|
This is what the Lord says: "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded," declares the Lord, "and (your children) will return from the land of the enemy." ~ Jeremiah 31:16-17, NASB 
Dear Friends, Two weeks ago the Lord asked me to call a dear friend, a watchman/intercessor I highly respect, to deliver a very simple challenge: "Just Jesus." Those two words, the Lord said, were an invitation for my friend to close the doors temporarily on all external sources of "noise" or information-gathering in order to recalibrate the ears to just one sound: the voice of God. I knew this would not be easy; turning off phones, news, YouTube, and even the Kingdom sounds of other prophetic voices is a daunting task today! Yet I saw the Lord sitting patiently and quietly nearby, waiting - as any good guest might - for His Brides' full attention. 
Dear Friends, During a prayer retreat before Rosh Hashanah / New Year 5783, I experienced several profound encounters in the Glory of God. These are some of the things the Lord revealed to me during that time. Every word from our Lord’s mouth is like a cup of compassion. His life-giving words are liquid love, meant to sustain body, soul, and spirit! While this is a slightly longer word for the year, I encourage you to meditate on each portion of what He’s shared with me, allowing the depth of His wisdom and love to penetrate your hearts. The eight sections of this word are listed below. Feel free to read one section at a time, pausing to pray and allow Holy Spirit to minister truth to you at this significant time!
Deborah  Dear Friends, I hear the Lord saying to His Bride: “You thought I abandoned you, but I have not forsaken you! You thought I left you in the wilderness, but you did not perceive what I was doing behind the scenes as you learned to depend entirely on Me. “For here I have given you the gifts of My Presence and provision, which will carry you out beyond the wilderness and into a world at war. I am taking My cup of wrath and placing it in the hands of your tormentors, who took you captive and made you like dirt for them to walk on. I am pleading your cause and rendering justice in your case. Your justice will become a testimony to your tormentors!” I see the Lord’s Bride emerging from the wilderness with spiritual power and authority that can come only from the Throne of God. This Throne is firmly founded on justice, holiness, and righteousness. I hear the Lord saying: “I am raising up an army of deliverers! For you have seen how I brought deliverers to the forefront one by one to champion My cause and deliver My people from oppression. But now in this time, I will cause ARMIES OF DELIVERERS to arise as one, putting 10,000 to flight. Joel’s army is arising like the anointed Cyrus with his troops, to conquer Babylon and take back her treasures!” 
Dear Friends, In repeated encounters over the past few months I have heard the Lord encouraging us to “open the door” to welcome His harvest. I hear the Lord saying: “Open the door! Go, stand at the door and watch: your harvest is coming in!” 
I know from experience that one of the most difficult transitions a Christian leader can make is to shift from an old model of ministry into a new one. In matters of faith, those who have been gloriously converted and are lovingly devoted to the ministries or missions God Himself led them to, may have trouble releasing the old to take hold of the new! In many ways, that is exactly what the Body of Christ is being asked to do in this season. Like a Master chess player, God has the right to reposition or refocus His people at will - HIS will - for a maximum benefit to all. The best response we can give Him in times like these is an unqualified “Yes, Lord!” 
Dear Friends, Times of stress can make us feel as though we have been thrown overboard, tossed from the safety and comfort of our ships into a tumultuous sea. Traumatic events - whether injuries, losses, wars, or relational fractures - shock our systems like a plunge into cold water, momentarily destabilizing us. All we can do, it seems, is watch as waves and wind batter and shatter the only sources of security we have ever known! We are living in a time of unprecedented trauma, when storms of epic proportions are being unleashed against our world. It’s a time of compounded trauma: each event triggers another. Stress is emerging like bands of a storm, wanting to draw us into the very center of its turmoil. King David expressed so well how this feels. He wrote: “For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.” (2 Samuel 22:5-6) It is important for the Bride of Christ to remember that her security is in Christ alone, not in things she might hold dear. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Although it may seem like the Lord Himself has cut your lifeline and detached you from the safety of any “ship” you have relied on in the past, I believe this SEVERING from the old is what’s necessary for a stronger TETHERING to your empowered, new-creation life! Christ in you is the hope of glory! I hear the Spirit saying: “We have this hope as an anchor for our souls.” 
Dear Friends, Happy New Year! This word for 2022 can be viewed and shared on YouTube as well as on the blog for those who prefer to watch or listen. I believe what the Lord is sharing with me at this time will be a blessing to you as you set your focus on the new year! At the end of this post you’ll also find a link to a companion study sheet which you can download or print for free. On Christmas night, I was awakened by the Lord at 3:16 AM. Throughout that night, I was also given a series of three related dreams, which I will share below. When I awoke from the third dream, I heard this phrase ringing loudly in my ears: “2022 is the year of VISION and PROVISION!” VISION and PROVISION are significant themes for the Body of Christ in 2022. The Lord wants you to know He is releasing KEYS OF DELIVERANCE this year which will UNLOCK your ability to SEE more clearly and RECEIVE more abundantly! Using the “code” of 3:16, Holy Spirit highlighted a number of specific scriptures as He unfolded this word. The verses are included below, woven into the content of the prophetic word itself. 
In October, I released a word about the anointed "Josephs" God was raising up and sending out, a word that had been "brewing" in my spirit for over a year. (You can read the word here.) As we enter the season of Thanksgiving and celebrating Christ's birth, I invite you to partner with the Joseph anointing yourself as you hear about some of the new things His Inscriptions is helping to birth! 
Dear Friends, Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the "Jesus Gathering" in central Massachusetts. Friends of His Inscriptions alerted me to these gatherings, which also took place in California and Texas this year. The purpose of these gatherings is to unite believers of any denomination as they allow the Holy Spirit to move freely through worship, fellowship, and prayer - with no agenda. The Lord moved powerfully! I want to share a few brief testimonies with you from that time together. On Saturday morning, some of us gathered in the Douglas Camp chapel where Charles Finney once preached. This is a wonderful, large barn-like building* with sky-high beams and a truly "New England" feel to it! Almost immediately, the Spirit of intercession fell and I was impressed to share a short testimony about how God brought me to college in New England 36 years ago. I told the story of how the Christian founders of Wellesley College (along with several other local universities) had prayed that if the school ever ceased to glorify God, it would burn to the ground. On March 17, 1914, Wellesley did burn, and nearly closed. (Details here and here.) Nearly every Christian-founded university in New England now operates from intellectual and worldly, idolatrous spirits, not honoring the Lord or their founders' ideals. We prayed corporately for the fire of God to return to these New England institutions, and to touch the youth which come from all nations into the Boston area. After an anointing for healing and deliverance fell, we spent the next hour ministering individually to one another. Dates are significant, and one of the most interesting things about the March 17th, 1914 date is that it corresponds to our March 17, 2020 shutdown from COVID-19, 106 years later. What's remarkable is that this year, 2021, marks 106 years since the start of the Azusa Street Revival! 
Dear Friends, A huge THANK YOU to His Inscriptions friends who prayed for last week’s ministry trip to Springfield, Tennessee! It was an amazing week of training roughly 60 leaders at City of Faith International Church which culminated in a mighty outpouring of God’s POWER on Sunday morning. Photos and testimonies follow. 
I see the Lord raising up women and bringing them to the forefront! I hear the Lord saying, “I am now raising up My “Abigails;” women who are uniquely positioned in both character and circumstances to broker peace, to bring forth solutions, to avert disasters, and to restore hope." The name Abigail means: “My Father’s Joy!” 
In prayer on March 21, 2020, I was given a “scroll” by the Spirit of the Lord. Its title was RESTORATION. I wrote the words He gave me and kept them “sealed,” knowing that the understanding of its contents would be revealed at a later time. That time, I've discovered, is this week. The scroll begins: “You are looking into timeless truths; things that are SELF-EVIDENT because they endure throughout the generations. RESTORATION always comes! I am the God of restoration - the restorer of every breach, and the hope for ALL of salvation! 
Dear Friends, As I prayed about this coming year, 2021, I heard a proclamation in the Spirit: “We have liftoff!” The moment I heard these words, I looked at my clock, and the time was 3:21 AM. I understood that the Body of Christ was now in a ‘3-2-1- launch” time! I heard in the Spirit that a significant theme for 2021 was “delineation.” We will begin to see and differentiate between those who truly know God, walking by faith, and those who know or trust only themselves. To delineate means to define or describe precisely. We can expect God to bring fresh clarity this year where things have previously been obscured. Dear Friends, In a powerful encounter early this morning, I heard the Lord saying: "it's time to invest in the next generation!" I believe the Lord is beginning to show many of us specific investments we are to make in the next generation of believers in Christ. I heard Him say: "Mentor, sow, feed, nurture, and cherish these young ones whose hearts need direction right now. Don’t allow your own frustrations to quench their fresh hope!” It is so important that those who are "seasoned" believers in the Lord not allow the weariness and frustration from past and present seasons to color their attitudes towards youth who are arising now to take their places in God's army! Although the battles have been fierce and long, and many are still raging, the younger generations need guidance and wisdom from those who have experienced many years of challenges and victories in the Kingdom. 
Dear Friends, I hear the Lord saying: “These are as the days of Noah.” Like Reagan before him, President Trump has used the words “drain the swamp” as a catchphrase for how he will combat corrupt and inefficient bureaucracy. Yet in the Spirit, I see that what is happening today could be better described as a flooding. In a vision last week, I saw springs of the deep being opened up and water rising all across the earth. This great surge of water had the effect of flushing out evil in the government and in every sphere. I heard the Lord say: “This exposing (of evil on the earth) is a flushing out of the “swamps” by waters from My deep storehouses; people do not perceive this as glory, but I tell you it is the pure springs of glory pouring forth from beneath that are causing evil to be exposed in this day. "The rains will now also begin to fall in great torrents like you have never seen; think of the outpourings in Toronto and Brownsville, but MULTIPLIED in their force and effect.” The powerful outpouring I saw in the Spirit was not in one place alone, but covered the earth in its scope and dimensions. I heard the Lord say: “You have no idea HOW BIG I AM and how I long for a total immersion of My people in My Presence! Joy will be magnified as those who are rescued find great purpose and peace in this hour.” 
Twice in the past few weeks the Lord has allowed me to see from His perspective the advancing of His Kingdom during these times of trial. The first was in a dream, but last night as I listened, the Lord began to speak more specifically of what is happening today. I believe that applying these very personal strategies will help you receive your harvest! “Never before has there been such hostility to the truth, and never again will there be such an engaging witness to the same. “Even as the world exerts pressure on My people, so that very pressure is releasing a great cry for justice and mercy, one that would not be so passionate and heartfelt were it not for the pain the pressure is producing. “I am extracting the precious from the vile. 
Dear Friends, Nothing God does is an accident! There are no “coincidences” in the Kingdom of God. You are here on earth at this time for a specific purpose predetermined by the Father. Do you know what that purpose is? “Only 14 percent of young adults (ages 18-35) say they attend church because someone in their worship community cares deeply about them.” ~Barna Research What are you doing to reach the next generation? Take a look around your church or small group fellowship. How many of your regular attendees are from the “next generation” following you? 10%? 20%? 50% or more? If you see a healthy crop of young believers growing and being discipled in your church, congratulations. You’re a rarity! As research shows, the majority of young people in our culture are suffering from serious neglect. Notably, they don’t feel anyone in church “cares deeply” for them. (Barna, 2019) 
I had a powerful dream a few nights ago. I will share portions of the dream with you here, but the most notable aspect of it was that when I woke up I heard the Spirit clearly say these words: “The church as you know it is disappearing!” Immediately I was reminded of the Scriptures. In Matthew 24, Jesus’s disciples are admiring the beautiful Jewish temple: its courts, structures, and architecture. Jesus turns to them and says: “Take a good look at all these things, for I’m telling you, there will not be one stone left upon another. It will all be leveled!” (Matthew 24:2, TPT) 
Have you ever taken a personality test? People around the world have used personality profiles to understand each other better. Knowing our strengths and weaknesses has become a trend, especially in Christian circles. The information can be a helpful tool for teambuilding and for leaders, to know how best to motivate the people who serve them. I have taken many of these tests over the years and emerged with a series of “labels” designed to define me. I’m sure you have, too! I know, for example, that I am equally balanced between introversion and extroversion (although my husband might question the “balanced” part!). I love a good party, love connecting with people, but recharge alone and need some time to “regroup” after a series of social events. I am a researcher, a teacher/trainer, a high achiever, a creative, a prophet with a pastoral bent, an intuitive “feeler” and a very passionate person. I have been called melancholic, choleric, a leader, a judge, a mystic and - help me Jesus - a "Beaver!" What are you? More importantly, who does God say you are? How does God define you? Here is what I believe God is saying to us today: “I want to develop personality in you - not YOURS but MINE!” God knows who we are. He knows what labels we’ve been given. He’ll even use our strengths and weaknesses for His glory. Yet ultimately, He wants to infuse us with HIMSELF, filling us with His Divine Personality. 
An unusual thing happened the other day. The Senior Pastor of my church called me, out of the blue, to say hello. No agenda. No problems. No church business to discuss. Just a “Hello, how are you” kind of call. That call was a HUGE blessing in my day! Most leaders I know are pretty busy people. Heck, I am, too! When I hung up the phone after our call, I sat for a moment wondering: when is the last time a leader called me and didn’t need something? Wanted to just connect, for the sake of the relationship, not the “mission” or the shared purpose, whatever that may be? Apart from a handful of very dear friends I know in leadership, I couldn’t remember. Leaders who lead with love are a rare and special breed. 
2019 has been dubbed by several prominent Christian leaders as “A Year to Plow.” To plow the spiritual soil of our hearts is an essential precursor to revival*, and many people, including myself, believe we are on the brink of revival in this nation. We must both plow and sow in order to reap a harvest! 
Around the world today, people are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress. Never before have we had such widespread fear, anxiety, and even terror. In response to this, I believe the Lord wants to release not just the grace to deal with stress, but strategies to overcome it. Keep reading for a prophetic word on this subject, and a prayer strategy you can use to eradicate stress from your life altogether! |
Free Link to the Subscriber Resource Library when you join His Inscriptions!
About
Deborah Perkins 
Categories
All
Archives
November 2023
AuthorA severe hearing loss from childhood caused Deborah Perkins to develop what she now calls her secret weapon: tuning in to God's voice. A Wellesley College graduate and an award-winning writer, Deborah is now a wife and mother of 3 boys. Deborah has devoted over 25 years to professional and lay Christian ministry in New England and beyond. Her passion is inspiring people to cultivate greater intimacy with God. 
|
RSS Feed