Nate Johnston

CRITICAL ADVICE FOR NEW PIONEERING VOICES

Nate Johnston

CRITICAL ADVICE FOR NEW PIONEERING VOICES

CRITICAL ADVICE FOR NEW PIONEERING VOICES

Do you believe you are a pioneering voice? 


I would never have called myself "a voice" back in the day. I still don't like titles or any form of label because I've spent so many years getting used to just being "a son" that they make me feel like I'm polishing myself up better than I am. 


But I've had to accept that I am a voice in order to deliver this to other voices out there who, maybe, like me, have never fit a particular box or popular preference. 


At the very least, I pray your takeaway from this letter is accepting that regardless of your doubts and insecurities or what others have said about you - you can't deny that you know in your spirit that you are called to be a voice, too. 


Not the kind of voice you see tickling the ears of the masses with their perfectly articulated verbiage and emotional tones that draw you in. 


Not the kind of voice that makes you feel tucked in for a bedtime story, tenderly and slowly appealing to your soul but they are trying to buy you into their narrative. 


Not the kind of voice that can speak to your comforts and sell you a story of false hope and aspiration. 


No, you aren't the Ted talk type. You aren't trying to massage the intellect of a generation. 


You are the voice crying out in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord!"


Just like John the Baptist, you are a bit of an oddball. Maybe your calling and passion have branded you as socially awkward and strange because it bursts out of you involuntarily.


But no, you aren't strange; you are just wired authentically. 


You don't have the filter they do. You don't have an assistant screening your words before you speak them or cutting out what could offend. 


You aren't politically correct. Not that you want to upset anyone, but your spirit connects to your mouth in a way that isn't acceptable in the world of proper - aristocratic prophetic ministry. 


Am I speaking to you? 


I don't tick all those boxes either and never have. 


BREAKING IT DOWN


So, how do you survive in a hyper-critical world where people constantly judge you, judging what you said and what you didn't say and assuming they know your heart? 


How do you begin to steward your voice and maintain being a voice without being cut down and thrown out in the trash in your first week? 


How do you stay true to what God is telling you to speak without compromising, cutting yourself down to fit, or suppressing yourself to walk the road of least resistance? 


How do you be a wild voice in this time of history?


How do you last the distance? 


Here are a few practical things God has taught me over the years that will hopefully help you keep being the unique "You" in this hour;


YOU HAVE ONE ASSIGNMENT. 

John's assignment was simple. He cleared the way for Jesus. If you don't know your message or assignment, ask God for clarity and begin. Too many voices get stuck in the hesitation stage when they just need to begin. Don't take on too many functions. Just speak what He gives you and let Him do the rest. 


START WITH WHAT YOU GOT. 

The other thing that stops voices from consistently speaking is feeling like they don't have what it takes. "I don't know how to get out the words right. I don't know how to say it like them. Don't let your lack of skillset stop you from obeying God. He will always increase your gifts as you step out. This leads me to the next one. 


YOU ARE A ONE OF A KIND. 

You have to quit comparing yourself to others on social media. I've done it and it's sabotage to your authentic flavor and message. Your anointing is greatest where you are true to how God designed you even if it is strange or unique. Trust the way God wired you and refuse to become like everyone else to be liked or to get followers. Just be you and entrust that to God. 


LET GOD GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT.

Stewarding a voice effectively does mean not hiding it, but it doesn't fall into the trap of thinking you need to be a marketer. Let God get your message out. You don't have to pay for ads or try network or rub shoulders to get your message out. Just be faithful in releasing it, and He will surprise you with where He takes it. I have seen far too many people pay and hustle their way into notoriety God didn't endorse, and it's a hard job to keep up the doors you push down. 


GET OVER YOURSELF.

Being a voice is not about you nor is it attached to your reputation. Of course, people don't see it that way, but you have to learn to see it as God's voice through you. When you do that it helps you speak what He gives you with greater confidence because it's NOT YOU. So be HIS VOICE in the earth knowing He backs you. 


LIVE IN THE SECRET PLACE.

Far too many emerging voices start off right. Their message erupts from their wilderness season and soon gains traction but instead of maintaining their lifestyle of intimacy they begin to shift into a lifestyle of being around other prophets instead and leaders instead of staying in the posture that launched them. Stay in the secret place so you don't run dry and burn out. 


HUNGER FOR FRESH MANNA.

While there is nothing wrong with keeping your message consistent, I do believe God wants us to build upon what we receive. Encounters and visitation lead us lot deeper revelation of what we received earlier. Like another layer of insight and anointing, fresh manna will keep you fresh and your oil burning. Don't be satisfied with the old and don't rely on old encounters til you run out of juice. Lean in for the fresh. 


KEEP YOUR VOICE HONEST & PURE.

People ask me, "How much of the revelation you receive from God do you release?" I would say 5 percent. Revelation is sacred and birthed out of intimacy. To share everything would be violating my relationship with God - or PROSTITUTING the gift. You keep your voice honest and pure by increasing in your ability to discern what is for the masses and what is for your history. 


TRADE IN THE ORPHAN SPIRIT.

I used to operate in a significant orphan spirit in my teens and early twenties, and it skewed my thinking. It made it impossible for me to work with others and be a voice for the Lord because everything He gave me was filtered through my Identity dysfunction. Many emerging voices wrestle with this, and it leads them into a parallel universe of the calling God has for them. It's a thief and robber. It will cause you to post for likes and share words for affirmation. It will cause you to compete and grab for moments in the spotlight. Pioneers, you need to be Fathered into a healthy identity. Seek this more than being heard. Seek this more than releasing your sound so that when you do, it will be pure and powerful to those who hear it. 


DON'T CAST YOUR PEARLS.

A big lesson I wish I learned early on is that only some are for you and your mission. In fact, many only want to get close to you so that they can steal from the fresh flow coming out of you! I remember being so excited when God started speaking through me that I wanted to tell everyone my deepest thoughts and weightiest revelations. I wanted to share all my dreams, now words fresh off the printing press of heaven, and projects and ideas. What happened? People stole them, used them, and trampled over them. Which leads me to… 


KNOW YOUR COMPANY.

Do you know who labors amongst you? Do you know their heart and motives? I don't need to elaborate on this one. I have almost thrown in the towel from not paying attention to the red flags which led me into multiple betrayals, slander seasons, and hijacks of my calling. If there is something to pray and fast on it's to know who your close circle and company are meant to be and who they aren't.


ALIGNMENTS ARE CONTRACTS.

Recently, I had a few amazing groups contact me, wanting to lock arms and run together. The sentiment is humbling, and I know their hearts were probably pure in their desire to run with us, but I have learned over the years that alignments are contracts. I have entered into covenants and alignments God never asked me to, and it's always shutting down my voice for long periods of time or diluting it. Supporting other movements is kingdom, but before you give your word or vow about anything deeper, take it into a season of prayer and fasting. 


Now for the ones you really need to hear;


A SAUL WILL ALWAYS BE WAITING…

When you begin stepping out as a voice I guarantee you that this will happen - a Saul will present themselves. Who is this Saul? A person normally a leader or more seasoned voice that sees what is on your life and either doesn't want you to exceed their level of success or a person who wants to use you to prop up their waning ministry. It happens like clockwork, and it's a deadly trap of flattery and ego-stroking to those new to the game. And when you have been a Lone Ranger for so long, you tend to see this sudden interest as favor and hand over the keys to them all too quickly. Please beware! Protect and guard your anointing. Don't appoint people who you don't know or God has not clearly spoken to you about. 


LONE RANGER SEASONS DON'T MAKE YOU ILLEGITIMATE.

Not long ago, I had a well-known pastor drag someone under the bus in front of me. He said these pastors were illegitimate because they had no cover from a major church or network. As he spoke, I saw into his heart the gaping fear of losing territory. He didn't like the favor they were getting and had to use the only card he had - to discredit this emerging ministry in a need to further validate his own. Let me say this clearly - God ordains Lone Ranger seasons. He uses them to purify and heal us before he launches us in a public way. Don't see them as a bad thing like many do. Covering has become an idol and way of bullying those who are carrying unique messages that the stickup clergy would never approve of in the religious club. If you are Lone Ranger, know that it's a season God has you in, but keep your heart ready for God to bring you to the right people at the right time instead of the wrong people just to appease their need for you to be legit. 


DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROPHETIC POLICE.

Another trap many fall into is listening to the prophetic police. I have spent so many years trying to breathe life and courage back into voices who have been through so much wounding from the mainstream, only to see the rise of pharisaical spirit coming from leaders who should know better. They write posts essentially telling the emerging voices to shut up because they don't know what they are doing. Does a child learn to walk in a day? Did you ride your bike perfectly the first time you rode it? Did the disciples become seasoned overnight? Please disregard the condemnation of these voices who should be stepping into their shoes as fathers/mothers but have failed to do so and have deviated from their calling. No matter what they say, be a voice anyway, and let the Father's words over you be the only voice you hear. 


YOU WILL ENCOUNTER JEZEBEL.

I don't want to beat around the bush. You will hit warfare. Regularly. You will have days that are funky and swirly and feel like you are wading through a thick marshland of confusion. Yes, you will face witchcraft, chatter, and chins wagging to pull you down. But the greatest attack will come from the Jezebel spirit. She hates your voice and will try to discredit you and make you feel stupid for speaking at all. She will make you wanna run and give up. And she will send her loyal assassins in to do her bidding. Just like the enemy will position a Saul to bring you into false covenant, she will send one of her representatives in to try to be your best friend and cheer squad but will be positioned there to steal your voice. Don't fall for her traps! 


YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO BREAK NEW GROUND.

You weren't given your calling to maintain your post but to extend the borders of the kingdom with it. One of the greatest traps many voices fall into is playing it safe and trying to uphold an image or reputation. Like I said earlier, this isn't about you. You are a dead man. Christ Jesus now lives in you. Please don't play it safe. Be bold. Break new ground. You have been given permission to carve new paths and write new language for the hour. You have been given permission to confront the oil and unveil the new, blow away the dross of the past era, and lead the church into something fresh. 


This is who you are.




SOW A SEED

RELATED prophetic WORDS:

RELATED prophetic WORDS:

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR HAIR WAS CUT

By Nate Johnston • May 12, 2025
Ministry betrayal hurts. Church fatigue is real.. I was praying recently when I kept seeing the image of Samson with his head shaved. I know this often represents those who in a previous season who felt like they lost their strength, but what I felt so strongly in my spirit is that this went even deeper - this was about church and ministry fatigue. For those who have been involved in church life or serving in some way, the enemy used what was closest to you to take you out. The things you poured your heart into, the things you were deeply invested in became the very tools used to wound you and wear you down. This is especially true for those who have experienced spiritual abuse. I know this pain is incredibly painful and can feel difficult to come back from. But I also feel this - the enemy has come hard after those whom God wants to use powerfully in this next season. Because if the enemy can disillusion you, if he can cause you to associate ministry and kingdom work with burnout and betrayal, then he can keep you sidelined. He’ll make you hesitant to ever step into that space again and if that happens, the call of God on your life remains unfulfilled. The same goes for those battling ministry fatigue. I know many people right now who feel deep anxiety at even the thought of ministry. The memories of being pulled in every direction, emotionally drained, abused, and left shipwrecked have left a bitter taste. It’s not just that people came against you, they betrayed you, tore you down, and then disappeared when everything fell apart. Or maybe things didn’t turn out how you envisioned, and you were left disillusioned. Some of you have been walking like Samson with your hair cut for so long that you don’t remember what it’s like to move in power, authority, confidence, and anointing anymore. You woke up like Samson, to find your hair gone and your strength vanished. In a moment, he went from powerful and fearless to weakened and humiliated, like a lion whose mane had been shorn. It’s not just strength that leaves it’s the shame and regret that follow close behind. And that’s how you have felt.. But I feel led to pray that life would come back into your bones this week. That a fresh wind would stir in your spirit. For many, revelation has dried up. Vision is gone. Passion gone. Life feels flat because you gave everything, and it cost you deeply in your family, your peace, your health, your marriage, your children. I get it. It’s been deeply painful. But hear me out - there is another chapter beyond this and there is a fresh wind coming! So this week, I want to start by praying for you. For those who’ve come out of a season of ministry burnout, spiritual abuse, or deep disappointment. For those walking in shame, questioning everything: “God, did I not hear You right?” “Did I trust the wrong people?” “Why am I now depleted in health, finances, and confidence?” I believe the Lord wants me to prophesy over you - GET UP AND WALK! DRY BONES COME ALIVE IN JESUS NAME! You may have heard this before, but I want prophesy it again until something breaks in the spirit. GET UP AND WALK! DRY BONES COME ALIVE IN JESUS NAME! GET UP AND WALK! DRY BONES COME ALIVE IN JESUS NAME! GET UP AND WALK! DRY BONES COME ALIVE IN JESUS NAME! Sit and receive that from the Lord. Let his healing balm penetrate your heart right now. I also pray for the muzzle to come off, for fear and anxiety to be removed. For witchcraft and chatter to stop swirling, for confusion to be lifted and for STRENGTH to return in Jesus name. It’s time to step back into the fullness of your calling and RECOVER ALL! I know what it’s like to hide under the covers after ministry hurt. I know what it’s like to feel disillusioned with the church. But just because you went through that season doesn’t mean God can’t use you again and it doesn’t mean he can’t turn it around. So as we begin this week, we are also praying for those who’ve received bad reports, for those who’ve lost hope, for those who are sick in their bodies or tormented in their minds, and for those facing impossible circumstances. Jesus is still the answer. But today, in Jesus’ name, I say it again - GET UP AND WALK! Leave your sickbed behind. Receive your fresh wind. Receive your fresh anointing. And I prophesy - Everything that was stolen or cut off will grow back, in Jesus’ name!

PIONEERS, GOD SHOWED ME THE FRUIT OF YOUR YES

By Nate Johnston • May 8, 2025
I have a word for the pioneers today... Just a few days ago, I was walking around the house praying when I saw a vision of an apple tree. It was being shaken violently. And although it was full of apples, they weren’t falling off. I thought, Hmm, that’s interesting, the fruit isn’t falling. Then, I felt prompted to speak and prophesy: It’s time for the fruit to come. It’s time for the fruit to come. We’ve had enough delay. We’ve had enough confusion. It’s time for the fruit to come. As soon as I said that, I saw the vision again and this time, apples were flying everywhere. They covered the ground until you couldn’t even see the grass. I kept walking around the house, praying into this, and I knew it was the Lord speaking about pioneers, those who had walked through seasons where it felt like they hadn’t seen the fruit of their yes to the Lord. They hadn’t seen the fruition of what they sowed. But I sensed the Lord saying: You haven’t seen the next chapter yet. You haven’t seen what I’m doing next. And I truly believe this is a massive prophetic indicator for this season. Many have even been afraid to step into new assignments from the Lord because it feels like, God, how can I step into something new when I haven’t even seen the fruit of the last season? But the Lord is saying: Stop measuring a season by its fruit. As a pioneer and forerunner, sometimes you don’t see the fruit until later chapters. Your faithfulness to say yes, to do what He told you to do, that was enough. But now, you’ve stepped into a new chapter. You’ve got to release the old season. Surrender it to the Lord so you can step into what He’s pouring out now. Grab it with both hands. I believe this vision is also a powerful sign for this moment in history. There’s shaking all around us, and many are afraid of it. But don’t fear the shaking because it’s revealing the fruit. Then I went into a second vision. I saw large storehouses almost like warehouses lining both sides of a freeway. They were being filled, overflowing. I knew I was seeing the fruit, the fulfillment, the fruition of years of prayer, obedience, and contending. I could see the expressions on people’s faces “I can’t believe it. I never thought I would see this day come.” But it has come. And I believe this is what the Lord is declaring: You are going to see the fruit of it. It reminded me of Zerubbabel - the one God gave the signet ring (Haggai 2:23), the one who led the people out of exile and laid the foundation of the temple and also lived to see the capstone placed (Zechariah 4:9). He didn’t just begin the work. He saw it finished. As pioneers, we often feel like we labor and others walk into the fruit. But I believe the Lord is saying: In this season, you’re going to see it. You will see what you gave your yes to. Now let me speak into the shaking for a moment because I felt it was significant that I saw the tree being shaken violently. The tree was being shaken so the fruit could come. Think about that for a moment. You don’t have to fear the shaking when you know that the glory comes with it. And right now, many people are in fear in this shaking because their focus is on the wrong thing. The shaking isn’t here to ruin you, but to dismantle demonic principalities and systems that have oppressed you for a long time. The shaking is here to shake the earth back into order and alignment with the Kingdom and take back ground. The shaking is here to ready the church for harvest. It’s not punishment for us, it’s actually the sign that FRUIT IS INCOMING! And the shaking is right now producing what you’ve been praying for. The shaking is bringing you into breakthrough because you’ve already been through the breaking. This shift that’s happening right now is not a shift into doom and gloom. It’s a shift into bloom and increase. It’s a shift that’s taking you into the ripening, personally and corporately, because you’ve already been through the pruning. You’ve been through the fire, through the adversity, through the dark night of the soul where you wanted to give up, and where everything was stacked against you. So now it’s time for the glory to be revealed because you held on to Jesus through the battle. And God’s about to reveal His faithfulness because you were faithful. He’s about to reveal His goodness in your life because you chose to believe He was good, even when others walked away. You hit your knees when others turned back to Egypt. So today pioneers, look through the right lens. Get back your faith eyes. Shake off the doubt. Shake off the fear. And choose to see not through the eyes of foreboding, fear, delay, and hope deferred but through the eyes of hope again. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” Romans 8:18 FRUIT IS COMING!

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR HAIR WAS CUT

By Nate Johnston • May 12, 2025
Ministry betrayal hurts. Church fatigue is real.. I was praying recently when I kept seeing the image of Samson with his head shaved. I know this often represents those who in a previous season who felt like they lost their strength, but what I felt so strongly in my spirit is that this went even deeper - this was about church and ministry fatigue. For those who have been involved in church life or serving in some way, the enemy used what was closest to you to take you out. The things you poured your heart into, the things you were deeply invested in became the very tools used to wound you and wear you down. This is especially true for those who have experienced spiritual abuse. I know this pain is incredibly painful and can feel difficult to come back from. But I also feel this - the enemy has come hard after those whom God wants to use powerfully in this next season. Because if the enemy can disillusion you, if he can cause you to associate ministry and kingdom work with burnout and betrayal, then he can keep you sidelined. He’ll make you hesitant to ever step into that space again and if that happens, the call of God on your life remains unfulfilled. The same goes for those battling ministry fatigue. I know many people right now who feel deep anxiety at even the thought of ministry. The memories of being pulled in every direction, emotionally drained, abused, and left shipwrecked have left a bitter taste. It’s not just that people came against you, they betrayed you, tore you down, and then disappeared when everything fell apart. Or maybe things didn’t turn out how you envisioned, and you were left disillusioned. Some of you have been walking like Samson with your hair cut for so long that you don’t remember what it’s like to move in power, authority, confidence, and anointing anymore. You woke up like Samson, to find your hair gone and your strength vanished. In a moment, he went from powerful and fearless to weakened and humiliated, like a lion whose mane had been shorn. It’s not just strength that leaves it’s the shame and regret that follow close behind. And that’s how you have felt.. But I feel led to pray that life would come back into your bones this week. That a fresh wind would stir in your spirit. For many, revelation has dried up. Vision is gone. Passion gone. Life feels flat because you gave everything, and it cost you deeply in your family, your peace, your health, your marriage, your children. I get it. It’s been deeply painful. But hear me out - there is another chapter beyond this and there is a fresh wind coming! So this week, I want to start by praying for you. For those who’ve come out of a season of ministry burnout, spiritual abuse, or deep disappointment. For those walking in shame, questioning everything: “God, did I not hear You right?” “Did I trust the wrong people?” “Why am I now depleted in health, finances, and confidence?” I believe the Lord wants me to prophesy over you - GET UP AND WALK! DRY BONES COME ALIVE IN JESUS NAME! You may have heard this before, but I want prophesy it again until something breaks in the spirit. GET UP AND WALK! DRY BONES COME ALIVE IN JESUS NAME! GET UP AND WALK! DRY BONES COME ALIVE IN JESUS NAME! GET UP AND WALK! DRY BONES COME ALIVE IN JESUS NAME! Sit and receive that from the Lord. Let his healing balm penetrate your heart right now. I also pray for the muzzle to come off, for fear and anxiety to be removed. For witchcraft and chatter to stop swirling, for confusion to be lifted and for STRENGTH to return in Jesus name. It’s time to step back into the fullness of your calling and RECOVER ALL! I know what it’s like to hide under the covers after ministry hurt. I know what it’s like to feel disillusioned with the church. But just because you went through that season doesn’t mean God can’t use you again and it doesn’t mean he can’t turn it around. So as we begin this week, we are also praying for those who’ve received bad reports, for those who’ve lost hope, for those who are sick in their bodies or tormented in their minds, and for those facing impossible circumstances. Jesus is still the answer. But today, in Jesus’ name, I say it again - GET UP AND WALK! Leave your sickbed behind. Receive your fresh wind. Receive your fresh anointing. And I prophesy - Everything that was stolen or cut off will grow back, in Jesus’ name!

PIONEERS, GOD SHOWED ME THE FRUIT OF YOUR YES

By Nate Johnston • May 8, 2025
I have a word for the pioneers today... Just a few days ago, I was walking around the house praying when I saw a vision of an apple tree. It was being shaken violently. And although it was full of apples, they weren’t falling off. I thought, Hmm, that’s interesting, the fruit isn’t falling. Then, I felt prompted to speak and prophesy: It’s time for the fruit to come. It’s time for the fruit to come. We’ve had enough delay. We’ve had enough confusion. It’s time for the fruit to come. As soon as I said that, I saw the vision again and this time, apples were flying everywhere. They covered the ground until you couldn’t even see the grass. I kept walking around the house, praying into this, and I knew it was the Lord speaking about pioneers, those who had walked through seasons where it felt like they hadn’t seen the fruit of their yes to the Lord. They hadn’t seen the fruition of what they sowed. But I sensed the Lord saying: You haven’t seen the next chapter yet. You haven’t seen what I’m doing next. And I truly believe this is a massive prophetic indicator for this season. Many have even been afraid to step into new assignments from the Lord because it feels like, God, how can I step into something new when I haven’t even seen the fruit of the last season? But the Lord is saying: Stop measuring a season by its fruit. As a pioneer and forerunner, sometimes you don’t see the fruit until later chapters. Your faithfulness to say yes, to do what He told you to do, that was enough. But now, you’ve stepped into a new chapter. You’ve got to release the old season. Surrender it to the Lord so you can step into what He’s pouring out now. Grab it with both hands. I believe this vision is also a powerful sign for this moment in history. There’s shaking all around us, and many are afraid of it. But don’t fear the shaking because it’s revealing the fruit. Then I went into a second vision. I saw large storehouses almost like warehouses lining both sides of a freeway. They were being filled, overflowing. I knew I was seeing the fruit, the fulfillment, the fruition of years of prayer, obedience, and contending. I could see the expressions on people’s faces “I can’t believe it. I never thought I would see this day come.” But it has come. And I believe this is what the Lord is declaring: You are going to see the fruit of it. It reminded me of Zerubbabel - the one God gave the signet ring (Haggai 2:23), the one who led the people out of exile and laid the foundation of the temple and also lived to see the capstone placed (Zechariah 4:9). He didn’t just begin the work. He saw it finished. As pioneers, we often feel like we labor and others walk into the fruit. But I believe the Lord is saying: In this season, you’re going to see it. You will see what you gave your yes to. Now let me speak into the shaking for a moment because I felt it was significant that I saw the tree being shaken violently. The tree was being shaken so the fruit could come. Think about that for a moment. You don’t have to fear the shaking when you know that the glory comes with it. And right now, many people are in fear in this shaking because their focus is on the wrong thing. The shaking isn’t here to ruin you, but to dismantle demonic principalities and systems that have oppressed you for a long time. The shaking is here to shake the earth back into order and alignment with the Kingdom and take back ground. The shaking is here to ready the church for harvest. It’s not punishment for us, it’s actually the sign that FRUIT IS INCOMING! And the shaking is right now producing what you’ve been praying for. The shaking is bringing you into breakthrough because you’ve already been through the breaking. This shift that’s happening right now is not a shift into doom and gloom. It’s a shift into bloom and increase. It’s a shift that’s taking you into the ripening, personally and corporately, because you’ve already been through the pruning. You’ve been through the fire, through the adversity, through the dark night of the soul where you wanted to give up, and where everything was stacked against you. So now it’s time for the glory to be revealed because you held on to Jesus through the battle. And God’s about to reveal His faithfulness because you were faithful. He’s about to reveal His goodness in your life because you chose to believe He was good, even when others walked away. You hit your knees when others turned back to Egypt. So today pioneers, look through the right lens. Get back your faith eyes. Shake off the doubt. Shake off the fear. And choose to see not through the eyes of foreboding, fear, delay, and hope deferred but through the eyes of hope again. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” Romans 8:18 FRUIT IS COMING!

SIGNS YOU ARE LEVELING UP IN THE SPIRIT REALM!

By Nate Johnston • May 7, 2025
You’re starting to notice your discernment sharpening - what once felt confusing is now spiritually clear, and you are trusting your spiritual senses more. You’re beginning to lose your appetite for entertainment and conversations that carry compromise, and what once felt normal now feels spiritually heavy. You’re becoming more intentional about who speaks into your life. You are choosing depth, truth, and alignment over comfort and familiarity. You’re beginning to feel less tempted by old patterns like lust, fear, striving, and insecurity and they no longer have the same grip they used to. You’re starting to recognize spiritual assignments early, and what once blindsided you now gets discerned before it can take root. You’re no longer taken out by witchcraft, gossip, or slander because you’ve learned how to stand in peace and stay hidden in God. You’re beginning to feel the power and authority you have over demonic spirits and strongholds because you’re releasing it right away in hard moments instead of hesitating or shrinking back. You’re starting to refuse to be bullied by people, manipulation, or spiritual assignments the way you used to and you’re standing your ground more. You’re beginning to see the thing behind the thing. Your discernment has sharpened to the point that you recognize what’s masquerading as surface issues. You’re seeing small but significant shifts in areas where you used to be bombarded and robbed, and there’s now fruit where there used to be cycles. You’re beginning to realize that you don’t have to defend yourself. God is your defender, and you’re resting more in that truth. You’re noticing the Jezebel spirit can’t lure you into manipulation, fear, or silence like before and you’re quicker to walk away from the drama and reclaim your voice. You’re starting to speak truth with boldness instead of apologizing for your calling, and you’re stepping into spiritual authority with more confidence. You’re becoming more aware of the orphan mindset when it tries to creep in and you’re rejecting self-pity, comparison, and the need to prove your worth. You’re choosing sonship over survival, rest over hustle, identity over performance. You’re beginning to notice that your spiritual hunger has increased, and you’re craving the Word, the presence of God, and purity more than ever. You’re less shaken by resistance and more aware of your assignment. You see warfare as confirmation of your calling, not discouragement. You’re beginning to recognize when God is promoting you, even when it comes through pressure or pruning. You’re not offended by closed doors, you’re learning to see them as God’s protection and redirection. You’re finding joy in the hidden place. You don’t need the spotlight to feel secure anymore. You’re beginning to respond with spiritual authority instead of reacting emotionally. You take it to prayer before you take it to people. You’re starting to feel a deep shift, less striving, more surrender. Less fear, more fire. You’re not just surviving anymore, you’re starting to rule. You’re not just reacting to darkness, you’re displacing it. This isn’t just spiritual growth. This is spiritual promotion. You have leveled up! Well done! 

DON’T LET THE ENEMY ABORT “THE NEW THING” IN YOU!

By Nate Johnston • May 5, 2025
Have you been battling with a sudden wave of discouragement, and attack against the dreams you are carrying in this season? Does it feel like the enemy is trying to make you forfeit them by bringing distractions and voices of fear, intimidation, and caution so you don’t bring them forth? Are you even questioning if you heard right and are even doing what God has told you to do? Sounds textbook for what the enemy does in a birthing season.. Last week, I shared a word about how, in this season, God is birthing unusual ministries and movements that feel unfamiliar and don’t fit the old mold. Many are stepping into assignments purely out of obedience, even when it doesn’t make sense in the natural. These new expressions of ministry break away from traditional methods, and they challenge what we’ve come to define as “legitimate.” It reminds me of when we began our ministry. God called us to train and equip online, back when that was nearly unheard of. At that time, a legitimate school or training ministry had to be run through a church. Because we weren’t, we were labeled rebels, heretics, and lone rangers. But as we remained faithful through the criticism, God vindicated us. He proved, even to some of the loudest voices that we were going to obey Him, not a system and see the fruit from it. John the Baptist birthed his ministry in the wilderness. So did Jesus, He was affirmed by the Father at His baptism and immediately led by the Spirit into the wilderness. It was only after overcoming the enemy there that He emerged in power. You see, the wilderness isn’t a punishment, it’s often the birthing room of the most pure movements because they aren’t birthed in the comforts we are accustomed to. They take radical steps obedience to bring forth. Think of the Covid days where many hospitals had such high restrictions that many babies then were born at home because of it. It wasn’t the norm, but it became the norm. You see, God isn’t birthing the most potent movements in shiny and clean rooms, or boardrooms, but in the messy, the wilderness, the MANGERS! Right now, many of you have conceived something from the Lord. You’ve received a download, a vision, an assignment, a calling, but it doesn’t fit the current mold of ministry. It feels risky. It feels uncomfortable. You don’t have the full picture, just enough to step out. And when you try to explain it to others, you’re met with blank stares, doubt, or even accusations. But hear this: God gives you the seed, not the whole blueprint. Why? Because if He gave you the full vision at once, it would overwhelm you. And if you share it too early, it invites discouragement and resistance that can derail the very thing He’s birthing through you. I had a dream after our most recent gathering in Orange County. In it, I was in a birthing class like a Lamaze class and the atmosphere was thick with fear and nervous anticipation. One woman shared how hard her last birth was and how afraid she was that this one would be the same. Suddenly, a group burst into the room, laughing, mocking, completely unaware of the sacred moment happening. I shouted, “Get out! You’re distracting them!” And they cursed me and said, “What are you even doing? This is silly!” And I woke up with fire in my spirit. The Lord spoke clearly: In the birthing season, you must protect what you’re carrying. Like Jesus clearing the room before raising Jairus’ daughter, not everyone can be allowed into the birthing room. Here’s What the Lord Showed Me About Birthing Seasons: You cannot cast your pearls too early. Sharing the vision too soon can open you up to spiritual attack, discouragement, and mockery that wounds and aborts what God planted in you. Spies sent to extract information will come disguised as caring voices. These may be former mentors, religious authorities, or even well-meaning friends. But they’re there to gather intel to discredit you or twist your assignment into something more palatable to them. Jezebel will rise against it.. The spirit of control and manipulation hates pure, Spirit-birthed movements. And it will often use familiar voices, former leaders, influencers, or spiritual “fathers and mothers”to make you feel illegitimate, rebellious, or dangerous. These are witchcraft assignments in disguise. Provision may seem to dry up, doors may shut. Don’t let temporary lack cause you to question the vision. You’re not seeing fruit yet because you’re still planting the tree. Don’t judge the season by the fruit, judge it by the weight of the seed. And then just yesterday I received another confirming dream - a warning dream from a prophetic friend. In it, people offered Christy and and I the funds to purchase the land we’ve been believing for. But their condition was this: “Do it our way. Make it fit our mold. Make it a church not an apostolic hub” And bit by bit, they stripped the uniqueness from the vision until our friend shouted: “DO NOT TAKE THE ABORTION PILL.” That hit me like thunder in my spirit. Weighty, and smothered in the fear of the Lord. And so I say to you, pioneers and forerunners: DO NOT TAKE THE ABORTION PILL. Do not compromise the movement. Do not water down the mandate. Do not shift the vision to please men. Do not hand over your assignment to gain comfort or applause. This is not the time to conform, this is the time to protect, guard, and bring forth. What God is birthing through you is pure. It’s holy. It may not look like church-as-usual because it’s not. It’s the Kingdom breaking in. So as you move into this week, I urge you: Shut the door. Guard the room. Listen to the Spirit. Be obedient. You’re not crazy. You’re not rebellious. You’re pregnant with a movement. Birth it purely. Birth it boldly, and don’t be distracted, In Jesus’ mighty name.