Time to Move

"So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him King, withdrew again to the mountainside by Himself alone."

Jesus walked in great discernment. He had learned during his first thirty years to hear from His father, to walk in obedience, to pursue that which was truly right. It was wise for the Father to train Him so thoroughly, for the enemy came with great skill and cunning to try and subtly appeal to Jesus in order to convince Him to forfeit his birthright. Jesus had been prepared, Jesus submitted himself to the training and He soared during the times of testing He faced. Ultimately He would boldly declare, "the prince of this world is coming, he has no hold on me." In His face to face battles with satan immediately after his baptism, in his battles with the religious spirit, even in great difficulty with His closest friends, Jesus soared. His ability to creatively solve the problems He faced is an inspiration to anyone facing difficult circumstances today. The Father knew what Jesus needed and therefore He made frequent deposits into Jesus throughout His life on the earth, He was making an investment which Father knew would one day bear much fruit. Similarly God has been preparing our community, for the last few years, inviting us to develop the skills necessary to survive the subtle temptations of the enemy and then thrive as we pursue, apprehend and fulfill our birthright. Prior to our time of corporate preparation the Father had already invested a great deal, positioning each of us in line to receive unique generational blessings designed specifically to bring life to the earth in this hour. It is exhilarating to consider the engineering that the Father has used to bring us together for such a time as this. He has truly done a good thing!

More exciting then the path that He has led us to at this point is where we go from here. I see the small army of us, riding on horseback across a high plateau. We are bloodied, scarred, scared, wounded and wearied from the battles we have been in. Yet simultaneously there is a wisdom, a resolve, a leanness in our bodies which suggests that we are ready for the next challenge. As we move along the high plateau, men, women and our children, we come upon a breathtaking scene. It is a chasm, a vast expanse which opens before us like the Grand Canyon - we pause, our hearts beating wildly, partly from what we have just been through, partly because of what is before us...there is nothing to say...we are overwhelmed simply by the knowledge that we have come to the next spot in our journey. It is more dramatic then we imagined, though we spoke of it, though we prophesied of it, we did not realize what we were saying. It is breathtaking. I see concern among the troops as we recognize the sobriety of this situation - there are many paths to take from this place - most of them are the right path for some of us - yet there is an awareness that we will not all be going to the next spot in the same geographic region in this season. There are many hugs, a wild party erupts filled with great joy and celebration and humbling tears signaling a transition from something that was surely more special then we realized while we walked through it. There are salutes as Jonathan mounts his horse and leads his regiment down the rocky path that God has chosen for him. There is a scurry of activity as others scramble to gather resources to move forward on the path that they have chosen, anxious but expectant, knowing that God has much more in store in the new journey. Some remain on the plateau looking, waiting, standing at their posts, watchmen who will continue to cry out for Lancaster. Those who move forward...do so quickly, securely with the knowledge that their birthright is not to be found in the places where they have been, but rather, where they will go. As this army advances, in smaller groups, onto trails that go in various directions down into the canyon, fire falls from heaven and the canyon is ablaze with the glory of God!

It is a new hour, a new day, a day to pursue our corporate birthright, a day to pursue our individual birthrights, a day for new paths, a time to celebrate our oneness as we move onto many different paths which lead to many new locations.

Jesus knew when it was right for Him to move, when it was right for Him to be still and He would not bow to peoples desires to shape Him into that which they desired, what they thought God should do through Him. He knew who He was and He went where it was right for Him to go, when it was right for him to go there. In this hour I exhort you, to stop shaking in fear - you have already been through the fire - you have been tested and approved. You are ready for this next step. You need not blindly follow any man, neither should you be afraid of doing something just because someone else is doing it. Turn your spirit to the Father, know that you will hear from Him what is next. Know that He will tell you and move toward it.

Naomi, my family and I are choosing a trail that leads to North Carolina. Others will be joining us for this part of the journey. There are many other trails, some of you will likely end up on teams with Mark, with Jonathan, with me - while some of you will blaze your own trails and lead others into totally new areas of discovery with you. Don't make your decision through a desire to be with us or out of a fear of following too closely to us. Turn to the Father, get your marching orders and move. Consider your next step and be bold, be aware that there are many forces working to keep you from taking the next step - do not be afraid - we have not bowed to these forces before - we will not bow to them now! Pay attention to the broad prophetic words you have received during the last year, ask Father for fresh perspective on those and move toward your fears and problems not away from them - see what happens. For each of us it is time to move more fully into our birthright!

I bless each of you on this journey to celebrate, to embrace the full range of emotions that comes as we consider the breathtaking place we have come to, the depth of the relationships pain, joy and intimacy we have experienced together. I bless you to savor the past and embrace the future on that thin slice of time that is today. For tomorrow it is time to move.

I love each of you.

Matt Buckwalter