"Mary's Prophetic Journey"

Luke 1:38 - Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Our prophetic history with God is a never-ending cyclical journey. We each have seasons with prophetic revelation, spiritual warfare leading to the wilderness, the ho-hum of ordinary life and times of ministry, which take you to the cross. These sequences into periods of resurrection make us carriers of the glory as we pass through persecution and the firings of life. Then, the never-ending cycle begins again with seasons of renewal and visitations.

One incredible biblical example of this is Mary, the mother of Jesus. So often we think of her as a 15-year old riding off on a donkey to facilitate the Christmas story, but let's look at the tapestry of her whole life. Just like us, she was on a prophetic journey, cloaked in mysteries that unraveled gradually.

Mary's radical visitation with Gabriel's stunning announcement - Elizabeth's Magnificent - involved angelic choirs serenading country shepherds, the Magi's trek from the East bringing gifts, Anna and Simeon's testimony at the temple, radical impartation, and constant divine orchestrations. It all died with His shattered body at Golgotha, only to be resurrected. So let's begin this wonderful journey.

A radical visitation came one night when the angel Gabriel came to Mary. "Me, can you imagine?" Mary thought! She was young and simple . . . a Jewish girl living in poverty in the little town of Nazareth. What did she have to offer anyone, especially Almighty God?

His voice filled her whole room and she was terrified. "Greetings, you who are highly favored among women. The Lord is with you." He told her not to fear and that she would give birth to the Messiah. Mary cried out, "Yes, Lord, let it be unto me according to Your word."

The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. A radical impartation of the fiery seed of the Father pierced her womb and impregnated her with Jesus. This ushered in the Messianic Age and it was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies and the Law.

Mary possessed a heart of devotion and child-like faith. She was a sovereign vessel chosen to be the mother of Jesus, yet the Bible never indicates that she moved in miracles. She simply said, "Yes, Lord, let it be done unto me, according to Your word," and it changed her life forever. That's why we can all be like Mary. Her life was a tapestry of prayer, purity and humility.

Do you want a visitation? Do you cry out, "Lord, I want to be like Mary! I want to be radically overshadowed by the Holy Spirit to bring revival. Lord, I want to be your intercessor, impregnated with your purposes"?

There is a price behind the anointing. There is a stigma. Birthing the things of the Spirit is messy and revival is controversial. Are you willing to be a manger and birth Jesus, or are you one who says, "There's no room in the inn"?

Prayer: Lord, I, like Mary, want to be radically overshadowed by Your Spirit and impregnated with Your purposes. No matter what the cost, no matter what others think, I say to You, "Let it be done unto me!"

Matthew 2:16 - "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under."

"In the middle of the night, Joseph shook me violently. He was terrified, crying, ranting about Herod wanting Jesus dead and leaving town -- now. He grabbed Jesus and was out the door before I could even understand. We left everything behind that night, no explanations, no good-byes. Fifteen minutes and life as we knew it was over. I looked back one last time as I left my hometown. I didn't know we would be in hiding for years," Mary thought.


When Jesus was born, the Kingdom of God invaded Earth

Why did King Herod feel so threatened by an unassuming little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes tucked in a manger in Bethlehem? We must realize that this is much more than merely Herod persecuting the Jews in the natural. Rather, when Jesus was born, the Kingdom of God invaded earth. Therefore, this was a confrontation with a supernatural clashing of two governmental powers. The kingdom of God broke forth on earth, and Satan knew it. So, in rage, the demonic retaliated in order to kill Jesus before He could fulfill the will of the Father. Suddenly, when the appointed time came, Satan responded with vengeance.

Satan goes after the move of God in its infancy, when it's most vulnerable. Jesus' birth necessitated an escape from Herod's slaughtering army. They were given divine strategies and were hidden in the enemy's camp, Egypt.


The greater your call and destiny is, the greater the spiritual warfare

When you have had radical encounters, profound prophetic words, and visitations from the Lord, the enemy then wants to snatch the seeds of your destiny before this word can be planted and established. The greater your call and destiny is, the greater the spiritual warfare.

So expect an onslaught of attack because the enemy wants to abort your prophetic promises. But when Jesus moves radically in your life, it will birth revival and renewal. This, in turn, always brings shaking in every arena of our lives � relationships, jobs, ministries, and anything that is dear to your heart. When the stirrings of revival are being birthed, it rouses the demonic realm to challenge the status quo. Often those closest to us will be the first to cast stones, and the enemy uses unexpected people to shoot arrows into our hearts.


Heavy battle is a good sign you are a threat!

But be encouraged, beloved, the enemy doesn't waste his time. If you don't make Satan nervous by your radical abandonment to Jesus, perhaps you should re-evaluate your choices. So if you are in a heavy battle, be encouraged the enemy must really consider you a threat!

Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom and strategies to escape the Herod's of my life and wait upon the fulfillment of the prophetic promises of my life. Help me to follow Your lead, and teach me to only fight the battles You have called me to. I am willing to find refuge, even in the wilderness. Help me to know when to withdraw and when to fight. I want to be so hidden in You that I am invisible to the enemy.


Jill Austin
Master Potter Ministries
www.masterpotter.com
info@masterpotter.com

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