A Messi Comeback
This is still comeback season.
And it is “messi”er than I imagined it would be.
As I watched the World Cup Final, I grabbed some charcoal and just started feeling my way forward with an image I was seeing in my mind’s eye and a phrase I was hearing in my heart. I didn’t question it. I just went with it.
I began sketching as the match started, and I finished at exactly the moment the match ended.
In my life, the prophetic often has a “play on words.” So although I initially imagined “maybe” Messi would have another crazy comeback to save the day ... what became clear to me at the end was that this was a play on words.
The word I have for some people is this:
→ You are in the midst of A MESSY COMEBACK.
Deep down, you know you are coming back. You feel it and sense it with every fiber of your being, but you are struggling and resisting at times because it is “messy.” I even see someone who knows you should be moving FORWARD, but because you also know it will be messy, you are taking your time (aka avoiding it).
This #ComebackSeason … is messy. Period. It isn’t perfect. It won’t fit neatly inside your predictable box, and it will not always “feel” good or make sense to your natural mind. In fact, it may even seem as though you are losing ground rather than advancing at times.
But the “messi”ness of this season will actually contribute to your MESSage.
The Message
The call to “Come up here” … higher … requires a dialing in. It requires FEWER words, not more. It requires careful attention to every word you speak. Jesus only said what He heard the Father say. He only did what He saw the Father do. Some people are so accustomed to speaking that they are not even conscious of the sheer quantity of words they speak. We live in a culture that is inundated with words, and the large majority of them are void of weight, anointing, intention, or purpose.
Do not allow the enemy to silence you, lie to you, or shut you down. Just be mindful of what you speak. Do not be afraid to PAUSE. Let silence and stillness become normal. In a world that is overstimulated, normalize the discomfort of quiet. Make room for GOD to speak.
William J. Seymour
I want to talk about William J. Seymour for a moment. If you are not familiar with him, he was an African-American holiness pastor who led the historic 1906 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California. He was born in Louisiana in 1870 to parents who had recently been freed from slavery (talk about a comeback!) He lost his left eye to smallpox during his childhood. The thing I love most about this man is not his apostolic anointing - it is his humility. During church meetings, he would sit behind stacked empty shoeboxes or wooden crates. He kept his head buried inside the top box to pray in intense humility, often stating there were no great preachers, only a great God. ← Pause and reflect. This humble prayer meeting grew into a massive multi-racial revival that birthed the modern global Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, which now trace hundreds of millions of believers worldwide.
It brings tears to my eyes to think of how “unqualified” he was to be used by God in such a powerful way. Culture never would have chosen him … BUT GOD. He was a black man. He was a former slave. He only had one eye. He wasn’t full of hype or filled with many words. It was his secret life that God raised up. ←
An earthquake occurs beneath the surface before you ever see the tsunami.
There is a shaking happening in the unseen place.
There is a calling to pray, study, worship, build and create while no one is watching. Do not underestimate the necessity of the secret place in this comeback season. Peace and stillness are your friend. Put on the worship music, get the blueprint, and do the thing. What God is doing in the secret place, in the hearts and lives of His people, is what will ultimately create the wave of revival that is coming.
Do you know that the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells within your mortal body?
Nothing will be impossible for you if you believe.
The TEACHERS are needed in this hour. Preaching is good, but less personality is needed for what is coming.
TEACH THE MEAT. FEED THE SHEEP.
To the shepherds … you think you are in control of what God is doing … but you need to COMPLETELY LET GO and prepare your heart for the unexpected. This is a MESSY Comeback. At times it will feel like you are losing, but you must remember … THE WIN IS INEVITABLE … it’s just MESSY.
I feel this word so strong for the leaders - those who are currently shepherding a flock and those who are being called to rise and lead in a new way.
To the prophetic voices … you will ACTIVATE with your words. Choose them wisely and release them with the fear of the Lord.
Tsunamis are massive. They cause damage. They are messy. And they occur because of what happens beneath the surface.
IMPORTANT → The water recedes before the wave comes. This exposes what is not otherwise seen. (Read that again.) There are things on the floor of your soul that have not been seen, but when this water recedes in preparation for the wave that is coming, those things will be exposed. And it is good. Let God get to it. Do the work.
You cannot talk people into this revival. It is the result of the messy comeback that is happening in the lives of so many. Those who welcome the discomfort, who are not afraid of the messiness, will be surfing the wave. Those who don’t will be crushed by it.
One final word → I believe God wants to use African-Americans in a powerful way. He is redeeming what has been lost and stolen. He is anointing you with His authority. When you say His Name, He will respond. You will see miracles, signs, and wonders.
This is not about skin color. READ THAT AGAIN. This is about REDEMPTION, INTEGRATION, UNITY and PICKING UP THE PIECES of history that were sabotaged by Satan. Whew. I feel this so strong as I write it. Say YES to His call. Let Him use YOU.
Remember …
It may be messy, but it’s for the multitudes.
Jesus is coming back … for a pure and spotless bride who is burning with holy fire for His return.