The Three Month Purge

10 Jan The Three Month Purge

Around the same time my wife, Melissa, heard God’s call to consecration, the Lord was speaking to me (Anthony) about a coming season of cleansing. He brought to my remembrance the events that took place one ordinary day in 2006.

Melissa and I were students at Christ for the Nations Institute, a Bible college in Dallas, TX. Students and staff had enjoyed another great morning in worship and intimate moments with Jesus. As the school director gets up to make the transition and release us to our classrooms, a guy on the front row raises his hand and asked if he could say something publicly. The director agrees and calls him up to the mic.“I want to publicly repent to my sister sitting next to me,” he confessed. “I’ve been looking at you with eyes of lust and I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m a married man but I’ve been looking at you wrongly. Please forgive me.” The atmosphere shifted.

Travail and repentance hit the entire auditorium of 1,200 students. That one public confession opened the door to hours of public confessions, deliverance and great freedom. School began at 8 am and was supposed to be over by noon, but this all went on well past 5 pm that day. It was an invitation to holiness, the doorway to revival.

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah. (Psalm 24:3-6 NASB)

I hear heaven declaring the first quarter of 2019 as “The 3-Month Purge.” The Lord is calling us to rend our hearts before Him. He is calling us to lay aside our pride and arrogance and let His purifying light into our dark places. Our ministry can be bringing life to many, while the minister is slowly dying spiritually. This cannot be.

There is a great release of power and an incredible harvest of souls coming in 2019 and beyond, and the Lord desires that clean sons and daughters steward what He is putting forth.

This may not be “popular” talk in today’s modern church landscape, but the hour we’re in requires a level of consecration, the likes of which we’ve not yet seen.

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.”           (Joel 2:12-13 NASB)

Throughout this three month purge, we’ll find ourselves at a crossroads time and time again. Will we stop pursuing needless endeavors to fully pursue His purposes? Are we willing to sever some relationships for the sake of growing in intimacy with Him?  What activities will we forego to buy oil with time spent in His presence? Are we okay with disappointing others in order to delight to the heart of God?

Our decisions in this season will either propel us forward or slow us down throughout the rest of the year. Shed the fear of making wrong choices and let the Lord direct your steps. For those who draw near to Him, He is releasing revelation on which way to go, and the courage to walk it out.

“Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21 NLT)

This call to consecration is not limited to those who are new in their walk with the Lord. He’s calling us all to ascend the hill of the Lord and stand with clean hands and a pure heart before Him. This invitation to holiness is our pathway to revival.

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow, the Lord will do wonders among you!” (Joshua 3:5 NASB)