Arise, My Darling Amsterdam
Greetings in the Lord!
It's been another long while since I've shared what the Lord is saying these days, but not because He isn't speaking, but travel and circumstances. Anyway, last month I went to Europe--Amsterdam, Paris, and Luxembourg, and was able to see some of what God is up to in those areas. In a nutshell, let's just say that revival is getting ready to break out in those places--especially Amsterdam.
It was still very cold there, wintertime most definitely, as the snow dusted the ground and icy winds blew all around--such a sharp contrast from the hot desert where I came from! But even in the chilled air I felt that God's people are being stirred to stand up. A fire is glowing in their bellies and they are praising Him together, in warm fellowship. Maybe not great in numbers, but they have a hot flame, and the blessing of unity dwells among them. While they are carrying some missions work already, I discern that God has already impregnated some of them with bigger projects and outreaches to their communities. Revival is in the planning stages and songs of praise are moving the wheels forward. I especially felt that in Amsterdam. There are cords of corruption that are slowly breaking free in their government. God is raising up His people and putting them into offices for His purposes. Funny thing is, some of these people may not even acknowledge God publicly, in fact, I discern that some of the forerunners there consider themselves to be agnostic or humanist in belief. But little do they know that they are paving the way for a real move of God!
One big mentality shift that I see being addressed by the hand of God is the flawed attitude of legalizing sin for profit. For too long Amsterdam's officials and ruling elite have promoted a "liberal" mindset, which ended up being a clever guise for legalizing sin and debauchery for financial gain. But this plan for prosperity has not benefited Amsterdam's people in the slightest. It has only brought literal and spiritual sickness and decay to the city. I remembering visiting Amsterdam back in the 90s. I visited the Old Church down in the Red Light District. It is the oldest church in the city, but really just an empty shell of a place; a Gothic relic. But God has a better idea--and it starts with His love. His word for Amsterdam comes from Hosea chapter 3:
The Lord said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, "You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you."
For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to His blessings in the last days. (Hosea 3)
Praise God! What a beautiful promise of grace, love and restoration. That chapter is one of my favorites in all the Bible. The wife that Hosea buys back and is told to show his love to again is a prostitute, or more accurately, a slave, as the price he pays is a slave's price (30 shekels total). Likewise, in so many ways people become not just adulteresses in our faith, but slaves to the sin in our lives. We become bound up and trapped by the idols we bowed our knee to for so long. Yes, I'm talking about Christians as well as those who have not yet given their lives to Jesus. God allows us to get caught up and entangled in sin, for we stubbornly chose to follow our flesh instead of listen to Him in the first place. But He has a plan and day of deliverance for us! Praise God!
The Lord loves us too much for us to remain as spiritual prostitutes and slaves. His plan is to once again deliver us, set us aside for awhile--kind of like a time-out, then, when we realize the error of our ways, we will come back to God, "trembling" from conviction and humbled by His generous grace and love for us. We will return "to His blessings in the last days." And so it shall be.
Amsterdam, soon spring appears! A new awakening and spiritual revival is on its way! Soon, the Church of Holland will say:
"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with Me.
My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show Me your face, let Me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
It's been another long while since I've shared what the Lord is saying these days, but not because He isn't speaking, but travel and circumstances. Anyway, last month I went to Europe--Amsterdam, Paris, and Luxembourg, and was able to see some of what God is up to in those areas. In a nutshell, let's just say that revival is getting ready to break out in those places--especially Amsterdam.
It was still very cold there, wintertime most definitely, as the snow dusted the ground and icy winds blew all around--such a sharp contrast from the hot desert where I came from! But even in the chilled air I felt that God's people are being stirred to stand up. A fire is glowing in their bellies and they are praising Him together, in warm fellowship. Maybe not great in numbers, but they have a hot flame, and the blessing of unity dwells among them. While they are carrying some missions work already, I discern that God has already impregnated some of them with bigger projects and outreaches to their communities. Revival is in the planning stages and songs of praise are moving the wheels forward. I especially felt that in Amsterdam. There are cords of corruption that are slowly breaking free in their government. God is raising up His people and putting them into offices for His purposes. Funny thing is, some of these people may not even acknowledge God publicly, in fact, I discern that some of the forerunners there consider themselves to be agnostic or humanist in belief. But little do they know that they are paving the way for a real move of God!
One big mentality shift that I see being addressed by the hand of God is the flawed attitude of legalizing sin for profit. For too long Amsterdam's officials and ruling elite have promoted a "liberal" mindset, which ended up being a clever guise for legalizing sin and debauchery for financial gain. But this plan for prosperity has not benefited Amsterdam's people in the slightest. It has only brought literal and spiritual sickness and decay to the city. I remembering visiting Amsterdam back in the 90s. I visited the Old Church down in the Red Light District. It is the oldest church in the city, but really just an empty shell of a place; a Gothic relic. But God has a better idea--and it starts with His love. His word for Amsterdam comes from Hosea chapter 3:
The Lord said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, "You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you."
For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to His blessings in the last days. (Hosea 3)
Praise God! What a beautiful promise of grace, love and restoration. That chapter is one of my favorites in all the Bible. The wife that Hosea buys back and is told to show his love to again is a prostitute, or more accurately, a slave, as the price he pays is a slave's price (30 shekels total). Likewise, in so many ways people become not just adulteresses in our faith, but slaves to the sin in our lives. We become bound up and trapped by the idols we bowed our knee to for so long. Yes, I'm talking about Christians as well as those who have not yet given their lives to Jesus. God allows us to get caught up and entangled in sin, for we stubbornly chose to follow our flesh instead of listen to Him in the first place. But He has a plan and day of deliverance for us! Praise God!
The Lord loves us too much for us to remain as spiritual prostitutes and slaves. His plan is to once again deliver us, set us aside for awhile--kind of like a time-out, then, when we realize the error of our ways, we will come back to God, "trembling" from conviction and humbled by His generous grace and love for us. We will return "to His blessings in the last days." And so it shall be.
Amsterdam, soon spring appears! A new awakening and spiritual revival is on its way! Soon, the Church of Holland will say:
"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with Me.
My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show Me your face, let Me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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