Usually we travel in February, but this year we will go in September. Within a day of putting our tour-plans in motion, I felt the Lord gave me a word regarding our visit. For the first time in thirty trips to Israel, the Lord told me to pray and prophesy over Israel-on four different mountains. I knew the Lord was leading me so I announced it publicly at our next church service. A day later, a prominent prophet in the United States called and asked if we could meet. I had heard of this man. His godly reputation and the testimony of his powerful gifting had preceded him. When we met, we had a great time of fellowship as we shared the goodness and greatness of God in our lives. Then, during our visit, he said a few prophetic words over me that confirmed the leading of the Holy Spirit and his words opened the Israel assignment to a different level. Right now, I am being lead by the Holy Spirit with a new directive.

SCAVENGER HUNT

There is much more to tell regarding Israel, but first let us talk about the leading of the Holy Spirit in general, and how that works in our lives. The leading of the Lord is like an adventurous scavenger hunt. You receive a clue, then you run in response to the info you received. You reach the station and receive your prize. Then you fulfill a task at that station. In time, you receive another clue and immediately race to the next station. It may be in a different direction and at a different elevation but when you arrive you receive a reward, a promotion, and a new assignment. You continue following clues, running with abandonment, finding new stations, and fulfilling your task. This is your life journey. The leading of the Holy Spirit with clues and confirmations may be for a month long assignment, but it may be one that helps define the destiny of your life’s purpose. If so, you will look back at the pathway you have traveled and see that God was in every step of the journey. That even at times when you did not understand or appreciate the experience, you thank God because you realize it was a necessary training for what He wanted you to do in the future.

The winners of spiritual scavenger hunts activate careful listening, bold courage, extraordinary faith and immediate obedience. I remember a scavenger hunt that I organized for my grandchildren. I watched as one team did not listen carefully to the instructions and missed an important step. Because of it they went in the wrong direction for fifteen minutes, until they realized they had missed the correct path. In their excitement they ran ahead of the master plan and ended up on a path of their own making. It happens with Christians who are overly ambitious or with those who listen to a persuasive voice that is not leading correctly.

FINGER PRINTS OF GOD

THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL