Serve, Forgive, Speak, Prophesy – Arise!

Be encouraged by this word received from the Lord connected to the story of Jonah. The Lord is calling for us to rise up and take our position in the Kingdom. To do so, we need to repent and settle our heart wounds by forgiving others an growing to understand the Father’s heart. Enjoy the video message and share your testimony with us.

https://youtu.be/GpUZzA3v7V8

Text for this video is below.
April 3, 2024 update: I have also advanced the word from the Lord concerning it at the top. Be encouraged that you are here for this season and God has equipped you to go out and minister to those whom He shows you.

Word from the Lord:

“Jonah needs help. Who will go? Who will allow the chains of their own pride and vanity to break off and go? To go anyway and not wavering to the left or right from the distractions of the world.
The greater question is, ‘Lord, where do You need me today?’ Jonah ended with a moment of resting on the hill to see what I’d do. How sad he did not stay and abide with them to know and if there was more revealed. Go back Jonahs, and leave a greater mark and sign of Me in the hearts of my lost children. They are not easy to love but will not hear me amongst the strife for strife begets strife. Sow seeds everywhere of My love and My compassion. Forgive them for they know not what they are doing to their own souls. They dope, they destruct, and they chant but find no peace in such whirlwinds. I long for all My children to come to Me.”
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In March of 2020, I heard the Lord say “Jonah five seven” to me. I looked up Jonah 5:7 and found there is none. I also knew that I needed to be careful and not write new scripture for that would be out of line with what He says about adding to the book. Yet, I know the Lord is always speaking if I just stop and listen to His voice. So, “Jonah 5 7” really has no punctuation and is not new scripture because it was a rhema word from the Lord about what was already there. I continued to ponder it in my heart for several weeks until one morning the book of Jonah came around again for my daily devotional. As I prepared to read, I asked the Lord what He means by it and then was suddenly quickened in my spirit to, “Read verses 5-7 of each chapter of Jonah.” Why hadn’t I thought of that before? I am still learning. God is always speaking to us. Sometimes, we do not get the answer we want, but sometimes we simply do not.

As I read each chapter, I paused to inquire of the Lord. What did He want to say to me about that chapter? In the process taking the steps to quiet myself, look for Jesus and tune into his voice, it was then that the revelation flowed.

Jonah 1:5-7
5 All the sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god.
And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep?
Get up and call on your god!
Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.”
They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. (NIV)

The Lord then said,
“Even one person can cause a major problem for a people or a town, city, or country.”

My reflection: I must be obedient to God’s call and live in His will for my life. Lord, I repent of my own form of Jonah-ness in being slow to write the wonderful words You have given to me. You have told me, “Your pen is a key, and I will turn it.”

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Jonah 2:5-7

5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[a]
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, LORD my God,
brought my life up from the pit.
7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple. (NIV)

Jonah is overboard in the belly of Sheol (hell). He was in despair and then as his “soul fainted within me” he REMEMBERED the Lord and he prayed. This implies he had not been abiding in the Lord and perhaps was seeking Him only when he was in trouble.

As I was meditating on this word, I began to see blackness. I found myself on the ledge of a very steep cliff. I was stuck in sticky tar. Way below were others who had fallen into the tar pit and were crying out. I turned and found the Lord Jesus standing in His brilliance and began to walk to Him and began to fall at His feet to worship Him. He pulled me into His arms and began to walk away from the black scene. As we walked, the tar went away from me and I am now dressed in an awesome white dress. I then see a whole host of angels around us.

The Lord says,
“As you release My words, I will send angels to minister them.”

This was an amazing word because I had been so limiting in my thinking that I had not considered God sends whatever is needed to do His will. We are His vessels as stated in 2 Timothy 2:20-21 “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 2:20-21

Reflection: I have found myself going down rabbit holes watching the news and seeing things on social media. The media seems to be a form of antichrist spirit and creating a stronghold. I do not want to get “stuck” in that tar pit of disaster. I need to fix my eyes on Jesus and be faithful to what He tells me

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Jonah 3:5-7

5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.

The Lord sent Jonah behind enemy lines to Nineveh. The Assyrians there had persecuted his people. He DID NOT want to go. With God getting his attention by being consumed by the whale or taken to Sheol as shown in some versions of scripture, Jonah reluctantly went and look what happened. Whatever his effort or ability level, or even full heartedness, God used Jonah as His vessel for it was still enough to be that the king, whom Jonah did not even have audience with, tore his clothes in repentance and called for the entire city to repent. The king proclaimed a FAST for all to pray that God would change His mind.

Some things God asks us to do will make no sense or seem insignificant. Yet, if we follow, we will seed or reap the harvest. I have had many experiences when I had little hope of anything good coming from that experience. Now, no matter how hopeless it may seem to the natural eye, even in the tough times of our world, I proclaim that to be a sleezy lie of the enemy! With God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19?26) I encourage you to resist allowing yourself to analyze things in your own head completely. Take a matter to the Lord and ask Him what he wants to tell you about it. As you stay focused on Jesus and tune into the flow of spontaneous revelation, you will hear Him. Then, your faith will be strengthened in the matter. Everyone has a work to do in the Kingdom of God. At your conception, God had designed a plan for you as per Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.” Friends, God is a HOPE builder. What you are hearing on the mainstream is NOT hope. Spend your time in repentance and somber reading God’s living word to receive your hope.

The other incredible moment in this scripture is when the king called for a fast for the people. This principle of fasting is so important in that the Lord Jesus himself made a proclamation about it. In Matthew 17, a man who brought his son to the Lord to be healed. The boy presented with hints of demonic oppression for he would “often fall into the fire.” (verse 15. Jesus rebuked the demon (v 17) and then later, the disciples privately came to Jesus to ask “Why could we not cast it out?” (v. 18)

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go our except by PRAYER AND FASTING.”

Are you facing a problem that does not ever seem to resolve completely? Does it feel like you are always feeling defeated in your attempt to get clean, overcome a habit, praying for a loved one who is ill, your prodigal children or spouse? Whatever the problem is, this scripture gives complete hope that you can overcome. One of the great keys the Lord provided here is the power of prayer and the power of fasting. I had two serious medical conditions and proclaimed a weekly fast for a month back in 2018. Since that time, I have had NO symptoms and claim healing from that. One was a serious blood condition. I had a pulmonary embolism in the early 2000s. My health journey was a rocky one for several years. I was taking several medications and underwent several tests and surgeries. Since my fast, my blood work has been terrific with no evidence of higher clotting. I walk in freedom. Praise God. This is my testimony of fasting.

Jonah 4:5-7

5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. (KJV)

In one day, the Lord grew a plant to cover Jonah in the heat only to send a worm to eat it and wither it away so Jonah again could feel the heat. In this, he got angry.

Later, a conversation occurred between Jonah and the Lord after the Lord put the heat on Jonah. Here came a big teaching moment. Jonah was still upset that God had shown mercy on Nineveh and now, having done what he thought was his assignment, God can’t spare him a little shade from the blazing sun. After all, he’d survived that three-day detour in the belly of Sheol, a certain hell. But we have a merciful God who does not waste anything. Jonah knew God’s mercy would prevail for those heathen Assyrians of Babylon for the Lord redeems ANYONE who repents.

The lesson was so beautiful. God declared that Jonah seemed to care more for the one plant, that he did not even grow, than the people of Nineveh whom God created. God calls us to love one another. It seems more difficult to love those who have differing views or have been unkind or done you wrong. Much has been done lately by the enemy to divide us. Yet, Jesus says to still love one another as he has loved us. He wants all his children to come home.

Jonah was just one man who went into a city, a city so vast that it took three days to walk through it. (Jonah 3:3)

Just one person followed God and spoke up.

Just one person who was essentially “protesting” the evil ways of the Assyrians. God was with him in that, and it hit the heart of the king. So, if you are wondering if one person could make a difference, yes, they can. Nineveh was spared another forty years due to the call of one man to their repentance.
I am a visual person so when I pray and read, I can see the scenes of t I read. As I as praying about these scriptures, I could see Jonah sleeping in the boat, being tossed overboard, being swallowed into hell and that look on his face when he remembered God. I see him walking through a huge city and imagining the looks and feels of that place. I then see him on the hilltop reflecting on the whole experience. I could feel God doing a work in Jonah to bring him to fulfill the destiny God had set for him. I could sense how much God loved the Assyrians, and in His omnipotent wisdom, knew they would repent. While God was doing a work with Jonah, He was calling the Assyrians to their destiny.

Because God gave me this word – Jonah 5 7, I continued to pray and ask Him , “Lord, what have you called me to do?” He replied,

“Jonah needs help. Who will go? Who will allow the chains of their own pride and vanity to break off and go? To go anyway and not wavering to the left or right from the distractions of the world.
The greater question is, ‘Lord, where do You need me today?’ Jonah ended with a moment of resting on the hill to see what I’d do. How sad he did not stay and abide with them to know and if there was more revealed. Go back Jonahs, and leave a greater mark and sign of Me in the hearts of my lost children. They are not easy to love but will not hear me amongst the strife for strife begets strife. Sow seeds everywhere of My love and My compassion. Forgive them for they know not what they are doing to their own souls. They dope, they destruct, and they chant but find no peace in such whirlwinds. I long for all My children to come to Me.”

Some time later, the Lord brought back Jonah 5 7 to my mind. I asked him to share more with me. He said,

“Because the rest of the story will be lived out for all. There are many more chapters to live and enjoy. Whether you see many of these things in this world or not, you’ll keep going and have all that your ever imagined and more.”

So, I end of this today to ask WHO are YOUR Assyrians? Who might God be calling you to even go back to and to reach. In my case, God has assignment me to write and share the Words He gives me. It is a vulnerable place, but I am trying to be obedient. It is a word that I believe we need today when there is so much attempt to divide God’s children. Whose lives matter? Who has had certain medical procedures? Who hasn’t? One and on. ON a large scale, there are certain world events causing concern over the actions of and in certain countries – China, Iran, Afghanistan to name three. The Lord has specifically assigned me to pray for these countries. I have spent time in prayer and specifically asking Go what to pray for. He has answered and been faithful. He has shownschemes of the enemy in those countries as well as grown my compassion for those seeking and hearing God. Iran is the largest growing Christian nation in the World! Afghanistan is the second largest growing Christian nation in the World. China has the largest possible harvest nation to grow in Christianity where the enemy has gained a stronghold.

As I close, I encourage you to consider where God has called you to stand. How might any of us run away, like Jonah, from that calling. I have found myself in the belly of the whale and cried out to God who has redeemed me. I pray for all of us to rise up as the Christ within us and be who God has set us apart to be. Do so in obedience and compassion for His family. That does not mean to tolerate evil but to see beyond any bias or prejudices that have taken seed within us against any one nation or people. God will show you the truth and you will find His peace in your obedience. Please reach out to us and share how this message has impacted you and any personal testimonies of your return to Go’s plan for you. To the parents and grandparents of a loved one who is still running, the Lord once told me in my own prayers to “not see them as broken.” When we speak of their flaws, the enemy uses our words against them to continue to bind them. Speak life and your faith that God is restoring what , as in Joel 2:25, what the locusts have eaten. Thank God for moving in their lives. Stay out of God’s way as he may just have to put your Jonahs in the belly of a whale, so to speak. To those Jonahs who are not sure yet how to love those who persecute, ask God for what to pray. God gave me a difficult prayer assignment for a high official in the United States who was certainly acting out evil plots of the enemy. As I grew in this, and that is for another blog, the ultimate prayer prompt from God was to “pray for the evil to fall to the ground and burn, as the Lord said, My word will not return to me void.” Every time I heard that person speak ill, I would immediately begin to offer that prayer and remind the Lord that was His prayer for me to pray and to ask Him to intervene in His will, mind, and heart and timing. This gave me peace on the hill. I did not find myself wanting, unlike Jonah.

Jonah could be considered a false prophet because Nineveh was not destroyed in 40 days. However, he was faithful to what God told him to do. Do not worry that you are too late or not enough. If it is God’s will for you to write, speak, pray, preach, prophesy lead, whatever, He will make a way. We are all witnesses of Christ no matter how insignificant it may seem. I would ask you n ow – whom God has called you to take a Jonah stand and to minister to? Is it your next-door neighbor, that teacher or coworker across the hallway who is hard to get to know, that person in line at the store, or even more ministry?