From the desk of Steve Shultz:
Creation is eagerly waiting for the sons and daughters to be revealed... and this is a "year of the youth" as my good friend Kim Clement shares. I'd share his latest newsletter with all the youth in your sphere and encourage them that this is their year.
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Kim Clement:
This is the Year of the Youth
Throughout Biblical history you will see that God used young people, even children, especially when adults became spiritually redundant and the only progress was to recreate history, or "bring back those good old days." Looking back has its rewards but unfortunately creates feelings of nostalgia and morbidity.
Imagine that you are driving a car up a hill... what happens to the car if you stop halfway up the hill and put the car in neutral? You slide back down the hill, erasing all your progress. No matter how many times you re-run this routine, you get the same result. What it means to be neutral, instead of engaging, is that you either stay in one place or you begin to slide down backwards, in this instance. In order to create a future for yourself and your children, you have to engage, and at times make war in times of peace. In other words, when things are stagnant and there is no progress in sight, someone has to complain and disrupt the mundane with a challenge.
A story that comes to mind from the Bible is the story of the king of Israel who was besieged by Samaria. They were eating the bare minimum, stuck behind walls and in a grip of stagnation. Anything that is stagnant contains death. Elisha the prophet disrupts their stagnancy with a word of hope and life. He claims that they will have an economic revival and breakthrough within 24 hours. This word not only receives criticism, but also a sarcastic remark from a top authority figure.
Nevertheless, someone had to respond, and it took four lepers outside of the gates of the city to decide that enough was enough, and if the prophet said it, let's move toward the promise. They walked toward the camp of the very enemy who was surrounding the Israelites, and as they got there they found that there was an empty camp with food, supplies and riches. The rest is wonderful history. You can't change your present by neutrality, and certainly not stagnancy.
You have to be dissatisfied with your present conditions, surroundings and supply of joy, peace, happiness, etc. before you will really look forward.
So inevitably, God will allow things to run their course and people will become dissatisfied. Suddenly what was once exciting, fresh and tantalizing is now boring and repetitious. You are dull and the self-environment is uninteresting, dim and blunt. You can either sit and complain for as long as you can, or you can CHANGE IT.
Make war with repetition, be at odds with dullness, spit out lukewarm-ness and start a fight with blah, blah, blah. You weren't born to be satisfied with "just enough" to keep you going. Once you've tasted of the better that is to come, YOU NEVER WANT TO GO BACK.
Imagine driving a car forward, while looking in the mirror, hoping that what is behind you will assist your progress.
Positive Velocity
If the velocity of the past is negative, then what you will experience is deceleration – something a young person does not want to experience. Retirement is not in the mind of a young person. They are constantly looking for the fruit of HOPE, in order to be nourished by it, not the seeds of fruit that have been consumed. They want to experience for themselves that they may also observe the invisible, and in so doing begin to create the image (armor, suit of clothing) that fits their makeup and personality.
King Saul of the Bible, the strong, tall adult king of Israel, stood in amazement as David, a young shepherd boy, used a simple stone and sling to destroy Israel's greatest enemy – a Philistine giant named Goliath. Prior to that happening, King Saul had commanded that his suit of armor be placed onto David, but David could not fit it onto his body. It wasn't suitable for this rugged young boy. Saul had lost the prophetic edge being rejected by Samuel the prophet, and therefore a young person had to use his childlike faith to bring excitement and morale back into the nation of Israel.
Samuel
The story of Samuel is as fascinating. He was born during a time of acute spiritual famine and corruption. Eli, the high priest of the day, had lost all connection with God and his entire household was corrupt, causing the people of Israel to sin in the temple and at the altar. The Word of God even says that "there was no open vision" in Israel due to this. Samuel, as a young boy, ministered to the Lord in the presence of Eli, and during that time, the Heaven opened up and God's voice was once again heard clearly. While Samuel lay sleeping in the temple in the presence of Eli, God spoke to him and called his name, "Samuel!" Samuel thought that it was Eli calling him so he ran to Eli and inquired what he wanted. Eli said, "GO BACK to sleep." It's amazing how dull and dim-sighted a religious spirit makes men. Eventually, when Samuel did hear God's voice, what he heard was shocking. God basically informed Samuel, the young boy, that He was going to destroy Eli and his family in order to bring an end to the stagnancy and the spiritual lack in Israel.
You have to destroy every present hindrance before you can move to your next level.
I want to give you a task to do:
Take a pen and write down every hindrance that you can see is stopping you from moving to your next level of freedom, liberty and happiness.
Spirit of Daniel
As prophesied at the beginning of the year, this is the "Year of the Youth," and the year for us to conquer our mountain. Many mountains were conquered because of youth. The mountain of religious corruption and stagnation was conquered by Samuel, in the presence of the corruption – the high priest Eli. The mountain of manipulation, intimidation and fear was conquered by young David in the presence of Goliath and King Saul. The mountain of slavery and bondage was conquered by young Daniel in the presence of the King of Babylon, as Daniel stood surrounded by hungry lions and courageously survived.
The list goes on and on. But what is important for us to understand is that if God revealed to us that He is about to cast a mantle upon the youth, then we must suppose without a doubt that there is deliverance from a certain corruption, stagnation, religious witchcraft and the grip that humanity has found itself in at this present time. We are about to conquer many mountains. What is the mountain that you wish to conquer?
This is your year to do it and this is your time.
Kim Clement
Prophetic Image Expressions
Email: hope@kimclement.com
Kim Clement: The life of Kim Clement is an expression that has defined "the prophet" for the modern era. This has made his journey unique – a journey that has taken his inspired message to schools and colleges, churches and synagogues, alleyways and prison cells. Kim's prophetic gift is a magnet that has drawn a broad audience, as he has whispered to kings and inspired prisoners. His path through life continues to be an exciting adventure. His diverse and extemporaneous perspective has gained him notoriety that transcends culture, race and religion, placing him onto a world platform. He has performed at the Rose Bowl Stadium in California, Times Square in New York City, Mt. Carmel in Israel, and even the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
