Oceans in the Desert

By Kathi Pelton

There are a lot of alignments, refinements and redefining things happening in God’s people right now. Though we know that these things are necessary for what God is about to do, they can leave us feeling unsure and even confused.

I am finding that it is more important than ever to take a deep breath and just align my trust and confidence in God alone. Sitting at His feet and laying my life before Him is a daily occurrence. Through more than thirty years of walking in the prophetic movement I have little doubt that I have picked up some negative cultural baggage along the way. I have also gained wisdom and insight that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t walked this path. Discerning what is good and what is unnecessary (baggage— or a yoke) can be bit hard to distinguish. I find that I am pressing into the Word of God like never before for wisdom and alignment.

The one thing that I am sure of is this— the enemy is wanting to bring many from the fear of the Lord (confident trust in Him) into the fear of deception or the fear of being deceived.

The enemy wants us to throw the baby out with the bathwater but God is cautioning us to be aware of extreme thinking.

This is a time to allow Him to search us and know us— for Him to purify and heal— for Him to align us with truth and integrity— and for Him to define and refine His Church. It is a time to be still and lay it all at His feet as He does the work that needs to take place. His plumb line brings balance while fear will give way to extremes.

Though it is tempting to overly examine what “has been” and question what was actually the Lord moving and what was flesh, I believe that too much personal examination will lead us to “throw the baby out!” I have no doubt that there have been moments and movements that were filled with His Spirit being poured out— but it was poured out on flesh and often we camped in these excitement of these moments rather than in Him which caused the flesh to take over what the Spirit was doing.

Thirty years ago most of us were young and inexperienced. We were excited and energetic. We were like children that were opening the best gift but hadn’t fully read the instructions on how to use it. Some used it for personal gain but most of us just wanted more of Jesus. If God is preparing for another outpouring, maybe He is getting maturing us to know how to receive it and how to test what is Him and what is not.

I am finding it so helpful to pray these words, “Lord, extract the precious from the worthless, the holy from the profane.”

He is able to separate the baby from the dirty bathwater without harming the baby. As we patiently wait for Him, He will lift us out of the mire without bringing harm or allowing us to quench His Spirit.

“I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair,out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.”
Psalm 40:1-2

God is not calling us to reject or quench His Spirit out of fear of “flesh” but He is calling us to a higher standard that tests prophesy and discerns what is good and what is not. I remember a lot of years where if there was manifestations of the Spirit upon someone who prophesied, the Church stopped testing those prophecies. Excitement overwhelmed discernment. As some of these things now come to light we need to be more careful than ever that we do not allow the pendulum to swing the opposite way as to cause us to quench the Spirit.

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19–22

We are being prepared as His people! We don’t exactly know what we are being prepared for but we recognize this is a very intentional preparation time. It could be revival, a great harvest of souls, the outpouring of His Spirit on our sons and daughters, or even very difficult times— or all of the above. But it is important for us to cooperate with His Spirit during this preparation and not allow extremes to leave us unprepared and afraid.

Pray with me,

“Father, we lay ourselves— our lives, our gifts, our children, your Church before you. Extract the precious from the worthless— the chaff from the wheat. Bring your plumb line of truth— balance and keep us from fears that bring extreme reactions. We want to honor you Holy Spirit and and respond to you. We never quench you. We want to be mature and wise in testing prophesy— what is good and what is not. Prepare us to walk in the light and to be wise virgins as we wait for your return.”

Amen

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