Full of Light | April Monthly Blog

Faith Looks Foolish

“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

Genesis 6.22

When Noah was alive, the Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil all the time (Genesis6.5). God saw that Noah was righteous and blameless among the people of his time (Genesis 6.9). Although it wasn’t even raining, God had Noah build an ark. Noah was faithful and obedient. He believed God and acted on his faith.  To most at that time, he would’ve looked like a conspiracy theorist!  Just how many steps of faith did he take?  There was cost (and effort) to gather up the needed supplies. He had to ask his wife and family for their support and get their buy-in to this radical idea. He also had to gather up all the animals that the Lord had instructed him to. Although I’m sure God helped him and there was grace to accomplish what God was calling him to do, can you imagine the people who called him crazy?  Even the people that laughed at him? What had to be present in Noah for him to be able to stand in faith and believe God, even though what he was doing was unprecedented and could easily seem foolish to bystanders? Grit, courage, tenacity and bold, unapologetic faith.  

Right now you may feel a transition taking place as God is allowing a sifting to happen among believers. Will you stand on the promises that He’s given you? Will you be obedient? Will you believe in what you cannot yet see with your eyes? Will you trust God like Abraham did, not wavering through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but being strengthened in his faith, giving glory to God (Romans 4.20-22)? God is re-establishing a covenant of faith with His people. This word is for anyone who calls themselves a believer. We are in a pivotal time for the body of Christ. God wants to partner with us during this time with: our mindsets, beliefs, what we say and what we actually do, and even how we treat people.  There is a shaking happening on the earth. We are on the cusp of a great awakening where the core of who we are and what we believe is being refined. It will be incumbent upon us to get in alignment with what God is doing.  This will unify the body of Christ in a way that will be fundamental in order to move into the great harvest of souls. During this time of sifting and shaking some will not make the hard choice to go through the narrow gate which is God’s way.  Some may fall away because the path is too unfamiliar. This all underscores the need for faith; for us to be firmly rooted and in alignment with God’s word and with what He is doing. During this time choose to be a person of faith however that might look for you; however hard or easy that may be in your own life.  Ask God what faith looks like in your situation. Repent if you’ve been partnering with unbelief. Move forward in faith. If you don’t know what to do, ask God to show you what steps of faith you can take. A physical act brings a spiritual release, so sometimes it may be important to do a prophetic act with God’s leading. 

Full of Light

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

Philippians 4.8

In our world today it can be so easy to be bombarded by negative messages, things we wish we hadn’t seen, even evil, perversion and deception. On average, a person is exposed to five to ten thousand ads every day-which are primarily things we are not choosing to see. Matthew 6.22-23 tells us that our eyes are a lamp to the body. If we allow good things, we will be full of light. If your eyes see bad things, your whole body will be full of darkness. It is so important to be in tune with the heart of the Father and to be led by the Holy Spirit as we choose what we are exposed to: movies, TV shows, books, games, social media and even people.

 God wants to reveal things to us. As we spend time focused on every good thing with Him, He is helping us learn how to guard ourselves in a society that is bombarding us with images and messages of all sorts of agendas. As powerful people, we can put boundaries in place that protect us. This word is for people who feel mentally scattered, or those having a hard time getting focused in life and in their days. You may even feel disconnected from God. Pay attention to how you feel when you are exposed to things (like a certain TV show). Does it bring life, hope, or joy to your spirit? Does it feel heavy, dark and mindless? If you have any doubt, refer back to Philippians 4.8 as a sort of checklist. This verse is less about limiting us and more about directing us to the kinds of things that bless us.  

Synergistic Dreams

“Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.”

Leviticus 26.8

God is reminding us of dreams He’s placed in our hearts (and charging us not to view them as too big).  He’s surrounding us with the relational connections, provisions and strategy for accomplishing those dreams He’s given us-through synergy! He is amplifying our efforts in a synergistic way as we connect with other people. There will be others that have similar dreams and visions that God brings alongside you that will have a piece to the puzzle that you don’t have. It could be that they have experience, connections, financial backing or revelation, such as a download from heaven. Just like in this passage in Leviticus, our efforts are magnified as we join forces with those highlighted to us. God is equipping us to accomplish more together. It’s important to speak out our dreams to those around us that we trust as we feel led by the Lord. When we share our dreams out loud, we get to connect with those who have a similar calling in their heart (or a connection that God has for us). The definition of synergy is “the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, or contributions.” This is a season (especially coming on the heels of 2020) that God is more than making up for dreams, livelihoods, relational connections and health that were lost or stifled in the last year. This is the kingdom. This is what it looks like (Romans 8.31) that if God is for us who can be against us. God’s revelation is original and perfect; the enemy can only counterfeit. What is about to unfold will undeniably be the hand of God at work on the earth.  

God is awakening our dreams, and connecting us with the key people who will themselves be a resource or partner or will connect us with someone who is. He’s providing the revelation, strategy and provision necessary to accomplish what He’s given you. This word is for people who have been carrying a dream in their heart that is ready to be birthed, and they have even had dreams of giving birth. The season for carrying the dream is over, and it is now time to give birth to what God has placed inside you. Share the dreams with those you trust and that God is highlighting. Pay attention to when you feel like God is on something or someone and take the time you need to process that with the Lord. Pay attention if something is repeated (like a number, person, idea, thought) and ask God what He is showing you.  

Slaying Giants

“Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

Numbers 13.30

When the Israelites came to their Promised Land they sent out the spies and only Joshua and Caleb out of the twelve came back with a hope-filled positive report, saying they could take the land. The other ten focused on the giants in the land and how they felt as small as grasshoppers in their sight (Numbers 13.26-33). Mindset and perspective are so important when we face giants. If God had supernaturally wiped all the bad guys/giants out of the land, His people would not have had the opportunity to develop the character necessary to face their enemy and triumph. Nor would they have developed the ownership of what they had been given at the level necessary to sustain it. In Exodus 23.29 God even tells us “I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you.” 

Today, our giants look different but they still look like things that feel insurmountable. If we’re not careful with our thoughts, they can make us feel like a victim. We need to remember that God is on our side. We are empowered to stand in faith, knowing that He is fighting with us and for us. Just as Joshua and Caleb had the victorious perspective in taking the land, it is important that we maintain a victorious mindset as well. Anything in our life that doesn’t glisten with hope is under the influence of a lie (Francis Frangipane The Three Battlegrounds). As we partner with God, His solution will always be one of redemption, hope, restoration, and justice. If this is not what you’re believing for in your situation, then you are under the influence of a lie.  

God is providing an opportunity for us to shift our mindset to a kingdom perspective, believing from a place of victory, standing in faith that with God all things are possible. Just like Joshua and Caleb and our founding fathers in the US, they were strong in facing their enemy, they believed that they would be victorious and they entered into the fight. In fighting their battle, God strengthened their character, and through that growth they were able to sustain their victory. This word is for people that feel like they’re facing giants. Family conflict, accusations, health issues, debt, betrayal, finding a right home and infertility all can feel like you’re facing an impossible giant. Ask God what His perspective on your situation is. Be intentional about renewing your mind with truth. Study and memorize Scripture like the Numbers 13-14 passage or Romans 12.2. Ask others close to you to partner with you in prayer and even declare God’s truth over your situation. Ask God to show you what your part is in the battle. Is this time to fight? Is this time to stand? Is this time to move forward? 

©2020 All Rights Reserved

With prophetic insight from Bethany Hess

Written by Anne E. Ballard

At The Crowning Jewels our desire and our mission is to bring encouragement, to build others up and to bring comfort to people’s lives (1 Corinthians 14.3). As a team each month we ask the Lord what He’s doing in the coming month and for any words of encouragement he might have for people as a loving God. We realize that with a corporate prophetic word not all words are applicable to all people. If it’s prophetic it also needs to be encouraging and edifying. If our words bless you, please take hold of them and apply them in your own life. If it’s not specific to you, please pass it on to someone else who might be blessed. We do not sell prophecies; prophecy is a free gift from heaven. As a prophetic business, our mission is to bring encouragement and edification to people; our product is simply jewelry.

DECLARATIONS

We at The Crowning Jewels believe in the absolute, transformational power of declarations. We know that truth comes by hearing (Romans 10.17), and speaking truth is an active way for us to renew our minds (Romans 12.2). We invite you to partner with what God is doing and say these declarations for the remainder of the month. We would love to hear what God does! Please email us your testimony at hello@thecrowningjewels.com.

April Declarations:

1. Being faithful is more important than looking foolish.
2. I am focused on the good. 
3. God is bringing synergy to the dreams He’s given me. 
4. The battle to slay my giants is making me stronger.  
5. I have authority over the giants I’ve slain.  
   
   

Each month we design two limited edition pieces of jewelry, only available for that month, handmade with words and charms that reflect the monthly prophetic word. If this word resonates with you and you'd like to wear a reminder of its truths, click the pieces below to shop!