WHAT'S AHEAD FOR 1999?

By Wayne Barto

Note: To write to the person who gave this word, send email to: wfbarto@icx.net

On September 25, 1998 I awoke and drifted back off to a light sleep and "dreamed" in a semi-conscious state for some time. As I did, I seemed to be given a list of items or directives that I felt were issues that the Holy Spirit was giving me for the forthcoming year. I was making mental notes in my "half-sleep" state so that I could remember these items and then I was given a vision/dream concerning the country of India. I immediately awoke from this vision/dream and realized that I needed to begin to write this information down. As I began to write, the Holy Spirit added to what had been given in the sleep state. After writing this information down, I looked at the calendar and realized that I had been given this information almost exactly half-way between the advent of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - within what is known as the "Days of Awe". I submit the following for your consideration, judgement, exhortation, and correction.

THE YEAR OF THREE NINES

1. 1999 is the year of "three" - "nines". The number 9 represents a birthing process and a coming forth in the Spirit during the next year. That there are "3" nines indicates God's endorsement and a full revealing of His will to birth that which He has already conceived by His Spirit. Just as the human birth process takes 9 months to conceive, nourish in the womb, and give birth, so in this year of "three" - "nines", God is going to bring to birth the things of His

Spirit that He has already conceived and nourished in the womb of the Spirit. Expect this to happen in your life, your ministry, your family, your church, and in your community. The spiritual birthing will also be accompanied by a physical birthing "process" all around us. It will be the year for the beginning of real birth pangs. Just as in the natural physical birthing process there are shakings and convulsions, expect these to occur in the physical realm around us. Earthquakes and other instabilities caused by weather and natural phenomenon will increase notably. This increase will occur to the point that even many non-believers will notice the supernatural nature of these events and the fear of the Lord will begin to increase in the land. A shaking in the world system will also begin to occur. What the world has been sowing - they will begin to reap in the natural.

BECOME A LOVER OF MERCY!

It will begin to come forth in the economy, the food supply, health systems (plagues & diseases), employment and transportation. This is why it will be important that the church sow in righteousness and in mercy - for where we sow - we will reap! Become a lover of mercy - for those who love mercy will be shown mercy!

APOSTLES COMING FORTH

2. Over the next year, God will begin to bring forth the apostles. As He does this, the prophets that have already been brought forth will begin to be recognized by the Body and they will be confirmed. The prophets will form teams with the apostles to establish firm foundations built upon the chief Cornerstone Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of those who will be brought forth as apostles will not be those who we would have expected - and for that matter - ones who they themselves did not expect. God is looking for humility and those He can trust with His Spirit and His power. Those that are being called forth will "walk" into their calling through testing, trials and perseverance. Even as apostles of the New Testament were sent to go forth with the "good news", so must those who are being called go forth, walk into and grab hold of their calling. Many will be called but few will be chosen!

SEPARATION BETWEEN THE "CARNAL CHRISTIAN" AND THOSE WHO WALK BY THE SPIRIT

3. The Body of Christ will begin to hear about and experience more persecution within the church. Persecution will begin with those who are being called to walk in the power and purpose of the Lord. There will come a greater separation between the "carnal Christian" and those who are truly walking according to the Spirit. This separation will be "mirrored" by a greater distancing in the world between those who love the truth and those who are lovers of self. First the natural and then the spiritual. Isaiah 60:1-3 will become increasingly evident, clear and real to those that have eyes to see and ears to hear. Those who love and fear the Lord and are called according to His purposes will be given greater discernment of this truth and it will drive them even closer to the Lord that their feet might not slip.

A LOVE FOR MERCY--MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGEMENT

4. There will come upon those who love the truth a greater resolve to press into the God for everything - provision, shelter, protection, and all spiritual blessings. Along with this will come a love for mercy. As the judgements of the Lord begin to be evidenced by all the church - there will begin to arise a cry for mercy to triumph over judgement. Mercy - not only for their own lives, families, churches and communities, but also they will be given love from the Father in their hearts to cry out for mercy for the lost, the deceived, the broken, the hurting and all the captives of the enemy. This cry for mercy will be a "gift" from the Lord and will born of the Spirit. It will increase as we submit to the Lord's call and it will be a revelation of the Father's heart in us.

THE YEAR OF THE "SECOND CHANCE"

5. The next year will also be a year of the "second chance". God has not put anyone on the shelf nor has He forgotten or forsaken anyone. Many have thought that they blew it and lost the call of God and are no longer usable to the Lord. God is waiting eagerly to show them how wrong they are! Your "second chance" that you gave yourself is not the Lord's second chance. We can't fathom the depths of the Lord's second chance. Some have felt that they truly took the wrong road and path in their life and that there is no way to get back on the right path. The Lord says that "All roads lead to Rome!" By this He is saying that the road that you are on will lead to your destiny if you will submit to Him and be led by the Spirit. Just as the Apostle Paul was required to go to Rome (and it seemed like the wrong road to all that were around him!) so will many be led to their own "Rome" as they submit to the leading of the Spirit. But the Lord says "take your eyes off the road and lift them up and unto the hills from whence cometh your help". Just as Paul suffered many things to fulfill his destiny - so have many in the Body suffered along the path and road that they're on - but nevertheless the road will lead to "Rome". That is the fulfillment of your destiny. Believe in the "second chance"!!

DON'T SAY, "I CAN NEVER CHANGE!"

6. Repentance WILL come to those who lay hold of it. Never give up on confessing your sin. Never stop feeling sorry - for Godly sorry leads to repentance! Never say "I can never change!" or "This is the way this must always be!". The Lord is looking for those who will refuse to let sin rule and will not tire of pressing into the fullness of His delivering presence. Besetting sin, habits, ways of life, unwholesome talk, criticism and accusation will fall - but the Body of Christ must press into repentance. Suddenly the Lord will come to His temple and overturn the tables in our lives. The Body of Christ is the temple of God! He wants to overturn the tables that have been set against us all our life - but we must stay in that place of repentance! Repentance is hard work - it's humiliating, it's feeling defeated, its feeling worthless - of no value, totally sinful and helpless - but the Lord is looking for (in fact His eye is searching for) those of this repentant Spirit to show Himself strong on their behalf. 1999 will be a year of repentance - continual and repeated repentance - but there is great reward for those who will press through. The Spirit of the Lord says "Repent - for the Kingdom of God is at hand!"

WORSHIP WILL TAKE ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE COMING YEAR---REPENTANT WORSHIP!!

7. Worship will begin to take its rightful place in the coming year. Repentant worship will become a term that we will begin to hear and understand. We have been good at praise and charismatic worship - but repentant worship will become necessary for we will begin to hunger for His glory and manifest presence more and more! As we worship at His footstool and give Him his rightful due - He will reveal Himself to us - that we might know Him and the fellowship of His sufferings. This is the honor for those who have been called by His name. The Body will truly be made one with Him and be transformed by beholding His glory - from glory to glory! Expect to become a part of repentant worship in the coming year as the Spirit is allowed to lead us in our services! Expect to begin to hear about meetings where the cloud of His presence arrives and people spend hours on their faces before Him!

THE YEAR FOR REVELATION OF THE ROLE OF ISRAEL

8. A greater revelation and understanding of the intertwined purpose of the church and the role of Israel will begin to unfold in 1999. The Lord will increase the revelation of Himself to the Jew and many will believe. The church must come to a new and fresh understanding of their place in the coming forth of Messiah in Israel and in the revealing of Yeshua as Messiah to the Jew. Expect the Spirit to birth a new love for the Jewish people and for Israel within the church. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will sovereignly raise-up "Joseph's" within the church that will prepare the way - both in substance and in intercession - for what God is about to do with His people. The "north shall give them up and even Zion shall blossom again"! Speak grace to Israel and grace to Jerusalem - that the branch of Jesse would be re-grafted in and that the great richness of our heritage would be recovered, redeemed and married to the church!

INDIA WAS SHOWN IN THIS VISION -- AND A MUSHROOM CLOUD

9. As the Lord gave me these things - I was also shown a brief vision - which didn't necessarily fit in with any of the broad-based directives of the Spirit described above. I include it in this write-up only because it was given in the midst of the other directives I was receiving from the Spirit. In this vision I saw the country of India in which the whole country and its border was outlined and raised-up off the map so that it was prominent from those around it. Then I saw what appeared to be a large bomb or mushroom cloud develop over the country. This seemed to be in the northern part of the country. Suddenly the scene changed and I was in a room with a number of intercessors. I asked them if there was anyone from India or with that background who could "stand-in" as a representative and lead us in intercession for what was going on. An older woman come forth and carried a large fat purse with her. She took her purse and set it down with a loud thud on the counter-top next to where I was standing. As I stared at the purse, the Spirit gave me some understanding.

THE MOTHER OF INDIA

The woman was the "mother of India" a representative of the full extent of and measure of this country's idolatry and long-term relationship with false gods. The purse was stuffed full of junk and was very heavy and cumbersome. This represented the bondage and yoke of all the past false worship, idolatry and the many gods that have been given a place within this country's confines. The purse and all its baggage stood in the way of intercession and represented something that needed to be dealt with. The country raised-up in topographic relief from the rest of the map indicates that God truly wants to redeem and do something great in India. The bomb or mushroom cloud indicates that first judgement of the "gods", principalities and powers must take place to allow the full move of God to come forth and occur. The "high places" in India are towards the north where the Himalayan Mountains are located.

After I finished writing up this vision and interpretation, I looked at the local paper for that day. It contained headlines indicating that India had publically stated that they were willing to sign a nuclear test ban treaty with Pakistan pending the establishment of certain conditions and reciprocity. I believe that there may be more to this vision and this situation with India and Pakistan that the Spirit will reveal with time and that it should be a matter for intercession during the coming year.

PSALM 91 -- READ AND CLAIM IT OFTEN

Closing:

In 1999 the church must become a devotee of Psalm 91 - read and claim it often. Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as you see the "day" approaching. Become a discerner of the times and the seasons. No man knows the day or hour but it is given unto us to know the times and the seasons so that we will not be caught unawares.

Be faithful in communion or "common union" - do this often in remembrance of Me says the Lord - proclaim My death until I come! There is power in My blood - I choose to show forth My power in My Body - you are My Body - I need you - you need Me! I will never, never, never forsake you or leave you - you are the sheep of My pasture and I stand watch over you to guide you and lead you. Listen to My voice, listen to My voice - for I will surely lead in the way everlasting!