Joan Hunter:God Said, "FALL."

As the month of November was approaching, God said the word, "Fall." Fall? You think of the word "Fall" and it means to trip or to fall down or fall out of...which I don't want to do any of the above. When I asked Him what He meant by this word, His response through His Holy Spirit was, "Fall into My arms."

He wants us to fall into His arms of love.

God says, "My blessings are going to fall into your lap; the things that you have seeded for and believed Me for are going to fall into your lap."

"The things that are not of Me will fall off of you, and they will be taken away. The things that have kept you from Me will fall off and the desire to do them will fall away."

"You will fall into a deeper love for Me and ALL I have for you to do. Those that need Me will fall into your path. Those that you need will fall into your path."

"You have prayed for witty inventions, and those thoughts will fall into your head." You will wonder where that came from, but do not doubt or wonder, for He is preparing a major windfall over His people with finances that they have never seen before.

And He says, "As the leaves change their colors, so are the circumstances around you changing. The things that are not of Me will be taken away, like the leaves falling."

"What I have designed for you to look like and do will begin taking shape in your life...long before the springtime. You may think this is a time of losing, but it is a time of pruning and restoration."

Get ready for greater things ahead.

Blessings,

Joan Hunter
Joan Hunter Ministries
Email: admin@joanhunter.org

The Lord has been speaking to me and others over the last several weeks about "fruitfulness and harvest." Our city, Newberg (in the state of Oregon), has been called "the Gateway to Oregon's Wine Country." The main road running through town is Highway 99. Some of the Biblical meanings of the number "nine" include the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, fruitfulness and harvest. Wines from our region, the Willamette Valley, have become prized and sought after in recent years. From our home, I can see fruitful vineyards growing on a nearby hillside. The grapes have been harvested and are now being made into fine wines to be sent out around the world.

Process of Making Wine

My oldest son recently spent several days working in a local winery and explained the process of making wine to me. One of his assignments was "crushing" or tending huge vats of crushed grapes. As the crushed fruit ferments, a hard layer forms at the top. Every three hours or so, this layer must be broken. This process continues round the clock, day and night, over time. If too hard of a layer forms at the top of the fermenting wine, it becomes useless. The wine must be carefully tended until the process is complete, and it is ready to be poured out into bottles. Once bottled, the wine sits for awhile, until it has aged to perfection. The more valuable the wine, the longer it must wait.

If you are at all like me, you can find it very difficult to endure long times of waiting! But take heart. You are valuable to the Lord, and He has destined you for and is preparing you for great things! He is breaking through in our lives and tending us so that we can have a place of usefulness, service, and joy in His Kingdom on earth. He will sustain you during times of prolonged waiting.

God desires for us to be well-watered, fruitful branches which He tends in His vineyard (John 15:1-5). He has desired fruitfulness for us from the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:27-28). John 15:8 tells us that the Father is glorified when we bear much fruit. He chose us, appointing us to produce lasting fruit that will remain. The Lord wants to give to us generously, and tells us to ask in Jesus' name (John 15:7, 15:16). He desires for us to have joy (John 15:11; 17:13).

Last week, the Lord awoke me in the middle of the night with the word "mulch." I'm not a gardener, but the sense I had from Him was that mulch contributes to fruitfulness. I asked for further insight and clarification. He told me to research the process of mulching.

I discovered that mulching does indeed contribute to fruitfulness. It is used widely in the cultivation of vigorously-growing fruit plants, especially grapes to protect them from wind and cold during frosty weather. Mulching can also loosen up hard or rocky soil, and prevents the evaporation of water from around the plants roots. Common materials for mulch consist of dust, ash, paper, pebbles, and/or straw, hay and leaves.

This reminds me of the "wood, hay and stubble" mentioned in I Corinthians 3:12. We don't want to build on the Lord's foundation with such temporary materials. Yet He can use these things we often don't welcome or value, such as irritations and trials, as a "mulch" to help bring about His fruitfulness in our lives. He is working our "soil" so we have firm, sturdy roots in Him, and so we can bear fruit--thirty, sixty and a hundredfold (Matthew 13:18-23).

Fruitful in the Land

When God was ready for the Israelites to take the land He had promised them, He told Moses to send out spies (Numbers 13:1-3). They returned with grapes the size of basketballs (verse 23). Two of the spies were Caleb and Joshua (verses 6, 8). Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim; Ephraim was one of Joseph's two sons. Scripture says that Joseph was called a fruitful branch by his father Jacob (Genesis 49:22). Ephraim's name in turn means "fruitful in the land of affliction" (Genesis 41:52).

Was it just a coincidence that Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe with an inheritance of fruitfulness? No! In the name of Joshua's tribe, we can see God communicating His desire for His people to become fruitful. God's plans are not random or coincidental! Joshua is representative of our Lord Jesus, who wants to lead His people to victory and fruitfulness in the place God has ordained for us.

Before they entered the land, God gave the Israelites instructions while they were still in the desert. He told them ahead of time about how to keep His feasts and celebrate the harvest festivals once they arrived in the Promised Land (Exodus 34:21-24; Leviticus 23:9-44). If you are in a desert place right now, hang on! Keep abiding in the Lord (John 15:4-5). Keep claiming the promises He's given you, even if you can't see their fulfillment yet. He wants you to be fruitful! He is faithful to produce a good harvest (Galatians 6:8-9), both in us and through us. He also ordains and has provided times of rest (Genesis 2:2-3; Matthew 11:28-30).

The Lord desires for us to move into the land He has chosen for us, where He has ordained that we should be fruitful! Here is what He would say to us today:

"Now is the time for fruitfulness and harvest! It's time to soar to new heights and freedom in My Spirit, powered by My joy, which is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). I am giving you strength and sustenance. Shake off confusion, and move in the direction I am leading (Numbers 13:30). Don't worry about the size of your fruit (Numbers 13:23); this is a season of blessing, favor, and multiplication. Where even two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there also (Matthew 18:18-20). It's not the size or shape of the fruit that matters, but abiding in the One Who in His faithfulness produces it (John 15:4-5, 7-16). I am combining your fruit with that of others to make it more potent and powerful.

Today is a new day. I am with you. I am healing, blessing and leading you. Be not dismayed; I am your God (Isaiah 41:10). I am providing a way for you to move into the land and dwell there. The fruit is there; the blessing is there; reach out and take it! I will show you how. I am revealing strategies. Believe that I am speaking to you! I am with you; your reward shall be great." (Genesis 15:1)

May you walk in His blessing today and always!

Carol Kelley
Email: carolkelley@yahoo.com

Carol's Bio:

Carol and her husband, Dave Kelley, are the Prophetic Ministry Leaders at Godsong Community Church in Newberg, Oregon, teaching prophecy classes and mentoring younger prophets. They received a call from the Lord in 1985 to minister prophetically, and have a vision for active schools of prophets to emerge within the Body of Christ. Their passion is to help others hear and recognize God's voice. Carol, a musician, published composer, teacher and sixth-generation Oregonian, has a heart to intercede prophetically for Oregon and the Northwest, as well as cities and nations. Dave is Assistant Vice President of Finance at George Fox University, moving in an apostolic anointing to help God's people become empowered as conduits of financial blessing. Dave and Carol are the parents of two sons, two daughters, and a new daughter-in-law.