Ascension and Sanctification
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully…” Psalm 24:3-4
In 2024 we will continue to see the Lord purifying his Church. But to be pure we must first ascend the hill of the Lord. As we do he will sanctify our hands and our hearts.
Psalm 51 is David’s prayer after he sinned with Bathsheba. It will be the prayer of many in 2024 and God will hear them and sanctify them and grant them a humble and willing spirit to be purified.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalms 51:7-12
He desires each one of us to come up higher (to ascend). Higher to see him in all of his holiness and higher to understand and execute the authority that he has placed upon his people to rule and reign with him. We must ascend to receive wisdom from on high and to be given the opportunities to rule in high places just as Solomon did.
As we entered the year 2023 a dear friend prophetically spoke to our local leadership team these words,
“We are leaving the time of David and entering the time of Solomon.”
Or, will God bring forth both anointings? David had a pure heart before the Lord and Solomon walked in great wisdom. As you know, Solomon was David’s son who sat upon his throne as king after his death. When the Lord asked him what he wanted Him to grant him, he asked for wisdom to rule the great people that he’d been entrusted to lead.
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9
A truly discerning heart begins with a pure heart— freed from selfish motives and ambitions. It puts the good of those whom they are called to serve above their own personal desires. If we are to govern in pure and wise authority then we need to receive a pure heart and have our hands cleaned from any wrongdoing. The days of self-serving leadership are no longer being tolerated— God will displace those who want to be served with those who have a pure heart to serve— and he will anoint them from on high.
Psalm 24 goes on to say,
Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory!” Psalm 24:7-10
Throughout 2023 we have been in a spiritual time of repairing the doors and gates in our personal lives and in the Church. God has been revealing and exposing what we let enter into our lives in the past years— and into His Church. What do we tolerate that is unholy— in our homes, hearts, church, and even nations? The seven letters to the Churches in the Book of Revelation should be revisited by all and the counsel within them executed in our lives and within the church.
In 2024 doors and gates that allow His glory and righteousness to enter in will stand open before us but we must close the gates and doors that allow sin and compromise— or even tolerate lukewarmness and spirits that are not from the Holy Spirit. The blood is being sprinkled upon the doorposts of spiritual gates and doors of our lives, his Church, and even of regions (cities/nations).
He is preparing his church to welcome the King of glory— through the gates and doors that have been sanctified— lifted up to be polished through cleansing and refinement to reveal pure gold.
Times of Trouble and Sovereign Help
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” Psalm 46:1-3
The world around us is in turmoil and the wisdom and power of man is proving to be weakness all around us. The high places of power and authority are crumbling as they depend on their own wisdom and power to accomplish what only God can do. Self-serving governments that do not serve the people they were entrusted to protect will begin to fail. Just as God is not allowing self-serving leadership within His house, he will also begin to deal with certain leaders governing nations, states, provinces, and parties to be removed.
When Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem and began tipping over the tables of those who made his Father’s house a den of thieves, I see him doing the same in many places— especially high places.
When you see this, do not fear but know that God is your refuge and help in times of trouble. He is our fortress. Angelic armies led by the commander, the Lord of Hosts, will fight for covenant lands and for his people.
He is coming as our warrior King— the one mighty in battle who leads the angel armies in victory. An army is arising to join him in battle against his enemies. They will be clothed in his might and they will wisely only follow his lead and His commands. They will not jostle one another but move as one like the starlings do as they change formation in the skies above us.
Psalm 46 is a key psalm to cling to throughout 2024,
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalms 46:4-11
Unexpected Provisions
I see the Lord coming to sovereignly canceling debts. Financial debts, relational debts, spiritual debts. Forgiveness of debts will be received and given. I keep hearing in my spirit this prayer,
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
Debts of many kinds will be forgiven and debtors will be offered forgiveness bringing reconciliation to many.
I saw a vision of large ships with enormous amounts of supplies arriving into ports. These supply ships had been long delayed and were loaded with all that we need. It was carrying both physical and spiritual supplies. 2024 was like a port for these ships to arrive in— or a portal of time. We will need wisdom to know how to steward the supplies being brought in. This is not a time to be careless or to act hastily with the supplies but to create storehouses of provision for places of refuge and shelter in the days ahead.
His Sovereignty
We do not win battles in our strength but the Lord is mighty in battle and we will watch and see God bare his holy right arm before nations.
The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” Isaiah 52:10
God will save! He will save his people from destruction, he will save your sons and daughters, he will save nations, and all the earth will see his salvation. Salvations and sovereignty will mark this year.
Let us pray through these verses and words. Then, enter through the gateway of 2024 with a willing spirit, clean hands, trust in the Lord, a commitment to ascend the hill of the Lord each day and an expectation of seeing his sovereignty revealed throughout the earth.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Inscribe Ministries
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