A Prophetic Encouragement  

Dec 30th 2007

The Lord has been speaking to me very clearly about intimacy with Him and about the season we are in. First of all as a covering word from the Song of Songs 2: 4 "He has taken me to the banqueting hall and His banner over me is love." I see His banner of love as a rainbow all the way from east to west across the sky, as vast as that; a symbol of God's unshakable covenant with us.

Song of Songs 2: 8-13
8 Listen, my lover! Look! Here he comes leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. 9 My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. 10 My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. 11 See winter is past; the rains are over and gone, 12 flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come. The cooing of doves is heard in our land 13 the fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vine spread their fragrance.

Arise, come, my darling, come with me.

The Lord's desire is for us to be intimate with him, but it is time to go with Him to run with Him to enjoy closeness with Him as He takes us to the hills, the high places of fellowship in him doing His will among the lost. Psalm 18: 32, 33 says "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights"

I recently had this word from Isaiah 52 after seeing the gate opening at the sheep pen in John chapter10 and the Lord saying that 'I want you to come out with me into the hills.'
Many sheep will want to stay in the confines and safety of the pen even after seeing that they are free to go out.
The adventurous ones who are zealous for the love of their Saviour and intimacy with Him will respond to the call to 'Arise come my darling come with me.'

Isaiah 52: 1, 2 says 'Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendour, O Jerusalem the holy city. Shake off your dust; rise up sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive daughter of Zion' and verse 7 'How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion "your God reigns!"'

It is a season to GO (after the discipling and training received in the sheep pen), in the power and intimate relationship with the Lord carrying the things of Isaiah 52:7 and instructions of Isaiah 42 9-11 which says 'You who bring good tidings to Zion go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift up do not be afraid, say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See the Sovereign lord comes with power and His arm rules for him. See his reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart, He gently leads those who have young.'

I believe entering into 2008 we are going to pass through many gates. These can be in the form of personal spiritual battles, the battles in a fallen world and all that Satan would do to stop the King of Glory passing through them. Isaiah 62:10 states 'Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.

Also a song sings the words 'Lift up your heads ye gates of brass, ye bars of iron yield, and let the King of Glory pass.' Declare to the strongholds 'Make way for the Lord.' There was a whole period in prayer recently when the songs from Graham Kendrick's march for Jesus era were in my mind all the time. It is the season of singing, marching and declaring 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord' To get victory, intimacy with the Lord is the key.

Now back to Song of Songs 2:11-12 '11 See winter is past; the rains are over and gone, 12 flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come. The cooing of doves is heard in our land 13 the fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vine spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling, come with me.

This season is like a spring season, everything in the Spirit is like spring even though it is mid-winter. The joy of spring, dancing along with the lover of your soul through the flourishing flowers and blossom is here now. Verse 12 says 'the season of singing has come.'

I encourage you to keep singing to the wells in this season as were are doing in town and various meetings around the town and we will see the Lord break down strongholds and produce fruit in peoples lives at the turn of the year.

I was in Swansea on the 23rd of December and saw a patch of daffodils in full bloom outside the seat of power, the County Hall in Swansea. The photo attached shows them.

'The cooing of doves is heard in our land' A while ago the Lord kept showing me doves resting upon peoples heads, like the anointing of the Holy Spirit coming to rest upon us. It came to mind that this was a gentle resting upon us. The resting dove could depart if it felt it wasn't resting on good ground.

I believe that up until now we have seen touches from heaven in events and personal times of prayer, but now I believe it is time for us to 'Walk in the abiding, resting continuous presence of God' which does not depart from us due to our frailties and lack of intimacy with the Lord.
The Godfrey Birtill song with 'Can your heavy glory rest on me?' has been eating away at me since the celebration.

The challenge I believe the Lord is setting us today is: are we willing to pay the price to have the Heavy Glory of God upon our lives every minute of every day?

13 the fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vine spread their fragrance.
The result of intimacy and walking in the glory of God is fruit, fruit, fruit.

So let us walk into all He has for us in this season, assured by His closeness and direction expecting it to be a joyous walk from glory to glory with our Saviour.

Andrew Morris