My People, The Daughter Of My People, and Not My People

Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people! Jeremiah 9:1

Leading Up to this Era

This is my third posting on the Old Testament.  First I wrote on the observation that majority of the Old Testament is made up of five multigenerational stories which I’ve called Grasping the Old Testament. First, God promises Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that through them both a nation and also a blessing to all the nations would come.  After a 400 gap the story picks up with Moses and Joshua leading the nation out of bondage, setting up a new society, and entering into the land of promise. The next 400 years is told in Judges when the nation seams stuck in cycles of oppression, repentance, deliverance, and peace, until backsliding into sin started the cycle over again. This cycle was disrupted by three generations of advance with Samuel, David and Solomon, which I entitled The Very First Great Awakening. Following Solomon a stable society continues until Jerusalem is destroyed and Judah is taken captive to Babylon.  God speaking through His prophets usually speaks to His people, He also often references the present younger generation as the daughter of My people and when judgment comes it falls upon a group God calls not My people.

Spiritual Children, Fathers, and Young Men

I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
I write to you fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.

I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.
I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:12-14

John in this passage is writing to three groups of people spiritual children, spiritual fathers, spiritual young men. 

Twelve Stones of Remembrance

When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’  then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”  Joshua 4:21-24

On November 11, 2009 an outpouring of the Holy Spirit began in a classroom of the International House of Prayer University in Kansas City, Missouri.  After watching the meeting over the internet for a few nights, I decided it was time to go and attend the outpouring in person.  I was greatly encouraged that God was truly pouring out His Spirit on a young generation.  The next day I sensed the Lord asking me to count all the waves of the Holy Spirit that I’ve had some part in, or has been instrumental in my spiritual life. Thinking there would be a small handful, I was amazed when the number reached 12.  It’s easy to forget what God has done and slip into discouragement. So my hope is that this would be an encouragement to a few that they “may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty” still today.  In going over each of these waves there was a purpose for them and a title of what God did in my life in each of these seasons of outpouring.  Warning this post is LONG and tells a bit of my history, feel free to skim over my 12 stories if you want, but please read the conclusion at the end. 

What Have You Done With My River?

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God. Psalm 46:4

My river is long, wide, and deep; it brings healing to the nations.  It washes, it’s full of life, it finds low places, the tree of life is on its bank with 12 fruits.  Every thing the river touches lives, because I, the Lord God, I am in the midst of the river.

Some have taken my river and modified it and changed it from life giving to sterile.  You see the river is quiet and deep.  It flows at its own pace and to some it is thought of as boring.  So along the banks of the river, you have taken some of the river, “cleaned it up” and built for yourselves water parks to play in.