Marsha Burns Word

[Since I've had little for a few days now (last Wednesday "Judgment on America")I will place this word on and hope it helps]

"BEND IN THE RIVER by Marsha Burns:

May 4, 2008

Flow of the River:
I see our walk with the Lord as being more of a flow, like a river instead of a series of starts and stops. So, this is how I currently perceive the spiritual and prophetic flow.

Five months ago the Lord began to speak to us about the New Plateau, which basically is a higher altitude of revelation and service in the kingdom, and the Lord is causing us to arise to this new spiritual level.

The first important revelation came regarding binding and loosing, opening and shutting, allowing and forbidding.

Matthew 16:19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Isaiah 22: The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open.

Isaiah 45:1-3 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held--to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: 'I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.

In our past Christian experience, we have used Matthew 16:19 mostly in this context as we pray: "Satan, we bind you in the name of Jesus, and we loose the Holy Spirit into this situation!" But, with fresh revelation of this concept, we took this scripture verse and began to rise up into the spirit realm and open and shut doors. The results have been astounding and miraculous.

The Rapids:
As we began to flow in this powerful revelation of opening and shutting, we found ourselves being tested in various ways that revealed to us what is necessary for us to go up to the new plateau. As He did in the last season, God again used crisis situations to reveal the things that were out of order physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The lesson to be learned was that we must lay down our own lives, our own natural desires, in order to behold and embrace God's will and purposes. We know this religiously and intellectually from the Word of God, but it is time for us to know this truth experientially.

Our natural tendency is to be selfish and self- centered, thinking only of serving ourselves. But, these tests are designed to bring us together as a cohesive body of believers. And, God's mandate to us is to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4: 1 I (Paul), therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The fires of purification continue to burn as we are being prepared for the next great move of the Spirit of God.

"Beloved, do not hinder the flow of My cleansing tide as I wash away all of the debris of your soul and spirit. Let go and trust Me to do all that is necessary at this time to truly bring you higher spiritually. Release the baggage of the past so that you can arise in new hope, purity and power to embrace all that I have prepared you for," says the Lord.

The river rapids often stir up mud and debris, which is symbolic of the chaos that reveals disorder. But, clarity always comes as God brings order out of chaos and clarity out of the confusion that reveals our iniquity.

Isaiah 57:20-21 The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

Isaiah 58:1 "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."

Bend in the River:
There is a might river of the Spirit that flows with great force and power. If we yield to the moving of the Holy Spirit, He carries us to divine destiny.

Psalm 46:4-5 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

I see a bend in this great river, which represents a turn or deviation from where we have been. We might also see it as a crossroad, a prophetic intersection or junction. We are at a great turning point where our choices will either bring us closer to God or take us away from God to seek our own desires and purposes. We must seek the Lord in making the right choices.

"Beloved, if you can receive it, I am revealing to your own heart the places where you are motivated by selfish ambition, for this motivation hinders your freedom in the Spirit. You cannot serve yourself and serve Me at the same time, says the Lord. This form of idolatry is rampant in Christian circles and must be brought down and removed. Otherwise, you cannot move forward in My purposes for you, and this double- minded position prevents you from receiving the fullness of My blessings," says the Lord.

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

"In the process of time, you are ending a cycle that began about seven years ago, and you will undergo an accelerated separation from the past that will create a division that cannot be bridged. Certainly, you will never be able to go back, nor should you look back. This chasm is ever widening and your spiritual landscape is ever changing, but you can only move into the next phase of your existence as you have freedom to do so. Disappointments and regrets from the past can keep you bound and unable to progress, so now is the time to completely release everything that brought a sense of failure or reproach. Let go and be free," says the Lord.

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things, which are behind and reaching forward to those things, which are ahead.

Fresh Springs:
There are fresh springs feeding this mighty river, which are symbolic of the Lord's abundance and blessings to those who are in right standing or right relationship with Him.

Psalm 85:8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yes, the LORD will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.

The Joseph Covenant, which the Lord revealed to us prophetically over a year ago, is still in effect for another five years of great plenty. But, this covenant is only available to those who have a heart to give and are not only good stewards of what is given to them, but a conduit of God's blessings rather than a reservoir. It requires a heart of generosity and selflessness.

Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

Great and Effective Door:
"I am opening a great effective door of evangelism for you, but you will not be able to go through using religious techniques that have been established through what you have been taught. This will be a move of My Spirit like nothing you have ever experienced. I have equipped you and prepared you, and now you will be able to go forth with a pure heart and attitude that will not bring attention to yourself and your ministry, but it will only bring the revelation and glory of My kingdom. Only the humble in heart will be able to go through this door of opportunity," says the Lord.

The Lord is making a way for an evangelistic revival. We have seen plenty of evangelism, and yet I read that somewhere in the neighborhood of 95% of people who make a decision to receive Christ do not remain faithful. God is about to show us a more effective way, and He will open the door. He will use those with a broken and contrite heart. This will be a work of the Spirit and it will not have its roots in denominationalism, religious exercise, religious duty, or flesh. It will be a supernatural move of the Spirit.

"I have deposited a seed of desire in your heart that will begin to acquire definition by taking conscious form. You will first be aware of a stirring in your spirit like the fluttering of the first movements of an unborn child. This desire when it has fully matured will set you on a course that will bring forth destiny. And, you will be moved by the irresistible power of My Spirit to establish you in kingdom purpose. You must resist the temptation to define this seed of desire according to your mind or emotions. This is not a desire of the soul or of thoughts and feelings; it is the call of the Spirit," says the Lord. "Be sensitive to these subtle yearnings and yield to this powerful work of My Spirit."

"Prepare your heart to receive, for I am releasing a wave of power that will sweep over you and will demonstrate the strength of My intensions for this season. But, you must be open and surrendered if you are to catch this wave. Come, I say, with an openness to receive of My Spirit. Release yourself from religious duty and the pressure to perform. This will be My gift to you and not something you can cause to happen, nor can you earn the right to partake of it. Yours is only to position yourself by faith to receive," says the Lord.

A Fresh Word:
"You will do whatever it takes to go for the gold (that which is of the Spirit). You will not be satisfied with silver (pertaining to the soul) or bronze (associated with flesh). You have set your heart on doing your best to reach your greatest potential in Christ. You have fallen short many times, but you are ready to move beyond mediocrity, compromise, and self-satisfaction to reach the goal and obtain the prize. And, you are more determined than ever to fulfill your kingdom destiny, for you know the time is now."

"These times are golden, and you are no longer willing to waste precious time and energy in the spiritual dissipation of disappointment, grief and regret. This quality decision will result in a maturity that will not only bring honor to Me," says the Lord, "but will draw others into a greater level of commitment that will inevitable bring the same results."

"I call to the ends of the earth to a people who will make a covenant of salt with Me. It is a covenant of strength and loyalty. It requires commitment, faithfulness and obedience, and it will establish a permanent and satisfying relationship between us for eternity. Mine is to keep My promises to you, and yours is pure devotion free from corruption," says the Lord.

Matthew 5: 13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." "