I HEARD THE LORD SAY "CREATIVITY IS A KEY TO GATHERING IN THE HARVEST!"

At the beginning of this week, my husband departed on a three-day business trip to Maine. Immediately as he stepped out the door, another powerful Presence stepped in and filled my home. The spiritual atmosphere around me shifted and the glory of God suddenly became manifest and tangible. I must say that I was not seeking this! 
 
I was sitting at my dining room table studying the Word when the Spirit of God entered. The air around me seemed to come alive with His glory. Then a deep stillness settled around me like a blanket, and I retreated to my bedroom to seek Him. 

At first there were no words; there was just an undeniable glory and weightiness that seemed to permeate every cell in my body and every molecule in the room. 
 
Even my two younger children (who were home at the time) were kept completely occupied and quiet during this time, except for goodnight kisses hours later. 
 
As I remained in the Presence of the Lord, praying in the Spirit, I was led to pick up one of my journals from the beginning of this Jewish year 5780. When I opened it my eyes fell on notes I had made after reading Romans 1:4: “It is the Spirit of Holiness who appointed Jesus the Son of God, raising Him from the dead. You will be prepared by my Spirit for a new work. You will need to get your bearings as you ease out into the new territory I have for you..."

Clearly, the Lord had something to say about new life and new beginnings! 
 
After several hours, when I finally turned off my light, I glanced at the clock and saw that it was exactly 10:10 pm on 1/20/2020. Time and date had "synced" in the Spirit, and I fell asleep under the blanket of His awesome Presence.

A DEEPER ENCOUNTER

At 3:45 AM, the Lord woke me again, His weighty Presence still in the room, hovering over me. The air was electrified and yet completely still at the same time, as if the Spirit were reaching down into the deep foundations of life itself and releasing an expectancy of something new, different. 
 
As I re-entered into prayer, Holy Spirit began brooding, moving, and shifting things both within and around me. At long last He spoke, and I began to understand what He was doing. 

CHRIST THE CORNERSTONE

As I watched, I began to both feel and see the wind of the Spirit blowing away what He called "houses of cards." Systems and structures the enemy had built on faulty foundations or cornerstones of fear were being demolished. 
 
In their place, God was raising up stable, secure structures built on Jesus the Chief Cornerstone. These new structures were founded on holiness, truth, and righteousness. The former houses glorified self or the enemy; the latter houses glorifed God alone.
 
The Lord began speaking specifically to me about our youth. He revealed that creativity is one of the cornerstones the younger generation is building upon because it allows for freedom of individualism and self-expression, a value our youth hold dear. But when creativity is not founded on Christ, it becomes a house of cards.
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GOD AS CREATOR

The very first revelation we have of God is as a CREATOR, His Spirit working with him to birth new things from Genesis to Jesus to the New Jerusalem. When the gift of creativity is redeemed and transformed with Christ as its cornerstone, it becomes a powerful vehicle for FREEDOM on the earth!
 
The next generation is in touch with their essential need to create. They are the filmmakers, the gamers, the storytellers, the musicians, the actors, and the artists who began creating as a form of self-expression. They long to be understood, and the very soul of the nation is represented through their creative culture. 
 
When the Lord takes hold of the next generation, the idolatry of self, the longings and the woundings expressed through their creativity will be transformed. The “soulish” creativity which previously marked them will now be replaced with God-given creativity, birthed by the Spirit. Glory to God! 

​USE CREATIVITY TO REACH THE NEXT GENERATION!

I heard the Lord say that creativity will be a key to gathering in the harvest for Christ. 
 
Paul used a statue of an unknown God to preach Jesus to his generation. (Acts 17:23). Jeremiah was instructed to visit a potter’s house, and his visit became the touchpoint for a prophetic message to the leaders of his generation (Jer. 18).

Music, film, and media are capturing the hearts of our children now, and to engage them we must connect with them at their points of creativity. What they are creating is an authentic expression of what they feel and need in their souls. 
 
This generation has forged its identity within the framework of individual self-expression and personal gratification. What they create produces attention and recognition they could not gain in traditional ways because of the decline of family, community, and society.

Like the prophet Jeremiah, we need a picture of God’s redemptive process in our minds as we reach future leaders of our faith.​ I believe the Lord is urging those in the church to use creativity to reach those outside of the church! 

Just as music and the arts have captured the souls of our youth, so an ever-creative God would capture their spirits and mold their true identities IN HIM! When they are captured by the beauty of God, they will use their creativity to proclaim His goodness.
 
The most prolific artists and creators, however, are often the most pained. I heard the Lord saying, “Take note of the things you see and hear from the “master builders” of this generation and ask Me for the transformative “keys” that will birth My glory in them.” Jesus, a master storyteller, chose parables best suited to His audiences; today’s church can do the same.   
 
The identity-truths found in the book of Ephesians will also be essential for this hour. It is time for prophetic intercessors to decree and declare the birthing of a new generation of believers! The Spirit of God is brooding over and birthing a net-breaking harvest of souls! 
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MOBILE MOVEMENTS

Peter discovered that only in Christ could his “old life” as a fisherman produce an abundant harvest. (John 21:11.) In the same way, those who do not build on Christ the Cornerstone will not reap the coming harvest!

We must be careful not to condemn future generations for being reluctant to enter into an old wineskin. Mobile youth, used to living life "on the go," may be more likely to follow a cloud than to build a temple. Some have seen the hypocrisy in the temples man has erected and their desire for authentic faith has kept them away. 
 
The next generation needs a faith that is portable and reproducible. Their love for social justice and missions drives them to create more "fluid" ministries than we have been used to in the past. They have not rejected God, but have avoided the old wineskins and ministry models founded on pride or selfish ambition. Jesus did the same. (See John 2:12-22 and John 4:21-23.)

​GOD IS STILL CREATING!

The beginning of this new era - 2020 - is being marked forever as a time of birthing: new ministries, new technologies, new relationships, and new ideas. Youth will play a significant role in this harvest, along with those who use creativity to both “read” and reach the next generation.

My prayer is that the Body of Christ will respond to these brooding, birthing, and sometimes very mobile movements of the Holy Spirit, welcoming the God-inspired creativity that will bring in a great harvest of souls.

As if to confirm this “1/20/2020” encounter, the very next morning my husband texted me a photo from his jobsite in Maine. To my great surprise, it was a picture of the ocean at dawn, with a fine layer of mist hovering over the waters. The mist, he said in his text, is locally described as “Sea Smoke.”

Glory to God, my husband had no idea what had happened the night before! His photo (below) reminds me of an infinitely creative and personal God.

All creation testifies of God's glory! 

Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew. Psalm 110:3

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Deborah Perkins is a seasoned prophetic writer, teacher, and Christian leader with more than 35 years of ministry experience across denominations.  At God's request in 2013, she founded His Inscriptions, an online ministry devoted to helping people worldwide “Discover Life-Giving Communication with God.”  Through her website, mentoring courses, and a weekly blog, Deborah offers discipleship to those who want to grow their relationship with God.
Deborah currently lives in New England with her hubby, 3 sons, one cat and a coop full of chickens. Learn more about Deborah’s E3 Prophetic Training Course here, or find her books on her Amazon author page.

​© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com