Prophetic word for 2014

 As I write this word for 2014, it is my deepest desire to correctly articulate what the Holy Spirit has given me for the New Year. 1 Corinthians 13:9 says “For we know in part and we prophesy in part” with that understanding, this is my portion for the body of Christ.

Spirit, Soul & Body

 The Spirit of the Lord is bringing healing to the Church as a whole person this year spirit, soul & body. God is bringing the Church into a new alignment with His will and purposes that will greatly affect His people for the good. The areas of your life that have not been in agreement with the Holy Spirit are going to be brought to light this year for the purpose of healing, restoration and deliverance. Where there have been wounds from the past that have hindered your ability to function in wholeness, God is doing a deep work that will produce abundant life in His people.

The Apostle Paul wrote the following:

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is expanding His kingdom into many places of influence where the Church needs to be ready to demonstrate Gods love. This is why there needs to be wholeness in the body of Christ, so we can give out of the depth of love that has been poured into our hearts through Christ. Its time for the Church to be whole!

Overcoming dualism

 God is dealing with wrong understandings that have created conflict within the Church about the spirit and the soul. There have been dualistic teachings that have kept many people in bondage to a performance based relationship with God. This kind of teaching has been harmful to the body of Christ because it separates the spiritual from the natural, and creates a wrong understanding of how God views the individual person. Many people have been taught that the spirit is good, but the soul and body are corrupt, needing to be brought into submission to the spirit. This understanding is incorrect, and does not take into account that the spirit and soul are deeply intergraded and do not function apart from one other. God wants the Church to stop living their lives miserably for Him, to stop living as though we are not pleasing God because of a lack of spiritual performance (not enough prayer, not reading the bible, or denying self). There are multiple layers to what this looks like, but I feel like God is going to give the Church greater revelation regarding how much He loves us (our entire being) and how to function as a whole person in the earth.

Led by the Spirit

 The Father has been looking for sons & daughters that will yield to the leading of His Spirit. This will become clearly evident in the days ahead, as God is going to display His purposes through those that are led by the Spirit of God, and not by the spiritual climate in the world.  The leading of the Holy Spirit is going to take on a new dimension in 2014, because many people are being freed from patterns of living and wrong thinking that have hindered their walk with God; He is going to free many for the purpose of leading many.

Romans 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Character matters

 2014, will be a time when the character of Christ is going to come to the forefront of the Church. There has been a great imbalance regarding our focus on the power and works of God, yet operating without the character of God. God wants His Church to function with all the resources of heaven, but He also wants His people to function with His character.

Character can be defined as the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves, someone’s personality. God is going to develop the character of Christ in His people that desire to be more like Him, this will require a much needed sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as He shows us the things that need changed in our hearts and minds. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is going to appear in the lives of Gods people this year in an extraordinary way, due to a willingness to yield to His inward working.

God is also in the process of redefining what ministry looks like, He is getting to the core of our value system, regarding what we do. Ministry by definition is about serving others, not about serving yourself. Everything Jesus did was for the benefit of others, from turning water into wine, to washing the disciple’s feet; He taught that whoever wants to be greatest must become a servant of all. I feel like God is going to give us new perspective regarding ministry, He is reveling the motives and intentions of the heart as we move forward into maturity.

The last will be first

 We have entered a time where the last will be first, and the first will be last. Many people have bypassed Gods way to get to the front of the line in regard to “success” at any cost. There have also been many people that have chosen to take the lowest seat; and have not attempted to be first in line. Because of this decision, not to run to the front of the line, they will not be passed by in this new season. God is going to promote many people who have been patiently waiting their turn. He is going to exalt those who have humbled themselves, and bring low, those who have been unwilling to humble themselves.

Luke 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

There has been a refining fire moving through the body of Christ that is now causing a deep humility to flow out of the hearts of Gods people. This humility is an entrance into a deeper intimacy with the Lord. God is going to exalt those who have chosen to humble themselves over this past year, as He has been doing an inward work in His people that have yielded their hearts to Him. (Luke 14:7-11)

Identity being restored

 We have entered a time of full restoration, as the Father is restoring the identity of His sons and daughters who have forgotten who they were, and have departed from His will. The enemy has attempted to destroy the lives of many people, and keep them from accomplishing what God has purposed for their lives. The Lord is intervening on their behalf right now, and bringing to their remembrance the Fathers love for them. This is a time where those that have seemingly departed from the Fathers will, and chosen a path in life that has led them to destruction, are going to “come to their senses” and return to their Fathers house. The Father is going to place the robe of identity and the ring of authority on many sons and daughters that have walked away and been hurt in the body of Christ. He is restoring their identity, because they belong to Him. (Luke 15:11-32)

Financial independence

 2014 will be a year of financial independence for many people. There are wise investments, and financial breakthroughs that God will give insights and strategy for, if we are willing to wait for His leading. 2014 will be a year when multiplication comes upon many people’s finances; as we are entering into a time when people are going to experience what it truly means to be debt free. Many people are going to experience ownership for the first time, I feel like there will be houses, lands, cars, investments that are paid for in full this year, giving people full ownership of what they posses.

In early 2013 the Lord spoke to me about the price of silver, that it was a good time to buy and invest, I believe there are many opportunities to increase financially if we ask the Lord to show us.

Love breakthrough

 The Holy Spirit is highlighting 1 Corinthians chapter 13 this year. Because there has been a surface understanding of love that the Church has demonstrated to the world, I feel like we are going to experience a deeper revelation and demonstration of love this year that will transform us into a greater expression of Jesus Christ. God has given the Church a clear blueprint of what love looks like as we read the verves below:

 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.

Jesus Christ is the complete definition and fulfillment of true love; I believe the Church is going to experience a love breakthrough this year that will change our priorities and reshape our focus back to His character and likeness.

Blessings,
Josh Crofton

Prophetic Word for 2013

As I've felt stirred to release a prophetic word for 2013, much of what the Lord has shown me has been building over the last two or three years. We are now entering into 2013, and much of what has been prophesied and declared in years past is coming to fruition this year.

Change is Upon Us

We are living in a time of great change, largely because the Church that is coming forth has never been seen before. She is bold, she is beautiful, and she knows who she is! There is a great reformation going on within the body of Christ, where there has been so many misunderstandings regarding scripture and the way we interpret the bible. I believe God is raising up anointed teachers that will have a heart after God, they will teach out of a deep love for the Lord, bringing a solid biblical foundation to the Church (James 3:1).

There is going to be a great return to the scriptures, with the power of revelation flowing through the Church again. God wants all of His children to encounter Him for themselves, and the spirit of wisdom & revelation are going to illuminate our understanding of who God is, and how He feels about us (Ephesians 1:17-19).

There have been many people who feel like their lives have been on hold for a number of years; and they have not known how to move forward with the plan of God for their lives. God is granting His people the grace they need to step out in faith and move toward the things He has already placed inside of them. Many people are going to take the plunge and move towards the things that have been in there heart from the beginning. This will require wisdom and faith, but God is more than ready to supply you with what you need.

The spirit of revelation flows in unity with grace, as revelation empowers you to accomplish what God has placed in your spirit. Many people have been waiting for God to tell them what to do, when in reality God has already placed His desires within them.

Investigation

2013 will be a year of investigation for the body of Christ, as God is going to stir up a spirit of discovery in His people to look into His word and ask hard questions. Currently the Church is being challenged to become a new wineskin, in order to retain the new wine of Gods word & Spirit. God is stirring up a desire to search out the truth. You will hear of many people who are willing to lay aside what they know, in order to search out what they do not know (Proverbs 25:2).

The Role of a Prophet

The role of a prophet in the New Testament is to encourage the Church to fully engage with the voice of the Lord for themselves, not settling for anything less than an authentic relationship with Him. A NT Prophet has not been anointed to be a mediator between God and the church, as Christ has become our mediator for all eternity (1 Timothy 2:5).

The ascension gift of a prophet is to help mature the body of Christ, not to be the go between for you and God. There is a great restoration of prophetic anointing that is flowing out of the Church today, but God is far from finished regarding the biblical function and application of prophetic ministry. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

A true prophetic anointing will remove the spiritual limitations in your path, and enable you to see what you were not able to see before. A true prophetic anointing will stir you to run further into your future than you ever thought possible, seeing the future as God intended you to see it.

In 2013 and beyond, the misunderstandings much of the Church has had regarding the prophetic anointing, and how it relates to the Church today under a New Covenant are going to be cleared up. There have been many prophets who are still prophesying out of a former glory, rather than speaking to Gods people through His finished work.

There are many people who want to be the voice of the Lord to this nation, yet they are prophesying based on their opinion of how God sees this nation. This can create confusion because they are filtering what God is telling them through their own pre-conceived idea about what is in store for us. I believe God is raising up prophetic voices that can keep their opinions out of the equation, while releasing a pure word in season.

The Father wants His children to hear His voice for themselves; He wants us weaned from the dependency of prophetic words. God wants us to look to Him for the answers, and not go chasing a prophetic word. This does not diminish the value of prophetic ministry, this just means that it's time we mature in our relationship with God and let prophetic words enhance that relationship when needed.

The Maturation of the Church

God is forming a fully functional body for Himself; as the church is becoming more like Jesus. We are learning what pleases Him, as we are made in His image and likeness. The days of living under a hierarchy form of Church government are coming to a close, as God never intended the Church to have positions of authority that Lord over one another. The difference between the kingdom of God and all the other government structures we see in the earth is that Gods kingdom is a family, built on relationship.

Many have tried to govern the Church as a top down structure, rather than seeing the church as a bottom up kingdom. The Apostle Paul wrote: Having been built on the foundation of the apostles & prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). A true Apostolic & Prophetic anointing will always come underneath the people of God and lift them up into the next realm of glory God has prepared for them. I believe there is going to be a greater understanding of the five fold ministry, and how it will function within our churches and the community's we live in.

Blessings,

Josh Crofton
Croftonhouse Ministries

Revelation, Impartation & The Prophet's Mantle

This is a unique season of discovery in God's kingdom, prepare for the revelation of Jesus Christ.

From Josh Crofton, Crofton House Ministries.


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The Isaiah 6 Generation: Make Me Your Priority.

As there are so many things happening through out the earth right now, I've felt led to share about a generation that is now getting a hold of something that has never been seen before. God is calling an entire generation to be lifted up into the glory of the Lord, to be completely transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Isa 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. [NKJV]

Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord; he saw the activity around the throne of God and heard the conversations of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as they waited for someone to respond. What Isaiah saw in his day was the entrance of a place where the body of Christ has been called to dwell in. We are a generation that is beginning to hear conversations that are coming out of heaven. God is giving an open invitation to anyone that would take the opportunity to seek Him while He may be found. Through out the generations there have always been those who have responded to His call, refusing to be bound by the lifeless restrictions of religion. The Holy Spirit beckons us into this dimension of spiritual transformation; God is giving an entire generation the invitation to be transformed through the Mind of Christ.

Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” [NKJV]

We have entered an appointed time where an entire generation will hear the cry of the Spirit to “go and declare the word of the Lord.” God has given us a clear mandate to abide in Him, and remain steadfast in His presence. He wants us to wear the garments of the secret place so that we will go out into the kingdoms of the world, and demonstrate the very real person of Jesus Christ. Not through the traditions of man, but by the power of the Holy Spirit working through us.

We no longer can sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to go in and encounter God for us. The veil has been torn in two, and access has been given to those that would come boldly into the presence and glory of God, knowing their identity as sons of God through Jesus Christ. We cannot be satisfied with the experiences of others, but we can be inspired by their testimonies and revelations, so we will become hungry for nothing less than the manifested presence of God.

The Lord said to me, “I've given you this time to make Me your priority.”

After hearing this, I began to understand the opportunity that has been given to me. I've felt a grace come over me to put aside the distractions of life and make my pursuit all about Him. This is a picture of what is happening in the hearts of many believers right now. God has given us access into a very unique place in Him for the purpose of getting direction and insight for what is next. He wants our next encounter with prophesy, or the spirit of revelation to come directly from Him. He wants us to enter His rest so that every part of our being is fully exposed to His glory. Expect to be changed. I pray that God gives you a desire to be in His presence at all times; from faith to faith, and from glory to glory.

Blessings,
Josh Crofton,
Crofton House Ministries