What is it with tears? Why do we find it uncomfortable to cry in front of others? It’s strange that when we have a tearful moment we often say, “I’m sorry”, as if somehow we have done something wrong. Benjamin Disraeli said, “Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth.” Perhaps when we cry we reveal something deeper within ourselves. Maybe we reveal the truth. Tears can show what really moves us, what really stresses us or what really hurts us. They reveal the truth that we are human.
Grief and loss are inevitably and justifiably a major cause of tears. Words can no longer express how we feel and our aching hearts overwhelm us to find their voice in tears.
Psalm 57: 8 “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” I have this picture in my mind that one day we will walk through a giant cellar with God, He will draw a bottle from the shelf and say “I remember this vintage, I remember when you cried these tears, I was there”. Pain, sorrow, loss - when we are in those hard places it is difficult to find God. But He’s present, bottling our tears and standing with us.
But what about other tears? Those that don’t come from personal loss, pain or suffering? What about those tears that come unexpectedly and almost take us by surprise? I was speaking at a gathering recently and found myself crying as I spoke. It was not the first time this has happened. I had been talking about an area or people group that I love and I started to cry. I had been recounting a story and suddenly the tears came. I can cry at a news report and I know I am not the only one.
At these times, it’s compassion that brings the tears. Compassion that longs to see change, to alleviate suffering, to show kindness where we perceive a need. Our tears reflect our heart again.
But where tears in times of grief may be part of a healing process, tears of compassion can move us to take action. When we are moved with compassion, we seek to help those that inspired those feelings in us. It is compassion that drives us to see a place changed, a life transformed, a need met, a situation resolved or an injustice righted. This is the very heart of God. Somehow in that moment of tears our hearts connect with His heart.
When Christ’s friend Lazarus died, he wept. But his weeping moved him to action, to prayer. One of the greatest responses we can have to our own tears of compassion is prayer. If these tears remain only tears they are fruitless. When we are moved to tears by what we think, see or hear; when we become affected by the suffering, pain and injustice that many people live under, it should be that prompt which brings us to our knees. Our tears morph into prayers, our cries and groans rise like incense to heaven and the God of heaven himself is moved to listen and to act.
Charles Swindoll said “A teardrop on earth summons the King of heaven”
Don’t fear the tears, don’t rush to brush them away and think of something more cheerful; rather let your heart response drive you to new levels of prayer, intercession and action.
Tracy Heasley is married to Brian and together they are base leaders of 24-7 Ibiza. Tracy is mum to Ellis (11) and Daniel (8) and has lived in Ibiza since 2005, working to establish a permanent 24-7base on the island. She works predominantly in San Antonio, which according to Operation World has more bars pubs and clubs per square mile than anywhere else in Europe. Tracy loves sunshine, windy days, walking, movies, books and chocolate.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Night Watch Article on Pressing in
I just read this kickin' article by Jeff Tyler (Nightwatch ministries) and maybe I thought it was kickin' because it embraces the current move of God with a real kiss while offering encouragement to go hard after wisdom, depth and endurance. I don't know - you always kind of lean toward your own opinions with a "yeah!" "There ya go!" which leaves lots of room for stupidity and error - so ......... in my best shot at heartfelt humility, I want to ask you to read this article and go hard after God for the whole enchilada and if you disagree with it- kudos to you for having a mind of your own and for loving me enough to wrestle with me. Love to all y'all! t
BLESSING – God is moving all over the place, here in the United States and in the nations, as well. There is a sovereign move of God touching lives, states, cities, and nations that is actually going on right now and actually has been for some time. Something major has started. Most of the press, of course, is going for Lakeland, Florida, but things have been happening in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Graham, Texas, and in Georgia, West Virginia, and many other places, too, here and abroad. We get e-mails at least weekly of new outbreaks somewhere and rumors of outbreaks in other places. I want to say that these outpourings did not come from Lakeland, either. They came from God. We also want to say we have been praying for this for years, and it is really awesome, and we are thankful to see the fruit of this move. We fully endorse this move of God as being “of God,” and we support it. Last week we began to get extreme e-mails from people denying it, especially Lakeland, and calling it a false move brought about by witches and demons and so forth. We warn believers to be very careful of calling what likely is the Lord’s “of the devil.” This is extremely dangerous behavior. Some people apparently say it can’t be God because it came through Todd Bentley, or they give some other lame reason. I am just saying be very careful. Some people simply cannot accept a move of God because of what it looks like or who it comes through. This is what happened in Scripture when the man did not want to get into the Jordan River in order to be healed. His miracle did not come the way he wanted, and pride would not let him lower himself to obedience. When he finally resolved these issues and obeyed, God was gracious and healed him. Whoi cares what it looks like or who it come through? As long as it doesn't violate Scripture, we go with it and bless it! Period!
Part of the problem and issue is that in the west we have our own definitions of what revival is, and this really needs to be addressed and corrected. True revival, or a sovereign move of God, will change society around where it happens. That's the bottom line. That statement defines the whole thing. The crime rate will drop, hospitals and funeral homes will see miracles, and the people in general are changed and transformed in their hearts and behavior. It usually does not fall on one church. It can, but if it does, it usually goes out to the other churches and into the community. That is God’s goal, and it is almost always citywide or at least regional. When Brownsville happened, I am told that everything within about a 50 to 75 mile range changed. The same can be said of Cali when that one hit, too. It affected everything, even the plants and animals in the region. True revival does more than heal bodies and cast out devils. That should be everyday life for the modern believer. True revival changes hearts and brings on true repentance leading to a renewed and holy relationship with Christ. It brings personal deliverance within ourselves.
The Lord has shown me the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37 as a wonderful example. When the dry bones came back together with the flesh and all that it entailed, they did not rise up the way they previously were. The dry bones were also changed somehow, changed into a mighty and massive army. That is what true revival is all about – the dry bones gain life again, but they are transformed into a powerful unit of believers, a mighty army that is to march and NOT remain the same. If it is only personal and never goes out into the community then it eventually stagnates and dies. I praise God for over 100 people being totally healed, and signs, wonders, and miracles going on. But without the Spirit changing lives and going outside the house, then it was, simply put, over 100 people being healed. It is wonderful. We love it. But it is NOT revival. It is healing, but it is not necessarily revival. Keep this as a sign to look for when calling moves of God a revival. Check the fruit of it, and see what it really is. It may just be a wonderful visitation. We humans have many ways of being revival killers, too. Be careful of those traps. We don’t want to find ourselves opposite of God. True revival causes major messes, too, and ultimately turns the world and lives upside down! Are we really ready for that? Do we still want that? I hope we are willing to do whatever it takes....
That brings us to a very important question. Why do we want “revival” anyway? It is always the rage to talk about, teach, and discuss. But when we say revival today, it merely means another round of things that did not work in the first place. Why in the world do we want to revive things that did not nor do not work? Why do we want to revive religion, traditions of men, and our precious programs? What are we holding onto? Christians and Christian leaders have been doing this for 2000 years now. I think the Lord is tired of it. I know I am. Revival can be wonderful. Get in the river and swim a while. But what the Church really needs is another “Reformation.” That is the prayer, and that is the issue. We need men to rise up and see it in the Spirit. We need to throw everything away and start over with Christ as the only foundation to build it all on, and furthermore, we need to get back to teaching Jesus and Him crucified like the Apostle Paul. We tend to teach everything around it and all the blessings of it, but we don’t actually teach the Cross and the Blood. So it comes down to Revival or Transformation/ Reformation in your city. Which do we want? Which do we choose? Mike Bickle had a visitation years ago in Cairo, Egypt in which the Lord told him that the expression of the Church and how it does Church would be completely changed in one generation in the Last Days. I believe that is the end time move of God. We've come full circle, and here we are.
Right now there is a gold rush mentality to rush somewhere where people are claiming an outpouring or a move of God is flowing. (Scripture clearly warns of this in the Gospels, too.) I am not against this at all. In fact, we are planning to go to Fort Mill sometime soon, as we can afford it. But we must be aware that this practice of running here and there can be very selfish and even become idolatry. It can also lead to division and being competitive between the churches. “I want to be the one to bring it home to my city.” Are we chasing signs and wonders, or are we chasing Jesus? Many people flocking around all over the country are chasing the wrong things, and it is sad, and grieves the Spirit. We must have a pure heart in these matters. What are we chasing? Have we forgotten that Jesus IS the gold, and the healing miracle is really not? Let’s chase Jesus, then all this other stuff naturally happens.
Sadly, the revival can actually become an idol. The outpourings did not happen because of Todd Bentley or Rick Joyner. They happened because intercessors fasted and prayed and God answered. You can do that anywhere. And now is the season to really do that as God is moving and descending seemingly all over the Earth. I believe in transferable anointings, but they will come to nothing unless intercessors are fasting and crying out for the unique and sovereign move that God wants to do in their city. People tried that in Brownsville and Toronto, too. They tried to duplicate it all over the country and transfer it, but in the majority of times, nothing came of it. That’s because we want the easy way in western churches. It is so much easier to have someone lay hands on us and attempt to transfer something than it is to work for it in fasting and prayer, or work your city toward unity.
Revivals seem to make people deaf, too, just like it did in the gold rush days. Many people are coming from Lakeland having not even listened to the prophets and what they were saying or even weighing that. They see and hear and feel. They get the warm fuzzies, but for some reason, do not listen many times. So, we need to listen. We need to discern. We must weigh it with Scripture, too. We receive prophetic words, and feel like they are to come together immediately, when the Lord could be speaking about something five years down the road. Get past the excitement and get alone with the Lord! It is in the quiet place where He speaks the loudest.
The Word of the Lord to the Intercessors across this nation and all around the world is this. “Steady. Press in. Your job is not yet done. Relax only for a moment in victory and celebrate only a few minutes. God wants to pour out everywhere, not just in five or six places. The job is NOT yet done. Do not be deceived with partial victory. Get back on the wall and back in the battle and push it all the way through until final victory comes. Pull down principalities and powers and demon spirits over the cities and nations of the Earth – not just yours or a few, but all of them. Back on the wall! Back on the wall! Take your place! Do what I have sent you to do! Your hands are trained for war. Steady. Press in. Do the job, and finish well. Don’t get carried away with victory or get too low with defeat. This is not the time to party or play. Do what you were called to do. Steady. Press in. Do the job. Establish the Kingdom. Know for sure that I am coming soon! Prepare the way of the Lord!”
Grace, Love, Favor, & Shalom! We love you on The Night Watch!
BLESSING – God is moving all over the place, here in the United States and in the nations, as well. There is a sovereign move of God touching lives, states, cities, and nations that is actually going on right now and actually has been for some time. Something major has started. Most of the press, of course, is going for Lakeland, Florida, but things have been happening in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Graham, Texas, and in Georgia, West Virginia, and many other places, too, here and abroad. We get e-mails at least weekly of new outbreaks somewhere and rumors of outbreaks in other places. I want to say that these outpourings did not come from Lakeland, either. They came from God. We also want to say we have been praying for this for years, and it is really awesome, and we are thankful to see the fruit of this move. We fully endorse this move of God as being “of God,” and we support it. Last week we began to get extreme e-mails from people denying it, especially Lakeland, and calling it a false move brought about by witches and demons and so forth. We warn believers to be very careful of calling what likely is the Lord’s “of the devil.” This is extremely dangerous behavior. Some people apparently say it can’t be God because it came through Todd Bentley, or they give some other lame reason. I am just saying be very careful. Some people simply cannot accept a move of God because of what it looks like or who it comes through. This is what happened in Scripture when the man did not want to get into the Jordan River in order to be healed. His miracle did not come the way he wanted, and pride would not let him lower himself to obedience. When he finally resolved these issues and obeyed, God was gracious and healed him. Whoi cares what it looks like or who it come through? As long as it doesn't violate Scripture, we go with it and bless it! Period!
Part of the problem and issue is that in the west we have our own definitions of what revival is, and this really needs to be addressed and corrected. True revival, or a sovereign move of God, will change society around where it happens. That's the bottom line. That statement defines the whole thing. The crime rate will drop, hospitals and funeral homes will see miracles, and the people in general are changed and transformed in their hearts and behavior. It usually does not fall on one church. It can, but if it does, it usually goes out to the other churches and into the community. That is God’s goal, and it is almost always citywide or at least regional. When Brownsville happened, I am told that everything within about a 50 to 75 mile range changed. The same can be said of Cali when that one hit, too. It affected everything, even the plants and animals in the region. True revival does more than heal bodies and cast out devils. That should be everyday life for the modern believer. True revival changes hearts and brings on true repentance leading to a renewed and holy relationship with Christ. It brings personal deliverance within ourselves.
The Lord has shown me the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37 as a wonderful example. When the dry bones came back together with the flesh and all that it entailed, they did not rise up the way they previously were. The dry bones were also changed somehow, changed into a mighty and massive army. That is what true revival is all about – the dry bones gain life again, but they are transformed into a powerful unit of believers, a mighty army that is to march and NOT remain the same. If it is only personal and never goes out into the community then it eventually stagnates and dies. I praise God for over 100 people being totally healed, and signs, wonders, and miracles going on. But without the Spirit changing lives and going outside the house, then it was, simply put, over 100 people being healed. It is wonderful. We love it. But it is NOT revival. It is healing, but it is not necessarily revival. Keep this as a sign to look for when calling moves of God a revival. Check the fruit of it, and see what it really is. It may just be a wonderful visitation. We humans have many ways of being revival killers, too. Be careful of those traps. We don’t want to find ourselves opposite of God. True revival causes major messes, too, and ultimately turns the world and lives upside down! Are we really ready for that? Do we still want that? I hope we are willing to do whatever it takes....
That brings us to a very important question. Why do we want “revival” anyway? It is always the rage to talk about, teach, and discuss. But when we say revival today, it merely means another round of things that did not work in the first place. Why in the world do we want to revive things that did not nor do not work? Why do we want to revive religion, traditions of men, and our precious programs? What are we holding onto? Christians and Christian leaders have been doing this for 2000 years now. I think the Lord is tired of it. I know I am. Revival can be wonderful. Get in the river and swim a while. But what the Church really needs is another “Reformation.” That is the prayer, and that is the issue. We need men to rise up and see it in the Spirit. We need to throw everything away and start over with Christ as the only foundation to build it all on, and furthermore, we need to get back to teaching Jesus and Him crucified like the Apostle Paul. We tend to teach everything around it and all the blessings of it, but we don’t actually teach the Cross and the Blood. So it comes down to Revival or Transformation/ Reformation in your city. Which do we want? Which do we choose? Mike Bickle had a visitation years ago in Cairo, Egypt in which the Lord told him that the expression of the Church and how it does Church would be completely changed in one generation in the Last Days. I believe that is the end time move of God. We've come full circle, and here we are.
Right now there is a gold rush mentality to rush somewhere where people are claiming an outpouring or a move of God is flowing. (Scripture clearly warns of this in the Gospels, too.) I am not against this at all. In fact, we are planning to go to Fort Mill sometime soon, as we can afford it. But we must be aware that this practice of running here and there can be very selfish and even become idolatry. It can also lead to division and being competitive between the churches. “I want to be the one to bring it home to my city.” Are we chasing signs and wonders, or are we chasing Jesus? Many people flocking around all over the country are chasing the wrong things, and it is sad, and grieves the Spirit. We must have a pure heart in these matters. What are we chasing? Have we forgotten that Jesus IS the gold, and the healing miracle is really not? Let’s chase Jesus, then all this other stuff naturally happens.
Sadly, the revival can actually become an idol. The outpourings did not happen because of Todd Bentley or Rick Joyner. They happened because intercessors fasted and prayed and God answered. You can do that anywhere. And now is the season to really do that as God is moving and descending seemingly all over the Earth. I believe in transferable anointings, but they will come to nothing unless intercessors are fasting and crying out for the unique and sovereign move that God wants to do in their city. People tried that in Brownsville and Toronto, too. They tried to duplicate it all over the country and transfer it, but in the majority of times, nothing came of it. That’s because we want the easy way in western churches. It is so much easier to have someone lay hands on us and attempt to transfer something than it is to work for it in fasting and prayer, or work your city toward unity.
Revivals seem to make people deaf, too, just like it did in the gold rush days. Many people are coming from Lakeland having not even listened to the prophets and what they were saying or even weighing that. They see and hear and feel. They get the warm fuzzies, but for some reason, do not listen many times. So, we need to listen. We need to discern. We must weigh it with Scripture, too. We receive prophetic words, and feel like they are to come together immediately, when the Lord could be speaking about something five years down the road. Get past the excitement and get alone with the Lord! It is in the quiet place where He speaks the loudest.
The Word of the Lord to the Intercessors across this nation and all around the world is this. “Steady. Press in. Your job is not yet done. Relax only for a moment in victory and celebrate only a few minutes. God wants to pour out everywhere, not just in five or six places. The job is NOT yet done. Do not be deceived with partial victory. Get back on the wall and back in the battle and push it all the way through until final victory comes. Pull down principalities and powers and demon spirits over the cities and nations of the Earth – not just yours or a few, but all of them. Back on the wall! Back on the wall! Take your place! Do what I have sent you to do! Your hands are trained for war. Steady. Press in. Do the job, and finish well. Don’t get carried away with victory or get too low with defeat. This is not the time to party or play. Do what you were called to do. Steady. Press in. Do the job. Establish the Kingdom. Know for sure that I am coming soon! Prepare the way of the Lord!”
Grace, Love, Favor, & Shalom! We love you on The Night Watch!
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