November 15, 2012 – Allen and Diane Lake
John 12:23-25: But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
I have read and listened to a number of post election words, some of which were excellent. (Certainly those released by USRPN were among those that were excellent!) I did not intend to write on this subject and want to say I do not wish to repeat, duplicate, or otherwise expound on anything already said by others. Nor do I wish to speak in terms of the political or the prophetic, in the sense of what specifically might lie ahead. However, the Lord has quickened several things to my heart which I feel compelled to share.
Let me begin by being honest. I did not have a good “gut-feeling” about this election. There. I said it. Call me unspiritual, if you like, but I did not ever sense that Romney would win. No, I did not hear this from the Lord in any direct sense, but some of the other things I sensed and heard led me to this as a possible conclusion. I did not ever verbalize this sensing (except perhaps once in very vague terms to my husband), and I did not allow it to shape my conviction of victory. I prayed, declared, fasted and worshiped, along with the rest of you. But we might ask, what does victory look like to the Lord?
Lately the Lord has been emphasizing and re-emphasizing John 12:23-25 to me. It is important to understand the context of these verses. Jesus had already entered the city of Jerusalem, and was about to be crucified by the people. In this setting, Jesus starts talking about glory. He says, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.” I find it interesting that He did not say, “The hour has come that I should be crucified.” Jesus knew the dying came first and that troubled Him, but He set His eye on the glory.
We could slightly paraphrase the verses that follow (27, 28) something like this: Jesus says that His soul is troubled; He doesn’t like the turn of events and where things are headed. But He says He realizes He’s been put on earth for this purpose—for just such an hour. Therefore, even in this disturbing context, He says, “Father, I will glorify Your name.” And the Father audibly replies, that indeed, He has already been glorified and will even be yet glorified again.
We know the rest of the story. Satan thinks he has pulled off the most epic victory of all time (he has crucified the Son of God!), but he neglected to look at things from God’s perspective. What seemed for a time like the greatest spiritual defeat in history brought the greatest glory of all. It is into this type of history-making scenario that I believe the saints of our time have been called.
Nothing to Lose
I recently watched a movie with my family in which a father seeks vengeance for his daughter’s murder. As the plot unfolds, we’re made aware that his twenty-something daughter made a courageous stand for right and, as a result, was first poisoned, then murdered by the villains. As the father begins his quest for justice, he uncovers a great conspiracy of evil and even more victims besides his daughter. He eventually realizes that he also has been poisoned and launches his final attack; he will bring his daughter’s cause to justice. At one point, resolutely facing an opponent, he says—“I have nothing to lose.”
God has been preparing an end-time army for a purpose like this. An army fighting for kingdom justice, with nothing to lose. (Phil. 1:21) An army that knows they do not belong to this world. An army which has laid down comfort, convenience, reputation, financial gain, even relationships when necessary (Luke 14:26) for the sake of the cross. And God will be glorified in it.
It is a season when many saints will begin to emerge with great influence in their spheres (mountains), seemingly overnight. They will move in a spirit of excellence and perform great exploits (Dan. 5:12; 11:32). Do not be deceived. It may seem as if they have sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe fruit overnight (see Numbers 17), but they have been long in the process. Much authority will be given in this season to those who have let God prepare them, position them, and who have persevered through the process. His glory will come, and He is about to use His church to bring it.
Focus on His Face
Like many of you, I have been seeking the Lord for strategy. I believe it to be a Jeremiah 33:3 season; we need to seek the Lord for strategy and do it now.
I was doing just that recently one morning in prayer, asking the Lord for strategy for business, for ministry, for anything that came to mind. I mean especially now, right?—in light of the recent election. And I heard the Lord say this, “Focus your attention on Me in this season. Focus on My face. I will get you safely where you need to go.” And I understood that my Father was saying that I had unknowingly become too intense lately—unconsciously thinking that I had to make something happen. Could this have happened to you?
We have come through an intense season. We have fasted, prayed, worshiped, acted, and then done it all over again. Our efforts were not in vain, and we cannot afford to sit back now. But perhaps the Lord wants us to take a deep breath, refocus on Him, and the power that intimacy brings. Daniel 11:32 says that those who know their God will be strong and do great exploits. I believe the saints will find the strategy for victory written on His face (Heb. 12:2).
One last thought—a warrior does not run from the battle. Much like the warhorse described in Job (39:19-25), a true warrior cries, “Aha!” at the sound and scent of battle. Our weapons are spiritual and we do not fight against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12, 13), but we are in a battle all the same. Times and recent events may trouble us, but God’s Spirit must define us. A great move of God is about to be released on the whole earth. We must keep our eyes on Him.
Diane is a writer, speaker and minister ordained with both Christian International and Generals International. Her articles are regularly featured on The Elijah List, as well as platforms like Charisma Magazine, Charisma News, Intercessors For America and others. She and her husband, Allen, co-founded Starfire Ministries with a vision to see the kingdom established beyond the four walls of the traditional church. They host a podcast with Charisma Podcast Network, and serve as Church Mountain, Regional, and Montana Coordinators for the Reformation Prayer Network, and as Media Mountain Leader/Facilitators for C.I.’s Culture Influencers.
