Ekklesia Come Forth!
Isaiah 61:2-3 (TPT) “I am sent to announce a new season of Yahweh’s grace and a time of God’s recompense on His enemies, to comfort all who are in sorrow, to strengthen those crushed by despair who mourn – to give them a beautiful bouquet in the place of ashes, the oil of bliss instead of tears, and the mantle of joyous praise instead of the spirit of heaviness.”
God is calling for His Ekklesia (a people set to rule and reign in this life, as a governing body of representatives who speak under a prophetic unction to bring His will on earth even as it is in heaven. To help understand how this word has been misused, follow this link - (https://www.remnantnation.org) to rise up! When the Ekklesia (the governing authorities) rises up into their gifts and learn to truly complement each other, working together and no longer competing with each other; then the true Bride will walk into the fullness of her identity. She will stop playing with life, living it as if it’s all about her and she’ll start living as if eternity is at stake. She will be the Bride who is prepared with oil jars full, ready at all times for the return of the Bridegroom as we read about in Matthew 25. She will be pure and spotless with a deep desire to tell all she encounters about the Bridegroom. She will take the mandate of GO and MAKE disciples of the nations seriously. She will take back the gates of the seven mountains of influence (government, family, religion, business, arts/entertainment, media, and education), influencing each one with the glory that she carries in her always ready oil jar bringing about true transformation that will rock the nations! She will expose the enemy and his defeat will become evident to all people!
The enemy is scared of the true Ekklesia (this is why he uses religion to fight its existence), and I believe he has attempted to launch an attack that isn’t being noticed as it’s hidden behind the timing of the season. Winter usually means – stress-filled holidays, busyness (from working extra hours for extra money - to shopping to spend all that money - to jumping from family to family in order to celebrate the holidays), and isolation because if you’re anything like me… I do not do cold! The attack isn’t noticed as an attack because all of the mixed ‘feelings’ are written off as possible stress so it’s counteracted by believing “Maybe if I keep moving, keep ‘working’, keep busy it will go away”; but, when you get alone there is this overwhelming feeling of despair, depression and defeat, there is a very real fatigue and at times a feeling of ‘I’m not where I thought I would be by now, I’m just a failure’, for some it’s hard to climb out of bed and for some they wonder if life will always be this way. For some there is this lens that has covered their vision, it has caused them to see things from a dull and dim perspective; no matter how amazing something is, they can’t see the silver lining because of these lenses… This attack against the Ekklesia is affecting all of those in their sphere and reducing its effectiveness on this earth. This attack has a ripple effect and is affecting marriages, friendships, workplaces, the gatherings of the Bride, and much more … In this attack, many have been unknowingly drawn into a silencing cage. And I am here to call them out! It’s time to unlock the cage and roar again.
What is this hidden attack? It is the spirit of heaviness.
The spirit of heaviness is also called the spirit of failure because when not dealt with, it leads us straight to a place of failing. The Hebrew word for “heaviness” (keheh) comes from a root word meaning for “dark, dim, obscure, colorless, gloom.” This sounds to me like a cage in the prisons pit which is really called solitary confinement and when this spirit is upon you, your life feels like you are in solitary confinement even when you’re around other people. The thoughts don’t stop, the colorlessness in life is very real, there’s a gloomy cloud just following you everywhere you go, and you feel like you’re carrying an extra 100 pounds on your shoulders. It is being diagnosed as depression and anxiety with attempts to mask it with medications. Don’t get me wrong, I am a nurse, and I am a counselor… I understand that depression can be a chemical imbalance which God can heal, but I also KNOW it can be very spiritual and medications will only cover the real issue which must be called out and dealt with because God wants us free.
For several years now God has been calling His Bride back to her original intent which is to rule and to reign - to govern this earth - and in order for us to get there, the Ekklesia must come back into God’s divine order, and this includes the governance of the Bride which is the 5-fold. Many are waking up and removing the sleep out of their eyes, and they are rising up and taking their place as God opens those doors, but many are still in places that religion continues to sing the pharisaical lullaby which causes them to fall back into spiritual slumber. What I’m learning is that if he can’t get you in one of these ways, he’ll just weigh you down with all that the spirit of heaviness carries and I, personally, am tired of seeing this happen. You may be wondering how I can say this with such confidence… because I was one who had been sung to sleep by the pharisaical lullaby, but in the last 10 years I’ve been awakened into the fullness of Jesus and of my giftings; but over the last 3 months I’ve been overcome by a spirit of heaviness and didn’t even know. I wrote it off as ‘hormonal imbalance’ or maybe even exhaustion as we’ve had a lot going on in our corporate and personal lives… but when I found myself in prayer this morning crying out to God, feeling like I have failed Him, and I was unable to see passed the cloud in front of me – despair, depression, defeat and dimness – I was asking Him ‘what have I done wrong?’, ‘what do I need to do?’ and all I heard were four words – “The spirit of heaviness” so I went straight to Isaiah 61 and began to study it out.
Ekklesia… enough is enough! We must stop tolerating the enemy’s schemes! We must understand that there is a kingdom agenda that WE must carry out and the enemy wants to stop it. The world is waiting for the Bride to take her place! Creation is crying out! It’s time to come out of the solitary confinement that heaviness and religion have put us in and it’s time to roar with praise!
According to Isaiah 61 God gives us a MANTLE of praise to overcome a spirit of heaviness. A mantle is garment, a veil; He GIVES it, and we have to choose to take it and to put on. When Elijah’s mantle/cloak fell to the earth after his whirlwind experience, it says Elisha ‘took up’ the mantle and put it on. He had to grab ahold of it and put it on. In Isaiah 59 it is talking about Jesus and says, “He wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”, He wrapped Himself… no one else wrapped Him, He had to take it and put it on.
God has given us the weapon against heaviness, and it is praise! I believe this is why King David ALWAYS praised after his times of lamenting. Praise is a weapon.
If you read on in Isaiah 61:3-4 it says “… Because of this (taking the mantle, putting it on and defeating heaviness), they will be known as Mighty Oaks of Righteousness, planted by Yahweh as a living display of HIS GLORY. They will restore the ruins from long ago and rebuild what was long devastated. They will renew ruined cities and desolations of past generations…”
When we overcome the enemy’s schemes, we will be known as mighty oaks, living displays of His glory in every mountain of influence!! We have a broken Bride that must be restored and a governing body that must be rebuilt. We have cities, regions, states – nations – that have been destroyed, lost, and desolated from past generations that must be renewed! It is time for the Ekklesia to come forth of out solitary confinement and find your place in society and in the Body of Christ. IT IS TIME… Climb out of the ashes of heaviness you’ve been intimate with go and He’ll fill you full of His beauty! Lift up your tears of heaviness so that He can replace them with His oil of gladness and joy! IT IS TIME to come out of the cage.
If this resonates with you and you’re ready to be free… pray with me!
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke the spirit of heaviness from my life, I command you to leave and never return. I renounce all words and actions of agreement with it and break all ties that bind us together. I pick up the mantle of praise and put it on and I step out of the cage I have been locked it. (I would suggest symbolically acting this out) In Jesus name, SO BE IT!
Father, I lift up my brother/sister to You in the name of Jesus. I declare a bubbling forth of praise, a praise that is of spirit and of truth, a praise that eradicates all heaviness in their path. I pray for joy unspeakable and full of glory, for we know that Your joy is our strength. Father, I bind the spirit of fear that would attempt to keep them from speaking Your absolute truth, from moving into their sphere of influence and from walking in the fullness of the grace You have placed upon their lives; I command it to leave and NEVER return! I thank You for revelation knowledge, truth, and wisdom. I thank You for freedom and the rising of Your Ekklesia, Your Mighty Oaks, the displayers of Your glory! In Jesus name I decree, Ekklesia come forth! Amen.