How do you discover your calling? It isn’t that easy but then again if you have a relationship with God then it shouldn’t be that hard.
Whenever you move forward into any ministry you should have two or three witnesses about it. These means that you have truly pondered your insights and you have gotten a repetition from several sources. If not, keep praying.
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What’s in a Name?
In Bible times a person’s name expressed their character and even their destiny. For example, Bezalel’s name means under God’s shadow. This Hebrew phrase is an idiom because most of the time we associate a shadow with something negative. Classy
A classic novel is different from the other kinds of fiction such as romance, mystery, horror, or science-fiction. In classic fiction, it’s about character development rather than plot or action or fantasy. A time-tested classic novel starts off with a flawed person who must face obstacles and then overcome them. You find that pattern in the stories of nonfiction within the Bible. I AM PAINTING A NEW PICTURE IN 2018, THINGS WON’T LOOK THE SAME!by Lana Vawser Ministries
By Lana Vawser This morning as I spent time with the Lord on January 1st, 2018, I kept hearing the Lord saying "I AM PAINTING A NEW PICTURE IN 2018, THINGS WON'T LOOK THE SAME!" I had a vision where the Lord was painting on a completely blank canvas and He was painting new pathways, new doors, new connections, new assignments, new positions, new areas of focus for what He is going to do. With each brushstroke the atmosphere was filled with the sense of change. It wasn't something to be afraid of, but something to be expectant about, because things won't look the same. As I watched Jesus painting, I saw a Scripture appearing in the middle of the canvas, a well known and loved Scripture:"Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and He will provide for you what you desire the most." - Psalm 37:4 (The Passion Translation) I have been prophesying for months now that I kept hearing the declaration in the Spirit "2018, the year where dreams really DO COME TRUE". There is going to be a great move of the Spirit of God in 2018 concerning hearts desires in greater ways. As you make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, He will provide for you what you desire most. Many have felt like 2017 was a year where there was a battle and waiting over these hearts desires. Some manifested, others didn't. I saw an INCREASE of the manifestation of hearts desires in 2018 as you may Him the utmost delight and pleasure of your life. The Lord is painting a new picture in 2018, things won't look the same, but there will be a fresh impartation of hope, desires fulfilled and hearts full of vision for what He is doing and the future. HE IS GOING TO PULL IT OFF PERFECTLY "Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust Him along the way, you will find He pulled it off perfectly" - Psalm 37:8 (The Passion Translation) If the painting and the brushstrokes of His hand take you completely by surprise in 2018, I want to encourage you to continue to give God the right to direct your life. Continue to trust Him along the way, and you will see that He pulled it off perfectly. I prophesy in Jesus name in 2018 you are going to see some of the greatest demonstrations of His handiwork, His timing, His goodness, faithfulness and creativity in orchestrating His plans for your life than you have seen before. Trust Him with the new brush strokes of heaven for He is leading you into a land of increase, flourishing, blooming, harvest and reward. It may just look different to what you thought!' 2018 WILL SEE A NEW LOVE FOR THE WORD OF GOD BIRTHED I heard the Lord say "2018 will see a new love for the Word of God birthed." There is an increase upon the Church right now where the Spirit of God birthing a greater awakening, hunger and returning to the Word of God. In 2018 I prophesy in the name of Jesus that there will be a NEW LOVE for the Word of God birthed in His people. The Lord is going to increase the hunger within His people for the Word of God. He is going to increase the revelation of the necessity of living on the foundation of the Word of God and the truth of Scripture. I see a HUGE banqueting table opening up before the people of God to feast upon the Word of God in the secret place with Him. The depth of revelation, refreshing and life that will come from the Word of God in 2018 will ignite a fire within His people for the Word of God stronger than ever. Position yourself! Position yourself! Stay in the Word and wait for His fire! It's coming! Those who have found a dryness and lack of love for the Word of God, I decree in the name of Jesus that an igniting, an awakening, the fire of God is going to fall on your devotional time with the Lord and your eyes will be opened to the LIFE, the TRUTH and the POWER of God in the Word. I decree in the name of Jesus that you will be set on fire by the life of Jesus and the red letters in the Word in a fresh way. I decree a fresh and deeper love for Jesus and His Word exploding within your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name. I decree life changing encounters with God in His Word in 2018 in Jesus name. I decree the dry places are turning to BUBBLING BROOKS of living water from within the Word in Jesus name. Many of you will see the POWER of the Word of God in 2018 to break chains, to heal, deliver, to set free, to save, to shift and change as you decree His truth in 2018. I decree SUDDENLY's through the power of the spoken Word of God in your life in Jesus name. TURNAROUND SUDDENLY Since I released the prophetic word a few days ago about "You are about to occupy new land" I have had the sense of turnarounds and suddenly's burning within my heart. I had a vision this morning of Jesus breathing upon the canvas He is painting in lives in 2018, and things that were disappointing, discouraging and challenging for many in their lives and especially in 2017 and they didn't turn around, I saw the breath of Jesus in the new painting He is painting bringing forth turnarounds and suddenly's. Even as I write this, the worship song playing in the background, Kristene Dimarco is decreeing "Just watch what He does" and that's exactly what I felt in this vision. Just watch what He does. I felt the Lord wants to encourage many, that He is NOT late. His timing is PERFECT and even though you may not understand why some things did not turn around or a suddenly didn't manifest in 2017, hold on, for the timing of God is perfect and there are some amazing turnarounds and suddenly's that are going to manifest in the new brushstrokes of heaven in your life in 2018. "I AM PAINTING A NEW PICTURE IN 2018, THINGS WON'T LOOK THE SAME!" You are going to be amazed! When I first started serving in the church it was as an artist and as an intercessor. Yet leaders like to talk about fruit and character and there is no measuring stick for how art impacts its audience.
The one clear example is the Herrnhut Revival and how that one painting spurred a young aristocrat to surrender his life to Christ. That was the catalyst to a revival whose baton still circles the world. But only history can see the result. There are so many examples of outstanding practical Christian men like Rees Howells, George Fox and Wigglesworth. As an artist, reading about them makes you think that the real Christian life s all about stripping your life down to the sterile basics in order to go out and heal or evangelize or preach. Anything else is just excess. That seems to point to leaving art behind. So, it’s a turn off to artists to read about these dudes who had no creative compulsions what so ever. Even their biographers writing style is plain and inartistic but nobody but the artistically sensitive notice. You have to dig to find thriving Christian artists like Hildegard Von Bingen and Sojourner Truth otherwise you think that the only noble routes for women are in the kitchen making soup for the poor. I’m not belittling the food shelf ministry, I have had to use it intermittently within the last two years and so I really value it. In fact I was talking to one of the ministers and she said that her church pays an artist to do artistic designs in their church. It’s a full-time job. Wow! Then we are measured in character development which mostly comes in spurts and fits even for writers of fiction. For some, the process is much longer and for others it is instant. So, how do you really judge the hidden work that God is doing in a person? You show the example of Todd White who is an extrovert and an evangelist. That’s an easy change to see. He has enthusiasm and he can record the results. What is more important to a Greek-biased culture than numbers and results? If we were in some sections of introverted Asia then an increase in gentleness and sensitivity might be the better standard but we are America which was historically dotted by rough and tumble cowboys exploiting the weak and vulnerable and culturally-different. Much of what an intercessor does is hidden. Maybe not for the ones who pray for the sick or emotionally damaged but for those who pray behind the scenes for specific assignments from the Lord. I remember being at one church where all sorts of leaders wanted to get me involved with the church. The only people who knew what I was doing were the pastor and a few of the elder leaders and so I had a steady stream of recruiters approached me thinking I needed to be more involved. I’m sorry, but my assignment is top secret and if I told you about it I might have to kill you. Just kidding, but some of what intercessors pray about is not meant for many to hear. The left-brain, linear-logical clamor is mainly a drain for the artist. Out path to healing may be circular instead of straight. Our issues tend to be more complex rather than simple. To make it worse, an artist’s sensitivity makes them keenly aware of the tone of frustration in the leaders’ and administrators’ and preachers’ voices. These subtleties are completely lost to the masses. Week after week and month after month we pick up on the emotions of the emotionally-unaware as they tell us how to manage our emotions. How about if you teach us how to pray through your emotions. How about if you teach about emotional discernment and emotional prayer burdens. Then we might get somewhere and have less lines for emotional healing. Ah, well artists should get over that or pray about it. Yeah, we’ve been doing that for awhile and it’s developing our perseverance. But don’t worry, we are a small percentage of the population and are not worth putting any effort and attention to. We are the gentle rebels. You only value us… never… because we are the prophets and reformers who speak out about innovative change – the change nobody wants to do because it’s never been done before and mystery is scary. But don’t worry, we’ll just hang out with the other pioneers and whack at the weeds as we’ve been doing. But it sure would be nice to hear more stories about thriving artists rather than only the practical ones and the logical ones and the outgoing ones and the easy-to-measure the result ones. In the meantime I'm going to ponder on the painting by Van Gogh called The Starry Night. If I was able to see it in the MOMA in New York it would minister more to me than a thousand words preached by a street preacher. End Time Champions
He had a big heart; But nobody knew it ‘cept God. He was as red as redemption, and as fast as lightning, with a majestic stride and a tendency to stay behind until just the right time, and then he’d pass the others up, leave them all to inhale his dust. They thought he would combust with that extended pace that exposed a supernatural grace that he exuded when he edged the last lap of the third race to earn the triple crown by an expanse that made the crowd weep and dance around. This was just a glance, of God’s end time plans as the great cloud of witnesses cheer in the stands awaiting for this triumphant band of warriors that would sweep the land for God’s glory. His name was Secretariat and he came at just the right time when scandals made headlines and leaders and politicians were asked to resign. Kind of like our turbulent times. He woke up one day and said “Today is my day to run.” Having been in the stall too long just waiting for the starting gun. With a confidence that said he’d knew he’d already won. He was God’s supernatural horse He was designed to run his course and be a symbol of Heaven’s open door with a flag with a checker board and a fireworks finale no one’s seen before of end time worship warriors that would take Heaven by force. When he died They found his enlarged heart symbolizing the many that God has set apart with a capacity and a pace of living for the Lord that breaks boundaries and bust through bronze doors. So, if this story rings a chord. I’m asking you to get on board And be a part of the End Times champions Jesus said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch. And Simon answered him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they caught a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke. And they called unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. Luke 5:4-8
Not many people know that all I wanted to be was a children’s’ book illustrator but I wasn’t good enough. I could draw animals but I couldn’t draw people that well – not repetitively. I never wanted to draw realistically but rather something I call cartoon-realism. I got C’s in Life Drawing but I learned that I am much better at drawing from my imagination than from life. I came to writing simply by journaling, and then I started to write to God and so it became prayer. I didn’t realize I was interceding until a prophet told me so. Sometimes God would drop a poem in my lap and then I started sharing it with friends. People began to know me as a writer and some were jealous of my assignments. I was puzzled because all I wanted to be was an illustrator. Sometimes I tried to give my assignments to those who wanted it and got in trouble. I thought, “Take it; you want it more than me.” It’s not that I hated it but it was not my number one desire. I wrote and then I saw the flag ministry at the Holy Spirit Conference. It seemed exciting. Then I started going to a church that had room for that kind of thing and I started doing it without knowing what it was about. I just waved the flags with all the others and then little by little I began to understand what the colors and movements meant. I got insight from a gal who personally learned how to dance and sing through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. I also took a few classes on prophetic dance. Then one night at an outreach I got fascinated by spoken word. I was thinking of helping a gal write some stuff when God said, “You do the spoken word.” At the same time some friends invited me to an open mic but I continued to go to the outreach. Then I got disciplined... On those Monday nights they taught me how to hold the microphone and memorize my lines. One of the gals spontaneously turned some of my lyrics into a song and so I learned how to write songs. But mainly I learned how to get up on stage and do that form of dramatic poetry. People liked it and said it was anointed and I was glad but it wasn’t my life. I don’t like being in the limelight. I am the most inward introvert on the MBTI spectrum. My inner world is my sanctuary and if I flag in front of people you can bet I was praying in tongues before or during just to shut out the outer world. But I have enough practice getting up in front of people because of my unemployment experience of giving elevator speeches in front of groups. I am used to it but I don’t thrive on it. Some people do flagging to minister others because that is their anointing. But the thing that resonates with me is to do it to be a part of the ‘beauty realm’ in the Throne Room. I’m not quite sure what other people are doing but I assume they are getting their cues from God. They might just be like me when I first started; they are discovering what this flag thing is about. That’s okay because I’m still trying to figure some things out. Mostly, my finest moments are behind closed doors where it’s silent and peaceful and I can flow. Few people know my true assignments mainly because it bores most people but it doesn’t bore me. Glazed eyes are a signal to stop talking about it. There are only about three people in this world who care to hear about my assignment besides the Trinity - but that's as it should be. God tricked me into dance when I lost all interest in exercise and was hoping to find something that would get my endorphin's circulating. At the library, I came across a DVD on the Bar Method which is exercise using ballet movements. I have created my own spontaneous practice using about a dozen movements. The next thing I know is that I am using them while I dance. I’ve done the Bar Method for about five or so years and it is the only exercise practice that I can sustain more than 9 months. Like I said, I hate exercise. In this next season God said to me I want you to do spoken word. I thought, “Oh no!” because it takes me so long to memorize my lines. I tried to use my old material and it was like walking in mud. Then I wrote something new which really inspires me and seems easy to memorize. I am excited about it. I will be in a small forum for awhile. Then God said, “I want you to draw people daily.” The scripture that came to me at that moment was from the book of Luke when Peter tried one last time to catch some fish after unsuccessfully fishing all night. So, I started to draw people again but this time it all clicked. I understood how to put all that anatomy, gesture, movement, features, and expressions into place. I was so happy. It was the only art form that I learned before I was born again and so now I know my drawing skills are supernatural. I mention the book of Luke because God always has me live out a scripture before I find out who he wants me to identify with in the season ahead. It is typical for someone with the gift of encouragement to live out a scripture before finding the scripture. The last season I identified by Moses and in the new season I will identify with Luke but right now I am in the transition. What ignites me about this season is that Luke also wrote the book of Acts and so I expect to be in the midst of much supernatural ministry. Yep, all I wanted to be was an illustrator and live in a tiny house in the woods. Seriously, this is my dream. I have a few entrepreneurial friends who own a tiny house and I’m so inspired by them. But God wants an arts ministry that was a bit more than I would have imagined. It would have been too intimidating had He given me the big picture from the start. It’s not that I don’t take all the other arts seriously but those are things I picked up along the way. The sidewalk prophetic word that I got from an apostle was “Right now your life seems very piecemeal but one day it will come together like a patchwork quilt.” One day I saw those art ministry pieces come together and for three days I wrote about the blueprint. I got three confirmations from prophets. All I wanted to be was an illustrator and it looks like I may fulfill that dream. I know it will happen if I make God and His plans more important than that dream. Delight yourself also in the Lord: and he shall give you the desires of you heart. Commit your way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:4-5 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Isaiah 22:22
Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. Habakkuk 2:2 Every year I make a vision board. This isn’t my idea, though my first one was done at a job search workshop. One day in November, God said something about making a vision board. I was about to make a new one when I remembered I had made a second one in the summer. So I thought: I will just use that one. On the last day of December, I was on my way to go to a singles event at a ranch where my former-church friends hang out. When I got in my car, my door wouldn’t close. This was on my old car - not my new one. I tried to shut it for about 20 minutes and then went into the house to warm up and pray. That’s when the idea came to do a vision board and I said to God, “If you want me to stay and make a vision board then help me close the door.” By the time I got to my car the door was closed. Don’t you know that God opens doors that no man can shut and shuts doors than no man can open. I have made my vision boards using a tag board and a glue stick. Then I would cut up words and pictures from magazines that I got from the half-price bookstore. I found that Oprah Magazine had the best pictures and words to choose from. But lately I have been using pen and ink, watercolor markers, and a water brush. These are new artistic tools. In the different areas of my life, I draw and paint symbolic pictures. Around the pictures I write prophetic words from Jesus as well as scripture verses that are promises for this season. One year I cut out a picture of a scenic road with the words “Road Less Traveled.” I thought that was a cool expression from a poem and I thought it would play out symbolically. That year was when I took my first urban mission/strategic prayer trip to New York. We road on a bus with a mixture of urban and suburbanites. That really took me down a different path in life. After I would get done making my board, God would show me some of the deeper things within the pasted pictures. The purpose of the board is mostly the process of putting goals/habits/thoughts together for the year ahead. I do visit the board regularly but not every day. Mainly, at the end of the year, I get to see what happened. So, maybe you could call it a prophetic board. It’s just interesting to see how it all comes to pass. Do you have some promises from God that you’d like to come to pass? Try making a vision board and then run with it. If you are at this site
likely you are type C... I am not type A – an aggressive go-getter. I am not type B – laid back I am type C – that’s creative I am a reformist; I am not a rebel or a conformist. I dance to a different tune but I do not howl at the moon. If I cause a schism it is only because I follow Wisdom. I leap upon narrow and high places with the feet of a red deer. I follow the Lover of my soul and not the spirit of fear. I don’t spend much time with the toxic nor do I have a thing for human logic. I like to do art that may or may not upset the established apple cart. If the apples are null or rotten I look to the root - I get at the bottom. I like to write and I will take up my sword and fight through the night for what is right I am type C so you never really know what to expect of me. I am radical but I certainly am not fad-ical I don’t follow trends Instead, I am on the cutting-edge. I don’t care about popularity or conventionality but I walk on the path of integrity and creativity. I don’t tow the party line I play the God card every time. Even when it looks like I am losing or behind. I do not follow the shallow or the blind. I follow the Holy Spirit and discern the familiar spirit. I am a seer who teaches others how to see. But I am not a seer on the opposite side of Christianity. I have cast that kind out of me. I am not here to impress or to get worldly success. Or use others so I can be blessed. I am here to do what is God’s best and help others to do their best. I am here to bless If it looks like I am making a mess Then just rest because I am uprooting the infested demonic nest. When I suffer and my enemy makes fun of me I get the anointing of joy poured all over me and then they wonder how can this be? I am type C... Certainly you will remember me. I am an anomaly because I choose to be. I will always wave the Jesus freak flag. I am not motivated by the crabby crab or the nagging nag. I am moved by the smile of my delightful Dad. People get upset about the worship style all the time. They say the music is too loud. The songs are shallow. It’s hard to sing along because there is no melody to the repetitive three-word song. The dancers are distracting. The flaggers are dangerous. The lighting is too dim.
Okay, maybe that is all true and I sincerely apologize to all the people I’ve bonked on the head with my flags. But… you can get some ear plugs. You can pray in tongues during worship to bring some depth to the atmosphere. You can close your eyes and simply soak. You can sit in the middle where there is no danger. You can use your cell phone to find your seat. |