Day 17 – Above All
Thursday August 9

Like many, our hearts were saddened by the news of the tragedy in Minneapolis last week – the sudden collapse of the I-35 bridge. Our prayers go out to the families of those who lost their lives and those who were injured.

Many times God uses natural events to speak to us about supernatural truths. We believe what happened in Minneapolis has many prophetic messages for us.

The bridge was constructed 40 years ago in 1967. Typically in the Bible a generation is defined as 40 years and the number 40 is also used as a representation of a specific season of testing and/or preparation. Moses was prepared 40 years before being released as a deliverer of his people; Jesus was tested 40 days in the desert before the start of His ministry. And of course as we have been sharing about so much recently, God took the Israelites through 40 years of wandering in the desert in order to make the transition from the generation of those who were hindered by unbelief from entering the Promised Land to those who were able to enter and possess.

Since we believe the Lord has spoken to us that we are in a season of a significant shift and transition in the church, perhaps we can understand more about what God is doing in our midst by understanding the significance of this 40-year period.

1967 was an important year in history. The Summer of Love in San Francisco birthed the hippie movement which would have global impact. It represented the coming of age of the Boomer generation, who many believe carry a mandate to be a generation of reformers, those who could cross into the Promised Land and possess the inheritances of generations. Alongside the Hippie movement came the Jesus movement, which swept multitudes of young people into the kingdom of God, including many the key leaders of the church today.

But overall, the enemy succeeded in focusing this generation inward, into themselves, so that rather than becoming a force for positive spiritual change, they became reformers for the secularization of western world. “If it feels good, do it!” was the new rallying cry. As a generation turned away from God and all that His Lordship represented and reveled in “free love” – sex, drugs and rock and roll, their rebellion birthed the radical movements of the late 60s and 70s which succeeded in tearing away the Christian foundations of Western society. Many laws regarding such issues as divorce and abortion, that had their roots in a more spiritual, Biblical world view, were changed. Western society became like Israel in the days of the Judges:

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. Judges 21:25

1967 was also a very significant year for Canada. It was our first centennial and we were going through a “coming of age” as a nation. Nowhere was this seen more clearly than in Expo ’67 which was hosted in Montreal from April to October 1967 and which represented a “coming out” for Canada on the international stage. More than 60 nations participated and over 50 million visitors (Canada only had a population of 20 million at this time) attended during the 6 months of this world’s fair. The theme chosen for the event was “Man and His World” and some of the key areas included Man as the Creator, Man as the Provider, Man as the Producer. The logo for the event was one of the most ancient signs representing man - a vertical line with outstretched arms. Eight identical groups of these figures were paired together in a circle facing inward, their arms outstretched to each other. The organizers meant it to be a representation of global friendship, of unity encircling the world.

Our then Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson, had this to say at the opening of Expo in April 1967

We are witnesses today to the fulfillment of one of the most daring acts of faith in Canadian enterprise and ability ever undertaken. That faith was not misplaced. But Expo is much more than a great Canadian achievement of design and planning and construction. It is also a monument to Man. It tells the exciting and inspiring story of a world that belongs not to any one nation but to every nation.

More than just an event, Expo was a clear statement of the spiritual state of mankind. It was a glorification of man and his achievements and of a faith very much misplaced.

Today, 40 years later, as we watched images of the aftermath of the I-35 highway collapsing, our hearts were directed to the reference in Isaiah 35 of the ‘highway of holiness’; this chapter speaks of a clear shift and transition that God will cause to happen as He establishes His Kingdom.

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Could it be through the collapse of the human I-35 God wants to confirm in our hearts what we have been feeling for months: that the time has come where the works of man will suddenly and without warning begin to crumble and fall? And that despite man’s attempts to shore up old structures (the bridge was in the process of being repaired when it collapsed), God will no longer allow those things built from man’s effort to stand?

Could it be that the Lord is saying to us that He is preparing a body in Canada and the nations who will rise up in faith to reverse the declarations made in Montreal that man is the centre of all things? Could it be the Lord is looking for those who will stand now as HIS witnesses, to declare that there is a new day dawning and that we are entering into a new age where God will be established as Rightful King in His church. And where we will see His Rulership and power displayed in our nation and the nations in a way we have never seen it before?

At the Consumed Gathering in August 2006, Tracy Rahn released a prophetic declaration in song that we believe is part of how the Lord wants to begin to re-align and position us as He establishes His Kingdom. God wants to remove the blinders that have been preventing us from seeing His True Image and give us revelation of His character and nature. One of these aspects of His Character is that He is the Most High God, Above all.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Eph 1:18-23

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:9-11

You Must Increase is from the Holy CD. Let us together today sing this song as our declaration of faith as we place Him in the Highest Place over all else in our lives, the lives of our families, churches, cities, provinces and nation.

You Must Increase – Holy - performed by Tracy Rahn

We lift you high
And bow down low
How high can you be
How low can we go (repeat)
Higher and higher
Above all else
About anything else

You are Above!
You are Above All!

You are the Highest!

You’re the Name above all names
You ‘re the God above all gods
You’re the King above all kings
You’re the Lord above all lords

You’re the Lord!
You’re our God!
You’re the Lord!

We exalt the Lord!

You are Alpha Omega
Beginning and end
You’re My saviour Messiah
Redeemer and Friend (repeat)

You’re the Name above all names
You‘re the God above all gods
You’re the King above all kings
You’re the Lord above all lords

Comments

Brenda - Arnprior, Ontario
This is so cool. The Lord told me over a month ago that I should start only speaking what He told me to speak over myself and others. James 3:1-2 were the references. And I got a strong, strong warning not to slander others because we talk about others so loosely in our society and much of it is slander. Ouch!

PTL! God’s confirming this word through you.

This has not been popular thing to do. Some friends have labeled me as overly picky, nit picky as I try to leash my tongue even more and try to avoid conversations or turn the subject away from slanderous comments. However the Lord is happy and that’s what counts.

Bless you all and thanks for the encouragement!

Niall - Spruce Grove, Alberta
Hebrews 4:2
"For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."

In the process of consecration and turning my/our hearts to the Lord, I have been/am being exercised to make sure I "mix" the word I am hearing with faith. There is a self-delusion which says, 'well, yes, the word says such and such, and I'm on the right track, so I'll get there, God is truth . . . '

I sense a strong word from the Lord challenging me/us not to be complacent and 'just drift along", but counter wise, to stir my/our heart and see that I fully obey the word of the Lord in 'mixing it with faith.'

Gaylene - Spruce Grove, Alberta
For many years, the Lord has been teaching my family and our church body about the power of words and coming into agreement through our words. For this reason, I was very surprised that I starting agreeing with the thoughts that were bombarding my mind last week. These thoughts - about the way I look and about the things I was trying to accomplish - were all negative. They seemed so strong and constant, like they were swooping at me, attacking me again and again. I knew in my mind that I did not want to agree with these thoughts and yet, by the end of the week, I was speaking them over myself - quietly and yet out loud. Of course, what is spoken quietly becomes louder and louder and soon my husband was hearing me speak the lies bombarding my mind. He was faithful to remind me of Proverbs 26:2 which says, "Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight." He said that the thoughts were like birds, trying to bombard me, but I did not have to come into agreement with them and let them land. Because of the teaching of the Lord, I was aware of this but could not seem to break free.

Then, on Sunday during our time of worship in song and dance, I sensed the deliverance of the Lord affecting my whole being. The one thing I remember during that time was that the Lord revealed that I was believing the lie that I could "do it on my own". (It's amazing how self-suffient we are in this corner of the world.) Anyway, I repented from believing this lie and proclaimed my need for the Lord - that I could only do all things through Him. His strength, not my own perceived strength. Later, after the service was over, I remember telling another member of our congregation that whether the "birds" are flying around me or not, the Lord will help me choose to believe and speak the truth. So when I read your post, it meant a lot to me because it was part of my personal journey in the last couple weeks. I choose to spend time in God's word so that His word can divide between soul and spirit on my behalf.