A Prophetic Word: Proclaim the Coming of Your King!

This is a prophetic word that I received from the Lord this summer during a prayer time:

Tell my people. The hour is late. Time is short. Have you no fear? Repent! I am the Most High God. The Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. You put your trust into worldly things that will fade away rather than placing your trust in me. Is the truth not in me? Can I lie? You know I can not. Truly, I say to you, the hour is late. My return is nigh. Trim your wicks, fill your lamps with oil. Prepare your hearts. What is coming upon you is a great time of darkness that will consume you unless you have my Spirit and have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Draw near to me, my children. Seek me daily and you will find peace among the chaos and the turmoil. Fear not, for I will be with those that have surrendered their hearts and lives to me. I will strengthen and sustain you. I will not forsake you. What is coming to your nation and to the world is like nothing the world has ever experienced. I am your only hope. Do not walk to the left nor to the right, only follow me. Read my word daily, memorize my word, sing songs unto me and prophesy in my name. You will do great works in my name and power if only you believe. There are many souls to bring into the harvest. Pray and boldly proclaim the Gospel message. All other efforts are for naught. Put aside your worldly plans and listen to my voice. I will direct you and guide you. Listen for my still, small voice. Seek me in all things. You will be accountable for how you spend your time and how you use your resources. All that you have is mine. I have given freely and now you must give freely. Get outside the walls of your church. Do my work or I will remove your lamp
stand. I am mighty to save but you must be willing to do my work and to be a vessel of my mercy, love, and grace. Rise up my children and stand firm. Proclaim the coming of your King!

The Coming Storm

The dream I had was just a glimpse. But it was a reminder. A warning.

It happened so quickly. The light was waning. The darkness strove to become all encompassing. The blackness encroached upon the horizon with thick, inky blotches and billows that filled the sky. The atmosphere was oppressive. It filled my view in a matter of seconds. The storm that I knew was coming had arrived. And it was fierce.

It would be easy to succumb to fear. And yet we are asked to stand firm and to remain unshaken. Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of Hosts. The signs are many and increasing daily. As we await the return of our Coming King, Jesus, there is much to contend with. And yet we are called to contend for our faith! Stand fast. Stand firm. Stay rooted in faith. A storm is coming but the Lord is our refuge!

My brothers and sisters in Christ, be encouraged and strengthened as you are reminded of God's truths, his promises, his faithfulness and his steadfast love. Brethren, hold fast unto the Lord:

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 62: 5-8

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:1-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Collossians 1:11-13

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also be patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
James 5:7-8

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered for a while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:14

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you with his love.
Zephaniah 3:17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil 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 firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Ephesians 6:10-18

Do not be afraid of the dark, as we are children of the light! Walk as children of light. Do not hide your eyes for fear. Instead, look up. Your redemption draweth nigh.

Storm clouds photo credit: Nathan O'Nions via photopin
Cross photo from FreeFoto.com

Love In A Shoebox ~ Operation Christmas Child

Can you fill a shoebox with love? The answer is yes ~ 100 million times! Since 1993, more than 100 million boys & girls in over 130 countries have received these boxes filled with love & hope. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. It has one mission: to demonstate God's love to needy children around the world and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. While you may not be called to be an overseas missionary, you and your family have an amazing opportunity to respond to the Great Commission and reach every corner of the world with the love of our Saviour!

Chances are... if you are visiting this blog it is because you know how late the hour is! For those that are watching and waiting for the Lord's return, you can see the biblical signs and prophecies unfolding before us. The battle is intensifying in the spiritual realm and the physical. In whatever time we have left before the Lord comes for us, we must use to His glory. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can give the gift of hope. We can shine our light into the darkness. We can love our neighbors and point them to the cross!

Please consider what our Heavenly Father is calling you to do during these last days. I know I am prayerfully considering how the Lord wants me and my family to serve Him. May each of us fulfill the calling that He has placed on our lives. How I long to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." To God be the glory!

How to pack & fill a OCC Shoebox:

1. Find an empty shoe box or a small plastic container (Rubbermaid, Sterilite, etc.) A missionary told a friend of mine that the plastic containers are reused by the families to haul water and for a variety of other uses!

2. Determine whether your gift box will be for a boy or girl and the child's age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. You can download labels from the Samaritan's Purse website.

3. Fill with gifts & love! Be sure to pray over your box and for the child that will receive it.

4. Please include a $7 donation or more for each shoebox you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online or you can use a donation envelope.

5. Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop off at the Collection Center nearest you during National Collection Week (November 18 - 25, 2013) or you can send your shoe box gift to:

Operation Christmas Child
Samaritan's Purse
P.O. Box 3000
801 Bamboo Rd.
Boone, NC 28607

Gift Suggestions

School Supplies: pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

Toys: small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch, Slinky, etc.

Hygiene items: toothbrush, toothpaste, bar soap (in a ziplock bag), comb, washcloth

Other: hard candy and lollipops, mints, gum (please place all candy in a ziploc bag), t-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights with batteries.

A Personal Note: You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may write back! We discoved to our delight that God directed one of our boxes to Burkina Faso. The girl that received it wrote us a lovely letter in French (her native tongue). We were able to use an online translation website to convert her letter into English. We were blessed beyond measure to have this treasured correspondence from this sweet young lady! We sent several more packages directly to this girl's family and eventually received a photo of her. This was an amazing lesson to our three children as they searched our world globe for the country of Burkina Faso (in Africa). We marveled at just how far God's love had reached... across countries, across oceans, across continents and around the world!

If you live outside of the United States but you feel led to help with this ministry, there are ways for you to help! You can build a shoebox online, you can mail a shoebox to the ministry address listed above, and you can make an online donation. Also, Operation Christmas Child needs a lot of prayers! If you feel led to pray for them, please click on this link to find out how you can be involved in interceding for this ministry:  http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/prayer-network/

Remember, there is power in a simple gift! For more information about this ministry opportunity go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/#

"Your gift of love may be the door God uses to open a child's heart to Jesus Christ."
Franklin Graham, President, Samaritan's Purse

Jesus Saves

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Romans 6:23

Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  Revelation 3:20

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Romans 10:9-10

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:2

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation come from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.  Psalm 62:1-2

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  1 John 5:11-13

All I Need

Written and performed by Shawn McDonald

As I sit here and think about all that You've done
About how You gave me Your one and only Son
And I'm trying to fathom all that You are
but so far Lord, You're so beyond me

I fall down in reverence and I fall down in fear
And I'm asking you, Lord, won't you please draw near?
Won't You open my eyes, so that I can see
The way that You are working in me

All I need is Your love
To come and fill this heart of mine
My heart is a desert that has gone dry
And I need your love to carry me by

All I need is Your love
To come and fill this heart of mine
My heart is a desert that has gone dry
And I need your love to carry me by, by, by, by, by
To carry me by, by, by, by
To carry me by

So I lay down my life and I put it before You
And I put all that I have in Your hands
And I'm not going to question, why You're so faithful
Why that You give me the blessing that You do

Let the glory be known, let the glory be shown
To lift You up unto the throne
You are my God, You are my King
To You I give, I give you everything

All I need is your love
To come and fill this heart of mine
My heart is a desert that has gone dry
And I need your love to carry me by

All I need is your love
To come and fill this heart of mine
My heart is a desert that has gone dry
And I need your love to carry me by, by, by. by. by
To carry me by, by. by, by. by
To carry me by

So I need your love to carry me by
Would You come and fill this heart of mine
Cause I can't do it alone
Here I stand with my arms open wide
Asking You to come up inside
Won't you come and fill my soul?

Cause I need your love
I can not do it alone, no, no
Won't You come up and fill my soul?
Cause all I need,
All I need, all I need
Is you my God

All I need is your love
To come and fill this heart of mine
My heart is a desert that has gone dry
And I need your love to carry me by

All I need is Your love
To come and fill this heart of mine
My heart is a desert that has gone dry
And I need your love to carry me by, by, by. by. by
To carry me by, by. by, by
To carry me by, by, by.

To carry me on by

Please play this video to hear the testimony of Shawn McDonald.

Bearing Precious Seed

"Does it not thrill our hearts to realize that we do not go forward in our own strength! Think of it, God Himself is with us for our Captain! The Lord of Hosts is present in Person on every field of conflict, to encourage us and fight with us. With such a Leader, who never lost a battle, or deserted a soldier in distress, or failed to get through the needed supplies, who would not accept the challenge to go forward, bearing precious seed?"

~ John Stam, missionary and martyr who followed God's leading to China to bear precious seed
(excerpted from The Triumph of John and Betty Stam)

Among the many treasures found in my small church library, I found the story of John and Betty Stam tucked away in the biographies section. While the book is tattered and the yellowed pages are coming loose from the binding of this book that was published in 1935, the lessons are timeless and inspiring!

While I know that many of you reading this blog long for the return of Jesus as I do, there is still much work to be done before His glorious coming! What is God's calling on your life? Have you been walking in it? What is the Lord asking you to step out in faith to do? The Lord desires to empower us with His Spirit to go forth and share His love and shed His light. Are you willing to be a vessel for His grace and mercy to be poured out? Do not be afraid, The Most High God will strengthen you and equip you!

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies ~ in order that in everything God may be glorified  through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 3:13 

May we each be willing to go forth in the name of the Lord bearing precious seed!

Always and Forever

Always and forever. Our Lord promises that if you belong to Him, He will never leave nor forsake you. He is a promise-keeper. A covenant God. I find so much comfort in who He is and the promises he makes to His children. While the world is in turmoil, there is one thing that always remains the same - God's character and His Word. Yesterday, today and forever, God is the Unchanging One. Unlike you and me, He is not fickle, or wavering, or inconsistent. He does not leave a trail of broken promises. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end... and everything in between. He is always there. His love is perfect, complete and eternal. As we repent and put our faith in Him, we enter into the most beautiful of covenants. He gave His life for us. He is our redemption, our hope, our Saviour. This is the ultimate love story. Forever and always.

Light In the Darkness

Greetings to my precious brothers and sisters in Christ! Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus our Messiah.

I am writing this blog because I believe the Lord has called me to be an encourager of the brethren during these end times, in addition to sharing the Gospel and watching for His return. 

Since 2008, the Lord has been giving me glimpses of things to come during the end times through prophetic dreams. I have had dreams of tsunamis, earthquakes, an invasion of the United States by foreign troops, detainment camps and a coming darkness. 

End times & encouragement. It seems like a bit of a paradox I know! I have struggled with this calling and I have resisted it. I have doubted, I have procrastinated, and I have been distracted. I have wasted precious time and for that I am so sorry. Time is short. The darkness is coming and it will be pervasive. Terrifying, heartbreaking, and devastating... the things that will take place during the end times will be unlike anything ever experienced in all of history. The Lord has never given me a timetable or dates. I just know that the prophetic clock is ticking and I need to use whatever time is left to encourage, edify and exhort His children as we walk through these last days. The Lord will be our refuge and our strong tower. He will be our strength and will fortify us to stand firm! As He pours out His Spirit on us, our light will shine brightly. Yes. It is true. The days ahead will bring much tribulation. But it is in the dark days that our light will shine most brightly. Praise be to God! 

My hope is that followers of the Lord Jesus can come here to rally before the final battles begin. Make no mistake, the battle belongs to the Lord and He will prevail! But it is important for us to abide in Him so we can stand firm and not be shaken. The Lord desires to encourage and strengthen us. May I be found to be a willing servant and vessel for the Lord’s love, truth and grace to be poured out. May the words that I write and speak be inspired by the Holy Spirit and serve to encourage and edify my sweet brothers and sisters in Christ. Most importantly, may my words be pleasing unto the Lord and bring Him glory and honor as He prepares us for the End of Days.

The Lord has taught me about the importance of not only reading the Word of God, but also praying it and speaking it out loud. It is so powerful when we pray and speak the truths and the promises the Lord has provided for us in the Scriptures. May we be empowered by the Holy Spirit as we speak the precious words that He has so lovingly given to us.

I wanted to post a prayer that the Lord gave to me as I was reading through Thessalonians. Please join me so we can together pray and declare the Lord’s truths and promises found in the first letter written to the Thessalonians:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come to you Lord with grateful hearts. Thank you for loving us so much that you have provided us with the power of your Holy Spirit and the peace, truth, wisdom, and edification of your Word! May our faith be made strong and our hearts encouraged as we pray your revelations found in Thessalonians.

Lord, we know that our hope is in your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. May we abide in you daily so that we will remain steadfast in this hope and in the work of faith and labors of love. We thank you and praise you Father that you love us and have chosen us! You have given us your gospel not only in word, but also in the power of the Holy Spirit with full conviction. May we continually receive this Word with the joy of the Holy Spirit even if we find ourselves suffering with much affliction. Lord enable us so that the Word of the Lord sounds forth from us in our land and that our faith goes forth everywhere! May we turn away from all idols in our lives in order to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Lord, through you we will be enabled to have the boldness to declare the gospel in the midst of much conflict. May the words that come from our lips be spoken not to please man; rather may they be spoken to please God who tests our hearts.

Lord may it be said of us that we are gentle with our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we be enabled by your Holy Spirit to be holy, righteous and blameless in our conduct. Empower us to encourage and exhort one another as we strive to walk in a manner worthy to God, who calls us into his kingdom and glory.

Lord, may we be established and exhorted in our faith so that we will not be moved by afflictions. You have told us in your Word that as followers of Jesus, we are destined for trials. Help us to stand firm and not be tempted or intimidated by the enemy.

In all our distress and affliction, may we be comforted by our faith. As we depend on you Lord, we will be strengthened to stand fast! May we pray earnestly night and day for our brothers and sisters in Christ so that whatever is lacking in our faith may be provided by you, Lord.

May our God and Father and our Lord Jesus direct our way! Also, may the Lord make us increase and abound in love for one another and for all so that He may establish our hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Please remind us daily that it is your will, Lord, that we be sanctified. You desire that each of us control our body in holiness and honor. For you, Lord, have not called us for impurity, but for holiness.

Lord, help us to extend brotherly love and to aspire to live properly before outsiders and to be dependent on no one but you.

Lord, our hope is in you! You have provided us with your truths and revelations so that we do not have to be uninformed. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Lord you have told us in your Holy Word that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. Lord, you will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of a trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet you Lord. And you have promised that we will always be with you Lord. May we encourage one another with these words!

Now concerning the times and seasons, we need not be unaware! Thank you Lord that you have told us and made us aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. You have warned us that while people are saying there is peace and security, sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape. We praise you Lord that as your children, we are not in darkness! That day will not surprise us as a thief! For we are children of light, children of the day! We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then, let us not sleep, but let us keep awake. Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For you, oh God, have not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. Therefore, remind us continually Lord, to encourage one another and build one another up.

Lord, help us to be at peace among ourselves. Help us to lovingly admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak and be patient with them all.  May any desire in us to repay evil with evil be destroyed. Rather, instill in us the desire to seek to do good to one another and everyone. Lord empower us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and grant us the ability to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is your will. May we never quench the Holy Spirit. May we not despise prophecies, but test everything and hold fast to what is good. Lord, strengthen us to abstain from every form of evil.

Lord, may you, the God of peace, sanctify us completely and keep our whole spirit and soul and body blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are faithful, God. Surely you will do it!

We humbly pray all of this in the precious and mighty name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus/Yeshua. Amen.

Thank you for joining me in prayer. May you be blessed and encouraged! Our redemption is drawing near!

With love from your sister in Christ,

Carol Lee