I AM will Calm your Sea

by Hazel Holland

When the situation looked the most impossible to the disciples, that's when Jesus came walking on the water...stepping through the whitecaps

towards them as if the angry sea were mere asphalt. Can you hear His welcome voice as it thundered with power and authority in the midst of that storm?

"It is I... don't be afraid!

Just as Jesus, the great "I AM",calmed the sea that stormy night and brought the disciples safely to the shore, so He comes striding across the turbulent sea of your life. With a voice more powerful than any wind of adversity, He says to you right now:

"I am Yahweh! Don't be afraid! I AM with you! I will calm the sea of your troubled heart. I will go deeper than the deepest ocean and heal the source of your fear and pain."

"I AM the Word by whom all things were made, and My Word will not return to Me void. It will accomplish that which I have purposed in My heart for you, My beloved!"

"Two thousand years ago I would not let the crowds make Me a King, but today I will let you make Me King of your heart. Let Me step into the restless sea of your anxious thoughts and emotions and quiet your spirit with My love."

"Let Me hold you as I sing over you. Let Me lead you as we dance over the whitecaps on this turbulent sea of life together. Let Me bring you safely to the shore on the other side..."

___________________________

After writing this word from His heart this morning I was inspired to paint this water color this afternoon as I thought about Sara, a young friend of mine, who is going through a difficult time in her life right now.

Also see this link: Great Raging Love, I AM 

Vision of the Trees

By Hazel Holland

About twelve years ago a group of us from the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church I use to attend were on a weekend prayer retreat up at Cedar Falls, because we wanted to hear the Spirit speak more clearly in our lives. So I decided to go out on a solitary walk to listen to what He might want to say to me…

I ended up lying on my back on the floor of an old, broken down and discarded wagon. It was part of the set-up that contributed to the pioneer spirit of Wagon Camp at Cedar Falls. As I stretched out on the weathered floor of the wagon, I was immediately struck with the beauty of a white fir towering above me. Sunlight was pouring down on each individual needle, causing the evergreen to sparkle like glistening dew. The reflection of the soft rays of sunlight made the fir look like it was wearing a crown of diamonds.

Immediately I was reminded of a similar scene I had seen of a white fir in a vision five months earlier on December 15, 1995. The pastor had been preaching on our need to renounce our arrogant spirit of individualism, our spiritual pride and superiority. As he began to pray, I began seeing a series of pictures (back then I had a hard time calling it a “vision”) of stately evergreen trees in a forest…

The Vision

Out of the darkness of the night a pine tree appeared, perfect in symmetry and beautifully decorated with sparkling white lights. The miniature white Christmas lights were clear as crystal and perfectly spaced throughout the tree’s branches. But the many artificial lights only lit up the tree, not the darkness around it. After thirty seconds the pine tree faded and was replaced by a second pine, a little bigger than the first.

The second pine tree that appeared was covered with blue Christmas lights that were evenly spaced, and perfectly placed throughout its branches. Like the first pine tree it had perfect symmetry, but only magnified itself. It gave off no light to the darkness around it. After thirty seconds it too faded, and was replaced by an even bigger pine.

Like the other two pines before it, this third evergreen was also perfect in symmetry and decorated with multicolored lights that were evenly spaced throughout its branches. However, even though each successive tree was bigger and decorated with more lights, each seemed to give off less light. After another thirty seconds this third pine tree also faded and was replaced by a dense forest of artificially lit trees.

Then quite unexpectedly, a long string of unlit multicolored Christmas lights (like the ones I had seen on the last tree pine tree), appeared from the right and began to circle the forest of trees. I saw the long strand of unlit multicolored lights pass before my eyes a couple of times as it bound the forest of trees securely together. Gradually the forest faded from view and its artificial lights disappeared just like I had seen the others do.

Immediately a ray of Light pierced the darkness of the night and revealed a white fir standing with such beauty and grace. Every needle on every branch glistened like the morning dew. Although no artificial lights decorated its branches, it sparkled and shone brighter than all the other trees had done as it beautifully reflected the Source of Light that shone upon it. All of a sudden the tree was bathed in breath taking colors of every kind as a rainbow of promise rested on each needle. Its glory and splendor surpassed the grandeur of a mighty cathedral. As it beautifully reflected the Source of the Light that continued to shine upon it, it illuminated the darkness of the forest around it.

Interpretation

As I continued to lay on the old wagon floor looking up into the trees, meditating on what God was saying through this vision, I noticed that there were a number of trees that were totally dead standing beside living trees. I also noticed that surrounding the white fir that stood in front of me were many dead branches among the living trees that needed to be pruned.

Had these dead trees and branches failed to receive the necessary Son-light? Is that why they had died? I wanted to remove the ugly dead wood because it marred the beauty of the surrounding forest, but I knew that was the job of the Master Pruner. He would eventually separate the dead wood from the living branches. Until then the “dead” and the “living” stood together waiting for the Pruner…

In a similar way God wants to prune the dead wood in our lives. He wants to lop off the dead branches and make room for new growth so that we can continue to grow and flourish as we sink our roots down deep into Him… For apart from Him we have no Life.

As I continued to lay there on the bed of the wagon, God brought the following passage of Scripture to my mind. “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. But now, all of you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment” (Isaiah 50:10-11).

God is saying, “I am the Light. I am the Source of Light. You were created to reflect My light; not to make your own light. Any light that you create will eventually go out in darkness. I am the Light and in Me there is no darkness” (Isaiah 50:10-11).

Later that day after I got home from Cedar Falls the Lord began giving me more Scriptures that seemed to confirm what He had earlier revealed as I lay on the broken down wagon. Just as He confronted ancient Israel with her spiritual pride and idolatry, He is confronting the church today with our spiritual pride and idolatry. “Open your doors, O Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars!”Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down” (Zechariah 11:1-2).

"Once you were a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest. You towered on high, your top among the thick foliage... Your branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters. You were majestic and beautiful because I made you beautiful... Because you became proud of your height and your thick foliage, I handed you over to the ruler of the nations to deal with your wickedness... You are destined for death… “(Ez.31:3-14).

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, "when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh…even the whole house of Israel in uncircumcised in heart” (Jeremiah 9:23-26).

Although the Lord was originally confronting unfaithful Jerusalem in this allegory given in Ezekiel 16, He is also confronting spiritual Israel (the church) as He sees that many of us have fallen into the same spiritual condition. “I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels… But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute” (Ezekiel 16:6-15).

Ezekiel goes on to say in the rest of chapter sixteen that Jerusalem preferred strangers to her own Husband because she engaged in "prostitution" with the nations around therby breaking the covenant with the Lord. Although Israel broke the covenant time and time again, the Lord remembered His covenant with Israel and established an everlasting covenant--the new covenant that is built on better promises--God's promises --not ours.

Not Connected to the Source

Several years later I began to understand more fully that the only way we can remain faithful to our Husband and not run after other lovers is if we stay connected to Him--the True Vine. We must stay connected to the Source of Love, Jesus Christ, and receive the Holy Spirit (Sap) if we are going to “stand firm” and not be among those whose “love grows cold”.

In the church I believe there are two kinds of branches holding on to the True Vine. One kind of branch is on the Vine but not tapped into the Source (the Holy Spirit), and is therefore cut off because it bears no fruit. The other kind of branch is connected to the Source, and is therefore pruned so that it will bear even more fruit.

A professed Christian who is on the Vine, but not connected to the Vine (the Holy Spirit Sap) is weak and unable to bear fruit. Remember the fig tree that Jesus cursed? It had leaves but no fruit. That was because the sap went straight to the leaves. The sap was not supposed to go to the leaves but to the fruit. Remember we’re not called to produce fruit—we’re called to bear fruit? We’re called to reflect Him!

A branch only gets its strength from being connected to the Sap in the Vine. When we receive our strength and nourishment from Him alone there’s no effort in “abiding”—in “resting” in Him. In that way we show ourselves to be His disciples when the Sap is running through us, because then as we are pruned by Him we will bear much fruit that will last.

Trees Already Dead

Seven years ago as I stood with the rest of the congregation in a particular church for closing prayer, I was slain in the Spirit as God brought upon me His heart of travailing intercession for those who were superficially attached to the Vine, but not connected to the Source.

As I lay on the floor of the church I saw what I had failed to see seven years earlier regarding the pine trees in this vision. The trees that I had seen artificially decorated with man’s light were already dead. As God “showed me” the vision of the pine trees for the second time I realized that the artificial lights were actually exposing the dead branches, but I had failed to see that earlier. My attention had been focused on the perfect form and shape of the trees, along with the perfect placement of artificial lighting instead of recognizing the true condition of the “trees”.

I became overcome with travailing intercession for the church as I realized with greater clarity what God is saying to us through this vision. Those who are on the Vine, but not connected to the Sap in the Vine are eventually going to be cut off from Him, because they are already dead. Uncontrollable weeping and wailing overcame me as I found myself interceding and repenting for those who were physically alive but spiritually dead—for those who have a profession of godliness, but have no Holy Spirit power in their lives.

But nothing is impossible with God! He can make dead bones live! His love can demolish all the idols that we have set up in our hearts to replace Him! He’s calling us now to repent of our pride and idolatry, and turn to Him. Only when we turn to Christ is the veil taken away. When we see Him in His beauty, we will be transformed into His likeness, and reflect only Him (1Corinthians 3:16-18).

Forgive us, dear Lord, for what we have done.
We repent of our pride,
We submit to Your Son.
Break the chords of our bondage,
And we will be free.
Bring us back from captivity.
We renounce our own light.
We receive Your fire.
You are our Light,
Our heart's desire.

The Fish Tank

By Hazel Holland


About 12 years ago (1996) I received this vision one night as I was praying for a friend of mine just before we attended a Cleansing Streams Weekend Retreat. After sharing with her what I had seen, she confirmed that the visual portrayal of her in a fish tank clinging to the air filter was exactly how she felt at times as a worship leader within the church. She felt restricted and controlled by man-made rules while at the same time struggling to let go of her own need to be in control of everything.

Often she felt like she would die at times if she didn’t get some fresh air soon. She wanted to receive the gift of the Spirit, but was afraid that God might send her a “stone” instead of “Living Bread”. Consequently, she found herself resisting the work of the Spirit by telling God how to do His job. Finally, the wall of fear that she had erected collapsed, and she was freed to venture beyond the confining walls of the “fish tank” and discover an ocean of clear Living Water where there were no restrictions to Life in the Spirit…

Recently the Lord brought back the imagery of this vision as He urged me to paint what He had originally shown me! I had never painted it or even thought about writing about it before, because I thought it had no further purpose. However, when I started to write down what I had seen, God began to download His heart about what the symbolism in the scene meant. The message He had originally given me twelve years ago was not just for my friend, but it was for all of us in the larger body of Christ. I hadn't recognized the broader message back then, because although I knew the Spirit I was still holding on to the "air fliter" in the "fish tank".

Moreover, after sharing the vision with Ramone (my friend in Japan), I was encouraged to proceed with writing it out after Ramone shared with me further insight He had gained from the Lord about the meaning of the symbolism in this vision. Since his interpretation supported the clear message that I had already received from the Lord through these vivid images, I have gathered together his thoughts along with mine and presented them in the interpretation that follows the vision.

The Vision

I saw a very beautiful and extremely large fish tank with all kinds of live plants in it. They were very green, and very real as they swayed back and forth in the blue water. As the Lord took me closer to the fish tank so that I was looking at it as if my nose was up against the glass, I would not have been able to tell it was a fish tank. From that perspective it looked more like an underwater ocean scene, except there appeared to be no fish swimming around, just all kinds of living plants.

In the vision I was taken through the fish tank very slowly so that I could observe that there were no fish in this tank at all. Light from above was shining into the tank making everything look beautiful, but I noticed that the water in the tank was becoming cloudy, like it needed to be changed pretty soon. Having had a fish tank in my classroom years ago, I know if the water isn’t changed regularly the fish will die.

As I came through some dense underwater plants suddenly I saw my friend who I was praying for! She seemed very insignificant and small compared to this very large fish tank. She was near the top of the tank, dressed in a modest, one-piece bathing suit, holding on to the filtering system that brings oxygen into the water. I saw that she was concentrating on trying to swallow the tiny air bubbles that came out of the filter into the water.

Visible Speaks of Invisible

In this vision God is using the visible and natural things of this world that we are all familiar with to speak to us to us of the invisible and supernatural things of His Spirit. In the natural world, the water in the ocean is in constant motion and circulation. Because it has no limit, it does not stagnate or die—it lives! In that way the ocean resembles the supernatural free flowing of the Spirit.


However, if you were to take the ocean water out of the ocean and put it in a fish tank, it would begin to die. So in order to slow down that process the water in the tank must be frequently changed. Not only that, the tank must also be regularly cleaned and the filter scrubbed, because the water inside the tank has to be in constant motion and circulation or the decaying process will proceed faster. The filtering and changing process is done precisely in order to slow down the process of death and decay in the tank. This is what I sense the Lord is saying to us through this object lesson…

An Object lesson

“My Beloved children, some of you have taken the Living Water that flows from Me, and you are trying to control and manage the flow of it by placing it into very large and beautiful “holding tanks”. From the “holding tanks” you re-distribute it so that it can be purchased by those who need water to live. But the water you are “selling” is not always Living Water, but is made to look like Living Water. The plants that you see in the fish tank swaying in the gentle current look like they are growing in the ocean, but they are not. You planted them in a fish tank in order to make the “tank” look authentic, attractive, and like the real thing”.

“My Beloved children, as you look at the cloudy water in the “tank”, you must know that the process of death and decay is already at work. By nature the “tank” itself brings death. Water that was once alive in the “tank” will surely die. The whole setup in the “fish tank” is designed to mimic the reality of the ocean. In the ocean the water cannot stagnate or die, because it is in constant motion. But in this very large “fish tank” there is no free-flowing water. Instead, water is being “recycled” through a “filtering system” that produces tiny air bubbles that is supposed to bring “life” to the tank environment”.

“My Beloved children, My heart is filled with deep sorrow as I see you putting forth every effort to stay alive in such restrictive surroundings. Because of the outward beauty of the “tank”, it is hard for some of you to admit that the water is “cloudy”. But I see you clinging desperately to the “air filtering system” trying to swallow tiny air bubbles that come out from the end of the “air filter” in order to stay alive in the “tank”. For some of you it seems wrong to dare to say that you feel like you are dying as you struggle to breathe… After all shouldn’t you be grateful for this “air filter” that supplies you with much needed oxygen?”

“My Beloved children, I know that you feel very small and insignificant compared to the large and beautiful “plants” in the “tank”. I know you believe that the “air filter” that you so tightly cling to is necessary in order to control and preserve your Life in the “tank”. But just the opposite is true. The “air filter” is gradually cutting you off from your true Air Supply. The “air filter” is preventing you from knowing that there isn’t true Life in the “tank”. Many of you don’t realize that you are living in a “fish tank” instead of My “ocean!” Why are you willing to settle for a substitute instead of the real thing?

The Interpretation

Although the symbol of the “fish tank” can apply to many things, (particularly the spirit of control), I am reminded of the traditional meaning of the word, “church“. For most of us when we say “church” we mentally see a building that we go to in order to worship God. But that is not the New Testament understanding of “church”. The body of Christ is the church, not a building that we assemble in for worship. We don’t go to church. We are the church… and we gather together regularly, usually in a building, for corporate worship.

Yet the tradition of “going to church” or being “in a church” has been a “tank” to Christians for too long. In fact the "church" today has become like the synagogue in Christ's day. The synagogue was not commanded by God, but He did use it, and many were blessed there. However, it was not law. When people came to freedom in Christ, they were under no obligation to attend the synagogue. However, many did go, but they understood that their life was in Christ. Today, the synagogue is called, "church". For many it has become a visible institution—a “tank” instead of a living body that flows like the ocean…

The Filter

The "filtering" system that many church leaders have set up in order to "protect" the members of the body from harm is actually control, controlling how much of the "air" comes in ("spirit" in Greek is pneuma, which also means "wind" or "breath"). Sadly, when the Life is choked out of the body by leadership’s control, it causes the members of the body to cling to the leadership “filter” for dear life!

Members of the body often do not know what is truly going on. They often feel too "insignificant" to dare to say anything, or even see that anything is wrong. Since the church structure has made the leaders the filter, and the only source of air, timid and obedient members in the body cling to the leaders (the filter) all the harder because they need the breath of life, and that's the only place they can get it in this “tank” of dying water and diminishing air. They concentrate as hard as possible on listening to the words and receiving the anointing of the leaders, because they have no Life of their own.

Then when someone really does connect with Jesus Christ and gets passionate for Him, leaders and well-meaning church members often want to hold that person up for everyone to see. In some way that person’s passion and real experience with Jesus Christ becomes a kind of "validation" of the church or the ministry. At times people start to feed off the passion and experience of someone else instead of going directly to God for themselves. As a result that “someone else” becomes the display model that is held up for others to try and emulate.

This truth is revealed through the symbolism in the vision of someone clinging to the “air filter” in the “tank”. When someone becomes passionate about God and is “up there” for all to see clinging to the filter (leadership) for "air" (Spirit and Life), it then becomes a lesson to the rest of the church (in the tank). Often the person who has found Life is brought up front for display and testimony—giving further credit to the blessings that come through submitting to the “air filtering system” within the “tank” (church). "See how passionate and alive so-and-so is? That is because they are under leadership’s authority and 'covering'. The blessings that they have received can be yours too if you do the same!”

The Plants

Although the “well” is dry in some churches and ministries, leadership will sometimes take someone who has found Life and try to “implant” them. Could that be what the plants mean in the “tank”? Although the plants in the “fish tank” are beautiful, the “tank” is definitely overcrowded with too many plants. Have so many been "implanted" into the church in order to cover up the death that the “tank” is bringing to all life inside of it? Have so many colorful and lively-looking plants been “implanted” into the “tank” in order to dazzle our senses so that no one will notice the clouding of the water and the lack of air, or even the lack of living fish?

The analogy comes to mind of trying to transplant a living branch onto a dead root. Eventually the life in the branch will die because the root and soil have no life in them. In this case, a fish tank has no connection with the real life underground. A plant in a pot cannot be nourished from the underground streams—the things that make life in the desert grow!

Since a plant in a pot cannot be nourished from underground streams it must be watered constantly. Do we as members in the body of Christ sometimes expect constant weekly “watering” from the leadership of the church? Could it be that our roots are shallow, because we have not tapped into the "well" that will keep us flourishing in all seasons? Didn't Jesus say that His salvation in us would be like a well springing up to eternal life? Doesn't this come from sinking our roots deep into Him?

Could it be that God is going to stop the overhead "watering" and "dry up" the "rain" in some churches in order to force us to sink our roots deep into His Son, tapping into the underground well… the underground River that is not always seen manifested in "Spirit-filled" churches? Could it be that He will bring us into the "desert" in order to restore us to life?

“Lord, if you are breaking us so that our roots will sink deeply into You, then take us to the desert. You seem to be doing this to people individually more and more in recent years. Are the individual removals to the desert precursors to a more massive church removal to the desert? Are you going to expose us to the hot sun (Son) in order to dry up our dead works, so that we will produce fruit in keeping with our faith?”

Works of Death

Is God showing us how He really sees things? Although we may feel insignificant ourselves, have we been pointing to the beauty of our "life" and "plants" within our “tank” (church) instead of pointing people to Him? Have we been more impressed by the beauty of our “tanks” (churches) than the beauty of His heart? Has God given us this vivid picture of a “fish tank” to illustrate the same thing that He spoke about in the old Temple in Jerusalem? Are our dead works and controlling patterns (works of death) just as fated to be torn down as were the dead stones of the old Jerusalem Temple?”

Remember how the disciples called Jesus' attention to the beautiful stones and work of the Temple in Jerusalem? We know that Jesus response took them by surprise when He told them that the Temple would be destroyed. All the stones would be taken down, because not one of those stones was a Living stone! Just like the works of the leaders of that age, and the life in them was not life but death, and their works were dead works! So the Temple had to be torn down, and the tearing down was violent and painful. Those who clung to the dead stones perhaps mourned the most…

Although we know that God no longer dwells in a physical temple made with human hands because He has chosen to come and live in us by His Spirit, I believe the message of this vision is revealing that many of us continue to build an Old Covenant “Temple” instead of a New Covenant Living Temple. Although in theory many of us have already left the man-made temples of brick and wood for one made of Living Stones, in reality we continue to build according to the Old Testament Model. We continue to build according to the Old Covenant Laws, because we continue to have “priests” who weekly distribute life and Spirit to us as members of the body. If we’re honest aren’t pastors modern-day priests in many churches, and isn’t the “priesthood of all believers” just a mere name only?

By re-building an “Old Covenant Temple” aren’t we making people into dead “stones” in order to make impressive-looking “temples”—impressive looking “fish tanks”? Have we been teaching people to contribute to the “building” and “ministry” that is focused inward to the “church” instead of outward to the needy? If this is true then we have been teaching the members of the body to build dead works! Then it follows that we have been erecting a building of death—a building that God will eventually tear down just as He did the Old Covenant Temple. The only temple that will stand is one that is built with Living Stones. Aren’t we called to become the Living Stones that He is joining together?

God's Sovereign Rule

As I was pondering the seriousness of what God is revealing through the symbolism in this vision, I asked Him why He waited twelve years before He brought this vision back to me. Then I remembered that twelve is a perfect number in God’s economy, signifying governmental perfection. The number twelve in the Bible is found as a multiple in all that has to do with "rule".

First I was reminded of the Scripture in Genesis 1:16 that supports the significance of this idea of “rule” when it says, “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern (rule) the day and the lesser light to govern (rule) the night.” We know today that the sun and the moon in their passage through the great circle of the heavens (360=12x30) govern the year.

Furthermore, there are many examples in the Bible of twelve being the predominating factor in anything that has to do with “government” and “rule”. For instance, there were twelve patriarchs, twelve sons of Israel, twelve apostles (disciples), twelve foundations of the heavenly Jerusalem, twelve gates, twelve pearls, twelve angels, twelve tribes of Israel, the 144,000 (12 x 12) representing the “great multitude of the saved" in Revelation, and many more individual examples could be added to this list.

Since God is Sovereign and His timing and rule in all things is flawless, what might He be saying to us at this time regarding the timing of this word for the body of Christ? I believe NOW is the time He is bringing His order and His rule back to His church! He is calling out those who have His name and His Father’s name written on their hearts to stand in the gap so that the church can be restored to Life! He is exposing our “dead works” so that we will choose to repent and turn away from this “body of death”. He is restoring the church back to Life in Himself!

Perhaps it is hard for some of us to believe that the church (especially here in the West) in such a state that it is actually necessary for the Lord to take us into the desert in order to restore us to Himself? Lord, open our eyes to see what is really going on! Open our eyes to see that you are looking at our hearts, and that our hearts have been in fish tanks! Open our eyes to see the deep longing inside of us for Your life that has not been met, because we have quenched Your ability to fulfill our needs. Lord, release us from fish tank living into the Ocean of your amazing grace where we can drink daily of Your River of Delights. Lord, You are the air we breathe! We’re tired of being bound to man-made “filtering systems” that keep your Holy Spirit from breathing His true Life-giving energy into us. Lord, we want the quality of Life that comes from living in You with no filters, because You came to give us Life to the fullest!

(Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see a larger copy of this painting!)

Opening Locked Doors!

By Hazel Holland

I was returning home from a church service one Sunday evening in November 1997, when I decided to stop by the local El Pollo Loco Restaurant to get a spicy black bean burrito. After I entered the restaurant I was curious for a moment as to why there was no sign of food anywhere. Furthermore, all the waitresses had their backs to me busily cleaning up the kitchen. Suddenly one of them became aware of my presence and almost jumped out of her skin as she swung around to face me.

“How did you get in here?” she abruptly asked. It was obvious she had not been expecting any customers.

“I just walked through the door,” I responded calmly, surprised by her question.

“You couldn’t have!” she argued. “I locked that door forty-five minutes ago. The restaurant is closed!”

Immediately she went out the back door of the restaurant, and came around to check the front door, determined to prove her point. Sure enough the door was locked! The manager had to let her in. As they both walked by me they had this incredulous look of surprised confusion mixed with awe on their faces.

“You must have some kind of supernatural powers!” they exclaimed.

“I’m a Christian and I serve a supernatural God!” I responded.

At that moment, the power of the Spirit fell on me and the Lord began to give me a word for the young lady who had locked the door.

“Are you a Christian?” I queried.

“A Lutheran,” she responded.

“God is going to open locked doors in your life I,” I continued. “He’s heard the cry of your heart and He wants you to know how much He loves you!”

Momentarily she was speechless... After shyly thanking me she went about her business of helping the other waitresses clean up the restaurant. As I headed for the door to leave another waitress told me to wait as she hurriedly fixed me a bean burrito. Although I declined her generous offer, she insisted... and then I left.

As I walked out the previously locked door clutching the burrito, I realized that there was no way I could have walked through that door “unaided.” While I looked around to make sure there were no little rocks that could have somehow prevented the door from fully closing, the Spirit fell on me again. This time I sensed God telling me that He was going to “open locked doors” in my life, too. Instantly I began to weep as I experienced the deep love in the Father’s heart for each one of His children...

As I pondered over what God had just done I knew He hadn't opened that locked restaurant door in order to satisfy my need for physical food that night. After all I had plenty of food at home. I could just as easily have gone home and eaten as gone to the quick food restaurant.

But the unseen spiritual feast that He prepared for me made the humble burrito fade into oblivion. So why did God open the locked restaurant door? Was it because He wanted to speak prophetically into a young Lutheran girl’s life? Did He want to give her a taste of His love so that her spirit would be nourished and her soul fed? There’s not a doubt in my mind that was part of His plan.

Then three weeks later as I was praying with a group of people from my church, the Lord suddenly came upon me again to give a word to those who had gathered to pray specifically for God's children in the Inland Empire. "God is going to supernaturally open the "locked doors" of many people's hearts here in the Inland Empire. Hearts that have been closed to the new covenant gospel will be opened as He begins to pour out His Spirit upon them..."

But it wasn’t until five years later on February 22, 2002 that I began to understand the significance of the deeper message God was bringing through this supernatural event. I was in my car on my way to a monthly hospice meeting, when the Lord impressed me that it was significant that He had chosen to use the El Pollo Loco restaurant at that particular time to reveal His supernatural purposes.

“What does “El Pollo Loco” mean?” He asked me.

“Crazy little chicken! So what’s the significance of that?” I curiously responded.

Suddenly I remembered Jesus' words over the city of Jerusalem when He spoke about His beloved children like a mother hen who gathers her chicks under her wings to protect them from harm…“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:37-39).

Immediately I began to sense the connection God was bringing from the past into our present time. The truth hit me like a sharp arrow piercing my heart and I began to weep as I heard Him say something like this...

Now I began to understand more clearly the prophetic call on my life to intercede for people God placed on my heart in order that generational strongholds of unbelief might be broken… Through this supernatural opening of a “locked door” God revealed that as we chose to “stand in the gap” and intercede for His beloved children in the church, He will supernaturally open the “locked door” of many a hard heart... People who were once offended by the manifestations of the gifts will be freed to embrace the blessings of the new covenant gospel and walk in the fullness of the Spirit.

As I remembered how God had supernaturally opened a locked jail door for Peter, and now a locked restaurant door for me, I wondered... "Was it easier for God to supernaturally open a locked jail door, and a locked restaurant door than it is for Him to supernaturally open the “locked door” of a hard heart?

Nothing is impossible with God! He will supernaturally open the “locked door” of every hard heart in order to reveal His agape love to us. But it is our choice to repent of the hardness of our hearts and welcome Him in...

I Choose the Appointed Time

By Hazel Holland

Originally I was immensely blessed when I received this word from the Lord on April 24, 1996. I must have stashed it away in my computer files and forgotten about it... until now. Since God's words are timeless I sense that I am supposed to post it now so that you can also be encouraged and blessed as I was when He gave it to me. Know that it is God's appointed time for you to read this love letter from Him right now...

"The Father has invested in Me, His Son, the Scepter of total authority. (Num.24:16-17) Because all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matt.28:18), because "I AM the Head" (Col.1:8), because I have been "exalted to the right hand of God" (Act.2:33), because I am the Incarnate Scepter of the Living God, and everything has been placed in My hands, I choose to share the power of My throne with you, My redeemed child.

"Like Esther, you have been received into the King's favor. (Es.5:2) I extend to you My Scepter of authority, because I love you, and you have chosen to live and pray in My name. Reach out, like Esther, and touch Me, Your Scepter. Reach out and touch My authority so that your needs and fears may be overcome. For I AM touchable. I know your feelings and needs. I AM sensitive to your pain, your grief and your loss.

Reach out, today, and live in the name of the Scepter. For in Me you can rise above all the powers, and the dominions of darkness that seek to drag you down, and defeat My purpose, in and for you. As you reach out and touch Me, every power represented in My name, is now at your disposal. "Therefore, you can come boldly to My throne of grace in your need for guidance, for healing from grief, and for every weakness." (Heb.4:16) By My mightiness, even the most frightening, confusing, or demanding obstacles will be removed from your pathway. "I AM building up. I AM preparing the road. I AM removing the obstacles out of the way of My people!" (Is.57:14) "I choose the appointed time.

"I live in a high and lofty place, but also I live with you, My child, who is contrite and lowly in spirit. "I will revive your spirit of brokenness, and bind up your broken heart." (Ps.147:3; 34:17-18) "I will restore you to health and heal your wounds." (Jer.30:17) "My unfailing love surrounds you because you trust in Me." (Ps.32:10) "In Me is the fountain of life; in My light you will see light!" (Ps.36:9) Because I AM Sovereign, "I choose the appointed time.

"I will give you peace in the midst of uncertainty. Just as I used Israel as My "war club," and My weapon to overthrow and destroy My enemies (Jer.51:20), just as I used Job's testimony to weed out and expose, the unfaithfulness of his friends, so I am using the testimony of your life as an instrument to overthrow the enemy. "I choose the appointed time.

"Like Job, I have emptied you so that I can fill you! (Job 1:21; Ru.1:21) "I will bless the latter part of your life more than the first." (Job 42:12) "As you delight in My name, and meditate upon Me day and night, you shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, which yields it fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever you do will prosper." (Ps.1:2-3)

The fruit of your life will be in proportion to the depth that your roots seek out and drink in the Stream of Living Water. "Feast on Me and the abundance of My house, and I will give you drink from My river of delights. For with Me is the fountain of life; In My Light you will see light." (Ps.36:9)

My beloved child, I AM pleased with you as you stand in My court before My throne. "For My throne will last for ever and ever; a Scepter of justice will be the Scepter of My kingdom." (Ps.45:6) Reach out and touch the tip of My Scepter that I am extending to you. (Es.4:2) "You have been called to this royal position as a priest in my kingdom for such a time as this." (Es.4:14) Because I AM God, "I choose the appointed time."

Called to Weep & Laugh in Intercession

By Hazel Holland

Several years ago as I was praying for people God had placed on my heart, I was suddenly overcome with great joy. The weeping I had experienced as I sought God’s heart on their behalves was replaced by a tidal wave of exuberant laughter that felt strangely warm and wonderful. It was like nothing I had ever known before.

Immediately the Lord directed me to turn to Psalm 126. As I read the following verses I sensed that God was giving me a foretaste of the anointing of joy that will come upon the bride of Christ as the final harvest comes in.

“When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O Lord like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:1-6).

Many months later I realized that God had also given me these verses of Scripture as a prophetic word for the book I was writing ("The Naked Truth: Exposing the Deception of Adventism" ). He was giving me a foretaste of His joy in order to encourage me to stand at my post as a “watchman on the walls” of the church, particularly the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. He had called me to pray and intercede for the “release of the captives” that He had shown me in a vivid prophetic dream in the spring of 1996. Although weeping would last for a night, I knew abundant joy was coming in the morning.

At times over the past twelve years when I was tempted to lose hope of getting the book finished, I would remember this Scripture and I would be driven to spend more time on my face seeking God’s heart. In some of my most difficult moments of discouragement, it seemed like the oil of joy would be poured over me again, and I would be filled with that same exuberant laughter as I remembered that “the joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). The Lord is going to bring back the captives to Zion. Many hurting, broken and discouraged people who have been in bondage to old covenant teachings will be delivered and set free. By the power of His Spirit God will fill their mouths with exuberant laughter, and loose their tongues with songs of great joy.

Although I previously knew nothing about intercession, God began to teach me through His Word how He wants to release the life-birthing energies of the Holy Spirit through our prayers of intercession in order to bring into being the desires of His heart.1 As I daily submitted myself to His love and immersed myself in His Word, God began to give me more of His heart of compassion and love for His children, especially His SDA children.

I was amazed to discover that in the New Testament every believer is called to be a priest. Every believer is called to come before God on behalf of someone else as an intercessor. Intercession is not a special gift that God gives a chosen few. No. It is the privilege of every believer in Jesus Christ to intercede as we experience the heart of God toward those for whom He calls us to pray.

Down through the ages the Scriptures reveal how God has continually sought to find intercessors through whom He could share the secrets of His heart for His often-wayward, yet beloved children. Through many prophetic voices that have spanned centuries of time, God has consistently sought to guide, instruct, encourage, warn and bless His people.

Somehow through our intercession, God’s Spirit continues to be released to shatter the strongholds of the enemy that continue to dull and blind many people’s minds and hearts to the gospel of Jesus Christ. People who formerly walked in “darkness” are now being called to walk as children of light (1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 5:8).

Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah as he expresses God’s heart for His children to be freed from bondage. “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch… I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes Her the praise of the earth” (Isaiah 62:1, 6-7).

As intercessors we are being called to grab a hold of God's promises and speak them back to God as we stand in the gap on behalf of others. For those who have no voice, for those who don’t know that God loves them, for those who think they don’t need God, we are being called to lift up our voice like a trumpet and proclaim the truth of God’s love over them. The light of His presence will shatter the dark strongholds of the enemy that blind many minds to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We already know that God is faithful to perform what He has already promised because He already knows those who are truly His.

Over the past twelve years I have continued to experience loud crying or soft weeping as God’s heart of compassion and love is poured out through my prayers of intercession. At times I double over like I am in pain when I experience a yearning in the heart of God calling me to intercede for a particular person or to pray for an entire group of people. Often these physical manifestations of the Spirit are not understood by the people around me. Sometimes people think I am upset about something and cannot control my sadness, but that is not what is happening.

The anointing that comes upon me when God gives me His heart to pray for a particular person or situation is not something I have any control over. It is totally outside of me. Sometimes His presence on me is manifest in weeping travail and at other times in hilarious laughter. Neither of these manifestations of the Spirit are something I have sought after or am particularly comfortable with, especially when God uses them in a public setting.

The weeping (travail) that comes upon me at times is because I am experiencing God’s tears, or God’s heart of compassion, or God’s words for those He wants to touch with His healing presence. As broken as we are, we have been broken for blessing so that He can use our bodies as His living sacrifices through whom He can pour out His heart so that someone else can receive God’s heart of love for themselves personally. If we as intercessors obediently give ourselves to God for His glory, He will be found by those He desires to draw to Himself.

Initially, the manifestation of laughter that would come upon me at times when I was called to intercede for a given situation would totally catch me off guard. I would be embarrassed to death by my hilarious uncontrollable laughter. To the casual observer it sometimes appeared that I was trying to get attention. Sometimes it appeared to others that I was being irreverent and disrespectful to God, as well as to the people around me who were all so seriously engaged in quiet prayer.

But all I could do was break out in absolute side-splitting laughter. I couldn’t utter a word of explanation as to what was going on in my spirit. But I knew that while I was laughing, God was proclaiming that He had already won the victory. I was joining Him in His celebration of deliverance even before I saw it manifest in the lives of the people I had been called to pray for.

Then God began to reveal to me through the Scriptures what this manifestation of laughter was all about… What a relief! Because so many of God's beloved children continue to trust in the bondage of their “good” works that are motivated by old covenant teachings, God is actively seeking to draw our attention away from the old order of things to the new order of things—the victory of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

“Show and Tell”

In order to get our attention and help us understand the difference between these two covenants that are spoken about in Galatians, God, is using a very familiar teaching technique. I used to use it frequently with my learning handicapped students when I was a special education teacher. If they could “see” it as well as hear me “tell” about it they had a better chance of learning what I was trying to teach them, especially because of the element of surprise that always accompanied my lessons. I’m talking about “show and tell.”

God is doing a similar thing here with these covenants. He’s contrasting Ishmael (representing the old covenant) with Isaac (representing the new covenant). He’s pitting children who are born of the flesh and destined to be slaves (Ishmael), against children who are born of the Spirit and destined to be free (Isaac). In essence Paul is saying, “Which covenant would you rather be under”? Do you want to be a slave or do you want to be free?

To bring the message home even further I learned that Isaac means, “laughter.” So the laughter that God is bringing upon His children is the laughter of His promised blessing in the new covenant! It’s the laughter that comes from the throne of the Son of God who has conquered the enemy and won the victory for all of us! It is the hilarity of the new covenant gospel that tells how His victory has become ours!

Have you been unknowingly living under the Ishmael blessing for most of your life like so many of us have? Would you like to experience the freedom that comes from entering into the Promise of the new covenant gospel…the hilarious laughter of Isaac?

You cannot manufacture the laughter that is born of the Spirit. You can only receive it as you choose to receive Him and enter into His new covenant promise of rest. Then He will fill your mouth with laughter, and your tongue with songs of great joy as you shout about the great things that God has done for you. His laughter will be good. His laughter will be like good medicine to your weary soul!

1 Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer: The Lightning of God, p. 33.

Sound the Trumpet!

By Hazel Holland

This is a word I originally received on April 4, 1996. I just found it stashed away on my computer... The Lord told me to post it today so that you would be encouraged and blessed by His faithfulness to you... It has not gone through the final phase of editing that I like to do with writing because I was having a hard time with all the quotation marks... whether to include or not include and so forth. So here it is...

Almost a hundred years after the return of the first exiles to Jerusalem, God called Nehemiah to lead the people in the difficult task of rebuilding the city walls. Those Jews who had survived the exile had returned home to Jerusalem, only to find its walls had been broken down, and its gates destroyed by fire. Jerusalem lay in ruins, vulnerable and exposed to the nations around her. But in the midst of her trouble and disgrace, God had a plan to restore the ancient ruins!

Just as Nehemiah led a Jewish remnant in repairing and rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, so today, the Holy Spirit is leading a remnant body of believers to become one in the Spirit and allow God to restore the image of His Son in their lives. Today, in the mist of her trouble and disgrace, God has a plan to restore His beloved church!The Lord says, "The work of rebuilding what has been torn down by your forefathers is extensive. It is spread out over the land. Although you are widely separated from each other along the wall, you are not separated from Me. Stay in Me, and I will remain in you. For I am the Vine, and you are the branches" (Neh.4:13-22; Jn.15:4, 5).

The Lord says, “The task of rebuilding will not be easy, because your enemies will be greater from within your walls than from without. Your enemies will be from your own household of faith. Fear not, for the One that is within you is greater than the one that is in the world. And I have overcome the world. Any weapon formed against you will not prosper. For My faithfulness will be your shield. I Am your Cover from the Tempest, and your Refuge from the Storm." (Neh.5:1-13; Matt.10:36; 1 Jn.4:4; Jn.16:33; Ps.91:4; Ps.115:11; Is.54:17; Is.25:4).

“As you repair and restore the ancient ruins, by lifting up the ‘Stone that the builders rejected,’ remember that I Am the ‘Repairer of Broken Walls;’ I Am the ‘Restorer of Streets with Dwellings!’ I am the ‘Chief Corner Stone’ that has now become the ‘Head of the corner!’ Because ‘I have engraven you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.’” (Is.58:12; 1 Pet.2:6; Is.49:16).

“As you sound the trumpet, I will fight for you. As you work, keep your armor on at all times. Keep your sword drawn and ready. Oil your shield. Raise the Banner of Jehovah-Nissi. Raise it high for the nations will come to Me. By faith, take the bow in your hand and shoot! Shout, ‘This is the Lord's arrow of Victory!’ (Neh. 4:18-22; 2 Ki.13:17).

Individually and corporately, the Lord is saying to His remnant body of believers, "I will build you up again, and you will be rebuilt, O virgin bride" (Jer.31:3). "I will restore you to health and heal your wounds ... you will be rebuilt on your ruins" (Jer.30:7, 18). "I will raise up the former devastation’s, and I will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.” Is. 6:14)

Yes, in the midst of our devastation God brings restoration! If you are going through a desert right now and you are experiencing the bleakness of depression, or are unable to see any fruitfulness in your life, remember God has not forsaken you. Because of His love and compassion for you, His beloved bride, He has led you into the desert to teach you many things. While you are in the desert He will be there in the desert of your life. God promises to give you back your vineyards (Hos.2:14-15). He promises to make you fruitful in the land of your suffering (Gen. 41:52). Remember… He led you into the desert. If you are walking through the Valley of Achor (trouble), the place of your deepest wounding, God has provided for you a "door of hope." Because of your restoration... you will sing as in the days if your youth” (Hos. 2”15).

Many of us today are "former devastations" that the Lord has freed from the yoke of bondage and oppression. He has raised us up to be His joyful servant warriors for the final Harvest!

By laying the axe to the hidden roots of our individual and generational curses and sins, God is taking care of our structural foundations. He knows that any cracks in our foundations will inevitably weaken and endanger the stability of the walls upon which they rest. By pulling out the roots and sealing up the cracks with His divine corking, He is ensuring that our walls will stand firm in Him. Any weapon formed against us by the enemy will not prosper. Since the enemy goes for our vulnerable places, all fractures and cracks must be sealed by the blood of the Lamb, so that we will stand firm on the Rock, and refuse to collapse under the enemy's attacks. For there is no other foundation on which to build!

Because the Lord is building the house, because the Lord is building His temple in us, He is a thorough and detailed Workman. He begins at the very foundation of our lives, checking for cracks that could mar His temple; that could prevent His glory from being revealed in us! For He has promised that "the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house" (Hag.2:9). The righteous will "shine forth as the sun" (Matt.13:43)!

Today, the Holy Spirit is calling His remnant body of believers, to repair the broken down walls of the church. We are His church! Although true believers are scattered throughout the nations, the Holy Spirit will bring them together as one body connected under Jesus Christ who is their Head. They will be joined together; unified in mind and purpose to finish the work God has called them to do.

The Lord is saying, "Sound the trumpet in Zion, and I will fight for you! Give me an undivided heart so that you will walk in My Truth, and glorify My name." (Neh.4:20; Ps. 86:11) I have called you to prepare the way for My Coming. I have chosen you to make My paths straight. I have anointed your eyes to see so that you can remove the stones from the highway. I have healed you so that you can "produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matt.3:3; Is.62:10; Matt.3:8)

I will be the Flame that burns within you, and the Wall of Fire that surrounds you. "I will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire," as you lift up My Righteousness, higher than its ever been lifted before. I will strengthen your hands, so that they will not get weak from the work. I will strengthen your heart against your surrounding enemies. "I will enlarge the place beneath your feet."

Eventually, your enemies will lose confidence when they see that the work you are doing is My work. "For I will clear My threshing floor. I will gather My wheat into My barns. I will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Neh.6:9,15-16; Ps.18:36; Matt.3:11,12)

"But for you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat and leap like calves released from the stall. Your sorrow will be turned into joy and your mourning into a day of celebration. For the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Mal.4:2; Est.9:22; Neh.8:10).

My bride, My beloved one—keep your eyes on Me and "I will not let your enemies triumph over you. No one whose hope is in Me will ever be put to shame." For I am the "Stronghold of your life," therefore you have nothing to fear.

I will give you a "sign of My goodness so that your enemies may see it and be put to shame." (Ps.27:1; 86:17) "I will create Jerusalem (the church) to be a delight, and its people a joy. I will set you as a seal upon My heart. For My love for you is stronger than death. I am enthralled by your beauty. Honor Me for I am Your Lord!" (Is. 65:18; SS.8:6-7; Ps. 45:11). "I rejoice over you, My bride, for I will make you the praise of the earth. You are awesome as an army with banners, fair as the moon, clear as the sun. You will shine like the brightness of the sun; like the stars forever. You will sparkle like jewels in My hand, for I will be your glory!" (Is.62:7; S.S.6:4,10; Matt.13:43; Zech.2:5; 9:16,17).

"Respect, honor and give glory to Me alone. For the hour of My judgment is come. Worship Me, for I made the heavens and the earth. I am the Alpha and Omega. I am He who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Do not fear, for I have taken away your filthy garments. My glory shines within you, because you are clothed with My rich, white robe." (Rev.14:7; Rev.1:8; Zech.2:4).

"Behold, I am your Bridegroom. I am ready to receive you. Trim your lamps and come out to meet Me! I can hardly wait to embrace you, My Bride, My darling. The wedding banquet is prepared for you. Come, My beloved sons and daughters! I am the Lord, Your Righteousness! My Victory is yours!" (Matt. 25:6-10; Rev. 19:7-9; Jer. 33:16)