"We're Moving into a New Era of Wonder and Adventures"

Happy June! At the time of writing this, we (my husband and I) just had our third great grandchild born on Brian's birthday. Our life just seems to be getting better every year. We are taking this new baby being born as another sign of double blessing on our lives, and we're praying that back on each one of you! May you be doubly blessed as well as you read this letter.

As I meditated on this month the Lord kept taking me back to the word He gave me last month. In case you missed it here's how it started out:

May 2019 – Brian and I are so excited for the days ahead of us! We feel as though we're in the days of transformation! But as with everything, before the world can be transformed, we must be transformed first!

Just recently Doris Day, a very famous actress from the 50s, passed away. And one of the songs she made famous was "Que Sera Sera," which means "whatever will be will be." And the song goes on to say, "The future's not ours to see." I felt the Lord say, "We are no longer living in the era of Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be. That passed away with Doris." (Not to be disrespectful to Doris in any way, except to say that this time has passed.)

We're now in a time of Kingdom pullers. We must determine in our hearts to move into the grand plan set before us. Transition time is over and we can't afford to let time get away from us. Our decisions right now affect what lies ahead of us. If we give ourselves over to the Father as His loving partners and put Him and His directions for our lives first, we'll step into our future, the perfect plan that He's mapped out for us.

Lately, I've heard several people say, "I hear you, but what are some concrete things that I can do to partner with Holy Spirit in this new day?" And so, as I was sitting in the Creative Conference at Bethel, Redding, I began to hear the Lord speak to me about what that looks like and how to move toward our own personal transformation.

How to Move out of the Old & into the New Era of Transformation

We have the power to postpone our destiny or to step into it. Like the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness, the decisions we make today will affect whether we take an eleven-day journey (Deuteronomy 1:2) or whether we wander in the wilderness for forty years because we fail to implement the Word in our lives. You get to make that decision.

It's time to enter in through the power of Almighty God. It's time that we don't allow our fear to keep us hanging on to the old things that no longer work and are not God's plans for this season. Quit propping it up and shift into God's purpose and destiny for you. Don't hang on to something that He's no longer doing. The old era is over, and a new day is now here. We're moving into the new and fresh move of God on the earth. Our daily movement must be by revelation from the Word and Holy Spirit – not just information – or our we'll be stuck wandering. So, I'm declaring that we're moving in!

The following are the 7 points the Lord gave me while sitting in the Creative Conference.

1. You're Moving into the Supernatural & Out of the Natural

You're moving into the supernatural and out of the natural. This is numero uno – number one. When you face a difficulty where do you go for help? Where do you turn? Do you seek "God solutions," or do you seek your own natural solutions first?

Matt. 6:33, "So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God's Kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from Him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly."

When you seek God first in your daily pursuits, He promises to add unto you those things which you are pursuing. Do you seek His wisdom first or do you run to the "medicine cabinet" of your own solutions? Not that the medicine is wrong, but what I'm asking you is this: what or who do you turn to first? That should tell you something.

When we have a concern about anything, our first response should always be to seek God and His wisdom, for He has promised in James 1:5 that He would give it to us. I don't know whether you ever stopped to think about it or not, but when we seek God and His answers for the dilemmas we face, that's supernatural. It's called trusting Him in prayer to answer. He's the first one we should turn to; He will lead us through. But worry will take us nowhere fast. Worry is the place where our imaginations run wild. (Photo via Unsplash)

So instead of worrying, we must pray back to the Father all the positive promises that He's given us concerning the situation. Then we listen as He speaks revelation to us about those promises and what He plans to do about the situation (or what He wants us to do about the situation). It's time to seek the Lord in all things and to make prayer and the supernatural our primary habit! It's time to encounter God in our daily lives.

Phil. 4:6, "...Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell Him every detail of your life."

2 Cor. 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

2. You're Moving into Joy-Filled Living & Out of Grumpy-Filled Living

"Grumpy cat" has died and it's time to live in the blessing! People seem to major in worrying about curses. Why not focus on the blessings? Blessings go back 1,000 generations, and curses only go back 3. Our blessings outweigh anything the enemy tries to stick to us. We're free and we're blessed!

Rom. 12:12, "Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don't give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times."

Learn to celebrate so that the joy of the Lord continually envelopes you. Joy is one of the great blessings that we received when Holy Spirit filled our lives! And that same joy is still residing in us as one of the fruits of Holy Spirit. Joy should be flooding our souls each day. May we walk in its fruit and may it not be kept stuffed deep down in our hearts, but may it begin to rise up and overtake us!

I dreamed of a closet so full of balloons (which represented joy and celebration). When I opened the door, I couldn't fit anything else in because it was so full that the balloons came tumbling out. What's your heart full of today? What's spilling out of you?

3. You're Moving into Sacrificial Love & Out of Being Self-Centered

It's time to move from "me, my, mine" to "us and ours." We're moving out of our little, bitty worlds and into a great, big, glorious Kingdom world.

Rom. 12:13, "Take a constant interest in the needs of God's beloved people and respond by helping them..."

Helping others is one of the best ways to come out of yourself and to move Kingdom purposes forward in your own life. Begin thinking of ways to bless others. This is a real and tangible way to pull the Kingdom into now.

Here are three simple ways to show sacrificial love for others:

• Recognize and esteem the gift or gifts of Holy Spirit that they carry.
• Recognize their special achievements and advancements in the Kingdom (Rom. 12:15, "Celebrate with those who celebrate...").
• Listen to their hearts as they communicate with you.

You'll be surprised at how these three acts of esteeming others will affect the Kingdom and your own life as well. You'll move out of "me, my, mine-ville" and into "us and our-ville." It's an on-ramp to unity and community.

4. You're Moving into Overflow & Out of a Poverty Mindset

What exactly is a poverty mindset anyway? It's a belief system that says that life is full of scarcity. Also, for some, it's a mindset that things are hard to get, that money is hard to earn, and that there isn't enough out there for you. It keeps you from moving out and into the land of opportunity. Living with a poverty mindset is a very poor way to live (pun intended).

2 Cor. 9:8, "Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do."

Get yourself into a group of big thinkers, a faith-filled community. Rubbing shoulders with real Believers will make a significant impact on the way you think. When you live in a community of faith-filled people, the poverty spirit will have to go because a poverty spirit and faith cannot mix. You'll find yourself moving out of "small-ville" before you know it, and fear will have to take a hike!

Phil. 4:12-13, "I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I'm trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ's explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty."

Our God is a faithful, extravagant giver of good gifts. You can no longer allow a poverty spirit to keep you in a fear of lack so that you're held back. It's time to let go of that fear so that you can move into overflow. It doesn't matter what you're holding in your hands right now, for Christ will come and make it much more as you trust Him with it. He's not just a God who adds, but He's a multiplier!

5. You're Moving into the Land of Miracles & Out of the Land of Unbelief

Like Abraham, you're about to see some incredible miracles done in and for you. Hang on and don't give up on God. Whatever He does, it's good, even if your promises aren't fulfilled exactly like you thought. Believe me when I tell you that you'll see He had a better plan than yours all along.

Who could have thought up God's plan for Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea, or Joshua and the crossing of the Jordan, or Joshua and Jericho? Who would have believed that our God would have used my mother's passing to bring my 90-year-old father to salvation? Yes, He has a plan to do miracles for you. Only, don't try to dictate how He'll do it or what He'll use to perform it. Only believe and you will see the salvation of the Lord. Keep the faith, for without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6), and watch Him move in miracles, signs and wonders.

6. You're Moving into the Simplistic & Out of the Complicated

Faith is simplistic. We try to figure it out, but we can't wrap our minds around it. Just believe! Only believe.

Matt. 6:31-34, "So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For that is what the unbelievers chase after. Doesn't your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require? So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God's Kingdom and the right that proceeds from Him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself."

When we were missionaries, I still remember the day that our canoe turned over in a flooding river and we nearly lost our lives and all of our supplies to sustain us for three months in the jungle. We were miraculously rescued by people watching us from the banks of the river. They risked their own lives and came out in small canoes and saved us (we think that they might have been angels). Once we were safe on the bank of the river (my husband, our two daughters, ages 5 and 7, our 5-month-old baby, myself and another missionary friend), I remember saying to my husband, "If only we had dry clothes for our children." Lo and behold, here came an indigenous person carrying our old, blue, plastic suitcase. And when we opened it, we found that it was the suitcase that contained all our children's clothes and they were all dry. Not one thing was wet. The Lord rescued that suitcase even before I could get the words out of my mouth.

I also remember one specific time during our missionary training when we had no food. As a family of four, we got down on our knees and prayed. We still remember our daughter Charity praying, "God, please, I would like some crackers, cereal and cookies." She was very specific, even naming the brand of the cereal. A short time later we heard a knock on our door, and friends who lived an hour away decided to come for a visit. On their way they had felt prompted to stop by a grocery store to surprise us with a few things. They had no idea! They had purchased crackers, cereal (the brand our daughter prayed for), cookies and a lot of other items as well. What a wonderful Father!

Oh, how He loves you and wants to show you! We need a straightforward faith that trusts like a child trusts their parents. Most children know that their parents will provide everything they need: protection, comfort, food, clothes, everything. That's what the Father asks of us, that we trust Him, even when we don't understand, even when we can't immediately see what He's doing. Yes, even when it doesn't make sense sometimes, He wants us to trust His character. We can simply and completely trust Him! And as we do, we can be assured that He will come through. To simply believe is to trust God's character, to trust who He is and what He says is true. It's time to move into the simplicity of the Gospel. (Photo via Unsplash)

2 Cor. 11:3, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

I remember one day, when we were back in the states on furlough from our missionary work in Panama, a woman in our congregation said to me, "I often look at your children and see the beautiful clothes they wear. Why doesn't God give me free clothes for my children like He does yours? I have to buy my children clothes. No one gives me clothes for my children." I replied as kindly as I could, "I believe it's because He's actually providing clothes for both of our children. The Father has provided a nice job for your husband and you're able to buy your children their clothes, but because we're missionaries and live on the funds and means that others provide, we're given a lot of clothes. If you needed free clothes, the Father would give them to you. He's able."

One way or the other, the Father provides. He's a good God to all! As you trust Him, you'll watch as He provides for your smallest needs. And He doesn't stop there; He goes on to fulfill the dreams that He has for us, over and above what you we're able to dream and even imagine.

7. You're Moving into Awe & Wonder & Leaving Fear of the Unknown

Who said an old dog can't do new tricks? Come on! You can learn something new today. Learning keeps you young and alive, as opposed to old and stale. Experience something new! You could even do an old thing a new way. Take a different road, try a new food, sit in a different place at church. Begin to let God break your boxes. Just keep it all within Holy Spirit and the Word paradigm and it's all good. After all, God doesn't say, "Behold, I do an old thing. I make everything old! Sing to Me an old song." God is the God of the new, the God of creativity.

Is. 43:18-19, "Stop dwelling on the past. Don't even remember these former things. I am doing something brand new, something unheard of. Even now it sprouts and grows and matures. Don't you perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and open up flowing streams in the desert."

We have three beautiful children and when they were younger, they always looked at the world through rose-colored glasses. They were always ready to learn about the world around them. And they would see animals and creatures the way I believe God has intended us to see them. They were always in awe and in love with every creature they saw. They would ask me about each animal's contribution to the world and the purpose for which God had created them. They were always seeing things through eyes of awe and wonder. I can still remember them bringing in a mouse, a snake, bugs and frogs to show me. I believe we need to go back to that time of looking through eyes of wonder, finding God's purpose and silver lining in all things.

It's time to look to see and then keep looking. Look beyond and find what you've overlooked. It's time to get new eyesight and bigger glasses (rosier ones)! It's time to proclaim Rom. 8:28, "So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God's perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are His lovers who have been called to fulfill His destined purpose."

We are entering a whole new world of wonder; from mediocrity to amazing discoveries. It's time to look to see and then keep looking. Look beyond and find what you've overlooked. Go beyond where you think your limitations are. We are in that time! A time of creativity. I hear the song, "A Whole New World."

Risk for the Gospel. Ask and see if the door won't be opened. Go deeper in the Word. It's time to wake up and realize that it's a new day. It's another day of new opportunities; a day to go past the old limitations of yesterday! It's a time to move out of the old and into the new day before us. It's time to move in this new era that we've crossed over into.

Rom. 12:2, "Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit though a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God's will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes."

A few weeks ago I woke up singing the song from Aladdin, "A Whole New World." I think that this is prophetic for the season that we're in. (To read the full lyrics click here.)

I read the lyrics to my husband and he told me that there's a new Aladdin movie out, a brand new one. I took this as a confirmation from God that He's speaking though this song. Time to move into a whole new era of wonder and adventures in God in a whole new way! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)

Candice Simmons
Stairway Ministries | The Passion Translation
Email: brian@passiontranslation.com
Website: www.stairwayministries.org 
www.thepassiontranslation.com

Brian and Candice Simmons have been married for 43 years. With their three children, they spent nearly eight years in the tropical rain forest of the Darien Province of Panama as a church planter, translator, and consultant. Now, nearly everyone in the village follows the Lamb of God. After their missionary career they came to New England, and were involved with starting Gateway Christian Fellowship, which they pastored for 18 years. After turning the church over to a wonderful leadership team, they began to travel full-time speaking, teaching, and helping churches and leaders to grow in Christ. They've had the joy of traveling to over 30 nations, sharing the message of God's greatness and His end time glory that will be revealed through His people. Brian is also the lead translator for The Passion Translation Project which will result in a new, dynamic version of the Bible for this generation. Brian and Candice have three children, six grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.

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