Like a Tide Coming in the Night

April 2020

In January of 2019, during the 21-day Prayer and Fast at City Church, we were having a worship night.  During the evening, I felt like I received a prophetic word from the Lord. 

 

“Like a tide coming in the night, I am coming for my city.  When I come it will be a mighty flow that will engulf everything in its path.  Washing the impurities from the shores it will also bring a shift to structures that have long been in place but have failed to continue its purpose.  When my tide recedes, there will be new structures, new foundations, new walls.  New streets, that will lead the lost to me.  New Day.  All things will be new.   

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Nothing will be able to contain nor restrict the flow of my water.  Do not fear, for we shouldn’t fear that which is good.  My tide will fill every school until it flows through the rooftops.  My name will be glorified through the schools.  Government structures will overflow with my glory.

   

It’s time to run towards the water, rather than running from it.  All things new.  Do not Fear.    This water will be filled with Love, not Judgement. Peace not turmoil. Abundance not poverty, Joy not sadness.  All things new.”   

Jaunary 25, 2019    

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I shared this word that evening at our worship night, with the leaders and congregation that were present.  Later we would talk about it in our servant leaders meeting, as our Senior Leader had heard from the Lord a word about focusing our ministry efforts to the different school districts in our city.  Two months later, our area of the state experienced a 100-year flood, that would see the Arkansas River overflow it’s banks and fill neighboring towns with waters.   I revisited this word, asking the Lord if this was a fulfillment of what he had given me two months prior, however, I never felt a release that this word was for that moment. 

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A month ago, while in prayer, I felt like the Lord highlighted this word for me, as if it was for today. 

As I read back through this word, The Tide coming in the night, comes quickly, it’s unexpected, and most don’t see it because it happens in the evening.  The shift to structures that have long been in place but have failed to continue it’s purpose. This particular part to me, I feel like is the church.  For years we have said that the church is not meant to be 4 walls, yet we remain constant in our weekly meetings, gathering once a week, having a couple of hours of fellowship, and then returning to our weekly lives.   The church was meant to be outside the four walls, and this shift has forced nearly every church in the world to change its focus from the building to the streets.   

Churches are now trying to figure out how to stream to the internet, the “Roman Roads” of today.  I’m sure that when the Romans built the roads back in Biblical times, they did not realize that these roads would be later used by the early church to spread the Gospel throughout the nations.   Much the same way that today we are seeing the church carry the Gospel through the internet flooding it with good news and Joy.   

 

This is a great example and very encouraging to see God’s hand in all of this, the way he can take one thing created for one purpose that the enemy has used for decades for pornography, social media addiction, sex-trafficking, and now overnight  most of the churches are streaming their services and Gospel through these same channels of communication.  The Internet I believe is one of the “NEW STREETS”.  

 

Do not fear, for we shouldn’t fear that which is good.  Someone asked me, “are you saying that God brought the Coronavirus?”  I’m not saying that.  I turn to John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”.  God did not bring Covid-19, but he can take anything and use it for his Glory.  There will be new roads, there will be the Gospel spread in this moment.  

 

Do Not Fear, “I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of Power and sound mind” 2 Tim 1:7.  Love, Faith, Peace, Abundance, Joy.  All these exist with Jesus.  The enemy, the thief, comes to steal these, and he does so with Fear.    

My tide will fill every school until it flows through the rooftops.  My name will be glorified through the schools. As we read this, schools throughout the world have shifted from their buildings to the internet.  Universities are debating whether they will re-open for on-campus enrollment in the Fall of 2020.  The educational system as we know it, is in a dramatic shift.  We do not know yet, what a post-Covid-19 educational system does in fact look like, but now is the time for the church to be praying and looking for ways that we can in fact contribute to the educational system at this time.   

 

We are in a “Re-set” moment.  We have seen our idols fall, much like the Egyptians saw each of their false God’s fall in the 10 Plagues in the 400 year “Re-Set” moment that led the people out of slavery.  We saw overnight all the professional Sports leagues cancelled, we saw the entertainment industry closed, we saw Global stock markets fall, economies, etc.   All things that in this moment we had placed perhaps above our “First Love”.  We are in a Sabbath period, the Church is having a “Re-set” moment.  An opportunity for each of us in our own church, in our own house to sit down and look at our lives, and re-adjust what those things are that our hearts are pursuing.    

One of my favorite passages is “The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it”. When we operate from this stance, we recognize, that we are in “Love” and God is in control over everything.  The enemy tries to come in and bring fear, and this leads to people feeling the need to buy all the supplies “toilet paper, bread, milk, etc) they feel like their security is in the goods.  Now there is certain “Wisdom” in buying supplies, but your security does not come from milk or toilet paper.  That comes from a place of Fear.   

 

It’s time to run towards the water, rather than running from it.  All things new.  Do not Fear.    This water will be filled with Love, not Judgement. Peace not turmoil. Abundance not poverty, Joy not sadness.  All things new.” I’m not sure about you, but my days and evenings have been filled with more peace, when all the busyness of our days shifted away.  The sun is staying up a little longer, the coffee tastes a little better.  My family is all sitting around the dinner table each night 

 

I hope that these thoughts will bring you peace and encouragement in this moment.  It has brought me a lot of peace, and I have felt Loved in knowing these truths.  I encourage you to look for Jesus in these moments.  He is always with us, he is in every storm, sometimes we just have to pursue him to find what is really at work.  

 

David J. Howell – April 2020