Orders

Imagine you're one of the disciples, Jesus has given orders, it time to move - you're going to the other side of the lake. On your way a furious storm hits... The full account is recorded in Matthew 8. I have a few observations, let me share them with you.

Jesus Gives Orders
At various stages of our spiritual journey we receive clear, specific divine direction. We know that we know.

Storms Come
Despite the crystal clarity and wholehearted obedience it's still difficult and often scary.

Faith is Required
At some point we will have to decide... will we trust the One who gave the orders or yield to the overwhelming empirical evidence of our circumstances?

Disciples are Amazed
Amid the chaos God does God sized things and those who follow Him are amazed at what He can do in the midst of the storm.

2010
I believe that in the coming year we will face furious storms as a result of our obedience. Faith will be required, God will move and we will be amazed.

Let the adventure begin!

This is a New Day!

Warm and comfortable hours earlier than required my eyes pop open. Before me the familiar green glow of electronic digits... "5:53" fill my entire view. Even a state of near unconsciousness couldn’t prevent me from comprehending their meaning, Isaiah 55:3.

Compelled by curiosity I arose to discover the words behind this divine mystery. They were… “Give ear and come to me; hear me that your soul may live…”

Ah… an invitation…

…Pressing in I enter the realm of the Spirit. I’m surrounded by sparkling light and flanked by the Spirits of Wisdom and Revelation. Together we soar very high and very fast to a brilliantly white heavenly plateau. I’m overwhelmed feeling inexplicable freedom and joy.

As if stepping out onto a grand stage, the heavens open and a massive golden messenger appears. With an extremely long, polished gold trumpet in hand he steps forward with divine authority, places the instrument to his lips and declares...

“This is a new day, the old has passed away!
This is a new day, the new has come!”

“This is a new day, the old has passed away!
This is a new day, a new song to be sung!”

With resounding clarity the chorus continues, repeating it’s hope infused pronouncement again and again and again. Soon I hear the rhythmic pounding of drums. The beat resonates with my spirit as it reverberates throughout the heavens until it reaches the Earth. Instantly life giving and energizing... I recognize what can only be the heartbeat of the Father.

Behind the Golden Trumpeter appears a heavenly orchestra two hundred strong, maybe more! Together in perfect harmony they release the message of a new sound, the heartbeat of the Father for a generation. It IS a new day! Somehow I know that this sound and this song will never end.

2008 - A new sound, a new day, a new year and a new beginning.

Happy New Year!

© Tom Zawacki 2008

Promises Fulfilled

Jesus is our ultimate example in all things. His birth is the ultimate example of a prophetic promise fulfilled. Some of the greatest revelatory voices of all time prophesied the details of Jesus’ birth; Micah, Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Hosea and Judges just to name a few.

Consider the account of Jesus’ birth… The timing and circumstances of his birth were inconvenient to say the least. The pregnancy itself was socially unacceptable. The delivery was no doubt painful, very painful. This greatest of gifts came in an immature, infant form. As amazing as this gift was to all of mankind, there wasn’t any room for it. The setting and surroundings of this promises’ fulfillment were extremely messy and it was acommapined by supernatural signs and wonders.

Jesus’ birth is proof that our Father keeps his promises and He will keep his promises to you. It just might come in unexpected ways. It might be smaller than you thought it would be. It very well may be messier than you expected. It might be surrounded by crap and there may not be any room for it. If this is your story, be of good cheer, this just might be God at work in your life.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

© Tom Zawacki 2007

(Photo Credit Unknown)

Run to the Battle!

Dear Friends at The Bridge:

Throughout my tenure as your pastor we have navigated some very challenging terrain together. From conferences to outreaches to Streams courses together we have accomplished some amazing things. Our history gives me great confidence for our future. I can think of no other people I would rather go into battle with than you!

August 16th to September 2nd, 2007 will be the most spiritually intense 18 days in the history of our church. Packed into those 18 days we will:

~ Teach a Streams Ministries 202 Advanced Workshop in Dream Interpretation

~ Ordain Duane and Dawn Coffin as our new Associate Pastors

~ Host our largest prophetic evangelism outreach of the year at the Benton Franklin County Fair

~ Send out our first team to Burning Man

All of this leading up to the month of September when we have the prophetic promise of miraculous demonstrations. It is for good reason that many of you have been experiencing a dramatic increase in spiritual warfare.

For the past few months I have been warning you that we are in a season of testing. For many the tests have been demanding. The challenge has been to stay low, stay faithful and just stay. I believe that the most difficult part of the test is just ahead.

I exhort all of you to face the challenge head on and rise to the occasion. Now is the time to press in and push through. Now is the time to draw near to God with purpose and focus. Now is the time to fight the good fight of faith. Now is the time to pray as never before. Now is the time to run to the battle and now is the time to win!

Please keep our church in your prayers. Purposely pray for our upcoming events; pray for me and Dawn Coffin as we teach the 202 this weekend. Pray for Duane and Dawn as they prepare for their ordination this coming Sunday. And especially, please pray for our outreaches at the Fair and Burning Man.

Guard your hearts, protect your relationships, choose humility, don’t quit and trust God! With all my heart I believe that this great battle will lead to a great victory producing great people. I stand with you.

Behold the King & Run to the Battle!
Tom

Questions to Ponder...

As I awoke I heard the words of Proverbs 3:5-6 running through my mind…


Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.


This makes we wonder…


In what ways will I need to trust God whole heartedly today?

What of my own understanding should I not rely upon?

In what unrecognized ways will I need to acknowledge – know God today?

What part of my journey does He want to straighten out?


Lord, have your way. Make me more sensitive to you and your ways and less sensitive to me and my ways. Grant me the faith and trust required for this day. Help me to rely more on you and less on me. Please allow me to know you, your ways, your heart, your mind and lead on the path you have laid out for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

This is a Test… Longevity

We are in a time of testing. God is testing us and it’s for the purpose of promotion. Three primary areas of testing in this season are Humility, Loyalty and Longevity. If humility is staying low and loyalty is staying faithful then longevity is just staying!

Longevity appears to be a major area of enemy attack. Almost everyone I know has been tempted to quit. How about you? Now, I don’t believe the enemy has the power to prevent us from reaching our destinies however, I believe he can deceive us into quitting prematurely.

In Galatians 6:9 St. Paul exhorts us to “…not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The enemy’s plan is to get us to “give up” just before harvest time.

The Weight of Unfulfilled Promises
It is a difficult thing to carry the weight of unfulfilled promises. Many of us have been waiting a very long time on the promises of God, this has caused some to lose heart and quit. Here’s a truth… the greater the promises the greater the testing. I’ve heard John Paul Jackson say it this way “the depth of the valley is proportional to height of the mountain”.

The Tests of Longevity
The test of longevity comes when you feel like you’ve waited long enough. Here are some of the warning signs… Discouragement, Disappointment, Hopelessness and the big one… Isolation. Isolation is dangerous. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says that “Two are better than one… If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” It’s so much easier to give up when you’re all alone. These are the times we really need one another.

Passing the Test
Don’t quit, stay until God says go. Don’t quit just because it’s hard. Of course it hard, great things and new things always are. Stay until God sets you on a new path. I believe the future is awesome and each of us will have a very significant role to play if… We don’t look for a short cut, we don’t look for an easy way out and we don’t quit.

For so many it’s already been a long hard road. If this is you take inspiration from Philippians 3:13-14

“…one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”.

Father have mercy on us. Set us free from the past. Give us eyes to see the goal, our destinies in Christ. Grant us the grace we need to pass these tests. Pour out your Spirit upon us so that we do not grow weary in doing good. Make us Humble and make us Loyal for as long as it takes. Amen.

© Tom Zawacki 2007

Art Credit: Longevity by Jane Bellows

This is a Test... Loyalty

If Humility means to stay low – Loyalty means to stay faithful. Loyalty is the second area of testing. You can not fulfill your destiny in Christ alone. Your destiny is intrinsically linked to those who have gone before you, those around you now and those who will come after you.

All of us, we are part of something vastly bigger than ourselves. Hebrews 11:39- 12:1 say it so very well…

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Our destinies are linked to theirs, this great cloud of witnesses. Like a grand cosmic relay race the baton has been passed to us and we will pass it on to the next generation, only together will we be made perfect. May we run our leg of the race to win!

Truly we are one body with many parts (1 Corinthians 12). The eye needs the foot who needs the hand. The evangelist needs the pastor who needs the prophet. God designed it just that way – we NEED one another. We can not do it alone. Medical science has a name for radical cells that do not work in cooperation with the rest of the body – they’re called cancer.

God is searching for people with loyal hearts… “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9a (NKJV)

God himself is loyal; it’s one of his finest attributes. He promised (or is it a threat?) that he will never leave us or forsake us -Hebrews 13:5. God is faithful even when we aren’t. “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13

To be a good leader - you need to be a good follower. To be a good follower you need to be loyal. Loyalty is all about relationships and that’s exactly where loyalty will be tested - your relationships… with God, your spouse, friends, coworkers, employer, pastor or leader.

Loyalty is tested in the hard times not in the good times, hey, let’s be honest… it’s easy to be loyal when everything is going well. Loyalty is tested when you’ve been offended or wounded or betrayed. Loyalty is tested when a stronghold is exposed… your’s or the other person’s.

Loyalty is tested when you have the opportunity to be disloyal. Will I stick the knife in their exposed back? Will I cover them or uncover them?

Loyalty is tested when your leader is going through trials. He’s making mistakes and you don’t know why. Could it be that your leader’s in the dark night of the soul and is being crushed by Gods formative process? Maybe they need your loyalty more now than ever?

The Church has a great future; to get there we need to be one. Father, answer Jesus’ prayer, amen.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21

My next post will address the test of Longevity.

© Tom Zawacki 2007

This is a Test... Humility

In my last post I mentioned that we are in a season of testing. The first of these tests is humility. It is impossible for us to fulfill our destinies in Christ without humility. Why? Because 1 Peter 5:5 tells us that God opposes the proud. Think about it, how can we possibly accomplish anything, let alone fulfilling our destinies while being opposed by God? We can’t. My experience has been that it’s hard enough with His grace.

Humility is tested in many different ways here are a few…

Jealousy
Ask yourself these questions:
How do I respond when I get passed over or over looked?
How do I respond when someone else gets what I believe I have a right to?
How do I respond when someone else is blessed and I’m still waiting on my promise?

Selfish Ambition
It’s rampant in the church and it deadly. James 3:16 says: “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing”. Every evil thing! Why would I want to engage in any activity that makes place for every evil thing? Self ambition is when we are more concerned with building our kingdom (ministry, reputation, church) instead of His Kingdom.

Strong’s concordance defines this word as “partisanship” or “a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means”, in other words a dirty politician. No wonder every evil thing exist where selfish ambition is found!

Self Righteous
Simply put, self righteousness is when we choose being right over love

Pride
Pride is really the root of the other three - jealousy, selfish ambition and self righteousness. A friend of mine says that “Love always looks like it’s losing” Pride wants to win at all cost just like a dirty politician.

The answer is humility, here are a few practical tips:

Stay low
Jesus said in Luke 18:14 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." I’ve never met anyone who responded poorly to humility be it parents, pastors, employers or any leader. Let others exalt you.

Wait
Wait for God’s timing, 1 Peter 5:6 reminds us to “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time”. Pride runs ahead of God’s timing. Wait for favor, both with God & with man. Favor with God lets you know you have a gift. Favor with man reveals the timing of that gift’s release and the scope of it’s influence. With favor things are VERY easy. Without favor it’s like banging your head against a brick wall

Serve
Have a servant’s heart. In Mark 9:35 Jesus said to his disciples "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Serving is an excellent way to practice humility.

Love
It’s the most important of all. St Paul puts it well in 1 Corinthians 13 Love is…
Not jealous (vs.4)
Not prideful (vs. 4)
Unoffendable (vs. 5)
Not selfishly ambitious (vs.5)
Always wins (vs.8)
Love is the secret to passing the humility test

My next post will address the test of loyalty.

© Tom Zawacki 2007
Art Credit Unknown

This is a Test...

Tests aren’t good or bad. Tests aren’t punitive. A test is only a test. They’re given that we might know where we stand and often they’re given just prior to promotion.

All about me people are in the midst of finals, spiritual finals, emotional finals and relational finals. Promotions and graduations can’t be far off.

Now pay attention, I’m about to offer you some vital information. Consider for a minute, if I were a course professor and I told you we were having a test at the end of the week... and, if I provided you with the specific topics to be covered. Needless to say this would give you every opportunity to be well prepared and to pass the test. I’ve been able to identify three current areas of testing:

Humility, Loyalty & Longevity.

In my next few posts I plan to cover each in greater detail. For now, suffice it to say that humility means to stay low, loyalty means to stay faithful and longevity means to simply stay.

Now go study…

© Tom Zawacki 2007
picture credit: Gary Larson's the Far Side

12 Insights for 2007 & 2008

This post contains a dozen revelatory insights I’ve received for my local congregation, the Three Rivers Bridge. Please pray for us as you read it. Thank you.

1. New Colors in 2007 - 2008

I see a box of very colorful crayons or markers, a mix of new and used. Those never before used colors are being drawn from the box this year; they are the chosen instrument in the Master’s hand.

I see a painter’s palate; new, previously unused colors are being “squeezed” out and made available for the Master’s brush. New additions are about to be made to a beautiful, colorful masterpiece – a work in progress.

Brand new colors are being added to the artist kit. The colors are people and their gifts

2. New Sounds in 2007 – 2008

I see new instruments being utilized in worship; an eclectic unconventional sound will once again arise from the Pacific Northwest. It will not be readily welcomed but it is from God.

3. God is Giving and Taking 2007 – 2008

I see “missionaries” with a passion for freedom being sent out in 2007 & 2008.
I see a redefinition of the term missionary. Freely you have received, freely we are to give. Freedom is infectious and contagious, it will spread very quickly.

2007 is Act 6 & 7
~ Stephens will arise, men known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom
~ They will be falsely accused by the religious standard bearers of the status quo
~ Open heavens and throne room visions will mark a turning point from an Acts 7 period to an Acts 8 period

2008 is Acts 8
~ The church persecuted, scattered and advanced
~ I see the Master’s hand reach into his bag of seeds; he grabs a handful and scatters them across a barren, bleak, colorless landscape. Instantly this lifeless land is transformed into a lush colorful landscape filled with the very life of God.

4. Ready or not here you go.

Get ready to go. The prepared and the unprepared are being sent. The cloud is moving, you must move with the cloud or you will die in desert.

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” Exodus 13:21-22

This land is not our home. We are not to camp here but take the high risk options - person by person, family by family and group by group. We haven’t come this far to stop now. This is not the Promised Land. We have yet to cross our Jordan. We can camp here and find rest but this is not what God has promised us. Don’t settle here; don’t settle for Jazer and Gilead when you’ve been promised Canaan (Number 32 & Joshua 1). Don’t settle for anything less than your destiny.

5. God Chooses the Small

David
“But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart…" So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.” 1 Samuel 16:7, 11-13

God is not concerned with how a person or ministry looks or with how big they are – he looks at the heart.

Gotta have heart in 2007 & 2008!

David -

"Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 2 Samuel 7:18

Moses –

“But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" Exodus 3:11

Gideon -

"But Lord, “Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." Judges 6:15

You -
“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1: 26-29

Who are you? You’re the very one God has chosen!


6. It’s Time to Get Small and Stay Low.

It’s time for us to clean out our physical and spiritual closets, basements and garages. It’s time to get rid of our excess baggage. We can’t take it with us where we are going. We must learn to travel light and travel in the light.

Our physical closets, basements and garages are a reflection of our spiritual closets, basements and garages.

We must learn to make humility our default position. In 2007 – 2008 the humble WILL BE exalted and the proud WILL BE humbled!


7. Moses & Joshua

Moses was a Deliverer and Joshua was an occupier
Moses must give way to Joshua.

We are in a transition, shifting from the ministry of Moses to ministry of Joshua
Fathers must make way for their sons in 2007 – 2008

This shift is orchestrated by God. To navigate it well we will need to hold on loosely to people possession and positions.

Fear not, God is still God
When life feels like it is out of control, fear not, it’s still within His control

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” Luke 9:24


8. Theme Song for 2007 & 2008:

Worth it All – Rita Springer

I don't understand Your ways

Oh but I will give You my song

Give You all of my praise

For you hold on to all my shame (pain)

With it You are pulling me closer

And pulling me into Your ways

Now around every corner

And up every mountain

I'm not looking for crowns

Or the water from fountains

I'm desperate in seeking,

frantic believing

That the sight of Your face

Is all that I’m needing

I will say to You

It's gonna be worth it

It's gonna be worth it

It's gonna be worth it all

I believe this

You're gonna be worth it

You're gonna be worth it

You're gonna be worth it all

Jesus

He’s gonna be worth it

He’s gonna be worth it

He’s gonna be worth it all

9. Motto for 2007 -2008: “I’m going to the other side”

“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Mark 4:35-41

Be prepared for the storms

Make no mistake…
We are in the right boat
Jesus is in the boat with us
And we ARE going to the other side

10. Faith Required

The road ahead requires faith. Like snow chains over Snoqualmie Pass, faith is required. You’ll get stuck without them. Faith will get you through blinding storms and hazardous road conditional. Be forewarned; do not leave home without faith.

11. Fight the good fight, not each other

“But you, man of God, flee from all this (love of money, verses 3-10) and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith...” 1 Timothy 6: 11-12

There are spiritual battles on the road ahead. If we fight together victory is assured. If we fight with each other we’re doomed. You can not win fighting alone. Being a conscientious objector is not an option

This is a supernatural battle:

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Our Weapons: Holiness, Humility, Repentance, Forgiveness, Love, Worship, Prayer and Rest to name a few

12. Character

As we explore an –outside the box – expression of Christianity we must remain men and women of character and integrity

“…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:15-17

Peterson says it so very well in verse 16…
“Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath.” The Message


Yes indeed, there are surprises ahead, Lord make us ready, amen.

© Tom Zawacki 2007

An Encouraging Word

The prophet Isaiah said of Jesus that…

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out…”

Even though your heart is bruised and your passion for life feels like a smoldering wick, be encouraged my friend, this is not the end. God loves you, he really does and he is nearer than he feels. He knows your pain. He knows how disappointed and how brokenhearted you are. He knows what it feels like to be betrayed.

I want to remind you that his promises are true. They were true the day he spoke them to you and they are still true today. This has been a very difficult chapter but your story isn’t complete. So much more is yet to be written.

These words from Darrell Evans’ “Trading My Sorrows” are especially true for you today…

I'm pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And his joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

Hold on till the morning my friend; hold on… joy is coming.

Father, encourage my anonymous friend. Let them feel your presence. In their weakest moments be their strength. Breath on this smoldering wick until it burns brightly once again, amen.

© Tom Zawacki 2006

Artist Credit: “The Bruised Reed” by Cornelis Monsma

Rhythm

(OK, there should be a really cool picture of an awesome set of conga drums and other percussion instruments right here but I can’t get Blogger to let me upload it... grrr… I’m too tired to mess with it so just use your imagination)

OK, it’s almost 3:30 AM, I can’t sleep, I haven’t blogged in days and I’m rambling…

I’m a musician. I’ve owned a beautiful 12 String Ovation Elite for since July 15, 1988. I still have the receipt, I don’t know why, but I do. Before I learned to play guitar (about 25 years ago) I played percussion instruments, especially conga drums. I still do (Eric: thanks for letting me play with your toys!) I’ve been told that I play the guitar like it was a percussion instrument. I was born with an innate sense of rhythm, it’s always been there.

Vacation has a way of getting you out of sync, out of rhythm. That has certainly been the case for me. We arrived home from our Alaskan cruise last Friday and I have been trying to get back into my normal rhythm ever since. The absence of a blog entry is evidence of the fact.

I’ve often shared with my people that I have three personal passions. (Does everything have to come in threes for pastors?) 1 - I want to know God intimately and personally. 2 - I want to live a supernatural life in the power of the Holy Spirit. And 3 – I want to train and equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. I learned some interesting lessons about my second passion while cruising Alaska.

For the last four years I have been asking the Lord to increase my spiritual sensitivities. Jesus said that he did only what he saw the Father doing. I want to see what the Father is doing as well… see and hear and feel and perceive. Graciously, little by little, God has been granting my request. It has made life and ministry more exciting and dynamic. It’s returned mystery back to my faith.

While on the cruise last week I realized how much I had changed over the last four years. We cruised to Alaska four years ago and enjoyed it so much we returned to celebrate our 25th anniversary. While onboard this time I found myself overwhelmed. I was experiencing a spiritual sensitivity overload. There were so many wounded and hurting people onboard that ship and it seemed as if I was literarily feeling their pain. It was unexpected and increased slowly over the first three or four days. At one point I was alone at the back of the ship crying out to God asking him what was going on. At the Holy Spirit’s leading I began to pray for the other passengers and prophesy over the land. Only then did the heaviness start to lift. I realized that I have so much more to learn about walking in the Spirit and living a supernatural life.

The past few days have been a rush to regain my personal rhythm… my tempo is slowly returning to it’s usual beat…

One last thing, God has been dealing with people’s stuff, you know, sin, strongholds, opinions, offenses… stuff. I’m convinced he’s getting us ready, preparing us for the next phase of the journey. He’s revealing our stuff to remove it; we can’t take it with us where he’s leading.

OK, enough said, it’s time for bed.

Copyright © Tom Zawacki 2006

Winds of Change

Sometimes God speaks to me in the twilight, those last few moments just before I fall asleep or just before I wake. These are the words I heard this morning.

The winds of change are coming. Look for signs in the natural; they will confirm what is happening in the spiritual realm.

Storms, newspaper headlines, etc. will foretell spiritual, economic, employment and relational changes.

Hold lightly to people, possessions and positions. Your hands must be free to catch what is coming on the wind.

The coming surprises, mysteries and riddles are for your enjoyment, let’s play.

Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

Copyright © Tom Zawacki 2006

Red Alert, Red Alert!

I’m a fan of Star Trek, anytime there was a threat to the Enterprise the captain would announce a red alert and say “shields up!”

Today I’m announcing a red alert and calling for the shields to be raised. Every once in a while I get a warning from the Lord. Today is one of those days. I can sense that there is a threat, a serious threat to our enterprise. These are the areas being targeted and the weapons he’s using.

Relationships – especially marriages & friendships; false accusations and unreasonable suspicions seem to be the enemy’s weapons of choice.

Physical Illness – fatigue and pain creating a distraction from what God is doing, from what the enemy is doing and from what we have been called to do.

Confusion & Lies – concerning those you labor with both on the job and in ministry.

Temptation to Run, Quit or Hide – There is an almost overwhelming desire to withdraw from family & friends and go into hiding.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Please take this warning seriously. Here are some practical suggestions…

Repentance – keep short accounts with God & man. Specifically repent of any judgments you made against others.

Forgiveness – forgive those who have falsely judged you or made accusations against you.

Pray for Protection – for yourself and your family & our President

Focus – Determine to look past your circumstances and fix your eyes on Jesus

Draw near to one another - isolation is dangerous at this time.

I believe that we are under attack because we are doing what the Lord has called us to do. Stand firm my friends, stand firm.

Shields Up!
Battle Stations!

Copyright © Tom Zawacki 2006

What's Coming

As part of last Sunday’s sermon preparation I took time to sit and listen. I’ll often ask the Lord what he wants me to say to his people. I was surprised and a bit overwhelmed with the rush of revelation I was given.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I believe that a day is coming when we will HAVE to live by the Spirit. It will no longer be a luxury, it will be a necessity. The revelation I received speaks of the days when we will need to live by the Spirit. Most of it did not have a specific time frame attached to it and all of it can be influenced by intercession.

The Lord revealed to me changes that are coming internationally, nationally, regionally and locally. Admittedly some is this is generic. I’ve chosen not to add to it but give it as I got it.

International
I see dramatic changes ahead, catastrophic changes internationally, like a chain reaction of events. I saw a new war erupting in the Middle East as Israel’s enemies strengthen and align against her. We need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I understand it doesn’t take much revelatory gifting to see war in the Middle East however, I saw this as a significant first domino in a chain of events.

National
I saw changes in the political landscape of the United States, first slightly to the left and than hard to the far right. Both were mistakes.

I saw a new terrorist attack on US soil, not nuclear but biological. I’m not certain specifically where this attack would take place but I know that the Pacific Northwest is vulnerable.

To add to the fear and confusion this attack would happen in concert with an outbreak of disease, either a pandemic bird flu outbreak or a similar disease.

This will cause economic collapse, a cascading domino effect, first in Asia, then Europe and finally in the United States. There are no natural defenses or resources to overcome this. But we do have at our disposal supernatural defenses and resources. And we need to learn how to utilize them, now is the time to learn.

Regional
By regional I’m referring to the Pacific Northwest. I see changes in leadership ahead. Key corporate, government and church leaders are about to be replaced. For some it is God strategically setting the right people in the right places. For others it is the work of the enemy.

I see a large chess board superimposed over the Pacific Northwest, the impact of these strategic moves will be felt throughout the Pacific Rim but the game is being played here. I also see smaller chess boards over the Northeast, the Southeast, the Midwest and the Gulf Region. The side of light is motivated by love; the dark side is motivated by an evil spirit of politics.

Local
By local I’m referring to the Tri-Cities, Kennewick, Richland and Pasco in Southeastern Washington State. I see industrial changes. Those with the ability to navigate these changing currents will prosper, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is essential.

I see Power shifts between the Tri-Cities of Pasco, Richland and Kennewick. Here is a riddle for you…the first shall be last and the last shall be first. The humble will lead and pride comes before a fall.

I saw racial concerns becoming headline issues.

I saw the churches in the Tri-Cities as fading colors in bucket about to be discarded. The churches in the Tri-Cities are becoming less and less relevant but that’s about the change as the colors of the Spirit return. I saw that there will be an almost 100% turnover of pastors in the next five years.

The Bridge
For my local church what I saw was that we live on the fringe of Christendom. As we explore the fullness of freedom that is ours in Christ Jesus we’re often scoffed at, mocked, gossiped about and ridiculed. So be it. This I know, God is rising up an army of supernatural warriors armed with the power of His love to overcome all the power of the enemy. And we’re invited to be part of that supernatural army.

Soon the power to…
- Multiply food like Jesus did in Matthew 14
- Transport like Philip in Acts 8:39 or Jesus & Disciple in John 6:21
- Remain immune to deadly diseases/ poisons like Paul in Acts 28:5.
- Heal the sick, like Jesus & the disciple through the New Testament.
- Raise the dead Like Jesus in John 11 and Peter in Acts 9 or Paul in Acts 20
…will be in demand! We’re in training to live naturally supernatural.

My sense was that one of the tactics of the enemy against us is to strike the shepherd and scatter the sheep. I’m concerned that the strike will come as another round of cancer. Please remember me in your prayers. The purpose would be to take me out and significantly damage our community.

Many will come to faith in the US; genuine revival is coming because all the false gods will have toppled like so many Asherah Poles, the gods of self sufficiency, mammon, power, success and control. The darkness will be so great that people will be drawn to the genuine light.

Our Dual Citizenship is coming into play, though we live in the world we are not of the world. Our citizenship truly is in Heaven. You might want to research these verses: 2 Cor 10:3, 1 Peter 2:11, Eph 2:19 and Phil 3:20.

Now What?
So, what do we do with all this? I encourage two things, the first is prayer. We need to intercede, stand in the gap and repent for the sins our Nation. Next we need to cry out for mercy that repentance may come some other way.

Second we need to personally practice, experiment, learn and explore “Living by the Spirit” that we might be ready… just like those five wise virgins whose lamps were filled with oil.

Your questions and comments are welcomed and encouraged.

Copyright © Tom Zawacki, 2006