In May 2020, the Lord is saying "It is time to start gathering", but Stage 1 is to gather IN HOMES

The Lord is saying "It is time for the church to start gathering again" (the Revelation) but many are misunderstanding what that means at this time (the Application).

 

One prophetic voice had a powerful prophetic dream where he received a timeline for 2020. (Note: we must always "test" prophetic words)

 

To summarize the contents of that dream: 

1.     The first four months of 2020 (January-April) - REPENTANCE- Deep sorrow and contrition for sin.

2.     The second four months of 2020 (May-August) - RECOVERY- to return to a state of health, mind, and strength.

3.     The last four months of 2020 (September- December) - RECOMPENSE- compensation or reward for loss or suffering.

Note: April has just ended and so what is the "shift" that the Lord intends??  Read on.

 

I've been back in the United States now for about 3 weeks and during that time, I have been on the streets almost every day interacting with dozens and dozens of people in obedience to the mandate the Lord gave me to be a "FEAR Extinguisher" in the midst of this global COVID-19 pandemic.  You can read many of those stories here - https://joel2generation.blogspot.com/search?q=fear+extinguishing

 

At the same time, if we are honest, the prophetic voices (with a few rare exceptions) completely missed not only the coming of this pandemic but even when they started prophesying at the beginning of the Coronavirus, much of what they said did NOT come to pass!  And did any of them recant, retract or admit they missed it??  Sadly, that never seems to happen. Thankfully, some responsible prophetic voices like Patricia King, Stacey Campbell, and Daniel Kolenda have been honest about this - I encourage you to watch this. Here's that message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjL0Ou9YuPw&feature=youtu.be 

I am grateful for Patricia King and the humility she is demonstrating at this hour! May it be received.

 

A side question is, "Why have the prophetic voices been so inaccurate?" I really believe it is because God wants His Sheep to hear His voice PERSONALLY and to not be so dependent upon the prophetic giftings of others!  I know that in this season, I have been hearing from God in a way that I have never heard before. And oh, how we have needed it!

 

So, I am now based for a few months in California, one of the most toxic U.S. states with regard to religious freedom. And on the 1st of MAY, I began to hear the Governor saying that churches would not be able to open for as many as 4-6 months (I also read that he had said, 2-4 months in another setting.  

 

After I read that, ON MAY 1st, I was on a long prayer walk and the Lord spoke to me, "It's time to come home" and I KNEW that that meant the Lord wanted churches and/or Christians to begin gathering IN PERSON again, but NOT in large groups, not in their church buildings, but rather IN HOMES.  

A friend and Apostolic leader called me during my prayer walk, and as I was sharing with him what I heard the Lord saying, I hear the line from the movie The Wizard of Oz - "There's no place like home, there's no place like home" but the word 'home' becomes "homeS".  My friend on the phone sensed a total confirmation and a subsequent meeting (right after the phone call/prayer walk) with another prophetic/intercessor/pastor friend of mine also had a strong confirmation by the Holy Spirit that in fact, this is what God was/is saying.

 

Fast forward a few days and some major Christian leaders in California are beginning to call for the church to begin again with big church meetings. For example, one well-known pastor in a message entitled, "It's Time to Open Our Doors - A Word to the Church in Southern California" said he felt that the day to do that is Sunday, May 31st, Pentecost Sunday. Source: https://www.calvarycch.org/ 

 

I respectfully have to disagree.  Whereas I think God is clearly saying it is now time to begin gathering in person, He is NOT saying that that means in large meetings in churches.  Sadly, the backlash experienced by Rodney Howard-Browne's church, The River, when they met early on in the pandemic in Florida is not being considered which included death threats!  Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-pastor-says-he-got-death-threats-after-being-charged-n1175171

 

Forget the local law enforcement in our cities, many PEOPLE still controlled by fear will become so livid if the church resumes its meetings later this month, that I believe the experience of Rodney Howard-Browne's church will be oft-repeated for many churches in the weeks to come!  Not only that, but many other churches will be extremely angry with the churches that open.

 

So, we have a case of misunderstanding (the Application) the Lord's leading to "gather together".  And I 100% believe that God is saying that – and I believe it corresponds with the May 1^st shift in Jeremiah Johnson’s prophetic dream.  But the assumption is that that means for churches to go back to the "old wineskin" and simply do it like they had been doing it.  And that is where the word of the Lord is being MISapplied!

 

I have been ministering to many unbelievers in the past 3 weeks all over my part of Southern California and pastors who think that the time for big meetings is now, simply do NOT have a good read on the level of fear that is running rampant in this region today.  

 

Is it possible that God would lead some churches to push back for another reason, to be a "lightning rod" of sorts in order to stand up against an oppressive State Government that is clearly anti-Church?  Maybe. God can and does lead some to do unique things that He isn’t leading others to do at the time.

 

But for the majority of Christian leaders in California to start large gatherings NOW, I believe further reveals their disconnect with the vast majority of Californians.  Most California pastors have NOT BEEN where I have been in the past few weeks.  I have made the argument over and over again, that the streets are where they should have been.  

 

And on an evangelistic note, since I have been on the streets, with the people in California daily now for the past 3 weeks, I can testify that people are OPEN in a way that I have never seen or experienced before.  BUT be clear, if anyone, if any pastor, thinks that those "open people" are going to be willing to go to a large church meeting in the near future, they are deluded. Many will not go to ANY large gathering for months (not just a church gathering, but to ANY gathering) - but they would come to our homes!  They might sit away from the others who have gathered, but as the weeks progress, they will come closer, they will be delivered from their fear and they will find freedom in Jesus, the Prince of Peace!

 

So, let us begin to gather NOW in May, in the aforementioned time of "recover", but let our "Stage 1" be gatherings IN HOMES!  The Church, in the beginning, started in homes, and still today in many parts of the world, it thrives in homes. 

 

Let it be HOMES FIRST and CHURCH BUILDINGS SECOND!!

"There's no place like HOMES, there's no place like HOMES" 

 

...for such a time as this!

P.S. What I have written has NOTHING to do with fear, or "being wise" ("cautious"), etc. Or even about "obeying government", etc.  It has to do with what I believe God is saying and how God is leading at this time.  I have been called all sorts of things in the past couple of months for going out daily to pray for people, and to be with people.  And have also been accused of not being in compliance with governmental mandates (in both the Middle East and now, here in the U.S.) And for the record,  I would go TODAY to a large Christian gathering in a heartbeat without any hesitation if it was the time.  I simply don't want to be seeing the Church miss it once again!