Tammie Southerland

Come Out of the Caves

, , ,

Over the past few weeks I have been hearing the longing of the heart of  Bridegroom Jesus calling to His beloved Bride to be “made ready”(Revelation 19:7). He is longing for her to come back to a place of “first love”  passion  for Him above all else! (Rev. 2:4)

In a time of prayer on August 12th, 2015 I began to experience the awakening and passionate voice of the Lord Jesus speak the words written below.

And He said to me “Write the message my beloved and release this longing of Mine! Make ready my Bride; call her to AWAKEN to me in this hour”

This message is an out-cry to the church and to those whom He is raising up to be end time voices in this hour!

Who Has Bewitched You?

I hear Him saying:

“I am the rewarder of those who diligently seek me (Heb. 11:6)! Return to me ( Joel 2:12) and seek Me with all of your heart and you will find me.

They say their churches are for the seekers but I say that they are houses of lukewarmness-a mixture of hot and cold.  The hot gets put out and the cold just barely warmed.  The fire of the longing ones is doused.  Lamps “without oil” are sold to the cold hearted.( See Matthew 25)   I will spew them out of my mouth in the time of judgement (Rev. 3:16). They are “white washed tombs with dead man’s bones inside”( Matt. 23:27). They are seeking but finding something other than Me. I will not share my glory with another says the Lord.

Oh were are the real seekers?

Where are love-sick-longing ones?

Oh were have you gone?

Oh How I long to gather you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 2:37)

Why did you go away on your own way?

Why do you reject my messengers?

Why do you look in all other places?

Who has bewitched you My Beloved? Have you not heard?  Have you not seen? Do you not know?

You are my beloved and I long for you!

I AM  here!

I AM in secret in the secret place (Psalm 91)!

COME!  I AM calling! COME!

Return to the deeds you did at first (Rev. 2:5).

Return to your first Love (Rev. 2:4)! Be ye Holy as I am HOLY (1 Peter 1:16)!

Come away with me while there is yet time! Come! (Song of Solomon 2:10)

A Greater Glory for Laid-Down Lovers

Then I heard The Lord proclaiming!

There are some that have laid it all down in this hour.  They long to be lovers laying  down everything and desiring  to be hidden in MY heart.

I am revealing to them the mysteries of heaven– the jewels of heavenly mysteries that will shake the earth. To you I say: “Pull back and write the very pulse of my heart.  For eye has not seen and ear has not heard the things  that I have in store for those who love Me!

Oh my beloved ones, some of you look for me but do not find me.  You are looking in all the wrong places.   I am in the secret places.  I speaking through the mouths of the unknown ones. Through the ones who hide themselves in my heart and under my wings ( Psalm 91)! I am trumpeting the very beat of my heart from their lungs! Do you hear them?

Most of them  are not on national stages, they are still  hidden like jewels in the cleft of the rocks! The are voices crying out in the wilderness places. But I tell you this -the seasons are changing! They are the ones whom I will use to lead a generation into the promise of My coming.

It is time!  They are being revealed, but be aware all ye peoples, they will follow the very whisper of my voice, yes even the whistle the wind of my Spirit.  They will only go where I tell them to go and say what I say.  They will quickly pull back in the seasons that seem to bring them the most fame. They will arise in times that may seem to cause the most upset not caring about their reputation.  They will not take my Glory says the Lord- for they know there is a greater glory in store! I have put a trumpet to their mouths!

Do you hear them? He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says!

They are obedient to deliver the Word in power, in demonstration, but this is merely their adornment says the Lord- for they are lovers of my presence and they are chasers of My Face.

Signs and wonders they do not chase, but they chase after me!

Know this therefore, signs and wonders will chase them down!  Fame is not their desire. They want to take My Name as their own and worldy fame will not phase them! They only  want My presence as their reward and MY Name to be of great fame!

The seasons are changing!

The seasons are changing  and like a whirl wind I AM coming quickly.

In the night- like a thief in the night (1 Thes. 1:2).   I am coming and I will draw all men unto myself.

Come into my chambers, says the Lord.

Who will come?

I am calling you into my chambers! I am calling! COME says the Lord- come to me!

 Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.  Revelation 2:12.

We are in an hour now that the seeker friendly light shows,  hyper grace messages, and social media superstars  will come to a close. They will fade into the pages of history.  All fame and glory belongs to the Lord!

To whom much is given much is required! In this hour we must die to the claim to personal fame and  take HIS Name, but not HIS Glory!   There is a greater glory! The Lamb is coming and His reward is with Him!

Greater! Greater Glory belongs to the Bride than this world can ever give!

Arise out of the caves you lovers! You longing ones, it is time to sound the trumpet!  But make it your hearts cry to say  “May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering” 

Come Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:17)

/0 Comments/by
Tammie Southerland

Forget The Jones’ and Dance!

, ,

Forget the Jones’ and Dance!

FullSizeRender

And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,” Matt. 18:3.

                                                                                                    

First of all, let me apologize to you if your last name is Jones! I still love you and repent ahead of time for using the lame cliche… Forgive me and please keep reading!!

I’ve always hated the phrase “keeping up with the Jones’”. I have never been so good at it, maybe because I “march to the beat of a different drum”. Often, I hear beats in the music of life that the “Jones’” don’t hear. While the “Jones’” are dancing their popularly choreographed jig, I move to a rhythm that is a lot more intricate at times and often causes me to do a random twirl here and there!

 

I used to be concerned about this extra spring in my step and thought that I need to be more choreographed like those folks. Perhaps the flow required planning, excelling and picture perfect performance?  Now, I see the beauty in what many call spontaneity, but I realize that this is the gift of intently listening for the sound that others are too distracted to hear.

 

You see, the word hallelujah means to twirl about wildly! I want to live my life as a beautiful hallelujah!  I want to live in the freedom and adventure of the discovery of the heart of the Father!  I want to dance the dance of liberty! The Lord pours glory, passion, and mystery through one who is willing to twirl about wildly; with her face pressed against His chest as she listens for the very rhythm of His heart. I think that is the “child-like faith” of which Jesus spoke. “Beloved, why do you deny yourself the innocent pleasures of a child?” He might ask to those of us who are trying to dance the dance of “Jonesville” choreography. “My kids know how to dance to the pulse of my heart!” says the Lord. Just watch a three-year-old dance; twirling and spinning, quite possibly with no music playing at all! Children know how to find pleasure in the Father’s heart!

I challenge you today to be the you that He created you to be! Listen to the very rhythm of His heart and dance in sync with His pulse! I pray it will cause you to twirl about wildly and release the very beat of His hallelujah!  Forget the Jones’ dance and take His hand and dance the dance of joy! Dance the dance of freedom! Can you hear it? His heart is calling for you!

FullSizeRender (1)

/1 Comment/by
Tammie Southerland

The River in the Wilderness

, ,

In 2008, I had a dream that has been profoundly prophetic to me! The Lord has spoken to me through it, in the same way, that a  mystery movie would unveil a plot within a plot–one layer at a time. It was a dream of the life and calling of a pioneer. It revealed the process of this ’emerging move of God’ and the final outpouring! The dream speaks to this generation of pioneers who have left lush “church field” for the adventure of  pioneering in the wilderness!

The Dream: The Ancient River in the Wilderness

 

There was a crowd of people standing in rows in a lush green field. I was standing on the outer edge. [ As one would be seated on the outer seat of a row of chairs. But there were not any chairs.] A well-dressed  pastor was addressing the crowd from the front. He was speaking, but at the same time his attention kept being drawn over to me. Now, I was very close to him and looked to him for much guidance. He was not just a leader in my life he was a friend.
As he preached, he would look at me and nod his head as if he were approving of my position. At the first glance, he was in approval of me standing at the edge of the crowd. At the same time, he was a bit concerned as he noticed that my attention was drifting away to the wooded area that bordered the field.

He continued to teach even as he was noticing me, and I continued to listen to him even as I was being drawn to the wooded area. I stepped away from the crowd and walked over to the edge. I noticed a rather wide and rather deep river bed. I looked back over to the pastor, and he again nodded his head at me in approval and kept addressing the crowd with teaching. I looked down at the edge of the wooded area, and there was an opening to a dry river bed.  The mouth of it was where I was standing.

The First Stone

At my feet was a five-sided stepping stone just slightly covered with dirt. I felt the incredible presence of my Father with-in that moment. I began to feel childlike and longed to explore this river bed and discover the mystery of such a phenomenon! It was an ancient place where water previous ran wild. Why was it now dry? How, wonderful it must have been when it was rushing living water! I looked and in my hand was a brush to clean off the stepping stone. I had knowledge that the Father put the brush in my hand. I knelt down and brushed off the stone.

The Second Stone and The Woman

I was quickly drawn to another stone just a foot in front of the one I was standing on. As I was about to kneel down to clean off the next stone, a woman from the crowd ran over and yelled in my ear “get back to the others– you rebellious woman!” I looked back and caught eyes with the pastor, and he again nodded his head as if to say “I see you–it’s OK.” The woman ran back to the front row. My attention was back on the stone, and I was overwhelmed with joy as The Father gave me direction and another tool, a stronger bristled brush, to uncover the next stone.

It was as if I was playing with my Father in the forest, and the work was effortless–and it was adventurous! I continued walking on my knees peering at the newly uncovered stone and then, looked ahead to see the next one in which The Father would lead me.

Suddenly, that annoying woman startled me again. I did not hear her at first for I was caught up in the presence of The Father, but I felt her disapproving presence and turned my head. I realized she was trying to yell in my ear again, but I could only slightly hear her. I looked back at the pastor in the field, and he again nodded his head at me, but this time looked as if he wanted to be in the wilderness as well. But he thought it was his duty to stay in the field. I knew he did not want me to go away from the comfort of the grassy meadow, but at the same time he knew that this was where the Father was leading me. The woman retreated to the field and began to speak frantically to the pastor.

The Third Stone

Again I was overcome with joy and the compelling presence of The Father wisped my attention away to follow Him on deeper still. As I followed, I noticed that the walls of the river bed were getting higher the further we went. I looked and below my feet was the very edge of a third stepping stone. In my hand was the chisel of an archaeologist and in the other was a smaller brush. I excitedly began to uncover this stone as would an archaeologist who stumbled upon an ancient artifact! In all of this the work was not work at all, it was like going on an adventure with My Daddy. The third stone was not buried very deep under the hard red clay; I had it cleaned off in no time.
I felt an annoying presence just a few feet behind me. It was the woman again! I looked, and her mouth was moving and but no sound was coming out. She was mouthing to me “you are in rebellion” and I laughed at her. She was  frantic and angry as she was trying to yell at me! I could hear nothing but the voice of My Father beckoning me still–deeper and further.

She fled back to the pastor in the field. He became dark as he listened to her and began to misunderstand what The Father was doing. He dropped his head in disappointment. He felt alone and noticed the people who were left in the meadow were very few. I, at that moment stopped. I was very grieved for him and prayed him to come into the wilderness with The Father as well.

The Fourth Stone

The Father’s joy and love overcame my heavy heart as He drew me to the slight outline of a fourth stepping stone. This stone was completely covered with approximately  an inch of red clay. I, again on my knees, took the new tools in my hand and began to uncover this fourth stone. It took a little longer than the others but was still enjoyable and exciting. Then The Father stood beside me, and the shadow of His presence covered me as I was on my knees looking at the stones and realizing how far away from the field I was. I realized that the walls of the river bed where almost taller than I. Suddenly I felt entirely alone with Him, and it was wonderful but at the same time I wondered if I was too far away. It seemed to be getting dark in the forest. I knew He was with me, but I realized that all this time I thought I was going back to the field eventually. Just as these questions started creeping into my mind, The Father showed me that He had lead me away. I knew I was not going back. He had called me out from the crowd. I didn’t just wander as a little child would curiously wander away from home. He beckoned me with His presence!I stood upon on the fourth stone and did not look back any longer. The woman did not and could not come past the third stone, and I no longer was aware of her or the pastor in the meadow. I was focused entirely on The Father, and I knew that there was a fifth stone.

The Fifth Stone and The Clogged Pipe

I instinctively calculated the distance that separated the past four stepping stones and knelt down. As I hit my knees the tools I needed to uncover the fifth and final stone were in my hand and placed on the ground beside me. This one took the longest to reveal. It was not a tedious job, but a focused job– for the reality had set in that I was on a mission from my Father. I completely uncovered that fifth stepping stone, and it was perfect! Not a bit of damage from the years of being hidden. It was flawless! And just as the fifth stone was completely visible and clean I, still on my knees, looked and in front of my face was a pipe sticking out from the edge of the river bed. The depth of the river bed was now just over my head. And suddenly in my hand appeared a steel pipe cleaner. I extended my arm to the pipe with the cleaner and with one stroke the dry, hard, red clay came out!

The Out-Pouring, The Platform, and The Tent

 

Water began to rush out as if it had been building with great pressure. It was as though it was waiting for that one stroke to clean out the pipe! Just then under my feet was a very very broad platform and over my head was a very very full tent. The river was full and flowing under the “platform”, and rain was pouring down all around!

The Dance of All Dances

All around me were people dancing and spinning about on the platform. They had followed along from the meadow as I was uncovering the stones trailing the path through the dry river bed! They were the ones who had left the field and gone into the wilderness after me. The entire time I had no idea that others were following my lead! The whole journey I  thought that  I was alone with ‘My Daddy’ on this adventure!

 

Seven years ago The Lord gave me this dream and has been revealing layer by layer the powerful interpretation. There are many of us that have been on this journey!  The Five-fold ministry is being uncovered in this emerging move of God. We are crossing over into the promise of all promises!   He has been drawing us and beckoning us deeper; to go away with Him and enjoy the journey of the revelation of His heart! In the next weeks, I will dissect the Word of the Lord revealed in this dream…. To be continued!

/3 Comments/by
Tammie Southerland

The Elite

This “Burning Voice” is one of the most faithful people I have ever met. Chuck McDonald is not only an integral part of Fire on the Altar he also is a great brother in the Lord and a mighty man of faith! He has challenged all of us to consume more of the word of God on a daily basis, to believe for the dead to be raised, the sick to be healed, and for all that the word declares is available to the believer in Jesus Christ. He is an evangelist in the truest sense of the word! He lives and breathes Jesus and The Holy Ghost! He lives in Lake City SC with his amazing wife Cherie McDonald and they together are scaring the hell out of the Devil in these last days!  I pray you are greatly impacted by this word! ~Tammie Southerland

The Elite

Chuck McDonald

 

 

 While preaching this past Sunday morning, I got a revelation.
I was speaking out of the book of Judges, chapter 8 and verse 4.  While working through my message to the church, God began speaking to me about the 300 men God had dwindled Gideon down to in Judges 7.  This is the frustrating, yet exciting moment when God starts giving revelation while speaking.

 

    First of all let’s think about being “Elite”.  Coming from a military background I think of some of the most elite forces on planet earth, (ie.. The Green Beret’s, The Navy SEAL’s, the British SAS as well as others.).   In our natural mindset, to be elite is to be a cut above the rest or hold a position only few attain.  Astronauts, Sports stars, TV/Movie personalities, you know the “Rich and Famous”.

 

    Not so in the Kingdom mindset.  To be the elite in biblical times and most biblical stories are those who were not the best, not the fastest or not the most popular.  Look at the life of David.  A little shepherd boy from nowhere who with the anointing and unction of God on him became an icon in the faith for his heroics against Goliath and the military conquests he had. It’s these kind of men and women who become the “Elite” of the faith.

 

    So again I was talking to the folks about the 300 men God chose for Gideon in Judges 7.  God chose 300 men who scooped water into their hands and drank it instead of those who just plopped down, so to speak, and drink.  I was prophetically speaking about how God was going to get this particular church down to those who will be elite.  Then God showed me something.  In theology we have a principle called representation.  It is where something or someone can be represented by another.  So the thought came.  They were drinking water.   So my spirit went crazy.

 

    What can water represent?  Most often in scripture, using the principle of representation, The Holy Spirit can be represented by water.  Genesis 1, Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3 and John 1, 2 & 4.  So the thought then came to me, God chose men who were handling the Spirit accurately.  Not just flopping around in the glory or with a half-hearted attempt.  Men who took it seriously that “..the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead now lives in our mortal bodies.”.   Men who were serious about holy living, consecration, being separate from the world and standing out.

 

    This is the “Elite” force that God is raising up in these last days that is going to usher in the end time revival everyone is praying and prophesying for. It’s this group that will shake each and every city in America with the fire of revival.  A John the Baptist generation that will see His kingdom come and His will being done.  So when we use the word “Elite” or “Remnant”, I believe this is what it is going to look like. A people consecrated and seeking the kingdom of God with all they have.  No other lovers in the way of true, intimate relationship with Jesus.  A deep love affair with the Holy Spirit that they are possessed by Him.  Look out, They’re coming!

 

Chuck McDonald

http://chuckmcdonld.webs.com

/1 Comment/by
Tammie Southerland

Fire on the Altar Update – August 2014

We cried out and God has answered!

fotaThe  mobile prayer movement is breaking open the wells of revival in the Carolinas!  We are seeing the Body of Christ begin to come together in a way we never thought possible in our generation!  The key to revival is unity and unceasing intimacy with Jesus!

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing– life forever.”

Psalm 133:1-3

Without a doubt we will hear the reply of the Bridegroom Jesus:” Behold I am coming quickly” Rev. 22: 12-21 when His Bride begins to long, in unity, for Her Bridegroom!  When the “Church” is  joined together as one, in unceasing worship and prayer she will be awakened to her destiny!

Fire on the Altar (SC)  was pioneered with a desire to restore the beauty of  unity in prayer and worship to the Bride of Christ in the South and beyond.  We are experiencing the beginning rumblings of authentic revival in the Carolinas as we are breaking down walls of division, apathy, and  complacency and raising a standard of unity, passion, and desire for the manifest presence of God! We are returning to our “First Love” and we want more!  The Body of Christ is aligning and crying out for Yeshua, Jesus, to be the head of His Church, Eph 5:23.   She, The Church/The Bride, is crying out for the man-made religion to be exposed and the pure undefiled religion to be made manifest (James 1:27)!  She is crying out for her Beloved and He longing to give Himself to her!

If you have not yet had a chance to be a part of the 24/7 prayer movement CANCEL everything else (2 Chronicles 7:14)  and respond to the burning in your heart for more.   Come!  This is not about a man or woman it is ALL about Jesus!  The fire is His Spirit burning and the Altar is your heart! “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out…” Lev 16:12a

Join the movement!

See our events calendar for a Fire on the Altar event near you.

/0 Comments/by
Tammie Southerland

Reaping Joy by Dianelli Snapp

The joy of the Lord is my strength…

307828_238104912913313_1719219773_nHow many of us really feel that way one hundred percent right now?

I love it when God pours out His joy because something supernatural happens when He does. It truly strengthens you.

Do you ever question why some people are joyful and others are not? Sometimes we all need a fresh revelation of Gods love. When I am weary I take the time to be broken before God. I sow tears before the throne.

Sowing tears opens the well spring of love on the inside of us. The love of God has so captured my heart to a new depth, height, width and length as in Ephesians 3. This very love is beginning to pour out and overflow into the lives of those around me. Gods love has lavished upon me and these deep encounters in His presence are keeping me in a desperate cry for MORE.

I am reminded of the wife of the prophet who cried out to Elisha because a creditor was coming to collect her sons as slaves because of the debt her husband owed. God used Elisha in that moment and the woman and her two sons filled many vessels with olive oil. Elisha instructed her to pay her debt and live off the rest. Isn’t God good in the manner that he will rescue, he will supply the provision, pay our debt, and give us vessels that overflow to live “off of (2 Kings 4)”.

What a great depiction of this wife leaning on the Lord.

I would say the same for many  of my childhood years. I leaned on the Lord. I sowed many tears as a child. I used to make big promises to God in my heart. As if I were so convincing or that cute that God would do what I asked.

Of course, I’ve always asked “BIG” prayers and when God started answering those prayers as a child it overwhelmed me. It overwhelmed me that this Almighty God cared about me so much that He would give me the desires of my heart. He loves to answer our prayers. As a child, I believed He loved me so much. There was no doubt in my heart that He was real to me. I had desired to know Him intimately.

I had this love for God in my heart. It was like this knowing that I belonged to HIM. I believe there was a FIRE I had obtained by that FIRST initial love encounter as a little girl.

My love for Jesus still BURNS AND THE FIERY TRIALS TO BE ENDURED FUEL ME TO SEE JESUS FACE TO FACE.

To this day, my Father in Heaven still holds me and keeps me…

I believe we are in a season of receiving the fullness of joy. I believe it is the season that joy will overflow in our lives like never before to give a strength that in no other way we could have obtained on our own.

The joy of the LORD is truly our strength.

Shout for joy!

May our weeping also be in repentance that we may grow closer to our God.

My heart weeps for this generation to know God.

Does your heart move with compassion for this generation?

Could you experience a BURNING passion to be a doer of Gods word not just a mere hearer? Have you taken the time to sow tears that you may reap an eternal joy?

Think of a few things that touch your heart with compassion. Think of that as similar to the compassion God feels for you. I know God desires for you to live a life of purity and to follow Him no matter the cost.

Jesus paid the price for our tears. He knows each tear drop. A heart that BURNS for God is also bold to CRY for Him. Cry out for His will to manifest in the Earth. Cry out for lost souls to enter the Kingdom of Heaven today. Cry out with a fierceness in your voice. Cry out to have MORE JOY!

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
Psalm 126:5 ESV

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Psalm 47:1

Though you have not seen, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Philemon 1:7

/2 Comments/by
Tammie Southerland

From Worthless to Worthy

In addition to functioning  as a full-time ordained minister, evangelist, and youth pastor  Tammie Southerland is a Certified Life Coach and Biblical Counselor, and she specializes in deep inner healing and breaking free those bound by sexual abuse, addictions, self-harm, and sexual sin. Having experienced the pain of sexual abuse personally she is able to offer empathy as sell as a sympathy but also a honest look at the victory that can be attained though, first and for most, relationship with Christ and then proper biblical counseling and inner-healing. At this time Tammie is also empowering those within in the ministry to reach beyond just personal victory into helping and ministering to others.
Part of the Frontline Ministries mission is to train up a generation in the ministry of Jesus Christ and this goal includes training them to counsel others with sound biblical methods. In September of 2014 Frontline Ministries will offer publicly a program called from “Worthless to Worthy”.  Tammie has been leading young ladies through this program for years as the Lord brings them to her.  This is a intense 6 week counseling program that makes way for deep healing and instills and awakens true God given worth, value, and destiny. This program offers a transition out of needing personal one-on-one professional counseling (victim/ feelings of worthlessness) into being a part of and even leading Peer Group Studies (victor/revelation of worthiness) and  as of September 2014  FM will offer a third level that can lead into a certificate in Lay Biblical Counseling or Biblical Studies. The idea is to not only to  heal deep wounds but to offer  depth into the Word of God, to transform, and transition the whole person in to his or her God given destiny.

“We are all worthy of the calling but we fall short if we do not know our worth! Our personal worth is found in the person of Jesus Christ. In Christ all I can do all things! In Christ I am accepted and not rejected! In Christ I have destiny! In Christ I an NOT Worthless but I am Worthy!” ~ Charity (Worthless to Worthy Graduate)[envira-gallery id=”462″]

/0 Comments/by
Tammie Southerland

Fire In My Bones

But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,”

Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones;

And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it ” (Jer. 20:9  NASB)

 

It was a normal  Sunday morning worship service and  I began to realize that my mind was wondering and I was thinking of  many things concerning my life, my calling, and the people in my home town, home church, hurts, misunderstandings, then began the prayers of help in attempt to prove my faithfulness to man, and blah, blah, blah..   As all of these thoughts were rambling through my mind as my mouth sang the lyrics of the worship song: “all honor, all power, all glory are yours oh Lord”.  Then suddenly I began to look around me and see the other people moving their mouths as though “lip sinking” the words of the worship song as well.  I no longer heard singing, but other people’s rambling thoughts of un-forgiveness, judgments, pain, apathy, distrust, broken faith, gripes, and complaints as they were seemingly singing songs of worship unto the Lord.  The sound of these thoughts got louder and louder and the sound of the worship song seemed to disappear.  I realized I was hearing what God hears as we apathetically go through the motions of our church services!   It was the sound of many, many, voices in disunity not the voice the worshiping heart unto the Lord!  Mouths were moving but the singing was empty.

 

I began to feel my heart ache and my stomach turn and the burning began! I began to repent from my own apathy and to declare to the Lord with everything in me “ALL GLORY! ALL HONOR! ALL POWER! IS YOURS OH LORD!! NOT OURS!”  I said in my heart “forgive us Lord for our selfish thoughts!  Dear God… this is the problem with our westernized church culture we are so used to coming in and out of a church service like it is just part of our weekly routine!  We can come in and go out without ever having truly entered into worship at all!”    Then Holy Spirit spoke these words:

Isa 29:1 …“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught…”

 

OH GOD Forgive us!  Then the fire began to burn and I began to feel the broken heart of the Father. This was the “lukewarmness” spoke of in the book of Revelation right here all around us! This “lukewarmness” that He says “I will spew out of My mouth” Rev.3:16 .  Even in the most seemingly spiritual churches in the “Bible-Belt” many just come in and go out and they check “church” off of their list of things to do and we go on home unchanged!  Many praise not, worship not, just endure the service, and then go stuff bellies at the local Sunday buffet!  The fire of God’s desire for revival began to consume me as He seemed to download His desire to revive the dead and awaken those who have gone to sleep in apathy!    We use the word revival these days to refer to a week of church services, but in the past the term meant something much more than a planned event! It meant reformation, radical revelation, Holy Spirit manifestations, and caused dramatic change that got people like John Wesley kicked out of churches! Revival forced them to preach and worship under tents worship and prayer went on day and night until God moved them to another location. They revivalist became what we know of as the circuit riders.  These men and women were used by God to  reform Christianity  and they made traditionalist upset! Authentic revival is messy!

We are in desperate need of this real, authentic, and I add LASTING revival!  We are likely the most disconnected generation ever to walk upon the earth! We are shells of human bodies! Or as Jesus said it “white washed tombs with dead man’s bones inside!” We come in looking great but totally dead to the true Christ -life”. Most are hoping God does not speak to them personally for if He did one may truly have to die to something their carnal flesh enjoys.  We are no different in this aspect than the Israelites of Exodus 19 who in the wilderness said to Moses that they did not want to talk personally to God “least we die”, but that he should talk to God for them and relay the message.  They wanted Moses to be pure enough and talk with God but they did not want that responsibility to be clean personally.    All most people want is to just to hear the “word” from the set man of God! We dare not approach God for ourselves least we die–to our sin—for we know that this is what is required when we hear Him personally!

 

This fire in my bones got hotter and hotter as the worship went on! I was awakened to the depth of God’s Holiness and our selfishness as a people of God! We don’t even know what it is the experience His glory in the way that He died for us to experience Him these last days.  We just think we do because we have approached the throne from time to time.

The Israelites experienced provision and supernatural acts of God– the cloud by day, the fire by night and the manna from heaven but Moses experienced God’s glory!  Moses went from afraid of approaching the Mountain of God to not caring if he died in God’s presence–He cried out “show me your glory”(Exod. 33:18).   Do we really want the authentic “revival” that ushers in the return of  Messiah?  Do we really want to see His “glory cover the earth as the waters cover the sea?”   If so we must be willing to die to our flesh and be resurrected into HIS holiness!

As I heard the rambling and even sinful thoughts around me I said to the Lord “Dear God, we are the Israelites that built the golden calf to worship as Moses was atop the mountain (see Exod.32:19)!”  We are comfortable worshiping an image made by our hands and calling it devotion to God! We wan to be in control of how long we worship and how we worship. We do not have to be united or pure! We even control the cost of this image of worship! We are willing to sacrifice and fund our “worship” if we can form it in the way that suits us! We can form it in a way that fits into the world’s system and we can worship it without being required to change! Authentic revival is one that is being birthed in the Spirit of Holiness to bring us to a place that we love what He Loves and hate what He hates–no matter the cost! To a place that we are willing to die if that is what it takes to see His face!

This message to us sounds a lot like this; the baptism of water has come, but there is a greater baptism, one that is inwardly purifying “the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire!”

Matt. 3:11 (NASB) “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

The past movement taught us how to look good and look the part and we are ok with that– we are ok with being washed outwardly!  But as John the Baptist declared there is one who HAS come that desires MORE than just a baptism in water (outward washing)! He, Jesus, came to baptize us in the Holy Spirit and with fire! The inward purifying fire! This fire is one of passion that will make us more afraid of being out of God’s presence that being in it! This fire that will make physical us sick bout being “lukewarm” Christians! I will not only change the way we look and sound but it will sear us to the point that it changes our very DNA!

 

This Holy Spirit fire creates a craving to be ONE with Him as Jesus prayed in John 17:21!  This is how the cry of the desperate longing of the Bride is born in the Church. She wants to feel what HE feels, see what He sees, go where He goes and say what He says–And she would rather die than be separated from HIM (see Song of Solomon chapter 5).

My eyes were opened that Sunday morning and it began with me personally!  Here’s the thing friends this is where the cleansing begins! It begins in me! It begins in you personally! I had to get the plank out of my own eye that morning! Then I saw or should I say heard!   But I gotta tell ya something: this is what relationship with God is all about!   “Worship in Spirit and in Truth”, daily, this the avenue of oneness with Him that we were created for (Jn. 2:24).   That overwhelming experience during worship on that Sunday morning was both terrifying and beautiful at the same time.  It was a message from the Lord of His jealous desire calling us to  turn back to Him and see Him as  “you did at first… your First Love”(Rev.2:4 ).   He wants us to realize our humanity, to realize His Holiness, and then to realize His jealous pursuit for us!  We can’t draw closer to him as long as we do not know we are distant!   Revival is here and it is a revival of inner cleansing and a rapid heating up of the lukewarm faith with the fresh fire of Holy Spirit! This third Great Awakening is a birthing of a generation of true holy lovers of Jesus who would rather die than be separated from Him by their sin!

Tammie Southerland

/1 Comment/by