When Prophecy Connects with your Expectations

In Ruth 3 we read the story between Ruth and Boaz when he tells her that there is someone ahead of him to redeem her. What I love about this is that when Boaz said, "If he doesn't want to take you, I'll take you."  (Ruth 3:13) What we see here is that,  even though there's an obstacle, Boaz is completely occupied with Ruth's future. We have to realize that in applying it to our lives, Jesus is completely occupied with our future. 

He's the Redeemer.

He wouldn't have come down to the earth and redeemed humanity if He wasn't occupied with all of humanity's future. It’s predominant in His heart and because of that, prophecy connects us to our future when we don't fully comprehend the Lord's ways. I could imagine that Ruth did not comprehend everything. "What do you mean someone's ahead of him? He's been so kind, he's in love with me..." I'm sure in that moment of not really understanding what's going on, one hasn't had a moment of questioning, "Well, wait, God, I don't understand what you're doing."

But what prophecy does, is it connects and reconnects us to our future.

This is what I love about the prophetic. It reconnects me to my purpose. It reconnects me to where I'm going. I can steer off the path or get off the course a little bit and it puts me right back on that course. It communicates how the Lord wants to please us. Isn't that amazing?

The Lord wants to please His people.

There’s something I love to do when I’m with my grandchildren. Although I’m usually busy ministering, when I have the opportunity to spend time with all five of them, I usually end up taking them to the grocery store and let them fill the cart with whatever their hearts desire. I get so much joy watching them walk down the aisles, skipping and hopping, grabbing things that mom and dad don’t usually buy for them. It’s not about the doughnuts, or the chocolate milk. But the joy of seeing their little faces light up. You see, when God prophesies over you, He's communicating His desire to want to please you. That's what's so beautiful about the prophetic. 

If you continue reading Ruth 3, towards the end of that chapter you see that Ruth returns to Naomi and tells her what Boaz has done for her. What we read next is Naomi prophesying and decreeing, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” (Ruth 3:18)

When Naomi prophesied “He’ll take care of the matter today,” it put the expectation back into Ruth and it became the fuel for her to be able to wait. This is a perfect example of what the prophetic does, it reignites the expectation in our hearts, that while in the midst of waiting, “I know God's going to take care of this”.

Jesus is concerned about what matters to you and I, and He can fix it. He's concerned about America. He's concerned about the nations of the earth. Which means that God is committed to settle the things that matter to you. Just as Naomi prophesied to Ruth, He'll take care of this matter today. If it matters to you, because He's in love with you, He's going to take care of it today, and not leave you hanging, not leave you in suspense. He didn't come to leave us in suspense. He came to redeem us. 

Blessings,

John Harke Team

Reigning as Kings and Queens

It seems we can easily forget what Christ has purchased for us. So we begin to live a much lower standard than what Jesus has called us to live. To reign as kings and queens means much more than monetary success, public recognition and thousands of likes on Facebook. To reign as kings means to not come up short from the image of God. It’s finding victory on the inside, where our emotions are, to have control over our own spirit. It doesn’t mean that we are completely free from crisis, but it means we are seated above it. We tap into divine wisdom and we prophesy to the situations that don’t represent the beauty of God.

God has a goal for us individually and corporately, and that is to form us into a prophetic voice on the earth, prophesying liberty from bondage and decay. Creation is yearning for sons and daughters to speak what the Lord is speaking! In an atmosphere of repentance, respect, honor, and love, our identities flourish and our roles become clearly defined. When this is properly modeled, that Kingdom of God is authentically demonstrated.

4 “Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.” (Ezekiel 37: 4-7)

By prophesying His heart, we come into agreement with what God sees, for He sees beauty in the midst of our deformity. When Ezekiel found himself in a valley, he wasn’t told to pray about the spiritual conditions — he was told to prophesy to them. His words began to transform the people.

• Will we do the same in our time?

• Will we prophesy the wonderful grace upon the slain that are on the battlefield of life?

Without the wealth of grace there isn’t any true wealth in the soul. The wealth of grace allows us to rule with the knowledge of the Kingdom and not rule as those who haven’t been regenerated. We reign from a place of intimacy, not from a place of legality. Life becomes more of a joy because we witness supernatural interventions in our spiritual lives, relationships and finances. We live the way Jesus lived when He was on the earth: reigning over sickness, demonic attacks, and economic lack. We become yoked to His peace, free from the yoke of anxiety and fear.

The body of believers who reign as kings will repair the wrongs in society and restore human dignity by bringing the knowledge of the truth to every sphere. Living like kings means thinking and speaking like kings, weighing out our words because they declare who we really are. The words we speak build the kind of kingdom we live in. And through the gift of righteousness we can rule with the same heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sincerely,

John Harke Team

When the Father knocks on the door of our Hearts

God’s rejection of Cain’s gift had nothing to do with the gift, but the attitude of the giver. One example is when Cain rejects divine counsel because of being so self absorbed by his emotions. Swayed by the anger that burns within his soul, Cain can no longer reason. He incorrectly believes that he is alone and is given the right to sabotage his brother.   He fails to understand his responsibility to care for his brother’s life. What he chooses and what he pursues is in opposition to the Lord’s gracious leadership.

The Lord requires you and I to serve our brothers interests in order to walk in integrity. How then can we bend our heart’s towards the Lord’s counsel? I believe the first truth is, at times an attempt to remove anyone who causes us pain. For example, Cain has to experience the pain of facing his faults in order to be healthy. Another example is, I’m sure that the Lord allowed Cain to experience rejection so that he would develop his faith so he could conquer his anger.

One major problem that still is evident today, just like in the days of Cain, is that we don’t know how to live with ourselves and with each other. Yet I can’t focus so much on Cain’s behavior, I must focus on the Lord’s heart towards an unrepentant individual. Cain’s actions can confuse us, however God’s dealings moves our hearts to want to know the Lord more. The Lord protected Cain even though he embezzled his future. What Cain did was make a decision when he was angry, disconnected, offended, rejected and resentful. However the Lord isn’t an angry Father, anger isn’t His default. The Father lives with a conviction and when humanity lives without moral conviction they cease to live.

The loving Father puts our conscience in check so we would pause and listen. Simply because our Father doesn’t want us to fail to inherit His promises. The Father came to Cain because He wanted him to live well, otherwise Cain would fulfill his own lust and then ask God for mercy. We have to realize there are moments when the Father knocks on the door of our hearts.

So why is Cain protected? Why are the guilty protected and yet the innocent unprotected? Is this justice? Why isn’t the innocent warned? Why wasn’t Abel warned about his brother’s plan to end his life? By not allowing Cain to be killed, is the Lord disregarding the standards of justice? In other words, does the Lord have a defect in His justice? Does the Lord delight in hurting Abel, does He delight in hurting us? Disregarding the standards of justice?

I believe the answer isn’t as complicated as we think, the Lord doesn’t just give us a revelation of Himself, the Lord graciously gives us a revelation of us. Because there was greater evil in Cain then when he murdered his brother, it was his indifference to murder. Cain had become indifferent towards the evil in his own heart. Indifference is the the opposite of the Lord’s heart towards humanity simple because indifference is self centered. Indifference is idolatry because it doesn’t consider its neighbor. Simple concern for our neighbor is the greatest act of justice whether that neighbor shares our ideology or not. So what is the answer? Abel is still speaking Cain isn’t. Hebrews 11:4: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” Abel’s offering cost him his life, what am I giving that cost me my life?

The Prophet

The prophet sees the Lord’s vision for humanity. Because they feel fiercely, tears flow from their eyes because many aren’t even conscious that the word of God is disregarded. The prophetic message that is spoken isn’t to be shunned because the Lord has concern for all of His creation. Prophets aren’t worried about if their the minority because they have learned to maintain their loyalty to the Lord over popular opinion. They seem to live out of a much different kind of value system.

Because their testimony didn’t originate from themselves they don’t just burn for a season, their words burn for eternity. They have been touched by the eternal word of God which has extinguished the self centered ego that plagues humanity. Any need to prove themselves, has been replaced by a tenderness for the heart of the Father. The decree they speak isn’t necessarily a message of comfort, but a message that challenges. When the rights of others are forsaken they scream, and when human obligations are neglected, they weep. Their hatred towards sin doesn’t produce hostility towards others, it exhibits a desire for reconciliation. Their wholeheartedness for the honor of God is at times misinterpreted as an anger towards men and women who don’t share their beliefs.

For the prophet, to refuse to worship God is scandalous. The prophet doesn’t ask who men and women owe their ultimate allegiance to, for the prophet this is never a question but a demand. In other words, the prophet understands that ultimately autonomy that is fueled by human ambition leads to social confusion. The prophet of God may be misunderstood, however they are really pleading for the well being and prosperity of the nations. They passionately forgive and serve those who have rejected their words. With certainty, they preach not only the sense of indebtedness to God but a sense of indebtedness to every son and daughter of Adam.

Greatness isn’t something prophets attempt to obtain through their own ambition, it’s a gift. Because they’ve chosen to adhere to the relational expectations the Lord has laid out. In other words, to cultivate indifference for a prophet is the result of a conscience that is silenced by a culture that is unaware of the divine presence. Prophets champion the oppressed that are to broken to speak. The appeal for justice isn’t something the prophet can shake off, because the need for justices burns in their hearts. For anything that threatens the very source of life must be confronted.

Those who automatically have a prophetic voice never lose sight and never lose drive towards what matters to God. How God thinks, how God feels, how God acts, never leaves the prophets conscience. The prophet isn’t shaped by impulse, the prophet is shaped by the inner conviction that God is ever present in everything we do. Without an ambition for what is vain, without an infatuation with success, the prophet is entirely content being a friend of God.

Sincerely,

John Harke Team

What is the destiny of humanity?

I believe that religion without relationship is the biggest distortion of the image of God. I am also convinced that what drives us when no one is watching, tells us what we have a passion for. For instance, when we have a correct response to God we then, and only then, can correctly discern reality.

Adam had all his hearts desire yet something happened in Genesis three. I admit, although he had everything, those things couldn’t keep him safe from the onslaught of evil. Only having the Lord as his one desire could keep Adam for falling. This is why when relationships don’t operate appropriately, our ability to love the Lord effectively, is frustrated. Our lives are to be uniquely balanced however, we also need more passion for God.

We were created to reflect what the Lord is thinking and feeling, not a narrative of what culture is preaching. Simply because in the very beginning the Lord stood near by and spoke humanity into existence. He took a piece of Himself and gave it to us while we were shrouded in darkness and nothingness. Our brokenness made us extremely vulnerable to His voice. Prophetic proclamations are the activity of God, meaning, His speech is what made us good. For without His voice we are an unproductive wasteland. The good news is that the unproductive becomes productive at the sound of His speech, the uninhabited becomes habituated when He uses His voice. No one is able to contest His word over us, for He is the author of all things. For His word is a creative act shaping and molding us in His likeness. Being made in His likeness isn’t merely physical, it’s the fact that men and women can partner with God, can reason like God and speak for God.

This dimension we bare isn’t to be Lord over Him but to be both responsible and worshipful towards our relationship with Him. Valuing who He is and honoring what He has entrusted to us. This eliminates the pride of self sufficiency and causes us to focus upon the command to love our neighbor. That way we can rule effectively and rightly represent His likeness. Our dominion then becomes a partnership with the Lord, not a call to control. We in a partnership with the Lord, we reflect His divine nature by how we manage and treasure what He has given to us.

Our yearning to be like Him isn’t only that we may rule effectively but that we may love like Him and love Him well. This is the cry of the image barer. This is the cry of the soul who wants to want Him. We are called to live in His world on His terms, this the destiny of humanity. Living on God’s terms means choosing to love Him and pushing away the desire for independence. This is a fight, however I believe the inner urge to see all the Lord has done for us will overthrow the urge to disobey His voice.

Sincerely,

John Harke Team

We all have filters that interpret our experiences, but what if those filters are inaccurate?

The Hebrew prophets confronted the priests because the priests were dedicated to their ceremonies more than an inner attachment to the Lord. These leaders did not resolve to honor the Lord in their hearts. I believe that they fell into the trap of pleasing powerful people instead of pleasing the all powerful Lord. That is why the Lord began to speak through His servants. Because Israel needed individuals who ascended to the hill of Lord. God’s people needed the kind of prophets who would chose a pure heart over a successful ministry. Prophets who gave more thought about the love God felt for His people than a greater platform or more economic blessing. What set theses men and women apart was that they made mention what the Lord was in love with more than the religious agenda of the priests and politicians. They understood that the Spirit was able to beat the swords of men into plow-shears and give them the peace they longed for. Therefore, their message wasn’t just about punishment because punishment isn’t the greatest deterrent for humanity. They preached that if people saw the beauty of what was promised, then they would turn towards a loving God.

So then why were their hearts so hard, why didn’t they fear the Lord? Why didn’t they feel the burden of their guilt? One reason is because of the abuse of power from those who were in a position of leadership exploited others through their lust for personal ambition. A heart filled with arrogance and pride doesn’t fear the Lord nor does it feel guilty. The Lords response is by sending a man or women of God to awaken a sense of justice, a sense of righteousness. A submitted vessel who possesses an inner identification with God’s will and a concern for the safety of others. For within the inner heart of these prophets they have to warn us because of what they’re seeing. Not to prove how right they are, but to protect the people God loves.

To the prophet, the Lord isn’t an idea to be discussed, but a King to be praised. Their message is to see what the Lord sees and to feel what the Lord feels. Nothing proves the sincerity of the prophet’s beliefs like their willingness to suffer for them. That is the reason why every prophet suffered for what they believed about God and humanity. Prophets suffer because men and women are held hostage by deception and pride. You see, the prophet is a man or woman who burns with eternal love, a love which has been imparted by the heart of the Father. They have traded in any respectability, for spiritual wisdom and revelation. The stigma that comes from walking in the supernatural doesn’t faze them because of their personal bond with the everlasting God.

I believe in this generation we are going to witness an awakening of the “prophetic conscience” men and women who share within their inner selves the same burden and passion of the Hebrew prophets.

Sincerely,

John Harke Team