Desperation & Travail

03/16/2011 15:03:00

Today, I BELIEVE that the Lord our God is strategically aligning and networking together -- an apostolic & prophetic people – The Ecclesia – the Called Out – a Sanctified Royal Priesthood – Citizen Servants for the Purpose of Releasing the Kingdom of God and The Manifestation of His Glory!

He is calling together --- Believers --- who are in covenant with the Bridegroom King – folk who have been face to face with Him – so close that they smell like Him and talk like Him and walk like Him and think like Him. They have His heart and mind and soul and spirit. They know His Voice and when they open their mouths – they release His Voice…They’re pregnant with His vision and His passions and they will not sell out to cultural or religious acquisitions or accomplishments short of advancing the Kingdom of God in the hearts of humanity!They’re pregnant – they carry the Spermatic Seed of the Word of God!!!The other morning – as I lay in that state of consciousness between – not sleep and not fully awake…

I heard Spirit of The Lord say:

The CHURCH in the State of Michigan is like woman in the third Trimester of Pregnancy…
She’s at that point where the pregnancy has become awkward…
She’s starting to lean back, walking funny – making adjustments in her body to support the weight of a VERY LARGE BABY
AND she’s tired – at this point – of being pregnant
Not only is she “big with child” – but she is in the 3rd Phase of Labor…
She has transitioned to the point of birth and the contractions are painful…
The baby’s head – is nearly crowning…It’s right there…in place…but not quite out…yet…
Michigan – is like a woman – in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, in the 3 phase of labor and both places are difficult to bear

Michigan –like this pregnant woman – has carried this child to term. We’ve had ultrasounds (that’s prophetic ministry), so we have an idea of what we are carrying and the enormity of it. There have been days when strategic gatherings (like the recent gathering at Shekinah Christian Church ~ Michigan Speaks) with the intensity of worship and the Word, have caused a quickening in our womb and we’ve felt the baby kick!!!But the Lord said – There STILL needs to be a GENESIS OF DESPERATION!!!! A CRY…THERE NEEDS TO COME A CRY – THAT WILL CAUSE ALL THE WATERS TO BREAK AND THE PUSHING PHASE OF LABOR WILL BEGIN… DESPERATION – IN THIS HOUR --- IS CRUCIAL TO BREAKING OUT!Military oppressors and tyrants have found that once people get totally desperate, that is, once people areunafraid to die, there is no maintaining their captivity!
Desperation -- has four stages:
1. AWARENESS

The first stage of desperation is where WE begin to realize that something is missing – we look around inside our box/church and realize that something is not quite right…

This stage hardly ever moves anyone to real action or change – folk are aware of things that need fixing or alleviating – BUT – they are not “uncomfortable” enough with what’s not right -- to do anything differently…
We must be convinced at a much deeper level that something needs to change
But –‘awareness’ is important because until the deficit/issue – bondage, proclivity, inclination, addiction, activity, inactivity, idol ---comes to our attention (is all up in our face…), we can’t do anything about it!!!
You see – hiddenness or blindness, preserves life in the Box
Tell somebody – turn the light on! Lord, turn the light on…open our eyes….

So – awareness is the 1 stage of desperation…

2. EMBARRASSMENT

The second stage of desperation is where we actually register a slight negative feeling about our deficit – but only at times
Usually it is only when we are concerned about our reputations around particular people, or when this feeling stings us in certain situations from time to time
In this stage of braking out of the box --- the shame levels don’t rise up enough or often enough to produce the drive to do whatever it takes to change
But – embarrassment is needed to negotiate the friction to turn things around and take us to the next level
In other words – God uses our discomfort through embarrassment to open our eyes wider – to illuminate what life in this box has done to us à provoking us to the next level!! Awareness and embarrassment will take you to a place called:

3. FRUSTRATION

Now there is a nagging and foreboding/menacing sense that rides you fairly consistently.
Even without others highlighting our ‘lack’ – we feel the pain – even if it is still somewhat bearable
Here is where an intense distressing discomfort begins to grow in us
The problem is that – many folk – rounding the corner to permanent change or growth get here and stop without crossing the goal line!!!

W. Tozer once said,

“If you feel that where you are at is where you ought to be,
you will remain where you are at.”

So you are aware, sometimes embarrassed, frustrated, intensely discomfited and ill at ease. But -- The next stage is the most crucial step in the entire process of desperation breaking spiritual barrenness…

4. INTOLERABILITY

The final stage of desperation is the ultimate catalyst and the point of no return--this is where urgency and inner gravity (the weight and pain) -- releases momentous change!!! Here – desperation finally stamps within an individual a power and purpose that refuses to be denied!
Believers must recover this important level of conviction called desperation!!!! The church must recover this important level of conviction called desperation…
You will know when you get to this point – because the Lord God will deposit in the depths of your being – a spirit of travailing intercession – a cry…a sound…that you can’t fake or stir up!!
It is a God deposit – the impartation that comes as a result of desperation!!!
Here is where you are willing to die to everything in you that is not like Him and which prohibits Him from manifesting His glory in your life!

Listen --- Great spiritual movements and revivals – reformations of the past occurred because somebody got to this point!!!

Awareness produces embarrassment
which produces frustration,
which if it is sustained over time
will produce desperation!!!

Change (in our personal lives, in our marriages, in our churches, in our communities, in THIS STATE)will not occur unless a high enough sense of urgency is established!!!

As long as ‘complacency levels’ are high -- AS LONG AS Folk ARE APATHETIC, INDIFFERENT, UNCONCERNED –objectives become illusive!!! AS LONG AS YOU ARE AWARE BUT NOT BOTHERED…EMBARRASSED BUT NOT PROVOKED TO CHANGE…FRUSTRATED BUT NOT SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED…The Walls…that which hinders – will remain intact!!!

Without desperation – people won’t give the extra effort that is essential for change --- they won’t make the needed sacrifices --- they will instead – cling to the status quo.
So -- A ‘DIVINE TRAVAILING INTOLERABLE DESPERATION’ BECOMES THE IMPETUS FOR DRAMATIC METAMORPHOSIS! WE MUST BECOME INTOLERABLY DESPERATE TO BE USED BY GOD!!! INTOLLERABLE DESPERATION SHATTERS THE BOX!! We need a GENESIS OF DESPERATION…

Michigan is like a pregnant woman who has become fatigued with the labor and is too tired to bring to birth this GREAT big baby…so I feel compelled to tell You, "DO NOT BECOME WEARY IN WELL DOING FOR YOU SHALL REAP IN DUE SEASON – IF YOU FAINT NOT!!!"     Where are the intercessors??? HERE IS WHAT I KNOW BY THE SPIRIT….

A NEW MANTLE FOR PRAYER IS BEING RELEASED – PRAYER – LIKE A BLANKET WILL FALL AND COVER THIS STATE
HOLY SPIRIT IS STIRRING UP A NEW HUNGER FOR WORSHIP AND INTERCESSION
OUR GOD – IS IMPARTING STRENGTH TO PUSH – TO BEAR DOWN AND PUSH! AND THIS TIME…THIS TIME – THIS TIME…YOUR TRAVAIL WILL BE THE CRY THAT GOD HEARS THERE IS A CRY IN YOUR WOMB (MICHIGAN) THAT WILL BRING FORTH…
THERE IS A CRY OUR GOD WILL HEAR
THERE IS A SOUND THAT WILL BIRTH THAT WHICH WE CARRY IN OUR WOMB

THE HEAD IS CROWNING….

Trying Something New

03/15/2011 16:33:00

Okay...I keep trying to get this right and for some reason, my blogs keep disappearing into some nebulous void...lost...not to be found again, so I start over. Deep sigh! I am trying to take advantage of technology, but I may need just a little more help!

Hey, do you like the new color format for the site. I lightened it up a bit. Now if I could just figure out how to make the font size stay a larger size. I keep changing that too and it goes right back to 10. Who can read 10 point??? Oh well.

PRAY FOR ME, as I undertake this new venture!

Blessings,

Apostle Bernie

My Blog

Desperation & Travail

Trying Something New