mid-year

[Note to those who read my first posting of "mid-year":  I accidentally deleted it!  This second writing of "mid-year" may turn out a little different than the first one . . .]

In my first posting of this new round of posts (beginning in June) I said that I might explain at some point why I am expecting a "breakthrough" this summer.  Here's the explanation.

About 15 years ago a leader of a small group (of the church I was involved in at the time) gave me a rather detailed prophetic word that the Lord had given him to give me.  The word ended by giving a time-frame:  by "mid-year" my growth in intimacy and worship would accelerate.  There was much more to this word then that, but I just want to fill you in on why I have been expectant about the middle of this year.  Of course, 15 years have come and gone without this word being fulfilled and every summer I ask myself, "Could this be the year?"  What's different about this year is that there is a growing consensus among leading prophetic voices that by this Fall a new move of God (some would even call it another Great Awakening) will begin to gain traction in our nation.  I have shifted my expectation from this summer to the Fall, not only because of what these prophets are saying, but also because I've realized that according to God's calendar (the one He gave the Israelites) - which begins at Pesach (Passover), in the Spring - The Fall would be at the middle of the year.  And then to top it off, this Fall, at Succot (Feast of Tabernacles), there will be occurring the last of the 4 blood moons.  [If you haven't learned about these 4 blood moons, do a google search, and discover something truly amazing about these signs in the heavens that have been occurring.  Scripture is clear that God speaks through the celestial bodies.  The sun, moon, and stars are given to be for "signs and for seasons" (Gen. 1:14).]  So, now you see why I have a heightened expectation for "mid-year".  I've just moved my expectation a few months back for the reasons given above.

Now I know that prophecy is a controversial and divisive thing in the church today.  Many Christians do not believe that this gift is in operation today, that it only was in existence during Biblical times. So I know that I'm opening up a whole can of worms, so to speak, to bring this topic up.  But prophecy has played a major role in my life and marriage so it would be impossible for me to avoid bringing it up sooner or later.  In my next post I will begin to "unpack" what prophecy means to me and why it is to be sought after even more than any of the other spiritual gifts (see the entire chapter of I Corinthians 14).