INSPIRATION ROOM

Changed by beholding

Posted on July 11, 2010 by andre

This we know about the God of Israel: he longs to see all nations come back to the relationship we had with him before the fall. And He knows that unless He initiates action, it won’t happen naturally. He has to draw us to Himself. The nature of this relationship has to have at least the same grounds as the one we had in Eden.

But God was aiming beyond that: He will live out before our eyes the love relationship that exists within the Godhead, and provide redemption for all humanity by His death and resurrection. Then He will indwell us with His Spirit so that nothing would ever separate us again, calling us sons and daughters.

The Incarnation isn’t simply a theological concept to believe in, but a reality to be fully assumed, both on God’s part and ours. In Deuteronomy 6:4-6, Moses tells Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.”

God makes a covenant with Israel, and vicariously with all humanity. And the terms of this covenant are mutual. Without adding to the Scriptures, allow me to suggest the following declaration echoing from God: “Hear, O Israel: I, the LORD Your God, I am One. I love you with all My heart and with all My soul and with all My strength. These commandments that I give you today are upon My heart as well.”

– [Andre Lefebvre]

Posted in God's Faithfulness, Inspirational quotes, The Love of God, intimacy with God | Leave a comment

Prophetic Word for Soaking.Net

Posted on June 5, 2010 by andre

There is a God in heaven, who sends His thunder, who sends His rain
Lifting up all the prisoners, so they’ll dance in His joy again
I have beheld the wonder, of this kingdom of His praise
Where captives retrieve their innocence, and the dead rise from their graves!

And I’ll dance for you! I’ll shout for you, Daughter of Zion, Daughter of grace,
And He’ll run for you, and twirl for you, releasing healing in His wings

There is a God in heaven, and He alone treads the earth
The high places shake, when the morning breaks and He comes to give us birth
Ushering us in to a new day, to a dawn of rest in Him,
Bringing us forth in a new way, to be dancing in His arms again

And He’ll dance for you! He’ll shout for you, Daughter of Zion, Daughter of grace
And you’ll run again, ann you’ll twirl again, dancing in His praise
He wants you dancing in His praise.

So Lord let the prisoners go free!!
So Lord, let the blind eyes see.
Now Lord, come and bring relief
touching earth in victory -
mending Mary at Your feet

And we’ll dance for you! We’ll shout for you – Daughter of Zion, Daughter of grace,
And we’ll run with you and twirl with you, healed by Your wings of praise,
healed by Your wings of praise -
resting in Your gaze, dancing in this place – now.

Release! Release! Release! Release the sound of heaven
in waves
upon Your sheep – deep calling unto deep -
the dead awaken from their sleep,
slumbering souls no longer weep,
but leap, but leap, but LEAP!

New heights for the ransomed, says the Lord.
Behold the King of Kings, and His reward
is found in the least of these
who surround Him as perfume at His feet.

Be released.

In waves…the Lord says your healing, Daughter of Zion, is going to come in waves . Do not despair though it feels long in coming, for I am ever working on Your behalf. I see the Lord is gathering jewels – very carefully, with each step of our journeys, He is carefully choosing the jewel He wishes to fashion – the gift, the glory, that will accompany the trial and that will ultimately become the mansion He is preparing for us. “There is more waiting for you than you now realize, so don’t lose heart, and don’t give up,” says the Lord.

MY children. MY children. My own.

(prophetic word given to Kimberly Lefebvre in June 2009 while interceding over prayer requests in the Soaking.Net prayer box)

Posted in Timely words, What is Jesus saying | Leave a comment

Not So Sexy: Hidden Chemicals in Perfume and Cologne

Posted on May 23, 2010 by andre

Published May 12, 2010

A rose may be a rose. But that rose-like fragrance in your perfume may be something else entirely, concocted from any number of the fragrance industry’s 3,100 stock chemical ingredients, the blend of which is almost always kept hidden from the consumer.

Makers of popular perfumes, colognes and body sprays market their scents with terms like “floral,” “exotic,” or “musky,” but they don’t disclose that many scents are actually a complex cocktail of natural essences and synthetic chemicals – often petrochemicals. Laboratory tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics [1] and analyzed by Environmental Working Group revealed 38 secret chemicals in 17 name brand fragrance products, topped by American Eagle Seventy Seven with 24, Chanel Coco with 18, and Britney Spears Curious and Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio with 17.

The average fragrance product tested contained 14 secret chemicals not listed on the label. Among them are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products.

Also in the ranks of undisclosed ingredients are chemicals with troubling hazardous properties or with a propensity to accumulate in human tissues. These include diethyl phthalate, a chemical found in 97 percent of Americans (Silva 2004) and linked to sperm damage in human epidemiological studies (Swan 2008), and musk ketone, a synthetic fragrance ingredient that concentrates in human fat tissue and breast milk (Hutter 2009; Reiner 2007).

Popular fragrances contain 14 secret chemicals on average

This complex mix of clandestine compounds in popular colognes and perfumes makes it impossible for consumers to make informed decisions about the products they consider buying.

Most secret chemicals revealed in fragrance testing have not been assessed for safety

The federal government is equally uninformed. A review of government records shows that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not assessed the vast majority of these secret fragrance chemicals for safety when used in spray-on personal care products such as fragrances. Nor have most been evaluated by the safety review panel of the International Fragrance Association or any other publicly accountable institution.

Fragrance secrecy is legal due to a giant loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973, which requires companies to list cosmetics ingredients on the product labels but explicitly exempts fragrance. By taking advantage of this loophole, the cosmetics industry has kept the public in the dark about the ingredients in fragrance, even those that present potential health risks or build up in people’s bodies.

Ingredients not in a product’s hidden fragrance mixture must be listed on the label. As a result, manufacturers disclose some chemical constituents on ingredient lists but lump others together in the generic category of “fragrance.” In fact, “fragrances” are typically mixtures of many different secret chemicals, like those uncovered in this study. On average, the 17 name-brand fragrances tested in this study contained nearly equal numbers of secret and labeled ingredients, with 14 chemicals kept secret but found through testing, and 15 disclosed on labels.

Widespread exposure and a long-standing culture of secrecy within the fragrance industry continue to put countless people at risk of contact sensitization to fragrances with poorly tested and intentionally unlabeled ingredients (Schnuch 2007).

According to EWG analysis, the fragrance industry has published safety assessments for only 34% of the unlabeled ingredients (for details of the analysis, see Methods section). The unassessed chemicals range from food additives whose safety in perfumes has not been assessed to chemicals with limited public safety data such as synthetic musk fragrances, which accumulate in the human body and may be linked to hormone disruption.

Some chemicals that are disclosed on the labels of the products in this report also raise safety concerns. They include sunscreen and ultraviolet-protector chemicals associated with hormone disruption (Schlumpf 2004) and 24 chemical sensitizers that can trigger allergic reactions (European Commission Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products (EC) 1999).

To make matters worse, FDA lacks the authority to require manufacturers to test cosmetics for safety, including fragranced products, before they are sold to consumers. As a result, people using perfume, cologne, body spray and other scented cosmetics like lotion and aftershave are unknowingly exposed to chemicals that may increase their risk for certain health problems.

Results at a glance for all fragrance ingredients combined (disclosed on label or revealed in product tests)
	Average for all 17 fragrances	Extreme product (highest number)
Chemical ingredients (tested + labeled)	29	40 – Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio
Secret chemicals (found in testing, not on label)	14	24 – American Eagle Seventy Seven
Sensitizing chemicals (can trigger allergic reactions)	10	19 – Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio
Hormone disruptors (can disrupt natural hormones)	4	7 – Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver, Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow
Chemicals not assessed for safety (by government or industry)	12	16 – Chanel Coco, Halle by Halle Berry, American Eagle Seventy Seven

Source: EWG analysis of 91 chemicals in 17 products ñ including 51 chemicals listed on product labels, and 38 unlabeled chemicals found in tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics ñ combined with analysis of chemical hazard and toxicity data from government and industry assessments and the published scientific literature.

Product tests initiated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and subsequent analyses, detailed in this report, reveal that widely recognized brand-name perfumes and colognes contain secret chemicals, sensitizers, potential hormone disruptors and chemicals not assessed for safety:

Fragrance, perfume & cologne –
what’s the difference?

Perfumes, colognes and body sprays are often called “fragrances.” But under U.S. law, the term fragrance is defined as a combination of chemicals that gives each perfume or cologne its distinct scent. Fragrance ingredients may be produced by chemical synthesis or derived from petroleum or natural raw materials. Companies that manufacture perfume or cologne purchase fragrance mixtures from fragrance houses (companies that specialize in developing fragrances) to develop their own proprietary blends. In addition to “scent” chemicals that we actually smell, perfumes and colognes also contain solvents, stabilizers, UV absorbers, preservatives and dyes. These additives are frequently, but not always, listed on product labels. In contrast, the chemical components in fragrance itself are protected as trade secrets and described on the label only as “fragrance.”

Secret chemicals: Laboratory tests revealed 38 secret chemicals in 17 name-brand products, with an average of 14 secret chemicals per product. American Eagle Seventy Seven contained 24 secret chemicals, nearly twice the average found in other products tested.
Multiple sensitizers: The products tested contained an average of 10 chemicals that are known to be sensitizers and can trigger allergic reactions such as asthma, wheezing, headaches and contact dermatitis. All of these were listed on product labels. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio contained 19 different sensitizing chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions, more than any other product tested.
Multiple hormone disruptors: A total of 12 different hormone-disrupting chemicals were found in the tested products, with an average of four in each product. Three products each contained seven different chemicals with the potential to disrupt the hormone system: Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver and Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow. In each product, six of these chemicals mimic the hormone estrogen, and the seventh is associated with thyroid effects. Some of these potential hormone disruptors were listed on labels; others were undisclosed and were uncovered in product testing.
Widespread use of chemicals that have not been assessed for safety: A review of government records shows that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not assessed the vast majority of fragrance ingredients in personal care products for safety. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), an industry-funded and self policing body, has assessed only 19 of the 91 ingredients listed on labels or found in testing for the 17 products assessed in this study. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM), which develop and set voluntary standards for chemicals in the “fragrance” component of products, have assessed only 27 of the 91 ingredients listed on labels or found in testing for the 17 products assessed in this study, based on a review of assessments published in the past 25 years.

Everyone is impacted by fragrance.

The Campaign commissioned a laboratory analysis of men’s and women’s fragrances as well as scented products marketed to teens of both genders; all products tested contained a range of ingredients associated with health concerns, such as allergic sensitization, and potential effects on the endocrine system or reproductive toxicity.

Products were tested by Analytical Sciences, an independent laboratory in Petaluma, California. The lab found, in all, 40 chemicals in the tested fragrance products. Thirty-eight of these were secret, or unlabeled, for at least one of the products containing them, while the other two were listed on all relevant product labels. Ingredient labels disclosed the presence of another 51 chemical ingredients, giving a total of 91 chemical ingredients altogether in the tested products, including hidden and disclosed ingredients combined. Of the 17 products tested, 13 were purchased in the U.S. and four in Canada.

When sprayed or applied on the skin, many chemicals from perfumes, cosmetics and personal care products are inhaled. Others are absorbed through the skin. Either way, many of these chemicals can accumulate in the body. As a result, the bodies of most Americans are polluted with multiple cosmetics ingredients. This pollution begins in the womb and continues through life.

A recent EWG study found Galaxolide and Tonalide, two synthetic musks, in the cord blood of newborn babies (EWG 2009). Both musks contaminate people and the environment worldwide, have been associated with toxicity to the endocrine system (van der Burg 2008) and were identified in the majority of products tested for this study. Similarly, a pregnant woman’s use of some fragrances and other cosmetics frequently may expose her growing fetus to diethyl phthalate (DEP), a common perfume solvent linked to abnormal development of reproductive organs in baby boys and sperm damage in adult men (Washington Toxics Coalition 2009). New research also links prenatal exposure of DEP to clinically diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder in children (Engel 2010). This analysis found DEP in 12 of 17 products tested, at levels ranging from 30 parts per million (ppm) to 32,000 ppm in Eternity for Women.

Numerous other products used daily, such as shampoos, lotions, bath products, cleaning sprays, air fresheners and laundry and dishwashing detergents, also contain strongly scented, volatile ingredients that are hidden behind the word “fragrance.” Some of these ingredients react with ozone in the indoor air, generating many potentially harmful secondary air pollutants such as formaldehyde and ultrafine particles (Nazaroff 2004).

People have the right to know which chemicals they are being exposed to. They have the right to expect the government to protect people, especially vulnerable populations, from hazardous chemicals. In addition to required safety assessments of ingredients in cosmetics, the laws must be changed to require the chemicals in fragrance to be fully disclosed and publicly accessible on ingredient labels.

As our test results show, short of sending your favorite perfume to a lab for testing, shoppers have no way of knowing exactly which of the 3,100 fragrance ingredients may be hiding in their beauty products or even in their child’s baby shampoo. This study focused on several categories of chemicals – specifically volatile compounds, semi-volatile compounds and synthetic musks. The laboratory analyses, while thorough, were not exhaustive, which means that additional chemicals of concern may also be present in the tested products.

Source URL:
http://www.ewg.org/notsosexy

Links:
[1] http://www.safecosmetics.org/

Posted in For your information, Timely words | Leave a comment

GOD’S WORD TO HIS PEOPLE – by Marsha Burns

Posted on May 6, 2010 by andre

1 Corinthians 13:9 “For we know in part and we prophesy in part.”

This is my part.

1. Re-dig old wells

We will continue to re-dig old wells and re-establish the ancient pathways, but what does that mean? I believe it means that our wells of anointing have been contended for and stopped up, and we have to rediscover those anointings and with persistent faith and warfare re-establish the pathway to victory over the enemy.”

Did you once hear from God? Did He speak to you in specific ways giving you guidance and direction? Did you have prophetic words, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, speak in tongues, or interpret tongues? Did you once have a flow of discerning of spirits, or have faith to pray for healings or miracles?

What about the well of worship? It isn’t going to just start flowing until you take time and put forth the effort to deliberately worship Him! The well of hearing God won’t flow until you take the time to sit in His presence and seek His face with faith to hear His voice.

It is time to re-dig the old wells, by faith, overcome hindrances, and drink from those fresh and flowing waters of the Holy Spirit again by making ourselves available to the Spirit to reach our full potential in Christ.

2. The Goshen Anointing

What God has called the “Joseph Covenant” continues. Basically, this means that His part is that He will give us the best of the land, bless and cause us to prosper in the midst of famine or recession. Our part is to be a good steward of what He has given us and what He has given us to do. And that we are people of integrity (incorruptibility and honesty).

3. We are still watchmen

We will continue to develop greater and more mature discernment to know good and evil, to discern our own human spirit, others’ human spirits, demonic spirits and attacks, angelic activity, and the presence of the Lord. We also need to discern and judge prophecy – to know whether a word is really from God or from the heart of man.

Hebrews 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

There is a current demonic progression that we must set a watch for:

A lying spirit tempts with the thought that things will never get better.

A spirit of fear paralyzes.

A spirit of infirmity produces hopelessness and helplessness.

A spirit of heaviness brings discouragement, despair and perhaps even depression.

A spirit of death kills faith.

We need to fight back!

4. Foundation swept

Our spiritual foundation has been in process of being swept clean of pretence, hypocrisy and pride. The rebuilding will be a work of strength and endurance; of order and purity.

No more wood, hay and straw – that is, no more flesh. It needs to be ALL God – gold, silver, precious stones.

5. Renovation

God continues to fix things that need fixing, and even though this is always what He does, there has been a particular emphasis on this work in us in the past year. Or, at least, we have been more acutely aware of this project of renovation. Old things need to be torn down to make way for the new.

Renovation: cleaning, repairing, rebuilding – to restore to a better state.

Small Straws: Open your eyes. See and discern the times and seasons, says the Lord. You are in a time of renovation and restoration. It is a time of spiritual cleaning, repairing and rebuilding. What you see in the natural realm is a sign of what is transpiring in the spirit realm. I am renewing and restoring you to a new life and vigor. Take heart, and yield to this spiritual stimulation that will invigorate you at the deepest level of your being.

Psalms 135:6 Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.

6. Repositioning

We have been lifted higher, even in the midst of uncertainty. It is a time of repositioning when we will be established in a higher place, the New Plateau.

Isaiah 2:2-3 “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.”

“Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.’”

God is also re-gathering those who have been scattered, a sort of homecoming for people around the world.

Small Straws: As I was in the Spirit, I heard weeping and mourning, and I could sense an atmosphere of isolation and loneliness, a true wilderness. Then, I heard the Lord calling to the four winds, to the people of His heart, to gather His beloved. And, I knew that He was doing a work of re-gathering, in a true homecoming, those who had been scattered to the four winds. He will bring a sense of unity and peace to His people.

Psalms 30:5 “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

There are yet more changes on the horizon that will be necessary to keep us on course to fulfill our destiny. We can trust God to bring us along His path of righteousness and blessing. He WILL direct our steps.

7. Prophetic Intercession

There is a sound from heaven coming to those who have ears to hear, and this heavenly sound will bring harmony and unity in perfect rhythm with the heart of God.

As His intercessors avail themselves to this sound, it will produce more powerful intercession that comes forth in humility, boldness, specificity, strong faith, sincerity, and persistence in and by the Holy Spirit.

8. Spirit of Caleb

I heard the Lord say, “The spirit of Caleb is on the ascent.” The spirit of Caleb is rising up in the people of the Lord. That means being people of godly character, courage, and fortitude. It means having a right attitude towards God and His Word. We will face and overcome adversity by standing for the truth of God’s Word, even if it means standing alone. It is obedience and perseverance.

Isaiah 1:19-20 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

9. Words of Knowledge and Words of Wisdom

Your level of obedience to My Word and your faith in My promises will be tested. Disobedience and unbelief will be revealed in the fires of testing, and you will have opportunities to make corrections as necessary. Do not be afraid, for this is part of the cleansing process that will produce the power of My presence. Without the fires of purification, you will not realize the power.

This is a time of renovation and restoration and of coming into complete order in every area of your life. Order will be the result of allowing divine wisdom to direct your steps on every level and in every situation and circumstance. Seek Me continually, and trust Me perpetually.

You have experienced an upheaval and a shaking, and your foundation has been laid bare. Now, you can begin to be established and settled on a new level of understanding and stability. Stay in the flow of My Spirit, and you will regain confidence that I am doing a good work in you and will bring it to perfection. The worst is over, but it’s not over.

The enemy has tried to isolate you and instill a sense of lonely desolation, but he is a liar. I am going to override this attack against you and give you a sense of connection. You will again know innately that you are a vital part of the whole. And, your fear of living without purpose will be a thing of the past. I am your purpose!

That feeling of being stagnant is going to be displaced as you yield to a subtle stirring in your innermost being. This stirring will make you feel unsettled and will create a desire to move, to progress, that cannot be denied. You can no longer live with feeling stifled, stale, and bored. It is My will that you break forth out of deadness; let Me lead you in newness of life and restore to you a sense of kingdom adventure.

Watch as I open doors of opportunity for you to shine in dark places. You don’t like the darkness, but it still exists and grows more and more desolate. You are My light, and this darkness will not overtake you, but will be revealed for what it is by the light that is in you. Keep the lamp of the Spirit burning brightly within, and let your light shine!

The things that you have been required to lay aside for a season will begin to re-emerge, and even though they appear to be exactly the same, you will soon realize that this emergence is actually the manifestation of new growth. What you laid down had to go through a spiritual metamorphosis, and will come forth as born from above – changed in substance and nature. This is a resurrection of sorts, a seed sown in the flesh, dead, buried, and resurrected in the power of the Spirit. Rejoice!

The days ahead are pregnant with the hope of My glory and are ready to bring forth, says the Lord.

Posted in Inspirational quotes | Leave a comment

INFORMAL BUT HEARTFELT MUSINGS

Posted on April 26, 2010 by andre

Many times you feel unable to adjust your vision and sense of justice to the scenes before you: “How can pain be glory, and glory require so much pain…” you ask. An obstinate silence meets your cry, your shuffling tears…

When we step away from the sometimes grueling busy-ness of never-ending spiritual activities, when we feel again the coldness of the night, the unsettling vastness around us, the proximity of God and His patient benevolant understanding can reach us more easily, it seems, and we discover a better sense of orientation, one that is part of our very own maturity.

We don’t need to go to any sacred mountain or exalted elders: if we never took another step, God would still be as close as He’ll ever be, right here, right now. And that is really true.

That God is far, or that we are far from Him, is only an illusion, or could it be an echo of our fear of rejection and abandonment. From the moment we were created, God has embedded inside our spirit what some call a “homing instinct.” To seek to be back “home” is the core quest everyone of us is drawn to. Our very lives carry the symbolisms and the allegories to being received and fathered at a deep existential level.

All we aspire to, all we claim as our own, can also be roadmaps to our adamic heart: we seek to experience this cosmic and unshakable sense of belonging that was ours then, before the Fall. Amazingly, we have been brought back home by the Shepherd who came down into the dark valley to share our darkness and rescue us from what we could never defeat on our own.

The Good News is that God has taken upon Himself to restructure Creation from the earthly clay of our misunderstood and mismanaged freedom. The very lie Adam and Eve believed, as we, reflects the precise landing ground of God’s attachment to us: a dependence and vulnerability which at once weakens us, while at the same time renders us magnificently pursued and compatible to be joined to the Godhead by virtue of the Incarnation and Redemption.

God does not lie. Nor does He play ‘hard-to-get.’ You and I don’t need to “mark points” (or cover our nakedness), but by simply abiding in the revelatory stream of the Eternal Bridegroom’s pursuit of us. Hanging out isn’t a profane thing. God reveals Himself. not according to a “one size fits all” scheduled moment or method of encounter. We just ought to keep on responding to simple nudges, and give Him the right and freedom to come closer on His own terms, just as He does for us…

Oh Father God, I bless You that You are not confined to any man-made structures or liturgies. You are so near! You are so HERE! Glory to the Lord God of Israel, Who calls all nations to commune and be filled at His table, adopting us in the kingdom of His dear Son, brightly clothed by His Spirit of Holiness…

May the Shalom of God be with us all today…!

Andre Lefebvre – April 2010
Soaking.Net

Posted in Brokenness, God's Faithfulness, Timely words, intimacy with God | Leave a comment

BATHROBE PROPHETS

Posted on July 21, 2009 by andre

BATHROBE PROPHETS : A NEW BREED IS SURFACING
by Andre Lefebvre
10/14/05

The profile contours of a new breed of prophets is starting to be recognized. When I say this, I don’t mean they bring something which never existed before, but rather that it’s easy to forget or be oblivious of them due to the type of church culture we have (stage/pews), even in the prophetic/charismatic movement.

Their existence is a collective force we have to recognize, embrace, validate, affirm, mentor, nurture and cherish, because it is a breed of believers which touches ground zero in terms of an incarnated prophetic lifestyle, a much needed model for everyone.

Many of them are survivors of tragedies and traumas, have difficult issues with their health, physical and emotional, and don’t fit in the present paradigm of mainstream “ministry” types. However, they are like hound dogs joyfully hitting the prophetic trail, joined by kindred hearts, running in the direction they feel the Lord leading them, scouting the land for those coming behind.

They love God with a consuming passion. Seasoned through trials and tribulations, they walk a path of eagerness to know more of Him. They journal, write on forums, have their own blog, support and pray for ministries and people, in fact, the Internet is their preferred vehicle. They spawn virtual communities all over the world. Their ministry of encouragement is outstanding and their compassion runs deep.

They recognize each other when they meet, and form spiritual friendships anointed with a fierce passion to share blessings and discoveries, working tirelessly to mentor each other and witness the establishment of spiritual revival at a level never seen before. They are usually recognized for having visions much bigger than their own lives, visions that can’t be beaten into smaller packages to fit the mainstream “box” paradigm. They speak of heaven as if it’s next door, pray and intercede for strangers with dedicated passion, they worship with tears and usually can be prophetically ministering at deeper levels than any counselor could expect to reach – and all this without even knowing it!

Some dream of bigger “ministries” but what they mostly mean is that they would like to see their lives be a greater blessing to many. They can’t flow as well within the boundaries of rigid religion, but will find patches of sun anywhere they can. They give sacrificially, long for meaningful spiritual fellowship, dream big dreams and often live a hidden, almost anonymous life. But they are giants. We have heard it said in many ways that praying moms may be of greater stature in heaven than 100 great preachers on earth. These are chips from the same block.

Their destiny is the Bride’s. Their song is for the Bride to awake and walk in her prophetic stature and maturity; Jews and Gentiles united in Christ; purity in the media and in our cities; unity in the Body of Christ; daily signs and wonders on a very, very large scale; power and miracles through faith-based prayers; no-nonsense leadership in our churches and government; prophetic understanding of social and international events, and subsequent prophetic strategies applied to specific tasks in response to the Lord’s guidance and assignments, etc.

Most of these people don’t have a secular day job, a huge number of them are women, many mostly home during the day, some are ‘stay at home’ moms, many are people living with a disability, dealing with debilitating conditions. But if you try running with them, you could end-up out of breath! They tirelessly read, pray, minister, worship, all the while tackling difficult life situations. Yet, they grow by leaps and bounds, cross-pollinating through the vast international network of home-based communications that the Internet has become, creating a new breed of anointed ministers who are, to use a prophesied term: “the nameless and faceless.”

I call them “Bathrobe Prophets.” I don’t use the term “bathrobe” in a derogatory way, like in “couch potato.” I use it because at times, that’s what many would wear most of the day, due to their condition.

They write tons of dreams and miles of prophetic words, thirst for the Presence of the Father, hunger to see the kingdom of God be all it can be. They love to speak words that bring life and healing, encouragement and truth, they are ever learning about proper prophetic “etiquette” so they walk in love and not arrogance, and will astound many with their tireless scribing activity and vibrant need for fellowship.

There are so many prophetic “ministries” today, our attention will usually be solicited by the most noticeable and loud ones, but these here are the creme de la creme. Like Mary Magdalene, the apostle John, Daniel and many others, loving God’s presence and fellowships with Him as friends is their utmost passion.

If you recognize yourself in this, blessed are you. You have not been overlooked, passed by or ignored by God. You simply may be part of one of His secret armies. Your prophetic life is not barely lived on a stage before thousands, or addressing a limited number of issues relevant to the latest prophetic fad. Your life is a rich and glorious prophetic canvas where God is weaving the words of His heart as they resonate and transform your daily life. You are not ignorant of the enemy’s fire and brutal attacks on your life, but you still pursue God’s fire.

Healing is in His wings, and you believe it, yet, as broken and disabled as you are, you do not give up, trusting with a robust, unpretentious and unadorned faith that He will come through some day. Many of you believe that your sicknesses or conditions are used by the Lord as intercession material, and so it is. We know little about how much we are carrying in our bodies the prophetic assignment of intercession for His Body on earth…

“A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3)

Prepare a way. For the Lord. As you are in the desert. A highway (huge and faster traffic). Not just a trail. In the wilderness. Isolation. Barrenness. The pace can increase full speed on a highway. Multiplication. We are to prepare this highway for the Lord. Not ourselves. Making straight a highway so we won’t have to make detours. In the desert, detours can cost you your life if water is not present.

I just can’t keep from thinking: “Bathrobe Prophets of the world: UNITE!”

1 Cor 12:14, 18 – “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. [..] But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

1 Cor 14:5 – I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.

1 Cor 14:24 – “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

Andre Lefebvre

http://www.andrelefebvre.net

Posted in Inspirational quotes | Leave a comment