From the desk of Steve Shultz:
This word by Chuck Pierce hit me so solidly. Though I have worked on forgiveness for years (and in fact I feel that forgiveness is even a gift of mine from the Lord), I nevertheless began to put new levels of this word and the forgiveness it talks about INTO EFFECT immediately with ALSO immediate results!
I pray you will do the same. God is up to something. Picture, as Chuck says, extending His heart to someone else that you do not deem worthy of receiving His heart.
I not only pictured it, but I found myself taking some action as well!
Wow! God is on the throne and He, as always, is VERY active and strategic!
Here are some awesome resources by Chuck Pierce. Please use them in GOOD HEALTH!
Blessings,
Steve Shultz
Chuck Pierce:
"FORGIVENESS! Breaking Open the New Day. Three Days at a Time!"
Dear Friends:
This is a time to seek the Lord. The last two days I have really pondered how to get us to the next place in Him and "Break Open Our New Day." This morning when I got up, it was very clear. Let's seek Him three days at a time until we get to the place where we are seeing the Spirit of God.
Present Ourselves Holy to the Lord
I saw this principle in Joshua 3:2-5, where God told Joshua, "So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, 'When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.' And Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.'"
The way the presence of God will manifest in days ahead is different than any way we have experienced Him in the past. The same situation was occurring here. The people and the leaders had been led by a cloud during the day and pillar of fire by night. Now they had to have the Ark of His Presence lead them in a new way.
The Ark had to go before them. They could not move until they could see the Ark moving first. To do that, they had to divorce themselves from things that were unclean, that had become familiar issues that had veiled their eyes, and they had to present themselves holy to the Lord.
What these next several days represent is just what I have described. If we do this, then we will get to the place where we SEE His GLORY breaking forth before us.
A friend of mine came to be with us during the Fourth of July weekend. She had been struggling with an issue in her life. She shared with me something that a prophetess once said to her: "Humble yourself. Empty yourself. Should you fail here, there will be no outpouring, no anointing."
I watched her humble herself and deal with the situation. I feel this is our first step in many areas. Therefore, let's begin these three days with understanding the power of forgiveness.
Asking For Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the key to seeing our life change, prosper and advance. This act of faith can be the most difficult for us to accomplish. The root of lack of forgiveness is usually rooted in fear and control and results in a hardness of heart. This also allows iniquity to enter through the door that the Lord has built for all of our future blessings (Genesis 4).
Ask the Lord to give you a picture of you humbling yourself and giving your humility to someone else. Picture yourself worshiping God in total submission and then extending His heart to someone else that you do not deem worthy of receiving His heart.
Mordecai Silver of Tree of Life Ministries says the following: "Mentally see yourself approaching someone and saying, 'I am sorry that I caused you pain. Please forgive me.' Rerun this picture in your mind over and over again. Feel a sense of strength and release at being able to do this. Each time you ask for forgiveness and find it difficult, you are building up your inner resource of courage."
And then there is the situation of those people in your life who have hurt or wronged you in some way, to whom you really do not feel led to extend forgiveness. Nor do you even feel that they are worthy to receive your forgiveness.
Remember Him. He just set His face like a flint, made it to Jerusalem, suffered the abuse for you and me, pleased the Father, and died for all of us to receive the opportunity to see the Father's love. He surprised the devil through His submission.
This gave Him the power to rise above death, hell, the grave, and impart to us the same ability to rise above any strategy of death, hell and the grave. His same Spirit can now live in us and give us the power to overcome. However, extending forgiveness is key to this power.
Jesus commanded us to forgive. He then breathed on us and imparted to us the authority to represent Him and forgive (John 20). This is the real issue of being apostolic. Those who lead in days ahead will be those who give others the opportunity to receive the Father's love.
Let Him touch your heart in a new way and separate out anything that would hinder you from experiencing His love and power. See a new day breaking in your life.
Three Days of Prayer
Day 1: Read Matthew 5:38-6:15. Pray the Lord's Prayer in a way that you have never prayed it before. Memorize this prayer.
Day 2: Read Matthew 7:1-12, Joshua 3, Isaiah 57:14-21. Write a definition of what humility means to you.
Sing a new song:
I will humble myself in Your sight
I will submit myself fully to You
Embrace me, empower me, and make me new
Let me resist my foe so I can see my path
And hear you say "Go."
Here I am Lord; I am ready to go!
Day 3: Read Matthew 8:1-4, Luke 17:11-19. Stop and ask the Lord, "Which leper am I? The worshiping leper? The healed leper? Or the whole leper?" Then meditate on John 20.
Let Him breathe on you in a new way.
Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion Ministries
