Saturday, March 1, 2014

This is a great word from Todd packed full of 'good' scripture!

Timely Prophetic word on Hope and Grace by Todd Bentley
This prophetic word includes teaching on hope. Please read the dream and below article as I believe the Lord is releasing ministries of encouragement and giving the church new hope and grace.
Hope And Grace 
I recently had a glorious dream. The application of this dream applied to all of us and not just me. As I share this dream with you, think of yourself in the dream. I believe this is a prophetic word of encouragement about a new season of hope and grace coming to the church.
I dreamed I was walking on a road called "Hope." I saw to my left side an elderly, motherly type woman dressed in bright red. I knew this woman to be hope. In the dream, she was teaching, mentoring, and guiding me to a bright new future. I was walking with hope at my side. It filled my heart with joy, and there was a sense of new grace. I knew with this hope I could face any storm of life with peace and tranquility. This hope was glory, love, and grace and had no disappointment. It was a confidence, joy, and assurance in this hope that God was leading me to a new horizon. I knew at the end of the road there was a new door to be opened. I could see on both sides of the road an orchard with apple trees full of fruit, ripe for harvest. I could smell the apples and cinnamon. It was like warm apple pie. I remember Bob Jones telling me one time that apples are the sweet friendship and companionship of God. The sun was rising in the east over the hill. The light from the sun (Son) shining on my path was golden like yellowish amber and I remember the warm breeze of the wind in my face as hope led me to a new place of Glory. I thought of this new open door at the end of the road called hope. When I awoke from the dream, I thought of this this verse in Hosea about the "Door of Hope."
"I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt" (Hosea 2:15 NIV).
This dream got me meditating on biblical, supernatural hope and grace. We need hope now more there ever. "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12 KJV). Imagine when the desires of your heart are fulfilled it is like eating fruit from the Tree of Life. There is a hope that is supernatural and a work of the Holy Spirit. "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 KJV).

The Manifestation of Hope 
Hope in the Bible means an earnest expectation, waiting for, desiring, a confidence, to anticipate, trust, future expectation, to desire something good with a certainty by believing I can have it. "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed" (see Romans 4:18 NIV). He "seized the hope set before him" (see Hebrews 6:18).
Biblical hope is always energized and becomes possible by faith. Hope is different than believing. Hope is the certain expectation of God's promises. Faith is the substance (evidence) of things hoped for (see Hebrews 11:1). It's not just having faith but having hope. Faith makes hope manifest.
Hope works in the imagination like fear works in the mind, and we believe what we know not to be true. Fear makes it seem real and is the opposite of faith and hope. Hope needs to be cultivated in the imagination. We need to dream of His promise so it gives birth to expectation. One way we can grow hope is in waiting. "My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; for my expectation is from him" (Psalm 62:5 KJV). In silence and waiting hope is born in our heart.
I had a recent vision about the garden of His love. The garden was shaped like a heart. We know that faith worketh by love (see Galatians 5:6 KJV). In my vision the garden was called love. I was on my knees in the soil and was pulling out weeds of anxiety, fear, pain, and anger. I knew I needed to be sure to pull out every weed that would cause me to not grow in hope, faith, vision, and love. I was planting a new seed; growing and cultivating good ground for a harvest of hope.
Hope is the answer
Two great enemies of hope are worry and fear. I immediately thought of this verse in Proverbs 4:23 during the short vision. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (KJV). I like this NIV translation too: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Worry and fear rob us of hope. Jesus said, "Do not worry about your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on" (see Matthew 6:25 KJV). The only true remedy for anxiety is prayer and thanksgiving. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6 KJV).
I realized the need to guard our hearts-it is the seat of the emotions-the place where all life originates and flows. We need to keep hope in our hearts so disappointment does not lead to depression. "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad (hope, encouragement) makes it glad" (Proverbs 12:25 NAS). God is raising up ministries of hope and grace to release encouragers like Barnabas (son of encouragement). This hope is the answer to panic attacks, depression, anxiety, and fear.
Hope in God can be sure. It is a supernatural source. He is the Hope of Glory. Christ in you is hope (see Colossians 1:27). Hope does not disappoint (see Romans 5:5). Hope is an anchor to our souls in the storm. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (see Hebrews 6:19).
In Him,
Todd Bentley

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