going Lord? How will we get there Lord? When will we get there Lord?

I will show you the way. For I know the plans I have for you...

Be strong Bride of Christ and get up and Go where He is calling, where He is leading, wherever He may go. And remember that His word to us is unchanging in that He still says and means that according to Hebrews 10:38 And my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back."

It's time to be shaken from complacency, to be strong in the Lord and His might, and get to work!

As I spent some time with the Lord today on the first day of the month of June the Lord began to share something that I knew I needed to share as well. First I want to share with you my Pentecost evening, which was amazing to say the least! And if you aren't tuned into our Sunday Soak gatherings, you are truly missing out! Ok, so after a six week corporate fast, our group were to gather together on the eve of Pentecost to pray and end our fast. The Lord had instructed me that this was the evening that He wanted me to share an open vision I had on March of 2004! I won't be sharing that on here today but rather giving you some background for what this blog will be about. I will however be sharing the message of the vision as He leads me. We as a group ended that evening with a word from the Lord. We were to say good bye to our last seven years and usher in our next seven years on an altar of remembrance. Here is what we did; we wrote out on paper our last seven years of struggles, hardships, trials, and pains. We then took the papers and burned them. We watched them become a pile of ashes. We all in this moment felt a cleansing, a healing taken place in our hearts and minds. It was a Beautiful moment. I want to encourage you to do this with your family or with friends. Today is the first day of the month of June, a mid year month. This is a perfect time to begin again.

It was for me personally a moment of gratitude as I reflected upon His love and faithfulness despite the heartaches. My last seven years were some of the most difficult times in my life. From financial struggles, depression, knee pain from injury, pain, and storms of all kinds mentally and emotionally. I was very happy to say good bye but also very thankful to be standing full of hope. Nothing I had gone through had taken my hope for brighter days!! That is something to be thankful for.

The next day was Memorial Day and the Lord wanted me to continue reading in Joshua. He wanted to show me that what had happened was a symbolic and prophetic act. I love how detailed and amazing our God is! In Joshua 4 the Lord had led the children of Israel to make a memorial of the crossing of the Jordan. If you have been reading my blog you already know that we as a body have crossed over too! Let's read this together.

Then you shall let your children know, saying, "Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever. " (Joshua 4:22-24 NKJV)

Just prior to the nation of Israel going into their promise land, the Lord had them to build a memorial of twelve stones. This was to be to them an altar of remembrance. A moment to stop and reflect on God's goodness and faithfulness in their journey. This is what we as a group were doing on the Memorial Day weekend!

The next thing the Lord wanted to show me was found through studying the life of David. In 2 Samuel we see how David sinned greatly in taking a census and was to offer sacrifices to the Lord. He did this in hopes that the Lord might turn His judgment pronounced upon the nation of Israel through David's sin. David then purchases the threshing floor in which He may offer costly sacrifices to the Lord.

That day Gad came to David and said to him, " Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." So David went up to do what the Lord has commanded him...David built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel wa stopped. (2 Samuel 24:18-25 NLT)

After there is a burning up of sacrifices there are ashes. I tell you this to bring you to the next point. The foundation of the temple of God was built upon the ashes of Davids sacrifices. Let's read this!

Now Solomon began to build the house of The Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to His father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the site that David had selected. (2 Chronicles 3:1 NLT)

Did you see it? The construction of the temple of God was built upon the ashes of David's sacrifices to the Lord! The very foundation of the temple of God, the place of His residing presence and Glory was upon the pile of David's ashes of sacrifice.

And so My dear Beloved it will be spoken of you. You are the temple of God today, the place of His residing and indwelling Presence. The glory of God will be seen upon the ashes of your sacrifice. What are your ashes? The burning up of your old life, your self life, your plans, your desires, and your way to take up your cross daily in following Him. God is about to take from every place of pain and sacrifice and bring forth much fruit!! Oh hear my heart, His heart! Every place of struggle, every place of heartache is about to be fruitful and blossoming!! Yes, there are about to be tears of Joy!! Justice for the children of God! Long awaited promises fulfilled!! Get ready to dance upon the ashes!! This scripture is burning in my heart for the people of God who have crossed over.

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them BEAUTY FOR ASHES, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of Praise for the Spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that HE may be GLORIFIED." ( Is. 61:3 NKJV)

What does your next seven years look like? Glorious, bountiful, fruitful, and abundant!! More on that next time.