Picking Up Sticks and Shining His Light
By Amanda Leonard
The past few weeks, I've felt this restlessness in my spirit. It's sort of a good aching deep within, to experience more of the real thing. Aren't you ready for ALL that He's spoken, every promise of what's available to us as sons to actually manifest, to transform us and others and bring glory to our Father? Aren't you ready to see His Kingdom in our midst, to see His many sons come to glory?
Many around the world are waiting for this manifestation, even if they don't realize it. The whole earth is groaning for it, for Christ the hope of glory within to be unveiled. Uncovered. They are waiting for the sons of God to reveal His light and love, to show up and disperse the darkness and evil. I can't say that I know what this will look like or what we will look like, but I know it will be good and it will be God!
1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."
James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
If He's the Father of Lights, then I have to believe that we are sons and daughters of light! We share the same DNA, the same image upon the earth. We are light, as He is light. We walk in perfect unity with Light Himself. We are a city on a hill, whose light cannot be hidden. A lighthouse that shines on the mountaintop to bring others to His refuge, His shelter, away from the darkness. Where His light is, darkness cannot be.
John 1: 1-9 " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world."
Let's Pick Up Sticks
I've been reminded several times recently about a dream that I had two years ago. In the dream, my whole front yard was full of these dead sticks and a few empty pop bottles. I knew that these sticks needed to be picked up and put in a pile, eventually to be burned. I was not excited about this, we have big front yard. You couldn't even see any grass because there were so many sticks. I remember thinking that these were my husband's sticks and I was not happy about picking up his mess. The Lord sent my friend from Canada and heavenly reinforcement to assist in picking up these sticks. I had such a bad attitude, while slowly picking up these sticks. My friend and the angels that came with her, were excitingly picking up these sticks and putting them in piles.
The Lord revealed to me that these sticks were actually all mine. They were sticks in my heart that needed to be picked up, put in piles and then destroyed by fire. I wasn't happy about picking them up because they revealed how many lies I had believed. These were lies that I had believed about the Father, lies I had believed about me and others. They were hay, wood and stubble that was not built upon the foundation of Christ. They were lies that I believed about His word, many, many lies, my whole heart was full of them.
So, the past two years the Lord has been doing some "yard work" in my heart. It's been hard but I'm beginning to see the "Light" at the end of the tunnel. Just this week, Holy Spirit began to show me how that His light was in me but these sticks had been in the way. As the sticks were being piled up and moved, it would reveal this Light within. It wasn't until the sticks were moved that this truth was revealed. It was like I could see inside my heart and there was light, His perfect radiant light. Yet, all these sticks were laying on the outside and were obscuring the light from being let out. Reminds me of the song, "This Little Light of Mine", my light was hid under a bushel because of all these sticks. It's like these sticks had created a veil, a covering, to where His light couldn't fully shine.
As the Lord began to remove these sticks, little pinholes of light began to shine through. At first, it was just a little bit of light peeking between the sticks and each day there would be more space for the light to shine through, as these sticks were being moved. I heard in my spirit this week, "It's almost time for the fire." I knew that He was talking about this big huge bonfire to burn all these sticks!! Oh what a brilliant light, not only the light from His fire but the Light He has placed within, shining from the inside out. It's like the light from the fire and the light glowing from within were converging to form this most magnificent blinding white, pure light!!!
Where His light is, no darkness can abide!! That means in you too. As we walk in the light, as He is in the light, when He shows up, darkness must leave. Darkness is only the absence of light. So whether it's in our own hearts, in our sphere of influence, or in the earth, where darkness abides, it's just the absence of His light. I believe many others are ready to shine His light, to no longer be hidden but to step out and let your light shine! Arise, you shining ones! Let Him do His work in you, He has much grace prepared to give you through the process. Receive all that He has given, receive the grace He has given to pick up the sticks of wrong thinking and let them burn to the ground as ashes, only to give rise to His beauty.
The Light of His Face
Several years ago, a friend and I sort of had a tandem vision. She saw in an aerial view, these lights that were all over the world. The view began to telescope in and she saw the United States, then closer it came and she saw the state she lived in. The view came even closer still and she saw that one of the lights was her. There were many little lights. She watched as the view came back out to an aerial view and she saw the lights begin to move to form an image. She couldn't make out the image at first because it was blurry. My friend began to think in her own mind about what this image could be that was forming. She thought, "Maybe it's going to be the shape of the earth, or maybe it's going to form a heart". She continued to watch and the lights began to come together and form the shape of the face of Jesus!
The part that I saw in the vision, was what was happening in the in between stage, when the image was blurry. I saw that each person that had this light within, had angelic help to get into this formation, to be His face upon the earth. I saw as angels were trying to help by gently nudging these lighted ones into their position. Many though wanted to go their own way or had their own idea of what they thought Jesus looked like, which created this fuzzy, unclear image. Then, it was as if these people had an epiphany, and they began to cooperate with heaven and listen to what was being said and began to get into position to form the face of Jesus upon the earth. I then saw above the earth, as I was high above. The angels were encircling the earth and they were clapping and rejoicing as each part of the body came together to become His face upon the earth. The Father then smiled and raised His hands, as He raised His hands the light from the people began to shine even more greatly and became one with the Father of Lights!!!
2 Corinthians 4:6 " For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness", made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ."
As we see His face, those eyes of love, our once, "No" or hesitant "Maybe", becomes a resounding "YES!" As we look into His eyes we are transformed by His love, in the intimate chambers of His heart, it's there we begin to see His love for us. When we see what He looks like, we see what we truly look like. Then, we can see the Light within. He spoke, "Let there be light" and there was light. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. So, if He lives in you and He's light, then you are light as well. Until we see that Light within, there's darkness and misunderstanding about what He even created us for. He's showing us what we were created for, for Him, to be light in the darkest places; for love, to become that very Love that ran red upon the cross.
This is happening now!!! The image of Jesus upon the earth has been fuzzy and unclear. There's been many "sticks" in the way of being able to see Him clearly. There's been so much confusion about the nature and character of God because of the misunderstandings about Him and what He's doing. Holy Spirit, along with heavenly angels are here to help bring His truth and light about His goodness. The gospel is truly good news!!! The image of who He is upon the earth will no longer be unclear! The angels are helping and His light within is shining as we are seeing the Lord clearly and allowing Him to shine through us!!! He is longing for His light to shine in the darkest places. His light and His love are inseparable. Where His light is, His love abides also. The knowledge of His love towards us, brings the light of His truth for us, now, unto eternity.
Religion has got us nowhere, it has only created a fuzzy image of our precious Savior to the eyes of those who do not know Him. Religion only brings more sticks that need to be picked up and burned. There are many broken, pitiful, hurting people who will freely receive this light and love. Just release what He's put inside you and the Kingdom of God shall be in your midst. The religious ones may snub their noses at you, don't let them stop you, love them anyway. We have pushed the sinners and the broken away with our religious jargon and list of rules and laws. The church has pushed scriptures down their throats, to where they are gagging at the very mention of "Christianity". We have tried to coax people into changing, instead of allowing Holy Spirit to do His perfect work within them.
In the word, the beggars, the sinners, the tax collectors, the most unwanted, loved being around Jesus. Why is this often times not true of us? These people flocked to Him because of the love that they experienced while being with Him. It should be the same with us. If we are walking in the light of His truth and grace, these broken ones will see the face of Jesus as they look at you and His light will radiate from your face. His love will radiate from your heart. They will experience that unconditional love, if we are walking in the light. They won't see just another religious person, they will see the beautiful face of Jesus!!
So I encourage you to receive His fire to clean up all the wood, hay and stubble that has accumulated from our wrong ways of thinking. I encourage you to step out in holy boldness and share His love, His light in your workplace, in the marketplace, in EVERY place!!! His glory is His goodness, His light is His love, they are all inseparable, for He is ALL in ALL! Many of you will experience His glory (His goodness) in the darkest places, as you go out and set the captives free!
Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Our Prayer
Oh God!!! Let us form this image of Your face, Jesus, upon the earth. Forgive us for all the false images that we've portrayed of You. So many of the ways we had viewed You was not the truth. Thank You Father for showing us the real You, Your true ways, Your love, Your mercy, Your forgiveness and Your grace! We have come this far only by these very things that You have so freely given us. We receive, we receive, we receive! We rest in You and ALL that You are and ALL that You have accomplished! Lord, let this truth of Your light, Your love, Your glory, explode within us. Let there be a healthy unsettling in our spirit for the real thing, for no more games, no more religious performance, but for the entire package of Truth wrapped in Light to exude from within us!!! We thank You Father for Your patience that You have so gracefully given us, as we've been learning to see You more clearly. Lord, let those who are ready to shine Your light, who know the goodness of Who You are, go to the darkest of places and SHINE! Forgive us Lord for trying to change people, You do such a better job at that, we release these precious ones to You. Help us to love the unlovable, to heal the broken hearted, to set the captives free by the Light of Your glorious Truth! As You've revealed this truth to us, let us give grace to those who are learning about You and learning to walk in Your ways, and let condemnation be far from us. Your love is like gold, shiny, liquid fire, getting into all the cracks and mending all the broken places. We thank You for removing all our sticks and preparing us for this fire that will remove all the wood, hay and stubble. As we've fallen further in love with You, we see that ALL Your ways are good....so we say, "YES!!!" Yes to the process, yes to Your love, yes to Your light, yes to everything that is You!!! I thank You that we are becoming that clear image of Your face, Jesus, upon this earth!!! Thank You Lord for shining Your light in our hearts, to reveal the light of the knowledge of Your glory displayed in the face of Jesus!
Isaiah 60:1-3 " Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."
Let the Bonfire begin!!
Let's reveal the Light of His face,
Amanda Leonard
