From the desk of Steve Shultz:
Nic Billman is a new writer to the ElijahList. He and his wife are youth and worship pastors at First UMC, and Nic is a student and the worship leader at the Global School of Supernatural Ministry. His article and the testimony he shares will deeply move you. Nic shares an encounter he recently had with Jesus placing him at "Still Waters" and then asking him the question, "Do you desire restoration?"
The NOW words we have heard more and more in this season are "Restoration and Redemption." That is on God's heart for us in this hour. Read this article by Nic and be encouraged for restoration in your own life. Receive it!
Here are a couple of Music CDs I highly recommend. One is Nic Billman's brand new CD Anthem and one is by our very own Peter Spencer with his newest CD Restoration:
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Anthem
by Nic Billman
Music CD or Download
$16.00
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$11.99
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Restoration
by Peter Spencer
Music CD or download
$15.00
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$9.00
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Blessings,
Steve Shultz
Nic Billman:
Jesus Took Me to Still Waters and Said, "Do You Desire Restoration?"
"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
"'For as the rain comes down, and the snow from Heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'"—Isaiah 55:8-11
We often make the declaration, "The word of the Lord does not return void," and with that comes the assumption that it always accomplishes what it was set out to do. But is it possible that it just doesn't return to the Lord? I don't think so; it's not in the character of God to make a statement and not stick to His word. So where are those words that have not accomplished what they were sent to do, and are they accessible?
An Encounter with Jesus at the Reservoir of Still Waters
Recently during a time of worship at our house, I had an encounter with Jesus. We had been worshipping and praying for about two hours. I kept hearing the phrase, "Still waters," and I kept seeing a vast river of still waters in the spirit. Sensing the leading of the Holy Spirit, I pressed in to see what the Lord was trying to show me. Jesus took me to this place of still waters and said, "Lay down here"; so I laid down in the lush grass next to the waters. The location reminded me of the secret place—very peaceful and intimate with a clear path to revelation.
I laid there for a while in the peace of the moment, then the Lord said, "Do you desire restoration?" I answered, "Yes." He cupped His hands and dipped them into the still waters and let the water drip down onto me. As the water gently fell I could see that each drop was full of words, and as the drops hit me there was a refreshing and a stirring in my spirit.
I asked the Lord what was special about this water and what the words were. He said, "The still water is the reservoir of the words that I have spoken but have not yet accomplished their task."
I looked up in the Bible the Scripture that I knew mentioned "still waters": "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."—Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord began to show me how He "restores our souls" by renewing the words and plans He had for our lives which we never took hold of. In other words, God has dreams and desires for each of our lives, and there are certain seasons that we don't receive His word. However, His word always accomplishes what it was sent out to do, so those words are still available to you and me.
Testimony of Restoration
Decrees and promises of the Lord do not just fade away. He keeps them in storage for us until we are ready to receive them—much like the rain which soaks into the ground and eventually rises back into the air, but not until it has watered the earth and accomplished its purpose.
There is a recent example of this in my life with my brother. In 1998, he and I went to the Fresh Wind Youth Conference in Toronto. It was a powerful weekend in the presence of God and a great time of renewal for both of us. My brother had battled drug addiction for a few years at that point, and our relationship had been struggling. At the conference, however, I saw the Lord restoring our relationship and doing a work in us individually. God touched my brother in a mighty way.
We came back on Easter Sunday, went to church, visited with family and went home to rest. That evening around midnight, I heard my mother screaming for me to come. I ran into the hallway and saw my Mom in my brother's room sitting on the bed, holding him and slapping his face; there was a hypodermic needle laying on the ground next to his bed. Turns out the Lord had woken up my Dad and urged him to check on my brother. We were able to keep him alive until the paramedics arrived to take him to the hospital.
It was a crushing moment for me. However, I understood that the devil came at my brother full force after such a powerful weekend in the presence of God. From that day on I have kept the vision and memory I had of him at Toronto close to my heart, and oftentimes the Lord would remind me of that weekend in some of the horrible times that would come during my brother's battle.
A few years ago after years of jail, prison and addictions, he cleaned up his life and got married to a wonderful woman. He still wasn't really walking with the Lord though. But just a few weeks ago, I gave him a copy of our most recent Music CD, Anthem. He called me the next day and said, "I want that kind of passion." The Lord impressed upon my heart to share with him that he needed to stop believing the lie that because he overdosed, it relinquished all that the Lord had done that weekend in Toronto. He cried as we talked more about the Lord.
A few nights later I had the "still waters" encounter with Jesus, and He showed me that He had all of the words and visions for my brother stored up and He was going to accelerate those things in his life. I shared that with my brother and broke off the lie that he had missed out on what God had planned for his life. Over the next few weeks he was drawn into a deep level of intimacy with Jesus and is now on fire for the Lord and extraordinarily hungry for more of Him. Not to mention that our relationship is restored and better than ever. God has a great destiny for my brother, and what the devil meant for bad, God will work for good in his life!
Never Stop Believing God and His Promises
Certainly we all have loved ones in our lives that have strayed from the call and plan that God has for them. Sometimes the loved one is us. We must never give up on those people and never stop believing God and His promises. This all happened ten years after that weekend in Toronto. Ten years of prayer and intercession, ten years of visions and words, and ten years of crying out to the Lord. But God is faithful, and His word does not return void. Even the words that have not yet accomplished what they were sent to do, God has kept them in the reservoir of still waters.
As the Lord dripped the still waters on me, I was reminded of words, dreams and visions He had shown me years before that had been lost to me. He even showed me deep desires He has for me that had not been previously revealed, because some of the unaccomplished words were the keys to unlock deeper revelation.
I would encourage you to press in and ask the Lord to lead you to the still waters. It will create not only a refreshing restoration in your soul, but a holy stirring in your spirit, because God will be renewing dreams, visions and prophetic words for your life—and with that will come the excitement and passion to accomplish those dreams and visions. He is longing to lead you beside the still waters and restore your soul with the renewal of the words He has spoken over your life and the dreams and desires He has for you.
Nic Billman
Shores of Grace Ministries
Email: contact@shoresofgrace.com
Nic and Rachael Billman live in Central Pennsylvania with their three children: Christian, Forrest and Leila. They have two live worship albums currently available, Join The Angels and Anthem. Their third live worship album, The Invitation, was recently recorded and is due out in May. They are youth and worship pastors at First UMC, and Nic is a student and the worship leader at the Global School of Supernatural Ministry. They are moving to Brazil as missionaries in June of 2010 to start a ministry school through Global Awakening in Curitiba. God has placed a mandate on their lives and a burning passion in their hearts to help restore the prostitutes in Brazil to their rightful place as princesses and daughters of the King. They believe they will see prostitution in Brazil end in their lifetime.
Anthem
by Nic Billman
Music CD or Download
$16.00
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$11.99
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Randy Clark |
Endorsement by Randy Clark: "Nic Billman's new CD Anthem is a great blessing to worshipers, bringing them into the presence of God. By bringing both spirit led songs, and what will be considered timeless choruses, the listener is taken on a journey of hope, faith, and encounter. I highly encourage the Body of Christ to make this passionate recording a stable part of your worship life. Nic and his wife, Rachel, are ones that will pioneer worship for years to come with a 'John The Baptist' passion for the Lord." -Randy Clark, Founder and President, Global Awakening Ministries
Nic Billman |
Recorded live during a powerful night of worship in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Anthem is a combination of intimate love songs, prophetic decrees, and intercessory warfare.
This album is sure to strengthen your heart for intercession and lead you into inner chambers as you worship!
Track Listing:
- The Drawing
- Fragrance
- The One and Only
- You Are Everything
- How I Long For You
- Anthem
- Anthem Reprise
- The Violent Take It By Force
- The Rain Is Here
- Alleluia
- Waves
- Beautiful Exchange
- First Dance
- The Duet
.... (more)
You May Also Call Us With Your Order- 8am to 4pm- Pacific Time, Monday-Friday
1-866-354-5245 (USA) -OR- 1-541-926-3250
(Outside the USA) |
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Restoration
by Peter Spencer
Music CD or download
$15.00
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$9.00
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Peter Spencer |
"God's desire is for restoration! His heart is to RESTORE you; to bring you closer to Himself, to affirm and refresh you. These songs were all done in a prophetic, spontaneous flow as the Lord poured them through me. They are not mine in any fashion, and my prayer is that you will receive them as directly from Him. 'The Valentine' is especially close to my heart. My mother drowned this year and during my lowest time the Lord met me and poured this song into me. I literally went to the keyboard and played and sang it all in one sitting. It is His 'love letter' to you and me! May the Lord bring His restoration to your life as you are immersed in His love!" -Peter Spencer
.... (more)
You May Also Call Us With Your Order- 8am to 4pm- Pacific Time, Monday-Friday
1-866-354-5245 (USA) -OR- 1-541-926-3250
(Outside the USA) |
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