In this new era, I hear the Lord issuing an age-old call to His Body to return to our First Love: 

“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.  Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”  (Revelation 2:2-4)

​“Simon Peter said (to the disciples), ‘I am going fishing.’ They said, ‘And we are coming with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.”  ~John 21:3
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​There was a time when the apostle Peter felt more like a defeated soldier than a fearless leader. He wasn’t “catching” much of anything! His Savior had just been arrested. A valiant attempt to defend Jesus with his sword had brought the Master’s rebuke instead of praise.

Even worse, Peter had watched Jesus willingly face death like a lamb led to the slaughter. On the darkest of nights, Peter matched Christ’s three bold identity statements (“I am He”) with three denials of his own (“I am not;” see John 18).​

Come to the sea of Galilee with me to understand how Peter must have felt at this moment - and what the Lord did to restore him.

Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord... be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, against one another, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. (James 5:1-11)
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In 2006, author Rick Joyner wrote that a time was coming when churches would look more like military bases than church gatherings. I believe that time is imminent. 

With the worldwide pandemic-induced shutdown, the widespread demise of church as we know it, and virtually every one of the seven mountains being shaken, those who now take a stand for Christ must be unusually bold and courageous. In these last days we must be as militant about defending our faith as the enemy is about destroying it. 

God is calling soldiers in the Church to arise as mighty warriors and deliverers in this time. Not all will accept the call, but those who press in to pursue the Lord now are the ones whom God can call upon later. 

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.”
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“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
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I hear the Lord saying: "I want to open the eyes of the seers! I want to show the "eyes" of My Body the GLORIOUS things that are happening around the world as a result of the working of My Spirit, who is ever-present with you!" ​

I was awakened this morning by the Holy Spirit, who immediately began speaking to me about SEERS in the Body of Christ. I felt the Lord has a strong desire to AWAKEN the seers, many of whom have been slumbering or asleep. And I felt Him urging the seers to awaken themselves; to open their eyes so that they do not miss what He is about to do! 
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Dear Friends,

​For the past two nights, I have encountered the glory of the Lord in a powerful but unusual way: through the book of Ruth. Most of us know the story of Ruth and Naomi as a beautiful Old Testament "gospel" of redemption through Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer. It is impossible not to notice the love story foreshadowed between our heavenly Bridegroom and His Bride!

Yet this week, the Lord has been speaking to me about deeper truths contained within the lives of these two women; insights that have direct application to us as redeemed people called to reflect the glory of the Lord in a dark time. 

The book of Ruth is an allegory: a Jewish parable containing hidden keys for a life of faith. I invite you to walk with me for a moment through its pages, allowing the Lord to inscribe on your hearts the very personal and prophetic messages He has for you today!

Dear Friends, 

Those who follow His Inscriptions know that I usually write my messages to you, but this week I felt compelled by the Lord to see you face to face!

If you are feeling weary from your battles, please watch and share this short video, which will encourage you to find places of peace and joy in the midst of your trials. I believe there are many of you who need a "word in season" to combat the work of the enemy.

Join with me at the end of the broadcast to receive freedom as we pray together. May you be blessed by what I'm hearing from the Lord this week. 

For Him,
Deborah
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"Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you."
~ James 4:8

As we joyfully celebrate this feast of Pentecost I am overtaken by the glory of the Lord in a measure such as I have never seen! I want to release a word to my readers which is essential to hear in this hour because along with the glory, there is significant turmoil raging around us. This word will pierce through confusion and help bring clarity and focus to you in what is a troubling and difficult time. 

The Lord desires to bring His people stage-by-stage into a greater glory such as we have never known! The glory that is being released at this moment is a GREAT EMPOWERMENT for those who can receive it: empowerment like the apostolic church in Acts experienced. 

Dear friends, it was never the Lord's desire for us to leave the eternal place of "lockdown" in His Presence! Those who love Him are called and destined to remain and abide IN HIM forever!

Dear Friends, 

Do you have a friend whom you love so dearly that even their phone call at midnight does not offend you? Whose number you keep "starred" on the list in your phone, so that at any time, day or night, you may be available to them? 

Only a few friends and family of mine make that cut! These are the ones whose lives are the most important to me; whose voices I want to hear at any time, in any condition. There is nothing they could say that would make me love them less, and I choose to give my life to them because of that love. 
 

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)

Technology now permeates every aspect of our lives, from our phones to our programmable refrigerators.  At the touch of a button, orders are placed, documents sent and retrieved, and, sadly, unsuspecting children are seduced. Is the internet destroying life as we know it? Here is a prophetic perspective on technology, especially as it relates to your family. 

Developing an arsenal of prayer is critical, especially in the end times. We need to be ready to pray scriptural prayers that build our faith in specific areas and keep us immune to the enemy's lies.

With this in mind, I occasionally condense scriptures on specific topics into simple prayers that I can pray daily. This week, the Lord impressed on me the need to pray the verses from 2 Thessalonians against deception, a key tactic of the Antichrist in the end times. Deception leads to hopelessness, but the Lord has given us specific promises of hope to carry us through difficult days.

Take time today to print or download Prayers for the End Times in the Subscriber Resource Library. It's free with your subscription to His Inscriptions. I pray you'll begin to use it daily to inoculate yourself against the fears and anxieties that come from the enemy's lies! 

God speaks in the most unusual and unexpected ways! Sometimes we dream, and a person in our dream imparts wisdom to us. We don’t realize until we wake that it was Jesus, and we wish we had known it was Him at the time!

Sometimes, He shows up in human form, in a conversation that leaves a mark on our minds and causes us to realize something deeper or receive something we need.

And sometimes, He speaks from the mouths of babes… 

Are you ready to respond to an emergency? Would you be an effective leader in the midst of a crisis? How are you reacting to the disasters we are seeing on an international scale - would you be prepared to face one in your community?  ​

Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you're fearless. 

In fact, God tells us  not to fear roughly 365 times in the Bible. That's once for every day of the year! Sure, there are some amazing examples of fearless faith out there, from the spies who entered the Promised Land to present-day martyrs facing ISIS. But most of us, even on a good day, battle fear in one form or another. 

We know that fear is part of the curse (see Leviticus 26:36-37 for an example), and God gives us the ability to overcome our personal fears. But what of the larger-scale fears, the things that threaten to undo not just us, but our communities, our nation, and our world? These things are on the rise as Satan propels the battle between good and evil to a climax. 

Luke records Jesus's words, saying that men's hearts will fail them "from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth." (Luke 21:26) Earthquakes, diseases, and famines will be the norm. He says the end times will be full of "fearful sights and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:11). 

Those words don't seem very comforting at first glance. Many Christians avoid the end-time prophecies in the Bible, not just because they don't understand them, but because they seem full of "doom and gloom" for a people who should be continually filled with joy and peace!

I believe that every word Jesus spoke is still relevant to us today. And as I began to study fear as it relates to current events, I realized that these end-time prophecies are a critical key for us as we overcome our fears about what lies ahead. The reason? A known enemy is easier to defeat than an unknown one. 

Most of our fears are irrational, drawing their power from our emotions rather than the facts in front of us. Those of us who have been hurt in certain areas are predisposed to fears in the areas where we were wounded. 

I once was horrified to find a drug addict hiding behind his shower curtain, in an apartment a realtor intended to rent to me.  For a while after that incident, every time I opened a shower curtain, I did so with trepidation!  Statistically, the likelihood of that ever happening again was extremely low. But the fears persisted until I dealt with them. 

The genius of Jesus is that He prepares us ahead of time for what is to come. The power of  the fear I had about the man in the shower came largely from the element of surprise. What you don't expect alarms you far more than what you can foresee. This is why we prepare a child, for instance, by telling him that the shot at the doctor's will hurt, but only for a minute. We want him to know how it will end and assure him that he will be safe.

In the same way, Jesus tells us that the end times are going to be difficult, but only for a while. He takes great pains to give us details about the tribulations and about what He expects from us as we face them. He gives us specific things to do that will help us feel more peaceful during a chaotic time.  Click here for a free, printable download:  "10 Things Jesus Wants You to Do in the End Times." 

Apart from the wisdom of God, we also have the love of God to help us overcome fear. 1 John 4:18 tells us that perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with torment, or punishment. In the end times, only those who are living apart from God's ways will face punishment. I know from experience that when we pray and ask God for more of His love, He is eager to comply! 

So overcoming fear is a two-pronged approach. We need both the wisdom of God found in Scripture and the experiential knowledge of the love of God in our hearts. Isaiah clarifies this beautifully: "Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation." (Isaiah 33:6). 

Your testimony of God's love, combined with the strategic wisdom He gives you through His Word, will cause you to overcome any fears you might have about the end times. It will keep you stable when the world is falling apart. Instead of running from Goliath, as the Israelites did, you'll stand and slay your Goliath like David did. You'll be fearless in the face of fear. 

c. Deborah Perkins, His Inscriptions.com. All Bible references NKJV unless noted. 

Deborah Perkins is a prophetic teacher whose passion is connecting others with God. She writes about knowing God and hearing His voice at His Inscriptions. You can subscribe to her weekly blog for free, follow her on Twitter, or contact her directly here.