A “Now” Work

February 5, 2013 – Allen and Diane Lake

A Dream

I first began hearing the Lord speak of a significant shift in the spiritual realm about one year ago. In fact, the scripture passage in Luke 22 (vs. 35-37) indicative of the recent significant shift was something I first heard just over a year ago as well.

In late January of last year, I had a dream. In this dream I saw a type of seismographic device for measuring earthquakes. All of a sudden, the needle on this device took a gigantic leap to the side, completely skipping the page – it was left totally blank of any numeric measurements.

I became incensed, for in this dream, the media had not reported the phenomenon which had just taken place. I was incredulous, for I knew that time had just leapt forward. What I heard that night was that time had taken a leap to the “right.”

Right Now

Timing in the prophetic can be tricky. If you’re around it for very long, you begin to figure this out. Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:12), and yet two thousand years have passed without this occurring. As you mature in the prophetic, you find that a sense of timing and interpretation continually develop.

Last year, there was a sense that something was here, but it wasn’t, that a shift had occurred, yet it hadn’t. This might sound strange, but in the prophetic realm this actually isn’t strange! Just as a word should be spoken “in season” (Isa. 50:4), revelation might be released before the time to be given. The shift in time is now here.

The first night of 2013 I awoke to hear, “God said, ‘Now.’” More recently, I heard, “Right now.” The Lord has continued to build on this theme and recently led me to review the seismograph dream. I first heard of this shift a year ago, but knew it was now being released in the new year.

There has been a sense that things have been “on hold” or delayed for a time. That season is finished. The new era has more than arrived; it is in full swing. Its manifestation may or may not look like we expect, but when God ushered in this new era, it was a “now” work.

Sons of Issachar

As believers, we need to be able to discern the spiritual times and seasons, and like the sons of Issachar, to also know what to do (1 Chron. 12:32). There are several key elements about this season that can help us distinguish what to do.

First, the Lord is requiring us to be faithful. The saints will need to be patient and endure (Matt. 24:13; Rev. 13:10). Also, it will be required of the saints to be mature; everything will be bigger, brighter, bolder, better, not the same level of difficulty as before. This means the battles will be bigger, but the victories even more so. Supernatural provision will manifest, but within an element of uncommon need. Angelic activity will greatly increase, but demonic manifestation will too. We will need every advantage provided by salvation; we will need to be strong. Scripture shows the Lord’s desire for His saints to be strong in body, spirit and soul (1 Thes. 5:23; 3 John 1:2), but the days ahead will especially require it. Joel 2 paints a picture of the mighty end time army of the Lord: “A people… great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations” (v. 2).

Verses 3-11 continue the description of this army—what a force! They are invincible, unstoppable; the earth quakes before them and the heavens tremble. The Lord speaks at the head of this army, and they are strong as they execute His word. It is evident that the weak in this army will not keep up.

Mature Sons

The earth is groaning for the revelation of the sons and daughters of God (Rom. 8:18-22). The sons and daughters of God are those who walk in kingdom authority and enforce His peace. (See also Matt. 5:9 and our article, No Need to Fear.).

The Greek word rendered “sons” in these passages is “huios.” Huios conveys the idea of a mature, adult son who is an heir to his father’s name and authority, his possessions, and his responsibilities. It is more than the position of birth referenced in John 1:12: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

In the Hebrew culture, at the point of adulthood, sons were immediately soldiers. And, as official heirs of their father, they had a voice in the affairs and proceedings of the family business. In the spiritual sense, adult sons are spiritual warriors and are those who do the will of their Father as it’s revealed (Eph. 6:10-18; John 5:19, 30). We enter the kingdom as children, but the Lord expects us to grow. (Mk. 10:15; 1 Pet. 2:2)

Notice from Matthew 5:9 that the phrase, “they shall be called sons of God” is passive. It is God who calls sons. In the kingdom, children are born, but sons are made and called. It is the “huios” of God we see executing His judgments as referenced in Joel’s army of God. It is time to ask, “Are we sons?”

Wells of Salvation

Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isa. 12:2, 3)

It was many years after salvation before I understood that salvation was more than a onetime event and actually an ongoing process (Phil. 1:6; 2:12, 13). Colossians 2:15 became real in my life as I comprehended that the Lord had disarmed principalities and powers of darkness on the cross. His triumph became my reality as I pressed into my inheritance His sacrifice had made complete.

The enemy of our souls, or Satan, seeks to kill, steal and destroy, but it is the Lord’s desire to restore (John 10:10; Joel 2:25-27). Things like trauma, abuse, generational issues, ungodly mindsets, and even poor choices we have made all provide open doors of opportunity for the enemy to work.

If we are to be strong and effective, there are four specific areas we must individually address: generational curses, healing of soul/spirit wounds, deliverance, and reformulating ungodly mindsets. One of the most anointed and effective ministries I have found on the subject of restoration is Restoring the Foundations led by Chester and Betsy Kylstra. They have many excellent books and resources if you need help in this area.

The Lord gave me an interesting dream not long ago, in which I saw generational baggage as literal baggage. It was set in the basement of my childhood home, and my father had given permission for a large family with 19 or 20 children to stay in our house.

I tried to take a shower in the basement bathroom but literally could not move for all the baggage – suitcases, backpacks, tote bags and luggage that this family had deposited there. It wasn’t just stacked on every inch of floor space; it was even piled in the shower!

Then my oldest son knocked on the bathroom door, and still dressed, I opened the door. When I turned back around, I discovered that almost all of the baggage was gone, hardly any remained!

The interpretation was fairly clear. Dreams set in the basement of a childhood home generally reference generational sin. The family that my father allowed to stay represented previous generations and their “baggage” that had piled up in family lines. The attempt to shower, I believe, spoke of some attempt on my part to “clean up” and mature in the Lord, but it proved impossible to do with all that baggage.

Thankfully, as I’ve cooperated with the Lord, He has vastly decreased our family’s baggage. I know that my son’s appearance spoke of the next generation—and my intention is to leave an inheritance of blessing, not a curse! (Deut. 5:9, 10; Mal. 4:5, 6)

The Testimony of Jesus

The times and seasons we are in require that we can hear His voice. One rendering of Joel’s army says, “The Lord thunders at the head of His army… and mighty are those who obey His command” (2:11, NIV).

Revelation 19:10 establishes that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The prophetic, in its simplest form, is being able to hear the Lord’s voice for ourselves and speak it forth as He desires. Others who know His voice will be able to test the word to see if it is true. (John 10:4; 1 Thes. 5:20, 21)

Revelation 12 speaks of the woman, the Child and the dragon. The dragon is identified as Satan, whom the saints overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and not having loved their lives to the death (v. 11).

This chapter concludes with verse 17, which says: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Again, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy. It can be seen from this passage that the warrior bride – that mighty marching army of God – embraces righteousness and the realm of the prophetic.

I had a dream one time in which I saw a beautifully pristine, sterile bathroom; it was absolutely spotlessly clean. Except, it had nothing in it – no towels, no toothbrushes, nothing – it was completely bare! I felt the Lord had given me a picture of what it looks like to Him when the church tries to operate without the prophetic. It looks good, but it’s not very functional – clean people mean messy bathrooms!

Hope and Reward

Revelation 22:12 says, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to give to every one according to his work.” The Lord desires His church be full of hope, for ahead lies great reward. He is requiring us to be faithful, but that is necessary to see reward.

He will judge warriors and great things, but that is not meant to be ominous (Rev. 20:12). It should inspire us in reverence and awe for our God, for the overcomers will sit on His throne! (See 2 Cor. 5:10, 11; Rev. 3:21.) Mature sons carry greater responsibility, but greater responsibility brings greater reward.

I once heard the Lord say, “Pray the church you want to see.” I want to see a mature church, a powerful church, a faithful church, a prophetic church. The church in this hour must embrace maturity. My prayer is that Jesus will affirm and confirm these words.

Points for Prayer

1. Pray for the saints to be brought to maturity. Ask the Lord if there are areas in your life where you need His touch in this regard. (Eph. 5:26, 27)

2. Pray for the whole body of Christ to embrace the prophetic, for the life is in the prophetic. (John 6:63)

3. Pray the church you want to see. (Rev. 19:7)

Last modified: January 21, 2021