nateandchristy2018

5782 - FROM THE TOMB, THE GIANT KILLERS ARE EMERGING

nateandchristy2018

5782 - FROM THE TOMB, THE GIANT KILLERS ARE EMERGING

5782 - FROM THE TOMB, THE GIANT KILLERS ARE EMERGING

I’ve been stuck on the theme of giant-killers for most of this year and unable to move from it, as if there was something God was trying to speak to me about the church and where we’re heading. It’s no surprise though, look around you right now and you’ll see that there are indeed giants before us. Whether you choose to see them as your problem to defeat or not, they are there and in this next year God is doing a massive work to engage the church more than ever before to contest the assignments of these giants and serve them an eviction notice going forward.

A VALLEY OF DECISION MOMENT - THE WRESTLE AT ELAH

I felt the thread of this word begin to come when one morning in June this year I had a vision of 1 Samuel 17:40 which says:

“Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine”

In the vision I saw myself (representative of the church) picking up the stones and could feel the flurry of emotions as David even semi-wrestled this moment between righteous fiery passion and raw, risky faith. I knew then that God wanted to have a longer conversation with me about the moment we are in and how we are right now, as a church, at the place of decision. Will we stand idly by to the shouts of the giants in the land, or will we go and collect our stones?

The fact is, we, the church, like the Israelites of that day are at a crossroad. Our promise is straight ahead, and we are surrounded by obstacles and seemingly menacing giants in our path. But the decision we need to make is “Will we cave in defeat, or will we take our inheritance?” Just like the place where Goliath stood to defy God’s people - the valley of Elah - we too are in what looks like a low place, a narrow passage, but a place where we must pass through to further establish the kingdom of God and advance.

DREAM OF THE RESET CHURCH

As I constantly faced daily news headlines like the taunts of Goliath, I kept asking the Lord the question, “Where are we and where are we going?” but I didn’t expect Him to show me what He did. 7 weeks ago, I had a dream where the Lord showed me three scenes and walked me through each of them like a tour-guide.  I have personally wrestled how to share this, but for the sake of revealing where God wants us to go, I need to share this dream very candidly.

In the first part of the dream, I was in a busy marketplace or shopping mall and the Lord was with me. At first, we just simply stood and watched people coming and going in and out of different stores and vendors. Who were these people? I thought, and knowing what I was asking He replied, “This is the church.”

I noticed them going into nail salons and other beautification services, hairdressers, and fashion stores and while none of those things were bad, I felt the grief on the Lords heart that something was amiss. I tried to figure out what I was sensing it was, and the word came to me “Comfort”.  This was the comfortable church, who had created a lifestyle out of comfortability over the cause of Christ. This was the church who couldn’t hear the cries of the lost, or the broken, because they were distracted.

Then what happened next took me by surprise. Suddenly one by one each store shut their doors and asked their patrons to leave. These comfortable believers were instantly cutoff from their comforts and unable to access them.

This part of the dream was sobering but it spoke so loudly of these things God is doing:

  • The church is heading into a greater shaking and separation from our dependence on earthly things.
  • We are going to see doors shut to areas that make us numb to what is taking place around us.
  • God is going to highlight our dependence on Him more than the systems of man, more than ever before.
  • It spoke to me about a coming RESET to the church that resulted in the RISING of THE CHURCH.
  • The reset is the shutting of doors of commonality with the world, contractual fear, and comforts that keep us in apathy and inaction when the world is needing the children of God to arise and shine. (Romans 8:19, Isaiah 60:1).
  • The doors shutting was like the grace period for towing the line between loving both God and the world being over. The pews will no longer be a hiding place, a feeding place, or a fattening place but a place of travail and prayer, equipping the saints, and encounter.
  • This reset is a “eyes wide open” moment.

THE EMPTYING, THE TRAVAIL, & THE RESURRECTION

In the next scene of the dream, I just hear the Lord audibly ask me “Does my church have to be empty before they will rise? Is it only in crisis and when all is removed that they step up to the frontlines?”

Then I saw a scene flash before me of bloodshed, cries and screams in the street, murder, abortion, injustice... I was grieved and I wanted to wake up but couldn’t. I looked for the church to go and help but they ignored the cries. “Go and help the babies in the street!” I yelled. Then I realized I was doing nothing either. I fell to my knees and cried until it felt like I couldn’t cry anymore. When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by the church who were on their faces too, in travail. “Heal us and heal our land!!” they cried out.

Then I felt the ground beneath my feet begin to shake like the very earth was speaking...  It reminded me of Romans 8:22:

“To this day we are aware of the universal agony and groaning of creation, as if it were in the contractions of labor for childbirth”

A mass move of repentance was taking place. People were taking their brands and idols and throwing them into a fire. They were taking their distractions and other loves and heaping them up onto the altar. A true reformation had taken place. Unity out of brokenness. Suddenly nothing to prove. Nothing to throw at one another. No more chips on shoulders. No more points of separation and demonic agendas to buy into. Veils had come off and eyes were opened. A true movement had begun...

A LAZARUS CHURCH IS IN REBIRTH!

This part of the dream was similar to a vision I had in the same week. The Lord showed me a vision as I was at church one Sunday morning. I couldn’t shake this intense grief and didn’t know why. Then the Lord spoke to me so clearly “Don’t be sad, this isn’t what you think it is - this is the new beginning!”

Then I went into a vision, and I saw people gathering around a tomb all mourning in sadness. Then I heard the words of Jesus from John 11:43 “Lazarus come forth!”

Then suddenly I saw a man come out and stand at opening of the tomb; and bandages were unravelling from him. As the bandages were coming off, I could see/discern that they were bandages from the world and demonic assignments that had sought to BURY the church and send it to an early grave. The bandages continued to unravel, and I began hearing words such as “defeat”, “powerlessness”, “unworthiness”, “dreams unfulfilled” and then even things like “Culture”, “progressive Christianity” and other evil blindfolds that the church has had wrapping around her, choking the life from her.

But as I witnessed this, I no longer felt sad but relieved. It looked like death, but it was actually brand-new life. It looked like death, but it was a deliverance…

I could see the church in all her beauty, she was radiant, glowing, and full of love for Jesus and nothing else. No other lovers. This was not just an awakening I had witnessed - this was a rebirth… a resurrection! Sometimes we have to go through seasons where it feels like death, the dark night of the soul, and the emptying to really be able to go where God is leading us. The pure bride is in process right now and her best days are ahead!

I THEN HEARD HIM SAY “GOLIATHS BROTHERS ARE GOING TO FALL!”

In the last scene of my dream, I felt the joy of the Lord all over me and around me. The Lord was still standing with me, and I could sense His excitement like this was the part of the book He was waiting for. He then looks at me and says very nonchalant “Goliaths brothers are going to fall!”

Now those last few moments before I came out of the dream were very significant to me, and I’m still unpacking them with the Lord because it was as if I was seeing David’s stones, all the way back then, as a prophesy of current day giants. What was the connection? I thought. Was it five nations that would rise up? Was it 5 leaders in the earth, that would be like the giants of old, that we would see fall? That is still unfolding because I believe there are many layers to this. But what I did feel strongly as I processed this statement, was that these giants were somehow linked or they were a prophetic snapshot of 5 demonic strongholds, or principalities in the earth.

LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES

Goliath’s brothers were called “The Lords of the Philistines” meaning they were the elite of their people. The word “Philistine” reveals the root nature of the enemy’s plan for these principalities to accomplish. It means:

  • Destroyers and grievers.
  • Burrowers and weakeners.
  • Dividers and splitters.
  • Multipliers.

These “Lords”- or principalities - have been tasked by the enemy to destroy and cause grief, burrow and hide themselves deep in cities and regions, weakening the church, causing mass division, and multiplying. Let’s look the individual giants too.

GIANT 1 - GOLIATH

Goliath means “Exposer, uncovered” Goliath as a modern principality would be likened to the assignment of the enemy to keep a victorious church in captivity and bondage. As an exposer, Goliath is an accuser of the brethren, and this causes much of the mockery of the church we see today; in the same way Goliath mocked the people of God back in David’s day. Goliath is also what keeps the church in fear and held back from pursuing the inheritance and territory God has given to them. On another note, the name Goliath represents both the uncovering of the mind and mental warfare, as well as insinuating minds being opened or exposed to sinful thoughts and beliefs. Goliath today has still been standing trying to obstruct the church and keep us bound, but God is raising up a remnant who will say like David “You are coming to fight against me with a sword, a spear and a javelin. But I’m coming against you in the name of the Lord who rules over all. He is the God of the armies of Israel. He’s the One you have dared to fight against. This day the Lord will give me the victory over you. I’ll strike you down. I’ll cut your head off!” (1 Samuel 17:45-46)

I also believe it’s not a mistake who took down each of these giants. Just as these giants represent some of the current giants we face in the earth, so too, do the heroes who defeated them reveal a facet of the army that is rising up. Who defeated Goliath? Well, we know David did. His name has a contrasted meaning of both infirmity, sickness, and weakness, and beloved. It reminds me of the scripture in 2 Corinthians 12:10 that says, “when I am weak, then I am strong!”; which speaks of the church who feels week, sick, and disabled actually being the beloved and approved of God, to take down even the greatest and most menacing of enemies.

GIANT 2 - ISHBEBINOB

The name has a few parts to it, but the main conclusion of this name is that it means to: backslide, settle, retreat, detour from destiny, and be inactive. The second part of the name means to be from, or sits in a high place, called Nob. The city of Nob was not a Philistine city but a Benjamite city. So, this name could actually be seen as a mockery of God’s people and also a counterfeit to our inheritance and occupation of the high places (as we are the Benjamin generation called to be seated in Christ in heavenly places).

This principality today can be seen in a myriad of ways, but firstly it is the cultural pressure and influence on the church to settle, and retreat from the mission and calling to occupy until Jesus comes - which is a forward moving and militant stance. Secondly this principality is a counterfeit to the call of sons and daughters to occupy the high places of influence in the earth, and in our absence sadly it empowers the wrong thing to fill those seats. We can also see this principality in the elitist agenda of power and control who have occupied usurped authority and taken the steering wheel from the church.

Interestingly the hero who defeated this giant was Abishai whose name means “father of gifts” and we are in a time where the Father is empowering the church to rise up and take His kingdom back off the usurping principalities. We need to know we have authority and access to the “Kings Domain” - the Father’s house - and step into our roles again. The other significant thing to note is that this name means “many gifts” which speaks of the church God has handed out many gifts to, so they can occupy their unique roles in the many metros of influence in the earth. As we rise up and occupy these spaces again, we will see this elitist giant fall.

GIANT 3 - SAPH

Goliath’s brother Saph has a name of multiple layered meanings such as: territory border, a marked line or boundary, a threshold, a violent storm or tornado, defending a border, fence-keeper, outside of the borders, breaching the walls, to enter someone’s personal space, the bite of a snake, to attack then swiftly hiding.

To me, Saph, as a current demonic principality, would be the invasive demonic influence in nations and culture. It is violent, nasty, and bitter in nature, and it will cut anything down that opposes it. We see this right now in so many evil narratives and ideologies. We see this in the media and the censoring on platforms. It’s like a storm, or a tornado, and it will destroy and discredit anyone who stands in its path. It occupies a place it actually has no right to occupy, and it exerts its dominance and expects compliance. It’s the principality of “me”. My ways, my truth, my body, and my experience. It defends the borders of these lies ruthlessly and will attack swiftly, secretly, and stealthily, hiding in plain sight. It inflicts witchcraft wounds by employing the twisted tongues of those caught up in the game.

The mighty hero who defeated Saph was David’s warrior Sibbechai, whose name means simply, “weaver”; which to me is indicative of the counter response of the church to be IN the world but not of it. Meaning we are called to be interwoven into the fabric of society but not in a handshake with evil. It’s our role to be the yeast worked into the dough, and the church occupying all places of influence. Also, from a militant perspective, the word weaver speaks to me of the skill of battle and clever strategies to outwit and outsmart the enemy. There is a Godly wisdom we possess that carries the presence of heaven on it, that when it spoken to these ideologies and narratives, it begins to disarm and destroy the fabric of them. We are the giant killers who will pull the loose thread until it’s all unraveled in a heap.

GIANT 4 - LAHMI

The name Lahmi comes from the verb ( laham ), meaning both: to eat (bread) or to wage war. This giant, as a modern principality, is multi-purposed but with the same goal in mind - to rob the church. Bread is sustenance - it is supply - it’s your means to accomplish the call of God on your life. The enemy wants to eat your bread, drain your supply, and rob you of your inheritance. He wants to steal our seed, so we have no fruit to show for anything! This giant, as a modern-day principality, is at war with the effective and thriving church, and our produce. It wants barrenness. It wants stillborns. It’s after our babies in the womb, so that we are robbed of a generation to bring in the end time harvest. It’s after our finances and to own and manipulate the financial systems of the world. This giant’s name also mockingly means “bethlemite”; which is where Jesus was born. It wants to rob the earth of the knowledge of the very seed that would die and become the bread of life to the world!

The hero that defeated this giant was Elhanan whose name means: “God is gracious” and grace and favor. This name is the promise of Gods favor and supply system. It’s Gods provision and manifestation of promises that will confound the wise and all those who think we are under their system. This giant will fall in Jesus name!

GIANT 5 - THE ONE WITH 6 FINGERS & TOES

Now the last giant had a name, but it was not recorded. It simply said that:

“Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to the giant. So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him " (2 Samuel 21:20-21)

The little that we do know about this giant speaks volumes. 6 is the number of man. Man’s ways. Man’s systems. Man’s intellect. But to me it also speaks of perversion of God’s design. This principality is responsible for every vile and perverted thing on the planet and this giant must fall!

The hero that defeated this giant was Jonathan, whose name means “God has given” and firstly speaks directly into the humanistic mentality of this principality. “GOD gives. No one else… GOD”. The name Jonathan to me points back to God. Like a chiropractic adjustment, to see this principality fall we must be a people that align ourselves with the heart of God and untangle ourselves from the mixture and perversion we see around us.

The main takeaway from this part of the dream is, that God is right now preparing us to take down every giant in our path in the days to come. There has been a lie that has been damaging - that darkness is incontestable, but we are called to be the light! Church, you are anointed and appointed to take down the giants of this hour!

5782 & 2022- THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH UNSILENCED & RESTORED

As I was unpacking this with the Lord, the year 5782 of the Jewish calendar that we have just stepped into, and the Gregorian calendar year 2022 came to mind.

What spoke the most to me was firstly breaking down each number simply and finding their meanings then as a whole:

5 - “Heh” Grace, redemption, speech, and action. (Pictograph of man with arms raised).

7 - “Zayin” Crown, sustenance, and weapons. (Pictograph of sword).

8 - “Chet” Doorway, community, & life (pictograph of a door and people linking arms).

2 - “Bet” House of God, tent, family of God, covenant, and tabernacle. (Pictograph of a house or tent).

In that sense you could say that 5782 speaks of the grace to speak, act, and slay what stands in our way entering into a new season/rebirth, where the church is baptized in the spirit and reacquainted with Jesus. Wow!

As we moved into 5782 it’s important to remind you that 80 - which in Hebrew is “Pey” representing the mouth, the voice, the roar, and the testimony - initiated what has been a major focus for the church, to be a prophetic voice for the world to look to and see Jesus. Now in 5782 the focus is on “pey - 80” and “bet - 2” which reveals the voice of the church but in the context of the house, or the family of God, and personal revival. To me this is the Lord saying that in this next year there will be a focus on: 

  • The church coming back to the heart of worship.
  • God purifying the heart motives of the church.
  • A new and pure sound of worship emerging from the church, not the polished radio songs that don’t carry the oil.
  • God is dealing with the fear of man and where the Church has been silenced.
  • He is dealing with where we have rejected the prophetic from the house.
  • We will see the tent of meeting be the focus again because It’s time for the church to not just be a voice but to HEAR and know the voice of Jesus in a new way.

What will this accomplish? Well, mainly fresh intimacy and connection but secondly, it’s going to expose the counterfeit Christs’ being accepted by the church.

Regarding 2022, these are the scriptures that came to my spirit:

“As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” 2 Chronicles 20:22.

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven” Exodus 20:22.

This will be a year of the revived and unadulterated voice of the Lord in our midst so that it reminds the church who we are so we can defeat and scatter the enemy.

THE RAW WORSHIP MOVEMENTS RISING

In terms of the pure worship I see flowing from the church: In a dream I saw a riot breaking out in a street with millions of people in uproar. But then my attention was drawn to a building, and I knew instantly it was Abbey Road studios in Westminster UK, where some of the most famous albums of all time have been recorded. God has shown me visions of this place before, but this felt different. I felt like it represented the Church. They were hidden or separate from the chaos outside, insulated, and not really part of it or influencing it. It grieved me.

Inside though they were all busy and focused. As I listened to what the orchestras and bands in each studio were busy doing, I heard them say that they were wanting to write hit songs that would put them on the map... They needed the songs that would win them awards and how that would help the world see Jesus in this time. But then I said “No, we need the raw cry for revival again!” As I said this everyone fell on their faces and begin crying out to the Lord, and soon a sound of messy intercession could be heard. Singing, tongues, and loud travail.

Then they started singing and grabbing their instruments and all these many songs and cries began to form one powerful song together, that was unlike anything I had ever heard. The volume seemed to increase to the point that it seemed to break through the walls of the building and then what I saw next was chilling. I was drawn once again to the streets and could hear the new sound of the church beginning to disrupt the chaos outside. People stopped and were listening and then started singing the same tune.

It was reviving cold, hard, and angry hearts. It was bringing peace to the fearful and anxious, it was restoring hope and a future to those who have only seen doom and gloom, and most of all people could see the heart of the Father for them in this time. A fresh sound of worship and new soundtrack for revival had been birthed and broken out of the walls and had disrupted the enemy’s agenda and drawn the world to the feet of Jesus once again!

I believe this is already happening. God is stirring up the raw cry of the church to release the fresh sounds and cry of a bride that is present and active and a voice in these times. For the last 4 years there has been a cap, or a ceiling, that has prevented the most anointed songs from being written and has brought a creative block and frustration over the psalmists of the earth. They have felt stopped up, and shut up, and shut down, yet they are bottling up the most anointed songs and prophetic anthems that we have yet to hear. But they are coming!

This dream also speaks to me of the church breaking out of the four walls in a greater way and being the public sound instead of the private symphony. I believe we are going to see not just worship movements birthed, but movements of all types, that simply carry the pure heart of worship, and focus on Jesus, that the earth needs right now.

THE HEAVYWEIGHTS & THE WILDCARDS

Just as it was David’s mighty men that defeated these giants, out of the fires of affliction are arising some pure hearted warriors who God is right now refreshing and readying for what’s ahead. They have They have only seen loss and defeat but in this next chapter they will ride the wave of triumph as God turns the page into this new chapter. I kept hearing these two words, heavyweights and wildcards.

Who are the heavyweights? They won’t look like heavyweights on the outside, but they have been through the fires of hell and the season of crushing and are now weighty glory carriers for this season.

The heavy weights of religion - aka Saul’s armor - just won’t cut it for this battle. We can’t fight these giants with our man made and institutionalized weapons. We can’t fight them with our intellect and knowledge, but with engaging our spirit. These heavyweights will move offensively using methods that will confront the stale and powerless methods of religion.

Heavyweights are weighty because they have been laying in the glory in heavenly realms. We have to fight this next season from our position IN CHRIST in heavenly places and quit battling personalities and flesh and blood. We have to come higher.

Heavyweights don’t rely on their own abilities, but God’s, and they don’t run from their posts but rest in the power that is inside of them. We have to stop evading and running from the reality of the enemy’s plans and the things taking place in the earth. We have a role, and we can’t hide from it.

And from the painful process of the past few years a remnant has risen up, who are the wildcards of heaven, who are those who have zero filter and zero motivation outside of loving Jesus. When He says go, they go. No questions asked. They are the ones the enemy is most afraid of because where most see giants, they simply see another opportunity to hurl their stones into a problem.

They are wildcards because God will use them to torment the enemy in the years to come. Just when situations look bleak and hopeless, and the enemy begins to laugh, God will flick his wrist and send these wildcards into impossible situations and expose the enemy’s hand.

THE FULL HOUSE, FIVE STONES, & THE SHIFT OF THE BATTLE

As I end this word, I want to just paint one last picture. The last word I heard for the year was “Full house”; which in a game of poker is a superior hand but even more than that spoke to me that the church is moving into its greatest days. We are going to see a full house. This is revival. This is harvest. This is fruit. What also came to me was that this year will be an awakening of the five-fold like we have never seen it before. The FULL expression of the house will be seen. The whole bride beginning to emerge.

God is looking for those, who despite the rapid darkness seeming to spread, will hear the laughter of heaven booming in their spirit because they know that regardless of the way the match seems to be going, it isn’t a match for God Almighty; who right now is pouring out His fiery Spirit upon a generation fed up with watching the narrative and story go the wrong way and are rising up as bold as lions to see history written according to heaven.

What if when David went down to the stream that day, he wasn’t just collecting stones for his battle, but what if he was inadvertently prophesying? He had 5 stones. 5 is the number of grace. 5 is the whole bride in unity. 5 is the five-fold church rising.

What if it was God speaking through him into this hour of history saying “Church, the giants look huge, but you have got this... it isn’t over, pick up your stones and take the land!” And the cry of my heart for you and I, is a resounding “Yes we will!”

Church our best days are ahead!

PRACTICAL GIANT KILLING TIPS FOR THE HOUR

  • Keep your knees in the throneroom no matter what. That way you will be sharp, discerning, and connected. You won’t buy into the lies around you.
  • Be reacquainted with the voice of the Lord. Invest time with Him more than social media time.
  • Refuse to stay still, inactive, and uninvolved in this hour. If you are unsure what to do then pray.. and ask Holy Spirit to reveal his heart to you.
  • Be in constant surrender.
  • Let the Holy Spirit untangle you from the veils and webs of your dark tomb season.
  • Let go of your disabling comforts and be desperate to know “the comforter” Holy Spirit.
  • Allow the worlds events to make you feel grieved so you can no longer stand back as a spectator but like David step up to your post.
  • Desire to know how God feels about issues and injustices around the earth but rooted in HIS solutions.
  • Let go of the fear of man and pick up your courage. Stand up for righteousness. Bold lions arise!
  • Refuse to be a sheep that does what they are told without applying your own wisdom and processing with the Lord.
  • Decide that you will be a voice for what matters - and know that this hour of history hinges on you and I.
  • Know that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus and that the victory is sure!
Sow a seed

RELATED prophetic WORDS:

RELATED prophetic WORDS:

By Nate Johnston July 11, 2025
Inbetween what you were doing and what you are stepping into. Inbetween alignments you had and the tribe coming. Inbetween the last seasons revelation that sustained and carried you and the fresh oil coming from the crushing and warfare. Inbetween language and a message you knew fluently and a new sound in your belly you don’t yet recognise. Inbetween an old mantle that had to go and the mantle you don’t understand or know how to fully trust yet. Inbetween breaking and the incoming breakthrough.. Inbetween feeling exhausted and spiritually crashed, and the fresh fire and awakening stirring inside you. Inbetween the battlefield of your last season and the new day dawning. Inbetween the old wineskin and the fresh outpouring. Inbetween the funeral song and the full recovery. Inbetween the robbery and the recompense. And this is where the ground under your feet feels shaky. Because it’s the garden of gethsemane and instead of praying and prophesying you just want to sleep through it. You want to be anaesthetised instead of enduring the unknown. But I’m writing to you today to say.. ENGAGE! Wake up mighty church. For you aren’t lost. You are the way makers. The soldiers of the breach! And this is a moment where PRAYER and prophecy will unlock the way. Lift your voice mighty ones!
By Nate Johnston July 11, 2025
At first, stepping into a mantle feels unfamiliar and daunting. It’s like the moment that Elijah threw the mantle around Elisha. It was a moment of decision. It was a moment of knowing something needed to be let go. Something had to be forfeited that felt comfortable, that felt… normal. That felt effortless. And I believe that many right now are in this uncomfortable and awkward place where you’re holding on. This awkward and uncomfortable place where there’s something new on your shoulders, and it’s forcing you to a decision because you can’t hold both. You have this mantle, this activity, this assignment, this calling. You’ve been walking in that. You know how to do it well. You know how it operates. You know what it does. Yet there’s this strange sense you’re meant to burn it to the ground and move into something new that feels unfamiliar, that feels unusual, that even feels not like you. It feels like death to everything you’ve ever known about yourself and what you’re called to do. And it feels like a moment where you’re in this awkward place of deep surrender, heart circumcision, and having to yield and surrender all your plans and expectations to God. It’s a moment where the Lord is saying to you, “There’s something greater I have for you. I know it doesn’t make sense right now. I know this is not what you expected that I would put in your lap. Yet, this is what carries my glory. And today the Lord is saying, Will you choose me? Will you choose my glory? Will you choose to step into a greater mantle that’s going to lead you and your family forward for the days to come? Will you surrender your idea of your calling and your destiny? Will you lay down your dreams even to pick up mine? And as you do, I will cause you to flourish and thrive. I’ll cause you to expand to the left and to the right, where you’ve been living in survival, where you’ve been playing it safe, comfortable. This is your breakout. Place mantle upon your shoulders and watch me move mightily upon your life. It’s time to shift out of the dysfunction that’s been sitting there as you’ve been in autopilot, going through the motions. It’s time to step into that fresh mantle that comes with fresh authority, fresh power, and breakthrough. It’s going to break you out of the prison you don’t even know that you’ve been living in. And for those of you who are asking my advice on how to practically begin to step into this mantle, I would say to begin your day on your face before the Lord, just surrendering everything that’s in your hands and in your heart. If it feels painful, it might be that your identity has been wrapped up in your last season’s activity or in the pain and woundedness of things that happened or didn’t happen in your past season. This is also an opportunity just to lay it at the feet of Jesus. I believe the story of Elisha is so applicable for us now. We want a goodbye ceremony just like Elisha did wanting to say goodbye to his mother and father. We want to spend a season in grief, waving off the past season’s accomplishments and failures. It’s a season that is so seductively trying to keep us bound, when the Lord is actually saying right now, “Will you just shut the door?” Will you just shut the door, and will you step into what you don’t understand as a worship? It’s one of those moments where you just have to close your eyes and say, “Okay, Lord.” I know so many who are going through this right now. I’m going through this right now. I know pastors who are shifting into an apostolic grace. Prophets who are beginning to build things and do things that they never had on their radar. It’s a season where you don’t feel qualified for the thing that God’s calling you into. And you don’t feel anointed. But the ironic thing is you are anointed for it. You just don’t know how to operate in it yet. So my advice to you is: get before the Lord. It’s a threshing floor moment. Bring it before Him. Let Him take the old, and let Him begin to help you step into the new.
By Nate Johnston July 11, 2025
Inbetween what you were doing and what you are stepping into. Inbetween alignments you had and the tribe coming. Inbetween the last seasons revelation that sustained and carried you and the fresh oil coming from the crushing and warfare. Inbetween language and a message you knew fluently and a new sound in your belly you don’t yet recognise. Inbetween an old mantle that had to go and the mantle you don’t understand or know how to fully trust yet. Inbetween breaking and the incoming breakthrough.. Inbetween feeling exhausted and spiritually crashed, and the fresh fire and awakening stirring inside you. Inbetween the battlefield of your last season and the new day dawning. Inbetween the old wineskin and the fresh outpouring. Inbetween the funeral song and the full recovery. Inbetween the robbery and the recompense. And this is where the ground under your feet feels shaky. Because it’s the garden of gethsemane and instead of praying and prophesying you just want to sleep through it. You want to be anaesthetised instead of enduring the unknown. But I’m writing to you today to say.. ENGAGE! Wake up mighty church. For you aren’t lost. You are the way makers. The soldiers of the breach! And this is a moment where PRAYER and prophecy will unlock the way. Lift your voice mighty ones!
By Nate Johnston July 11, 2025
At first, stepping into a mantle feels unfamiliar and daunting. It’s like the moment that Elijah threw the mantle around Elisha. It was a moment of decision. It was a moment of knowing something needed to be let go. Something had to be forfeited that felt comfortable, that felt… normal. That felt effortless. And I believe that many right now are in this uncomfortable and awkward place where you’re holding on. This awkward and uncomfortable place where there’s something new on your shoulders, and it’s forcing you to a decision because you can’t hold both. You have this mantle, this activity, this assignment, this calling. You’ve been walking in that. You know how to do it well. You know how it operates. You know what it does. Yet there’s this strange sense you’re meant to burn it to the ground and move into something new that feels unfamiliar, that feels unusual, that even feels not like you. It feels like death to everything you’ve ever known about yourself and what you’re called to do. And it feels like a moment where you’re in this awkward place of deep surrender, heart circumcision, and having to yield and surrender all your plans and expectations to God. It’s a moment where the Lord is saying to you, “There’s something greater I have for you. I know it doesn’t make sense right now. I know this is not what you expected that I would put in your lap. Yet, this is what carries my glory. And today the Lord is saying, Will you choose me? Will you choose my glory? Will you choose to step into a greater mantle that’s going to lead you and your family forward for the days to come? Will you surrender your idea of your calling and your destiny? Will you lay down your dreams even to pick up mine? And as you do, I will cause you to flourish and thrive. I’ll cause you to expand to the left and to the right, where you’ve been living in survival, where you’ve been playing it safe, comfortable. This is your breakout. Place mantle upon your shoulders and watch me move mightily upon your life. It’s time to shift out of the dysfunction that’s been sitting there as you’ve been in autopilot, going through the motions. It’s time to step into that fresh mantle that comes with fresh authority, fresh power, and breakthrough. It’s going to break you out of the prison you don’t even know that you’ve been living in. And for those of you who are asking my advice on how to practically begin to step into this mantle, I would say to begin your day on your face before the Lord, just surrendering everything that’s in your hands and in your heart. If it feels painful, it might be that your identity has been wrapped up in your last season’s activity or in the pain and woundedness of things that happened or didn’t happen in your past season. This is also an opportunity just to lay it at the feet of Jesus. I believe the story of Elisha is so applicable for us now. We want a goodbye ceremony just like Elisha did wanting to say goodbye to his mother and father. We want to spend a season in grief, waving off the past season’s accomplishments and failures. It’s a season that is so seductively trying to keep us bound, when the Lord is actually saying right now, “Will you just shut the door?” Will you just shut the door, and will you step into what you don’t understand as a worship? It’s one of those moments where you just have to close your eyes and say, “Okay, Lord.” I know so many who are going through this right now. I’m going through this right now. I know pastors who are shifting into an apostolic grace. Prophets who are beginning to build things and do things that they never had on their radar. It’s a season where you don’t feel qualified for the thing that God’s calling you into. And you don’t feel anointed. But the ironic thing is you are anointed for it. You just don’t know how to operate in it yet. So my advice to you is: get before the Lord. It’s a threshing floor moment. Bring it before Him. Let Him take the old, and let Him begin to help you step into the new.
By Nate Johnston July 9, 2025
There are three key assignments at work trying to drain your strength in this season. Recognize them and resist them. The first is a shift in anointing and assignment. We’ve entered a new season where the grace, oil, and unction on your life have moved. What worked before no longer carries the same power, and trying to operate in past mantles or rushing into things prematurely will leave you feeling frustrated, depleted, and under unnecessary warfare. When God’s anointing isn’t on something, it drains you instead of refreshing you. Constant frustration, irritation, and exhaustion are signs that you’re out of alignment. Instead of rushing into action, take time to sit with God and discern what He’s doing now. There is a new mantle, a new message, and a new assignment resting on you. Pour your energy into discovering it in His presence. When you wait on His clarity, you’ll stop operating in trial and error and begin to walk with precision. This is not the time for hurried decisions. The enemy is manufacturing false urgency to pressure you into creating something from the flesh, not the Spirit. But God is never in a rush. If peace isn’t present, neither is His hand. Don’t move until there is clarity. Don’t be seduced into birthing an Ishmael. Wait on the Lord. The second assignment is the attack of familiar voices. As you step into something new, the enemy often uses familiar people and old soul ties to try to gain access. These voices may come under the guise of concern or reconnection, but in reality, they are distractions. They pull at your time, energy, and focus, trying to insert themselves into what God is building in your life. This is the same spirit that came after Nehemiah through Sanballat. Sanballat didn’t want to reconnect; he wanted to tear down what was being built. Nehemiah responded with, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” That must be your posture. The enemy is sending familiar spirits to break your focus and bait you into battles that aren’t yours. Not every voice from the past deserves a response. If you entertain the wrong conversations, you’ll lose momentum in your assignment. Guard your access points. Recognize the manipulation in disguise and don’t mistake surveillance for support. The third assignment is overload. The enemy wants to drain you by keeping you busy, overcommitted, and scattered. This includes saying yes to things outside your grace, getting caught in unnecessary drama, and pursuing good ideas instead of God’s instruction. We live in a world of nonstop information, social media, texts, videos, podcasts, and endless voices. Even spiritual content can become noise when consumed without discernment. This overexposure leads to confusion, decision fatigue, and spiritual numbness. If you don’t slow down and guard yourself, you’ll move out of intimacy with God. The enemy sends wild goose chases, gossip, and spiritual distractions to keep you exhausted and off-track. Guard your mental space right now. Protect your mind and what you feed on. Ask yourself, “What am I consuming that’s clouding my discernment?” If you’re feeling constantly tired, irritated, or foggy, it’s time to unplug and get still. The enemy knows that if he can slowly rob your peace, you’ll make a mistake. So, how do you avoid being drained by these assignments? Stay grounded in the secret place. Make time with God a daily priority. Wait for clarity before you move, and don’t let pressure push you. Discern God’s voice above the noise and set boundaries without apology. Protect your energy from old soul ties and manipulative conversations. Unplug. Stay focused on your assignment and don’t abandon your post for unnecessary battles. Learn to rest without guilt. Test every connection and make sure it brings peace, not confusion. If something pulls you away from clarity, it’s not from Him. And know you’re not crazy. Your job is to pause, discern, protect your oil, and stay aligned. He will take care of the rest.
By Nate Johnston July 7, 2025
Ok, this is a word for those who have been dealing with years of narcissistic robbery.. One of the most pervasive demonic assignments I’ve ever witnessed in my own life and in the lives of many believers is the Jezebelic assignment. It’s been normalized across the body of Christ and in the world, often labeled as narcissism or seen only as a psychological disorder, rather than a spiritually rooted one. Because of this, people don’t know how to discern it, confront it, or evict it. It has become more than a spiritual stronghold. It’s become a culture. A way of living, responding, and relating that is deeply destructive. I grew up in this environment, and I would say 90% of the body of Christ has, too. Culture enforces it. Our world, in many ways, is systemically narcissistic. It has caused deep bondage and emotional wounds, even manifesting as mental and physical illness over time. Last week, as I was sharing prophetic words, going live, and praying over people, we saw many healings break out, especially last Thursday night on our Vision Live. I’m still in awe of what God did. But as I was praying and asking the Lord how He wanted me to address the Jezebelic element, I had a dream. In the dream, I saw a garden that looked completely dead. Roses that had once bloomed were now black, shriveled, and decayed. The whole garden was poisoned. In the middle of it was a deep pit, and out of that pit grew a short, ugly tree. Its roots spread underneath the entire garden. It reminded me of The Secret Garden, a movie I loved as a child. I knew immediately that the dream was from the Lord. He was showing me how the Jezebelic spirit has poisoned the gardens of many believers. It’s been at the center of our spiritual lives, hidden beneath the surface. We’ve tried to tend the garden around it, but we’ve never dealt with the root. Last week, I spoke about catching the foxes from Song of Songs. We manage our pain around this spirit, but now God is saying: Enough is enough. I’m pulling it out. As I continued to pray, the Lord brought me to the story of Naboth’s vineyard in 1 Kings 21. In this passage, Jezebel conspired to steal Naboth’s inheritance so she could give it to Ahab. But Naboth refused to sell. His name in Hebrew means “fruits” or “produce” and is closely tied to the idea of prophetic fruitfulness, legacy, and inheritance. In one translation, it represents “prophecies and words” Naboth’s vineyard is symbolic of the prophetic call, the anointing, the promises, and the inheritance God has placed on your life. But the Jezebel spirit is a thief. It will lie, manipulate, gaslight, and even kill to rob you of that vineyard. Just like in my dream, it seeks to plant toxic roots in the very soil that was meant to bear fruit. It poisons what was meant to be pure. This is exactly what has happened to so many believers. You’ve been fighting invisible warfare against something that’s been spiritual all along. And every time you try to confront it, in churches, in relationships, in ministries, you get gaslit. You’re made to feel like the problem, when in fact, the spirit that’s been tolerated is the real issue. But the Lord is saying now: I am taking the root out. I am exposing it, and I am evicting it. That’s why it’s uncomfortable. That’s why everything feels like it’s coming to the surface. That’s why your mind has been under siege. Because a false foundation is being torn out, so a holy one can be laid. Then I heard the Lord say something that hit me deeply, and I believe it will hit your spirit too: “As I uproot this spirit from your life, you will not only be healed in your mind. You will be made whole in your body, your finances, your marriage, your family, and your destiny. I’m not just healing you, I’m reordering your life from beginning to end. I am restarting your prophetic timeline.” Let me say that again: God is restarting your prophetic timeline. Imagine that dead garden in your life, the one you thought was beyond recovery. Now imagine the root being pulled out, light returning, and life beginning to flourish again. That garden represents your prophetic call, your purpose, your destiny, and the words spoken over you. The things that felt delayed, blocked, or stuck will begin to move. Where there’s been no favor, favor will flow. Where doors were shut, doors will now open. You will reclaim your vineyard. God says, “I am reclaiming you. This is a Jubilee moment in your life. I am demanding repayment of the robbery of the Jezebel spirit. Everything stolen must be returned. Your inheritance, your health, your time, your voice, your clarity, your legacy, it’s all being reclaimed. I am giving you back the vineyard that was stolen.” Now let me pray: In the mighty name of Jesus, I command every Jezebelic assignment, every generational stronghold that has taken root in your life, to be uprooted now. Be broken from your heart, your calling, your destiny, and your mind. Be uprooted in Jesus’ name. I decree Jubilee over you. The Jezebel spirit is being overthrown. The vineyard is being reclaimed. Your prophetic garden is coming alive again. The delay is over. Cycles are breaking, and the play button has been hit. Your prophetic timeline starts again today. And finally, I release this charge to you. This moment will require courage. It will require boundaries. You will be called to confront some relationships, environments, and mentalities that have tolerated the spirit God is removing. It’s time to say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, “ and walk in it. No more compromise. No more confusion. No more being stuck and your destiny on hold. Your vineyard is yours again in Jesus' name!