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BECAUSE YOU SURRENDERED TO THE PROCESS
I was in worship when the Lord spoke;
“Because you surrendered to the process - because you leant into me in your greatest wilderness - because you stayed at my feet when everything looked like a mess, NOW I am going to increase you.”
“Because you worshipped me instead of walking away from me, now I am going to cleave myself to you and make your desires my desires”
“Because you leant into my heart when you could have run from me, blamed me for the closing doors, dead ends and hardships, I am going to go before and clear the road”
“Because you pioneered through the hardest of years and didn’t let go of my hem, I will cause you to see what I promised you”
“Because you chose to look to me and kept your heart right when people turned against you over and over and dragged your name through the mud, now I am going to elevate you and clear your name”
“Because you built my kingdom while others were preoccupied with their own empires; now I am going to rebuild you and establish you where you will be immoveable and fixed for the days to come”
“Because you fed my sheep when you had nothing, I will protect you and feed you in harvest and in famine. You will never run dry, and your cup will always flow over.”
“Just like David - he knew that if he didn’t endure his season in the wilderness. He wouldn’t be equipped for what was to come.”
“You knew you had to lay down in this season and let me work deeply in your life”
“If he didn’t go through the isolation, fight bears and lions, insecurities, and fears, he wouldn’t have been ready for Goliath.
“If he hadn’t had the years of nothing but me and his harp, he would haven’t known how to stand strong when faced with betrayal and endless opposition.”
“If he didn’t lay in my presence and allow me to speak truth and identity into his heart, he would have worn the wrong armor and used the wrong tools”
“If he had rushed the process, he wouldn’t have grown in the anointing that delivered Saul of evil spirits.”
“He wouldn’t have been prepared to fight his tens of thousands”
“He wouldn’t have known honor, covenant, and wouldn’t have been equipped with a heart after my own heart.”
“Yes, the wilderness did that, although he didn’t see it then.”
“His obedience and the crushing brought about an oil that dripped down through the ages, all because he said yes when his world looked bleak.”
“And just as I saw David, I SEE YOU!”
“I SEE YOU!”
“I see your clean hands, although you feel dirty”
“I see your pure heart, although you feel faulty.”
“I see your worship, though you just see the complaining.”
“I see your strength, although you feel weak and flawed.”
“I see what you have been through. I see the wilderness season you have walked through that looked like death, but it was not death but the midnight before a new beginning.”
“It felt like the season your world fell apart, but in reality, it was the season that I unlocked many locks, broke many chains, and uncoiled the snake from around your heart and destiny.”
“Yes, you have been in the dirt. In the place of death to your old man that has been trying to hold on and keep you stuck in the cycles and methods of man’s ways and fruitlessness.”
“But can you see how I have placed a discontent in you for what you were and where you were?”
“It was I who put a bad taste in your mouth to the subtle traps and slow-setting poisons that would render your life powerless and ineffective.”
“It was I who made you long for more than what you had settled for, and you jumped into the unknown, knowing you just couldn’t stay there anymore.”
“But this?” I heard you cry out. “Is this what I traded comfort for?”
“Nothing has yet connected and nothing has yet made sense.”
“But in this next chapter, you will see the fruit of your process and precisely what I have been building in you and preparing you for.”
“Watch as I reveal what I have been growing in you while I hid you in the cleft of the rock.”
“I am dismantled and broken!” I heard you say. “My greatest days are over before they have even begun!”
“For I am shipwrecked and ruined!” You said.
“My house fell down. The straw was stripped away by the wind and the bricks were stolen by foxes and now I am at square one!”
“Will I not rebuild you now?” Says the Lord. “Will I leave you in rubble? No, for these years have been your greatest deliverance”
“Oh, Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli.
I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.
In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you” Isaiah 54:11-14
“You still see broken, but I see a firm foundation to build upon”
“You see weariness, but I see a heart uncluttered from bondage that has tried to wrap itself you for generations”
“You have been through the fire and have stood”
“You have walked through the waters and have made it through”
“For in the years to come, I am going to teach you how to shift from survival to thriving again”
“You have been the wanderer and the outcast for too long, but now you will fully know what it is like to be a king”
“Just like Joseph was ushered in a moment before the pharaoh and found his life purpose, so you too in a moment will be ushered from the prison and enter your kairos moment”
“In a moment every accusation that was nailed on your back for decades will fall to the dust because I am bringing you into such a season of favour that you will have to see to believe”
“Even right now Hope-deferred is breaking off you and lt needs to break once and for all”
“It’s stolen your fire and your faith and led you onto paths where I am not present”
“Places you have looked for me and not found me because I am not on those paths, and I can’t be found in the compromise of apathy and comfort”
“So leave the pools of Marah behind and experience the trees of life that will heal your soul of disbelief and your heart of bitterness”
“For I am now leading you out of your here of process and onto your new path”
“You will not wander anymore but your feet will be sure and I will lead you with my voice like days of old”
“You will know my cloud by day and fire by night”
“My glory will go before you and light the darkness”
“And you will know my rest once again”
“Yes, because you have said yes to the process now I am going to use you mightily”
“You will feel my spirit not only upon you but clothing you with power and putting fiery words in your spirit”
“Because you have endured the process, now I am going to enlarge you and cause your tent pegs to go out to the left and right”
“I am going to increase you and cause you to abound in every work”
“For these shall be known as the days where the plowman overtakes the reaper and you will step into the effortless increase that comes from choosing me when it’s unpopular”
“Yes, you have chosen me, and I have chosen you”
RELATED prophetic WORDS:
RELATED prophetic WORDS:
By Nate Johnston
•
April 3, 2025
I believe that we are in a season, both personally and corporately, where God is leading us through a wilderness, not to isolate us, but to revive us. It’s where the Lord says, “I’m pulling them out to deliver them, and heal them, and ready them for the next chapter.” I went through this very thing in late 2024, where I felt like I hit a wall and needed to get away. It’s the feeling of needing to go up the mountain and let God revive and reinvent your life under the power of His hand. It’s the longing to be cut loose from so much that has been attached to you in the long-haul season of doing kingdom. So this wilderness isn’t to punish you, but to momentarily cut the cord and loose your bonds. It’s a place where God allows us to search our hearts and remove anything that shouldn’t be there. It’s a place of stripping back the layers of a battle-fought season and coming back to simple relationship. Right now, God is highlighting areas that aren’t working, that are frustrating us, and that are leading us away from His purpose. These things are producing Ishmaels instead of Isaacs, and He wants to free us from them. Can you relate? We’re seeing this take place in the body of Christ as well. There are three passages of Scripture, that really speak to what God is doing right now. People are talking about Joel 2, and I agree. We are in a Joel 2 moment where God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. That’s why we’re seeing dreams, visions, fresh prophetic insight, and the rise of a generation that prophesies. “Your sons and daughters will prophesy." It’s happening. But we’ve also been talking about Acts 2, which feels like the vehicle God is using to bring us into what’s already available. It’s not something new. It’s a realignment. God is realigning His Church with Acts 2, returning us to the original design, the original power, and the original fire. But here’s what I want to highlight. There’s another “Chapter Two Moment” that I believe we’re walking through right now, and it comes first. Hosea 2. Hosea 2 is a prophetic snapshot of the Church. A bride who walked away from covenant and gave herself to other lovers. God says, “I will allure her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” Right now, the Lord is drawing His bride into the wilderness. Not to punish her, but to restore her back to intimacy. I believe what we’re seeing in the Church, the shaking, the exposure, the unraveling of man-made systems, is a Hosea 2 moment. It’s where the Church that once fell in love with the lights, the glamour, and the stage is now being wooed back to presence. It’s where God is saying, “Come back to Me. Let Me be your first love again.” And as the Church returns to intimacy, to simplicity, and to covenant, we enter into Acts 2 again. This is where the Holy Spirit begins to pour out in a fresh way. Not just on platforms, but in hidden rooms, families, churches, homes, and gatherings of hungry hearts. This is where repentance meets refreshing. Where the oil returns. Where signs, wonders, miracles, and healing begin to flow again, not because of hype, but because we’ve made room for Him. And from there, we move into the Joel 2 outpouring. The Joel 2 army doesn’t come from a distracted or divided Church. It comes from a restored, realigned, and empowered bride. So if you feel like you’ve been in a wilderness, this is your Hosea 2. If you’re feeling hungry and expectant, this is your Acts 2. If you feel the stirring to rise up and release the word of the Lord, this is your Joel 2. They’re not separate moves. They are one prophetic flow. Hosea 2 prepares us. Acts 2 empowers us. Joel 2 sends us. This is what God is doing right now, in the Church, in families, and in individuals. Let the wilderness do its work. Let the fire fall again. And let the harvest begin. So with that said, let me speak this over you; While it may seem like God is stripping things away… While it may feel like He is leading you out of relationships, assignments, environments, or even callings that once felt secure… While closures and endings seem to surround you… It is not to diminish you. It is to prepare you. He is removing the old garments. He is cleansing the residue and slime of past seasons. He is cutting ties with compromise and false alignments. He is wiping away the shame, the confusion, and the weariness. And He is handing you a new robe and a new ring. He is restoring your authority. He is clothing you in righteousness and recommissioning you in intimacy. He is setting the table for personal outpouring so that you can pour out to others. You are not being buried. You are being planted. You are not being abandoned. You are being re-aligned. The season has changed. Winter has passed. The sound of singing is in the land again. I prophesy that you are stepping into the days of overflow. You will not just survive this stripping, you will emerge radiant. You will not just be revived, you will be reignited. And from the wilderness, you will come out leaning on your Beloved, dripping with fresh oil. Let the wilderness do its work. Let the fire fall again. And let the harvest begin. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
By Nate Johnston
•
April 1, 2025
We need the wild voices to rise up right now because we need to see a new covenant paradigm of the prophetic unleashed on the earth. We need voices that don’t just tear down strongholds and overturn tables, but know how to build what is pure and true. We need those with no selfish motives, voices that step onto the scene not to draw people to themselves but to lead them to Jesus. We need the wild voices because they are a reflection of the Father’s heart and release His intentions into the earth. Just as David, the OG wild voice left the wilderness, and his first call was to take down a giant. Wild voices decimate principalities as a byproduct of their obedience. That moment set off a domino effect that led the kingdom back into alignment with God’s purposes. -The wild voices restore worship. -They restore the priesthood. -They restore the knowledge of God’s voice. THE WILD VOICES DESTROY CELEBRITY CULTURE We are seeing a culture where the messenger has become the focus instead of the King of Kings. 1 Corinthians 14 clearly calls the church to prophesy and hear God’s voice. But instead, there has been an overemphasis on hearing from others while many believers have lost confidence in hearing God for themselves. The wild voices break that cycle. They lead people back into relationship with God. They tear down thrones, altars, and idols built to other things. They call the church back to the fiery altar of consecration and sacrifice. WILD VOICES ARE DELIVERERS As wild voices speak, everything impure begins to run. Nothing can hide as the anointing of the wild voice is released. All counterfeits are exposed. All false gospels and false versions of Jesus are revealed for what they truly are. WILD VOICES BUILD, REDEEM & SEE THROUGH DARKNESS Wild voices don’t just tear down, they build. They redeem. They see God’s handiwork, even in the midst of chaos. They don’t just point out what’s crumbling, they announce what God is establishing. They are constant broadcasters of God’s goodness and His hand upon us, even through trials. Wild voices speak with authority and truth. They don’t tickle ears. They say exactly what needs to be said while also releasing the love and affection of God. IT’S TIME TO BREAK THE STATUS QUO We have disempowered ourselves by believing that only a select few are called to be wild voices. But that’s a lie. We are ALL called to be the wild, undignified voices of God. Like wild stallions and brumbies, we don’t bow to the spirit of religion or the Jezebel spirit that loves to create a façade of spiritual authority. We don’t exist to broadcast what’s falling down. Even in the kingdom, there’s been a massive overemphasis on what is crumbling. While there is truth in that, the wild ones are rising to speak the new narrative and write the next chapter. The wild ones will prophesy what God is doing. They will announce what He is building. They will carry the blueprints for the new era. And they will hand the baton to those ready to run with it. ARE YOU READY TO BE A WILD VOICE? Have you been disempowered by the status quo in the church? Have you been afraid to step into your voice because you don’t want to fall into the same errors you’ve seen in the past? Are you still healing from past rejection and doubt, unsure if your voice even matters anymore? If this word convicted you, then you are called to be a wild voice. -Find your wild pack. -Begin your destiny again. -Pick up the keys and RUN. It’s time.
By Nate Johnston
•
April 3, 2025
I believe that we are in a season, both personally and corporately, where God is leading us through a wilderness, not to isolate us, but to revive us. It’s where the Lord says, “I’m pulling them out to deliver them, and heal them, and ready them for the next chapter.” I went through this very thing in late 2024, where I felt like I hit a wall and needed to get away. It’s the feeling of needing to go up the mountain and let God revive and reinvent your life under the power of His hand. It’s the longing to be cut loose from so much that has been attached to you in the long-haul season of doing kingdom. So this wilderness isn’t to punish you, but to momentarily cut the cord and loose your bonds. It’s a place where God allows us to search our hearts and remove anything that shouldn’t be there. It’s a place of stripping back the layers of a battle-fought season and coming back to simple relationship. Right now, God is highlighting areas that aren’t working, that are frustrating us, and that are leading us away from His purpose. These things are producing Ishmaels instead of Isaacs, and He wants to free us from them. Can you relate? We’re seeing this take place in the body of Christ as well. There are three passages of Scripture, that really speak to what God is doing right now. People are talking about Joel 2, and I agree. We are in a Joel 2 moment where God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. That’s why we’re seeing dreams, visions, fresh prophetic insight, and the rise of a generation that prophesies. “Your sons and daughters will prophesy." It’s happening. But we’ve also been talking about Acts 2, which feels like the vehicle God is using to bring us into what’s already available. It’s not something new. It’s a realignment. God is realigning His Church with Acts 2, returning us to the original design, the original power, and the original fire. But here’s what I want to highlight. There’s another “Chapter Two Moment” that I believe we’re walking through right now, and it comes first. Hosea 2. Hosea 2 is a prophetic snapshot of the Church. A bride who walked away from covenant and gave herself to other lovers. God says, “I will allure her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” Right now, the Lord is drawing His bride into the wilderness. Not to punish her, but to restore her back to intimacy. I believe what we’re seeing in the Church, the shaking, the exposure, the unraveling of man-made systems, is a Hosea 2 moment. It’s where the Church that once fell in love with the lights, the glamour, and the stage is now being wooed back to presence. It’s where God is saying, “Come back to Me. Let Me be your first love again.” And as the Church returns to intimacy, to simplicity, and to covenant, we enter into Acts 2 again. This is where the Holy Spirit begins to pour out in a fresh way. Not just on platforms, but in hidden rooms, families, churches, homes, and gatherings of hungry hearts. This is where repentance meets refreshing. Where the oil returns. Where signs, wonders, miracles, and healing begin to flow again, not because of hype, but because we’ve made room for Him. And from there, we move into the Joel 2 outpouring. The Joel 2 army doesn’t come from a distracted or divided Church. It comes from a restored, realigned, and empowered bride. So if you feel like you’ve been in a wilderness, this is your Hosea 2. If you’re feeling hungry and expectant, this is your Acts 2. If you feel the stirring to rise up and release the word of the Lord, this is your Joel 2. They’re not separate moves. They are one prophetic flow. Hosea 2 prepares us. Acts 2 empowers us. Joel 2 sends us. This is what God is doing right now, in the Church, in families, and in individuals. Let the wilderness do its work. Let the fire fall again. And let the harvest begin. So with that said, let me speak this over you; While it may seem like God is stripping things away… While it may feel like He is leading you out of relationships, assignments, environments, or even callings that once felt secure… While closures and endings seem to surround you… It is not to diminish you. It is to prepare you. He is removing the old garments. He is cleansing the residue and slime of past seasons. He is cutting ties with compromise and false alignments. He is wiping away the shame, the confusion, and the weariness. And He is handing you a new robe and a new ring. He is restoring your authority. He is clothing you in righteousness and recommissioning you in intimacy. He is setting the table for personal outpouring so that you can pour out to others. You are not being buried. You are being planted. You are not being abandoned. You are being re-aligned. The season has changed. Winter has passed. The sound of singing is in the land again. I prophesy that you are stepping into the days of overflow. You will not just survive this stripping, you will emerge radiant. You will not just be revived, you will be reignited. And from the wilderness, you will come out leaning on your Beloved, dripping with fresh oil. Let the wilderness do its work. Let the fire fall again. And let the harvest begin. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
By Nate Johnston
•
April 1, 2025
We need the wild voices to rise up right now because we need to see a new covenant paradigm of the prophetic unleashed on the earth. We need voices that don’t just tear down strongholds and overturn tables, but know how to build what is pure and true. We need those with no selfish motives, voices that step onto the scene not to draw people to themselves but to lead them to Jesus. We need the wild voices because they are a reflection of the Father’s heart and release His intentions into the earth. Just as David, the OG wild voice left the wilderness, and his first call was to take down a giant. Wild voices decimate principalities as a byproduct of their obedience. That moment set off a domino effect that led the kingdom back into alignment with God’s purposes. -The wild voices restore worship. -They restore the priesthood. -They restore the knowledge of God’s voice. THE WILD VOICES DESTROY CELEBRITY CULTURE We are seeing a culture where the messenger has become the focus instead of the King of Kings. 1 Corinthians 14 clearly calls the church to prophesy and hear God’s voice. But instead, there has been an overemphasis on hearing from others while many believers have lost confidence in hearing God for themselves. The wild voices break that cycle. They lead people back into relationship with God. They tear down thrones, altars, and idols built to other things. They call the church back to the fiery altar of consecration and sacrifice. WILD VOICES ARE DELIVERERS As wild voices speak, everything impure begins to run. Nothing can hide as the anointing of the wild voice is released. All counterfeits are exposed. All false gospels and false versions of Jesus are revealed for what they truly are. WILD VOICES BUILD, REDEEM & SEE THROUGH DARKNESS Wild voices don’t just tear down, they build. They redeem. They see God’s handiwork, even in the midst of chaos. They don’t just point out what’s crumbling, they announce what God is establishing. They are constant broadcasters of God’s goodness and His hand upon us, even through trials. Wild voices speak with authority and truth. They don’t tickle ears. They say exactly what needs to be said while also releasing the love and affection of God. IT’S TIME TO BREAK THE STATUS QUO We have disempowered ourselves by believing that only a select few are called to be wild voices. But that’s a lie. We are ALL called to be the wild, undignified voices of God. Like wild stallions and brumbies, we don’t bow to the spirit of religion or the Jezebel spirit that loves to create a façade of spiritual authority. We don’t exist to broadcast what’s falling down. Even in the kingdom, there’s been a massive overemphasis on what is crumbling. While there is truth in that, the wild ones are rising to speak the new narrative and write the next chapter. The wild ones will prophesy what God is doing. They will announce what He is building. They will carry the blueprints for the new era. And they will hand the baton to those ready to run with it. ARE YOU READY TO BE A WILD VOICE? Have you been disempowered by the status quo in the church? Have you been afraid to step into your voice because you don’t want to fall into the same errors you’ve seen in the past? Are you still healing from past rejection and doubt, unsure if your voice even matters anymore? If this word convicted you, then you are called to be a wild voice. -Find your wild pack. -Begin your destiny again. -Pick up the keys and RUN. It’s time.
By Nate Johnston
•
April 1, 2025
The reason why the attacks against your family, your livelihood, your marriage, your health, and your children have reached an all-time high in this season is because you are at a threshold. In late 2022 , I suddenly developed back pain that I couldn’t understand. I went to a chiropractor, who looked at me puzzled and said, “Your hip is out.” Confused, I asked, “How?” and he responded, “I have no idea, but your hip is out.” I went home, and instantly, the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord (Genesis 32:22-32) leaped in my spirit because it was in that battle that his hip was dislocated. Jacob was at a threshold, not just for himself but for his family. He was crossing the brook Jabbok into his promised land. But more than that, he was standing at a threshold of legacy, his very name would be changed from Jacob (supplanter, deceiver) to Israel (one who wrestles with God and prevails). This was not just about his personal transformation; it was a shift for the generations that would come after him. Jacob’s struggle in the night was a defining moment, a battle that left him wounded but also marked for destiny. This is where many have found themselves in this season wrestling, battling, and fighting for something bigger than just personal breakthrough. THE FINAL STRETCH OF THE WAR I believe we’ve been in many decades of a shift, but we’ve now reached a crescendo moment, a threshold where the battle has intensified like never before. The last few years have been especially heavy, and many are at the point of saying: “God, I don’t know how much more I can handle. I don’t know how much more warfare I can endure. I don’t know how many more unexpected attacks I can face.” You need to know this is a threshold battle. This is the final stretch before crossing over. Many have been: ⁃Fighting and pioneering for legacy. ⁃Warring for the promise over their family, ministry, and destiny. ⁃Contending for the shifting out of an old wineskin and stepping into something new. But because it has gone on for so long, many are growing weary. Some feel stuck, tired of fighting, yet unable to see the breakthrough they have been pressing toward. This season is about moving from breaking ground to being established. It’s for those called to lead their families and the Body of Christ into a place of true health, true wholeness, and true transformation, a place we have longed for but not yet fully seen. THE CROSSING OVER IS HERE I feel strongly that this threshold is about to be crossed. I believe we are stepping out of constant contention, constant warfare, and constant survival mode into a place where: ⁃Freedom will be the norm. ⁃Health will be the norm. ⁃Peace in marriages and families will be the norm. ⁃Being above constant warfare will be the norm. ⁃Thriving financially will be the norm. ⁃Living free from jezebel and narcissism will be the norm. I know this battle has been intense. I know it has been draining, financially, emotionally, spiritually. I know many feel depleted in their strength, joy, and hope. But hear the Lord today: “Tell them: Don’t give up!” Some of you have been battling intensely in your marriage. Others have been warring for your children, your household, and your future. It has reached a breaking point where you feel like your strength is gone, and hope is slipping away. But today, the Lord is saying: “By faith, step over that brook!” Just as Jacob stepped over the Jabbok and left his old identity behind, you are stepping over the place of separation between the old and the new. “You are about to see My power! You are about to see My ability! You are about to see Me shift you out of the dysfunctions of generations past and lead you into health and wholeness!” The Lord says today: I will bring your prodigals home. I will awaken the sleeping. I will restore your everything that the locusts have devoured in these past years. I will renew your strength and joy. And I will FINISH WHAT I PROMISED YOU YEARS AGO! As I’m writing this I feel like the Lord is saying that it’s time for those issues and battles against family to be finalised. -Family court issues. -Prodigal issues -Drug addiction -Marriage and infidelity issues -Financial issues -Lost or red taped inheritances -Generational health issues -Generational mental health issues. TO THE PIONEERS OF FAMILY And lastly, It’s been on my heart today to simply say Thankyou for your yes in the last 1-15 years. In a world chasing success and notoriety, money, and things. You chose to pursue health. To pursue Jesus. Even in the Christian world often deeply influenced by culture and tainted by those same vain and worthless ventures, you chose a different road. Again, you chose the less popular thing, you chose health. You chose Jesus. You chose legacy over appearance and reputation, because let’s be honest, it’s been costly to go this way. It’s been a road of unravelling and pulling back the layers of dysfunctions of many generations. It’s been a road of living on the altar and constant refinery and heart pruning to come out the orphan spirit and starting your sonship story. It’s been a road of warfare and battling to leave the pit of trauma, triggers, and narcissistic norms for the sake of your family and your children. It’s been a road of choosing the long game over bandaiding pain and putting a Christian sticker on it. You chose legacy. You chose to stand up and give your life for what God had in mind for your own family even though you knew it would be a minefield and difficult threshold to cross. Yet you said yes. And while maybe you are still mid way and yet to see the fruit of this calling. You are further than you realise. And the Father is so proud of you. And I feel like today the Lord wants to say over you; “In the next few years you will shift from battle focus to REAPING what you have sown!” “You will shift from warfare and drama to being the Joshua’s and way-makers of this new era!” The blueprints are in your hands. Blood stained. Crumpled. They may not feel valuable but it’s a roadmap out of the wilderness for so many. So on behalf of who is yet to leave, I say Thankyou.. The threshold is here and you are stepping over it in Jesus name!
By Nate Johnston
•
March 25, 2025
Right now, many are going through what I call transition opposition, when God transitions you into a new assignment, a new role, or moves you to a new location, and suddenly, warfare, attacks, and opposition arise. It’s the constant barrage of nonstop drama, issues, and distractions, simply because the enemy is trying to discourage you, make you second-guess, and even regret following the call of God to transition where He was leading you. It’s the same playbook every time. As a family that God has led and moved around the United States and Australia many, many times, having now done two international moves, navigated visas, and all the complexities of moving with kids to follow the call of God, I can tell you: transition opposition is real, and the enemy’s tactics do not change. It happens before the move, during the move, and after the transition. The pre-transition phase is when the enemy sends discouragers from all angles, even speaking “thus saith the Lord” to try to convince you that what you’re doing is either an Ishmael, out of step, out of timing, or to make you feel like you missed God entirely. In pre-transition it can also come with confusing situations and mixed insight and revelation, or drama to take your eyes off the course before you. But the greatest opposition often comes when you actually step into that new place, role, or location. Suddenly, you’re not only dealing with the principality of the region you’ve entered, facing new giants in the land, just like Joshua and the Israelites, but you are dealing with constant and subtle attacks. It’s when you’re hit with incessant little irritations from all sides, all designed to make you question: Did I miss it? Am I speaking to you right now? I know many of you reading this have recently taken steps of faith. You’re doing your best to hear the voice of the Lord, but when issues arise, when your finances are drained, when sickness hits your household, when strife enters your family or marriage, it’s easy to wonder: God, are we alone in this? There are so many elements to beginning again, and the heart process of transition can be overwhelming. It’s easy to feel like you made the wrong decision. And let’s be honest, witchcraft often increases in these seasons. There’s slander, opposition, and people speaking against you. It can feel like you’re constantly under fire, like time-wasting distractions are popping up everywhere, draining your energy when you’re already exhausted from the move. But this morning, I was reminded of Paul’s story in Acts 28. He was shipwrecked, stranded, and probably questioning how he ended up there. And honestly, in many seasons of transition, Christy and I have felt the same way - shipwrecked. Have you? I’ve felt like I led my family down the wrong path. I’ve cried out, God, did I really hear You? Why are we shipwrecked? But in that story, Paul lands on the island of Malta which interestingly means “place of honey” And on his first night there, in front of everyone, he is bitten by a snake. “Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.’ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.” Acts 28:3-5 And Paul does something simple yet profound: he shakes the snake off into the fire. The locals were watching, expecting him to die. But when he didn’t, they declared that he must be a god. This story gives us deep insight into transition opposition. Paul was stepping into a new land he had never been before, and that snake represented not only attacks and irritations but the principality of the region itself. And what did he do? He shook it off into the fire. So what does that mean for you and me? It means that in transition, we cannot be discouraged or distracted. We must shake off the witchcraft, shake off the slander, shake off the distractions, and throw them into the fire. We have to remember what the word of God says; Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”Luke 10:19 The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1 Yes, transition is unsettling. Yes, stepping into a new place takes time. But we have authority. We have dominion. We have the power of the Holy Spirit. And we cannot let distractions and discouragement deter us. And here is something I do know and have seen every time - God is a God of recompense! I believe right now the Lord is saying: Where you have walked through robbery, I will restore. Where you have endured pain and drama, I will restore. Your responsibility? Do not be distracted. Shake the snake off into the fire. The “place of honey” is yours! Occupy it! Doug be bullied! But I want to end with this warning: We need extra discernment right now. I’ve seen it too many times where undiscerning Christians embrace the snake instead of shaking it off. Some even kiss the snake, aligning with that which is demonic, tainted, and defiled in a new season. The enemy effectively poisons their well before they even begin their journey. So I’m praying right now for discernment over you. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1 That’s the trap set for those who don’t discern well. Stepping into a new season but allowing defilement in. So discern well friends! So in this season of transition; Be very careful who you allow around you and what doors you open. Be cautious about what information you share and with whom. Be mindful of where you cast your pearls. Be intentional about what phone conversations you have and what messages you entertain. It might seem excessive, but it’s not. The snakes are coming from every angle, but they cannot harm you, unless you give them access. Transition opposition can actually be your greatest season of multiplication and increase. So consecrate this season to the Lord. Treat it as holy. Treat it as sacred. And watch as God settles you, establishes you, and launches you into the new anointing and mantle He has given you. Now, shake the snake off into the fire!
