Times of Refreshing Series: What In The World Is Going On?

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets” –Acts 3:19-21, NIV

The Passion Translation renders it this way: “And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence. And he will send you Jesus, the Messiah, the chosen one for you. For he must remain in heaven until the restoration of all things has taken place, fulfilling everything that God said long ago through his holy prophets.”

Change is at hand! There is a shaking and unsettling that is occurring throughout the Church — as well as around the world. God is reestablishing His divine order — His Kingdom on the earth (Hebrews 12:25-29). God has been sifting and shifting His people — drawing them into their places to accomplish His ordained purposes. We must understand the times and seasons we are living in and learn how to maneuver through these uncertain times.

Twelve years ago starting in 2008, the Spirit of the Lord began speaking to me about establishing His Kingdom on earth. I was in prophetic training, so it wasn’t time for me to reveal what the Spirit was stirring in my heart. Maturing to become a prophet or a prophetic voice is a process that takes many years. This first occurred to me while reading The Elijah Task, by John Sanford. When I read, “It shall probably take no less than a dozen years” to make a man (prophet) of God,” I was astonished. This is also true for women prophets. That was twelve years ago for me. I dabble a little with Hebrew and Biblical numbers. The meaning of 12, which is considered a perfect number, is that it symbolizes God’s power and authority, as well as serving as a perfect governmental foundation. It can also symbolize completeness or the nation of Israel as a whole. [1]

I believe God is using this pandemic to get our attention, to bring the church and the nations to a place of repentance. That is not to say He created or sent this pestilence, but He is allowing it. If God is good and loving, why does he allow evil and suffering to exist? In the last several years we have witnessed wars and rumors of war, 911, earthquakes in divers places, destructive hurricanes and wildfires that have ravaged communities, unspeakable violence in many nations that have taken the lives of countless people. There are so many tragic stories, so much pain. And now coronavirus, a virulent pestilence that has already taken over 58, 000 lives worldwide. I cannot tell you why God allows pain and suffering. So when people ask about specific events and want to know why certain things happen, we won’t get the full answer in this world. As prophetic voices, we can only know in part what we sense the Lord is saying. All that we know now is partial and incomplete. –1 Corinthians 3:12

We cannot understand everything from our finite perspective. But there is hope! Jesus said, “And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!” –John 16:33 TPT

God’s will toward all is good. God is love. It is a love with which God desires to touch every life on the face of the earth. God’s supreme concern is righteousness and demands that we establish justice. You might wonder what do we need to repent of? I believe materialism, power, greed, pride, idols (entertainment, sports), religion, sinfulness, and issues within our hearts that have caused us to depart from Him and the fear of the Lord.

What is the fear of the Lord? A sense of respect, awe, and submission to His divine authority. Fearing God is good because it saves us from caving into our own sinful nature. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” If we are wise during times of uncertainty it is to our advantage because “through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.” –Proverbs 9:11-12

Beginning around 2011, the Spirit of the Lord impressed upon my spirit the need for a spiritual awakening. These posts are a call for the American Church to wake up and come out of religion and tradition and realize the urgency of the hour. I pray that as you read these posts they will stir you, awaken you, and put a fire and a hunger in you for revival and for the next great spiritual awakening.

God wants to bring hope in times of crisis. Public life has changed drastically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. In troubled times people lose their hope, and expectation of good. The plans and dreams to which they have given their lives can collapse or will have to be altered during these times. Often people feel God has abandoned them. Yet, the Lord wants to renew our hope! For hope is an anchor to the soul! –Hebrews 6:19

Let us continue to pray for all those on the frontlines fighting this battle everyday!

Blessings!

Dr. A

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