by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

FOCUS

I believe that 2019 will be a year marked by repositioning, realignment, and refocusing. This is a year that God wants His bride to focus even more wholeheartedly on the One Thing (Psalm 27) and to narrow in on the unique assignments He’s destined for us.

Many people are in transition right now. I believe that this is the work of God and that He is strategically repositioning each one to be aligned for what He’s about to pour out. It feels like God is moving lives around like chess pieces to set up for His next big move. For some, this is a physical move and for others it’s a shift in their hearts. Even though transitions are uncomfortable, be encouraged that the uprooting and shifting won’t last forever. He is repositioning us to play a key role in the current and new great awakening.

I believe that 2019 is a foundational year for many where He will let our roots go down deep. He wants to restructure some things and then deepen our foundation. It may feel like there’s a lot of work going into setting the new foundations in your life, family, and ministry. You may not be aware of instant fruit right away. However, it will be important to realize that this foundation setting season will be crucial for the next 5, 10, 20 + years. The more careful we are with building deep, pure, and solid foundations, the stronger and more long lasting what is built upon it will be.

We are entering into a strategic year for refocusing on our Ephesians 2:10 assignments from Heaven. We need to position ourselves to walk in the works He’s already prepared beforehand for us. This has nothing to do with striving toward a task but everything to do with throwing off anything that hinders and running full speed ahead into the arms of Jesus. In the midst of this race, He is also inviting us to slow down our pace in this busy world to listen to what He says and reflect on what He’s spoken in the past (Psalm 46:10, Proverbs 3:5-6). When we do this, we get clarity as we run deeper into His heart. When seek Him will our whole hearts as our only agenda, we will watch the divine assignments He’s prepared for us naturally be released.

I believe that Hebrews 12:1-2 is a key verse for 2019.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

LETTING GO

Since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who have sacrificed greatly and paved the way for us (see Hebrews 11), “let us throw off everything that hinders.” This means everything that hinders, not just the sin that so easily entangles.

God is calling us to let go of even the good things that are no longer ours to carry into the New Year. What we were called to carry in one season may not be what we are called to carry into the next one. He is inviting us to lay everything before Him: every commitment, relationship, and plan, and to welcome the fire of God. Whatever remains will be refined like gold and emerge to the surface while whatever is burned away is not meant for us to continue to carry.

Many times the good is the enemy of the best. Sometimes we have to lay down the silver to embrace the gold. Metaphorically speaking, silver is not necessarily bad but if it fills up our lives so there’s no room for the gold, we may be missing out on entering wholeheartedly into our assignments in this season. We need to be led of the Spirit and respond to God’s mission upon our lives rather than led by need or even open doors. Open doors are great but we can only go through one open door at a time and not all open doors are God’s invitations or assignments for our lives. This is why it’s so important to fix our eyes on Jesus and remain close to Him so we will know which way to go.

Some questions to ponder as we step into the new season are:

• What are you born for and what has God called you to carry in this season? Who are some of the people God has highlighted for you to run with in this new season?

• What in your life does not align with God’s purposes for your life in this new season? What is He calling you to let go of and trust to Him as you enter into this New Year?

A commitment or relationship that brought life in one season but that is no longer meant to be a part of our future season (excluding the covenant of marriage) does not mean there was anything wrong with it. We need to acknowledge and thank God for the gift it was in that season, celebrate it, and then trust it to the Lord. I encourage you to welcome a fresh baptism of fire over your life so that God can refine what’s to remain in this new season (Matthew 3:11).[1]

STAYING IN YOUR LANE

Once we have let go of weights we are no longer required to carry, we can run faster in the race marked out for us. It is important to stay in your own lane in 2019 even if that means saying no to other things that are important but not yours to carry. In Acts 6:3-4, there were many needs that had to be met including helping the widows. However, if the apostles continued to carry this load into their new season, it would have taken them outside of their calling. They made sure the needs were still met by empowering others to step in so that they could be free to run the race God set before them.

Life is too short to spend carrying other people’s callings and living for other’s expectations. It’s time to give ourselves wholeheartedly to the call He has placed on our lives, all for His glory (Romans 12:1-2). This world needs you and what you carry. It needs you to arise and shine and be the light in this dark world that you were uniquely destined to be (Isaiah 60). 

FIXING YOUR EYES

While we all have different assignments, we all have the same ultimate goal. In this race, it says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” Jesus is to be our focus. He is to be our One Thing. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our destination, destiny, and dreams come true.

In 1922, Helen H. Lemmel wrote the famous hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. She was inspired by a poem by and the life of a missionary named Lilias Trotter. Trotter laid down everything to become a missionary in Northern Algeria. Her consecrated life was focused on the face of Jesus.[2] More than ever with what we are facing this this world, our call and priority above all else in 2019 needs to be fixing our eyes upon Jesus and adoring Him no matter what shaking comes our way. As we keep our eyes on Him, and run wholeheartedly the race set before us, we will experience acceleration deeper into the heart of God and into our destiny.

THE JOY SET BEFORE

While our focus is to remain on Jesus, it’s also amazing to ponder the fact that we were the joy that was set before Him that caused Him to endure the cross.

In light of the extreme price that’s already been paid for us, as we dive into 2019, let’s consecrate the year by throwing off everything that might hold us back. Let’s choose in all circumstances to run after Jesus wherever we might find Him.

When we lock eyes on the One who gave everything for us and when we run unhindered toward Him with everything inside of us no matter where we see Him, whether that be in a storm, a valley, or a mountain top, everything else will fade away. It’s simple really, when Jesus is not just our One Thing but our Everything and the all consuming desire of our lives, everything else falls into place and perfect alignment with Heaven (Matt 6:33). Let’s fix our gaze on the One who loves us more than we could ever comprehend, and let’s run with total abandonment into the arms of Jesus with a relentless passion that stops at nothing until we have taken hold of Him.

Blessing you as you welcome a fresh baptism of fire and focus over your life. May you see Jesus like never before, may the gold emerge and sparkle in the radiance of His glorious presence. Even now as we close, lets take a moment to turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full into His glorious face...

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Key Resources

In this mini-Encounter E-course, there is a session on Focus and a session on Fasting. Be led into a powerful encounter with God and learn how to accelerate your growth, increase your hunger for God, and remain focused on Jesus wholeheartedly, becoming a burning one, fully consecrated to the Lord. Access this today

[1] To learn more about a receiving a baptism of fire, see Jennifer A. Miskov, Ignite Azusa (Redding, CA: Silver to Gold, 2016), 62-64.

[2] To read the original poem and learn more of the story behind the song “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” see Jennifer A. Miskov, Walking on Water (Bloomington, MN; Chosen Books, 2017), 76-79.

To be led into a fresh encounter with Jesus and a baptism of the Holy Spirit, join Jen on the full Walking on Water Encounter eCourse today.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

The Sabbath rest is one of the most rewarding gifts we’ve been given. If God needed to rest after 6 days of creating the world and everything in it, then I can follow in His example. Too many times though, we overlook this gift of rest that is built into the rhythm of abundant life offered to us by God.

Is there Purpose in our Busyness?

There’s something numbing about keeping ourselves busy and running around from here to there that gives the illusion of importance. If someone asks me how I am doing and I tell them that I am super busy does my busyness make me feel super important because I have so many things to do? Sometimes the tape in my head goes like this:

If I am busy, that means I am important.

If I am important, that means I have value.

If I have value, that means I will be loved.

But if I am not busy does that mean I no longer have worth or am loved or have value or am important?

I think if we’re honest, filling up the moments of our lives with stimulation, busyness, going from one place to the next, seeing one post to the next, and driving with one hand on the wheel while we eat fast food in the other and check our social media accounts on the way to another meeting is a normal part of some of our worlds. What’s the true benefit of working overtime again and again, striving to get more so we can continue to be encaged in the hamster wheel of running faster and faster to nowhere? At the end of our lives, will we be satisfied?

I am not saying that we can’t fill our schedules up or that if we do have full schedules it means something is wrong. What I am saying is as we enter toward the end of this year, let’s take a step back to re-evaluate our commitments to make sure that what we are intentionally investing our time into are things that we are born for, are building the Kingdom of God, and life-giving. As we dive into the new year, we must be able to choose the good over the best and let go of the silver to embrace the gold. Too many times it’s those good things that fill up all the space in our lives, leaving no room for the best to enter in. Until we are courageous and willing to let go, that is.

One thing I Learned in my Sabbatical time in Maui

This summer I learned a very important lesson on rest. I decided to take a small sabbatical time of rest and refreshing in Maui after running hard for 6 years with Destiny House and entering into our 7th year. While there, I felt like God was inviting me to extend my time on the island more than once. The first extension was easier to say yes to. But then when I had to decide in the second month whether to stay yet another month, I struggled. I had to decide whether to come back to the mainland in October to teach at multiple schools of ministry and other obligations or stay another month in Maui, extending my time of rest, surf, play, and to be refreshed for a women’s conference in Virginia in November that I felt was significant.

I didn’t want to let down all the people I had committed to. Would they think I am a flake? Would they think I am irresponsible? I am a person of my word and I felt I would be letting so many people down. I still hadn’t secured housing for my time on the mainland so I would have had to sleep on a couch for a month all the while doors kept opening for me to stay longer in Maui.

Would I do what I felt I should do or would I follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and give my soul the attention it needed? If I knew I wouldn’t let anyone down and they would understand me caring for my soul, if I trusted that God would provide for me still, what would I choose? The real question I needed answered was what was God saying in the midst of all this noise in my head and what season did He have me in?

I knew deep down that I wasn’t ready to return and dive back into full time ministry and teaching. I knew that my heart still needed more restoration and rest. I knew that being at the beach and surfing the waves is one of the gifts God put in my life that helps restore my soul. I wondered what it would look like to enter into the clear yes in my spirit of the Virginia trip in November fully rested and ready to go rather than worn out and tired from running around doing good things that I really do love but that didn’t fit the extended season of rest God was inviting me into. I knew what my heart needed but still battled with what other people would think and how they would view me. I didn't want to let people down.

I also felt like this decision would be a turning point for the next 40 years and next era of my life, shifting me from what I’ve know and always done into the spirit of pioneering and stepping out of the boat like Peter did to walk into the unknown. The fact that I was presented with these decisions at the same time and in the midst of filming the Walking on Water Encounter E-course there on Maui and getting ready to launch The School of Pioneering Revival is not an accident. These are all about stepping out of the boat to be closer to Jesus at all costs.

Staying in Maui another month would be me letting go of what had been familiar ad stepping out of the boat. It would mean going off of the map into the unplanned, and into a completely different direction. Because I believe there is safety in walking with the family of God and not off on my own in isolation, I invited a significant spiritual mother and spiritual father into this decision making process. They both readily and quickly confirmed my decision to stay and felt the Lord on it. This was a huge gift of safety and strength in making this shift.

Then I did something I rarely ever do. I called to share my heart and cancel all of my engagements for the month of October on the mainland. I was able to give some of these opportunities away to other friends so they could be blessed by them. I let go and trusted I heard God. I chose to make space for what my heart needed to enter more fully into this season of rest God was giving me. I extended my time in Maui for the sole reason of resting.

When the time in Maui was complete and I finally did come back to the mainland to go to the Women’s Abide conference in Virginia in early November, God moved in great power and touched many lives in a significant way. God even blessed me financially. Triple the number of Writing in the Glory attendees signed up and my books all sold out, releasing continued revival fire even after I had come and gone. I even extended my trip another week to hold a few more revival meetings. To read some crazy testimonies of what God did there, see Acts of the Holy Ghost in Charlottesville, Virginia. All that to say, when God invites us into a season of rest, we can trust that He will take care of us and all of the details. There’s no way I could have lived 3 months in Maui without God providing the body of Christ to welcome me in. So many beautiful saints poured out hospitality again and again for which I will forever be grateful for. My prayer is that my recent journey deeper into God’s heart through rest would be a prophetic encouragement for you to embrace the Sabbath gift of rest God wants to give you today.  

Stewarding Rest during the Christmas Season: The 10 minute Challenge

What would it look to steward rest in the midst of this busy holiday season? What would it look like to not run around trying to please everyone with extravagant gifts but instead slow down and give people the gift of our presence?

Now I know not everyone has the freedom to be able to stay in Maui for months, but we do all have 10 minutes each day or even once a week where we can get alone with God to encounter His love. What would happen if today we STOPPED everything and spent 10 minutes in pure silence waiting upon God?

If you want to know what’s really going on in the depths of your heart and experience deep peace in the midst of the craziness all around, I want to encourage you to take 10 minutes today and STOP everything and just be still. Stop all in-take, all reading, all listening, all moving, and simply BE. Listen to God. Welcome Him to meet you in a special way. Listen to what He has to say. Put down your journal writing, Bible reading, phone until after the time. Turn off your music and any other stimulation just for this sacred set apart time. Let’s practice Psalm 46:10 where it says,

“Be still and know that I am God.”

I will warn you right now, to get 10 minutes of absolute silence and focused engagement on God, to be fully present with Him alone, you will may to fight a million battles. So many distractions will try to come against you. But this ONE THING I ask of the Lord, King David says in Psalm 27:4, is “that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” And the more you practice cultivating space to listen and be present for God to move in your life, the easier it gets.

So I pray that as you begin to build this beautiful gift of stewarding rest into your life, that God’s grace would be upon you and that He would give you rest. Rest for your souls. He is waiting with open arms for you to enter into the Secret Place with Him and to remind you that JESUS is truly the reason for this season. May we never let busyness distract us from this simple truth. May His stillness go deep into your heart and permeate you with His rest for your soul.

 Key verses: Exodus 31:15, Psalm 46:10, Psalm 91, Jeremiah 6:16, Matthew 11:28

Experience the Fruit of my Sabbath in Maui: NEW Walking on Water Encounter E-course

In retrospect from my time in Maui, I am now realizing the significance of making these crucial decisions all the while of filming my Walking on Water Encounter E-course in Maui and getting ready to launch my online school and dream come true, The School of Pioneering Revival. If I am not able to step out of the boat and follow the leading of the Spirit into the unknown and trust in Him, then how can I encourage others to step out of the boat? To experience some of the fruit of my time in Maui, I want to invite you to watch a 10 minute video of me sharing more about The Secret Place and Cultivating a lifestyle of Intimacy with Jesus in the first session of the Walking on Water E-course. There is a free preview once you register here or feel free to sign up for the whole Encounter Course to unlock a season of intimacy and destiny.

Blessings and Mahalo and a huge thanks to the Maui tribe for loving and taking me in!

Jen

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. and friends

“The Color Line Was Washed Away in the Blood”

I want to share a testimony of what God poured out here in Charlottesville, Virginia this past week at the Writing in the Glory and Women’s Abide Conference I was a part of. Saturday afternoon November 10, 2018, I was ministering on a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit and felt led to release a little of the Azusa Street Revival story along with some slides so people could see some of the main characters, including William J. Seymour. As we went into the session, deep worship and prophetic dance preceded my time of sharing and the music continued into the session. I shared an encounter Carrie Judd Montgomery had, then Ezekiel 47 and along with an invitation to dive into more of the Spirit. Then I shared about Peter stepping out of the boat yet another time in John 21 and how it doesn’t matter how many times we’ve previously encountered God or if we’ve already been baptized in the Holy Spirit, but there’s even more today than there was yesterday. After sharing some personal stories of not being afraid to use the voice God’s given and encourage others to be the unique gift He’s called them to, we waited upon the Lord for a fresh baptism of His love. As people came forward to the altar and began to get touched, I stepped out to bless what I recognized God was doing in the room.

In a mainly white crowd at this women’s conference, when I looked at the room, I saw that God was especially moving in the handful of African Americans in the room. Everyone I was drawn to pray for who I recognized the Spirit of God on in a powerful way happened to be African American. Then I took a step back and asked the Holy Spirit what was going on. Since that was the group highlighted to me, by the grace of God, I took a leap of faith and stood out on a limb doing something I’ve never done before. I called all of the African Americans to the front and the 8-9 of them came forward. I shared that I saw God was doing something special with them that day and He wanted to honor them, and also welcome their voice. I then held out my hand with the microphone for whoever of them wanted to speak. It was their floor. One of by one, some with tears, they shared their hearts while all the others in the room gathered around them up close in a circle together. It was a holy and prophetic moment that the Holy Spirit orchestrated.

Because I’ve been in such crazy transition in my personal life, I didn’t have time to research the city I was going to beforehand. I actually first thought I was going to Charlotte, North Carolina and told everyone I was going to be there until the conference director told me I had the wrong state and I was going to Charlottesville, Virginia. It was not until after God poured out His Spirit in a special way upon us that afternoon that I began to hear the story of the horrific thing that had happened in this very town a year ago. This was the place where a group of white supremacists marched in, even carrying torches and chanting horrible demonic things on August 11 and 12 of 2017. The event was called “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia. During a rally, a white supremacist drove his car through a group of non-violent counter protesters where he killed a woman and injured many others. You can learn more about what happened HERE (warning, graphic images).

When I started to discover the significance of where God had sent me, I was in awe of how God moved that afternoon and my heart was broken for what all of these precious people had to endure when evil came in and targeted their city one year ago. With this new revelation, it felt to me that what had happened at the conference Saturday afternoon was even more significant that I realized at the time. I recognized it as one of those defining moments that I will never forget where God comes and moves in a special, tender, and prophetic way. I believe that what the Holy Spirit orchestrated was a seed not only for what He wants to pour out in that city and region but for our nation as well.

I believe that God has a great plan for Charlottesville because in my own experience of knowing the history of Destiny House, I know that whenever great evil is attracted to a place it’s because it’s a well of revival and there is great glory and inheritance in that place. I am confident that God is going to heal, restore and redeem what’s been stolen from this land and my prayer is that the greatest spirit of unity this world has ever seen will flow from this land of destiny.

This was a slide I released about the Azusa Street Revival that same day when I was speaking.

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 Stepping Out of the Boat: Extending my Time in Virginia

Later that evening, the night before I was to fly out, a couple of the lovely ladies from the conference came up to me and invited me to stay longer and welcomed me into their homes. Because of how God had moved that afternoon, I smelled revival. I felt the Holy Spirit doing something big in this region from all that He had been pouring out. I decided that I didn’t want to miss what He might have. I didn’t have much time to make a decision since I had already checked into my flight the next day but I was able to change my flight. Staying there meant canceling a week of activities. I struggled with doubt the first two days because I was delaying seeing people I loved in Redding and having to cancel teaching at the school of ministry which I committed to and so enjoy. Finally after much prayer with precious friends, I was able to embrace what God had placed in front of me and dove in as I counted the cost of saying yes to the tiny seed of what I thought might be the Lord. As a result of staying, we got to do another revival meeting and also open it up to the men to come along where God moved in power. I released the Azusa story in full and there was a mighty baptism of fire released where lives were marked by God’s presence. 

Making the decision to stay ties into the new shift in my life of helping to raise up pioneers. I find it interesting that these recent invitations to step out of the boat into unknown territory are happening at the same time that I am about ready to release my Walking on Water Encounter E-course as the first course in the online School of Pioneering Revival. See video below. Me pioneering into new territories makes sense and is important if I am going to help inspire and encourage others to step out of the boat. So this extended week was yet again, another one of those moments of stepping out of the boat and trusting the Lord.

The coolest thing is that when I chose to extend my time in Maui and rest before stepping into this clear yes in Virginia, I said no to a lot of opportunities that also would have provided for me financially. This conference in Virginia I sold out of all my books and I had triple the number of Writing in the Glory attendees I normally have. God totally covered and blessed me by providing for my season of rest. Entering into this huge “yes” fully rested was one of the best decisions and I’m so grateful for all God poured out during my time intersecting with this beautiful community.

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Revival Meeting: The Significance of 11-16

Since I had extended my trip, we were able to plan a region wide revival meeting where we could also invite the men to come along. The date was set for November 16, 2018 (11/16/2018). That evening, I shared a testimony of what happened to me on this same date on November 16, 2007 not long after I had first moved to England. I went to a church with a friend and was marked by the Holy Spirit. Before this time, I had become obsessed with the theme of Spirit baptism and had begun asking my friends about their experiences and was interested to learn more about it, especially as it was at the heartbeat of the Azusa Street Revival, which I was then studying in my Ph.D. there at the time. When I got home from the meeting that night 11 years ago, I was in awe of how the Spirit had marked me and as I prepared to set my alarm and turn off my phone for the night, I looked and it said 11/16 for the date at 11:16pm. I opened up the book of Acts 11:16 to see if God might be speaking. That verse was the only red letters on the page where it was recalled that Jesus said, “John baptized you with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” I was in shock and so rocked by how specifically God spoke that night. It was amazing (to read the whole account see Spirit Flood).  

Because there’s so much momentum on that date in history and because I was releasing the story of the Azusa Street Revival that same night year later, I opened the meeting by sharing that testimony. As I continued to share the Azusa story, I released a prayer by eyewitness at Azusa, Frank Bartleman, about how the Heroes will arise from the dust of obscure circumstances. As I read the prayer over people, I hadn't noticed the extra significance of it until a couple came up to me at the end of the evening and asked if I had realized that the date he released that prayer which was noted on my power point was November 16, 1905. The very same date of that day except 113 years earlier! Jesus!!! How amazing is that! Unexpected and amazing how God speaks and moves even in the details.

Many lives were touched this past week in Virginia including a couple who is going to plant a worshipping community in Richmond as a result of what God did, another being awakening and introduced to the power of the Holy Spirit for the first time in her life, reconciliation between family, heart healing, voices unlocked, shifting into a new season, and an awakening of burning ones who re-consecrated their lives to be sold out for Jesus. Thanks to everyone who prayed, offered grace when I didn’t return back to Redding when planned, those who invited and welcomed me to stay, rearranged their Sunday church meeting to have me speak, and Joan Hutter for hearing from the Holy Spirit to invite me and Amy Lancaster to come out to Virginia for such a time as this. So blessed. May a new fire be ignited in you today, filled with His fiery love!

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Testimony: The Simplicity of One Yes

Here is a beautiful testimony by Kim Hager about her time at the Writing in the Glory, Women’s Abide, and other revival meetings that happened in Charlottesville, Virginia this week November 9-18, 2018

One persons “yes” has every potential to be another person’s breakthrough. I both experienced and witnessed this in substantial ways with Dr. Jennifer Miskov’s visit to Charlottesville, Va.  Her “yes” to the Lord to come to Virginia launched a chain reaction of breakthroughs this week in so many lives and without a doubt countless more to follow.  As for me personally, I was suddenly launched into a brand new life season. 

Ministering at Restoration Cornerstone church with Kim releasing worship on the keyboard in the back.

I had been wrestling to fully get up out from underneath the clutter of busyness in ministry and the rubble of a difficult past season. In the process, some of who I am and how I was made to be had begun to dry up. I knew the Lord was positioning me for a season of writing and so I attended the “Writing in the Glory” workshop. I expected to gain a helpful resource but I did not know I would get swept up into such a move of God in the process. The authority of Jen’s message, lifestyle, and testimony literally was a prophetic wind of God to breathe life into the dry places in my destiny.  

As she faithfully released what she was carrying in her spirit, an impartation came. Her ministry was the hand of Jesus pulling me up out of the clutter and rubble of my past season and setting my feet in the broad place of my now, new season. Jen was the prophetic voice that re-awakened the dreamer and adventurer in me and called me out into the very season of deeper intimacy and fruitfulness that I am now walking into. Praise God!

I was also given the honor to lead worship and help facilitate ministry times during Jen’s stay for later meetings (some of them unplanned but divinely orchestrated).  Having been under Jen’s messaging, I was instilled with a newfound courage to step out which resulted in me giving voice to a vulnerable part of my testimony during worship that I had never shared publicly before. As a result, lives on the precipice of darkness were brought into the healing breakthrough of Jesus and hope and strength for endurance was released. I also found faith and courage to allow the Lord to re-arrange my schedule to stay with the move of God that was being released among us.

Jen took the time to lovingly yet boldly challenge me to respond based on my new season not my old one. Throughout her time here we witnessed powerful moments of God as people were baptized in His Spirit, filled with fresh faith, received emotional healing, surrendered their whole hearts to Jesus, and stepped out into new things in God. We participated in the awakening rumblings of racial reconciliation and watched the Lord awaken dreams and destiny in His people. What a great and unexpected week its been! 
I am undone with gratitude for the goodness and kindness of the Lord in what He has done here through Jen’s “yes” to him and her love for us. Thank you Jennifer Miskov for being willing and obedient to come to Virginia. You have an inheritance with Jesus here.

*Check out some of Kim’s anointed worship music HERE

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Testimony: “You Want Me to be a Catcher?” And an Invitation to a Deeper Experience in the Holy Spirit

Testimony by Emily who was already an answer to prayer for me because she helped run my book table and all the books even sold out! May God bring you to deeper depths of His Spirit as you read her account of what God did this week.

What a week. I feel like I was thrust into this new world when Joan Hutter, the director of Women’s Abide conference looked at me and said, “You’ll be a catcher.” I thought, “how did she know I’m a great catcher? Wait, what am I catching?” It was a whirlwind of praying in tongues, people passing out, loud laughter and uncontrolled sobbing. How can so many things be happening all at once? I just knew I wanted to know more about this.

We’ve been studying Romans as a church and for months I’ve been anticipating Romans 8. I desperately want to know what it means to be walking in the Spirit. This conference came at a perfect time when my heart was already positioned to be looking for life in the Spirit...even though I was really only there because my boss asked me to help out at the conference with the logistics and such. I kept that as my excuse to not enter in. “I’m really just here for work.”

I mostly observed during the worship services; watching some women dance in one corner and others grab banners and twist them around like they were doing work. Women were face down on the ground while others kneeled at their chairs. This worship seemed intentional; like these women had praise and adoration to bring to the Lord and they were going to use their whole body to do it. How is there a whole community of believers coming together to worship and I feel like an outsider, like these were not my people?

I’m so thankful the Lord brought Jen to guide and help me through what was going on and to graciously answer my questions. There were a lot. To be clear, I have heard of the term “baptism in the Holy Spirit” but I had no concept of what it is in real life.

For a few days I asked questions, searched scriptures and read Jen’s book on Spirit baptism called Spirit Flood, and then Tuesday night things got weird. I had dinner at the house where Jen was staying with Nicole, and after asking a few rounds of questions from me along with some vulnerable moments exploring what was hindering me from moving forward, Jen asked if she and Nicole could pray over me. I’m not sure that I even know what happened. I am still praying about it and seeking understanding. But as they prayed over me and we took time to wait on the Lord there was something like a very heavy blanket that covered me. I looked at Jen so confused about why I was so heavy. She encouraged me to lay down and to take note of pictures and words that came to mind as this was an important time of hearing from the Lord. I laid down and almost immediately I heard the Lord say to me, “You’re clean, Emily. You’ve been washed clean.’”

This moment has changed me. Not because of some physical experience - while that is something to look into and explore with the Lord - it changed me because after years of knowing that I’m saved and that I’m covered by the blood, it was like I actually knew it and believed it for the first time. I’m actually clean!

For the past week now, I’ve been borderline obsessed with what it means to walk in the Spirit, to worship in the Spirit and to live in the Spirit. I want to spend time with the Lord, abiding in Him. What if He has more to say? What if He has more to make clear to me or has things that only He can help move from my head knowledge to my heart understanding? And more importantly, does everyone else know that they can be washed by His blood too and walk in the freedom He’s given us?

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Radio Interview

When I first arrived in Virginia, I had the opportunity to be on Jeff Gaffney’s radio show where I share some of my personal story and encourage people with hope. Enjoy these raw moments below and thanks for being a part of my journey today!

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“Heroes Will Arise from the Dust”

I close with the prayer that Frank Bartleman released on November 16, 1905, just months before revival broke out in Los Angeles at the Azusa Street Revival which later spread across the globe. I declare over Virginia, over California with all of the wild fires, and over our nation that God would pour out His Spirit of revival again in our day.

“The current of revival is sweeping by our door. Will we cast ourselves on its mighty bosom and ride to glorious victory? A year of life at this time, with its wonderful possibilities for God, is worth a hundred years of ordinary life.

“Pentecost” is knocking at our doors. The revival for our country is no longer a question. Slowly but surely the tide has been rising until in the very near future we believe for a deluge of salvation that will sweep all before it. Wales will not long stand alone in this glorious triumph for our Christ. The spirit of reviving is coming upon us, driven by the breath of God, the Holy Ghost. The clouds are gathering rapidly, big with a mighty rain, whose precipitation lingers but a little.

Heroes will arise from the dust of obscure and despised circumstances, whose names will be emblazoned on Heaven’s eternal page of fame.

The Spirit is brooding over our land again as at creation’s dawn, and the fiat of God goes forth. “Let there be light.” Brother, sister, if we all believed God can you realize what would happen? Many of us here are living for nothing else. A volume of believing prayer is ascending to the throne night and day.

Los Angeles, Southern California, and the whole continent shall surely find itself ere long in the throes of a mighty revival, by the Spirit and power of God.”

-Frank Bartleman November 16, 1905

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Key Resources

If you would like to learn more about some of the topics mentioned above, see these resources.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

The Shift is now

Did you know that October 31 is a day of Reformation, Revival, and Destiny? Contrary to popular views, October 31st is not the “day of the devil.” It is God’s day full of inheritance where He birthed two major Reformation and Revival movements that are still impacting us today, hundreds of years later. There is great momentum for us to step into on this significant day in revival history. October 31st is a time for revolutionary shifts to happen. It is a day pregnant with world-changing movements waiting to be catalyzed as we fiercely follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, even in unusual ways. It is a day of religious freedom and of freedom from the religious spirit. It is a day when God is waiting for His yielded lovers to pursue His heart with reckless abandonment.

Halloween Roots

It is interesting that even in secular tradition, many believe that October 31st is the time when the physical and spiritual worlds are the closest, when heaven invades earth in a greater measure than on other days. This was also a time of celebrating the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. In the year 609, Pope Gregory III introduced May 13 as a Catholic holiday to honor saints and martyrs who came before. This was called All Saints' or All Hallows Day. In 835, the date was changed to Nov. 1, the same day as the Samhain, which was an Ancient Celtic pagan festival initiating summer's end. The evening before “All Hallows Day” became known as All Hallows' Eve, which was later changed to Halloween. Even more importantly, this day was set apart from Heaven as the day God wanted to catalyze significant Reformation and Revival movements.

Reformation

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther (1483-1546) posted his 95 Theses on Wittenberg Church door which lit a flame that reformed the Christianity of his day, breaking people out of religious cycles that had entrapped them for hundreds of years.

His 95 Theses were then translated into German, printed on the newly invented Gutenberg printing press, and then quickly began to spread. Originally, this was simply an act of inviting people to debate over these issues within the Catholic Church, rather than a rebuke against the pope. However, God breathed on his declaration for justice and it served to be the catalyst to set things in motion for the Protestant Reformation.

Welsh Revival

Nearly 400 years later on this same date in history, a spark for the Welsh Revival was ignited. On October 31, 1904, Evan Roberts (1878-1951) followed the leading of the Holy Spirit back to his hometown to conduct a catalytic meeting where 17 confessed Christ. He realized at that time that the revival he had been praying his whole life for had arrived. Less than four months later, over 80,000 people were saved and the nation of Wales experienced a powerful revival. From Wales, the revival began to spread to cities in England, Scotland, and Ireland and then around the world.

The revival was also a precursor and believed to be a catalyst for future Holy Spirit movements like the Azusa Street Revival. Frank Bartleman, who participated in and scribed the happenings of the Azusa Street Revival, asked Roberts to pray that a revival fire similar to the Welsh Revival would break out in Los Angeles. The Azusa Street Revival exploded to the scene not long after this in 1906 contributing to the influence of Pentecostalism around the globe.

Momentum of the Ages

The Protestant Reformation transformed a religious system and freed people to worship God in spirit and in truth. The Welsh Revival ignited a flame that inspired and gave birth to future Holy Spirit movements. October 31 is pregnant with potential to once again be a powerful day of ignition for reformation and revival. There is an inheritance waiting to be tapped into for those who are brave enough to step out in faith to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit on this special date in history. There is a deep well of revival to be accessed on October 31st, filled with fresh flames waiting to be ignited and spread around the world.

The momentum has already begun. Martin Luther, the Moravians, John Wesley, Evan Roberts and many others have already paved the way for us to walk in great freedom today. This is not a new wave of revival but one that has been building for generations. There is great momentum toward a new billion-soul harvest, another great awakening, and new wave of revival on the horizon. And in fact, I believe it has already begun and is all around us for those who have eyes to see.

What are we going to do today with the ground already gained on our behalf? How will we position ourselves to build upon the momentum that has gone before us? What further ground needs to be taken to advance God’s Kingdom in our generation today so that it will set things in motion for the next 500 years ahead? We are in a historic shift. God is calling us to a new level of holiness, consecration, connection, surrender, and possession of the Holy Spirit. This is necessary so that this upcoming wave of revival will not crush us. It’s time to walk in purity, passion, and total obedience so that when the swell comes, we are positioned to ride the biggest wave of revival this world has ever seen!

Activating the Anointing in October 31st through Worship

Since 2012, the Destiny House tribe of worshippers has hosted an encounter night each year on Halloween to tap into the deep wells of revival, seek God for an even greater Reformation in our day, and worship Him with all of our strength. Last year there were celebrations in Redding, CA, in Australia, and in Maui, Hawaii where we gathered together to worship and proclaim the name of Jesus. We have seen people radically encountered by the presence and power of God in these meetings where they were marked for life in His presence. We will also be doing this together this year in 2020 around the world with the School of Revival family. Learn more on how to join us here.

Wherever you are in the world, I encourage you too, to gather with friends this October 31st to share Holy Ghost stories, pray and worship together on this significant day in revival history. Let’s gather together with one agenda, simply to worship Jesus and lift up His name on high. Together, we can tap into what God wants to do in our day by giving Him higher praise. Let's take back this significant day in history by releasing the fragrance of worship that pleases the heart of God, causing the darkness to tremble.

Send the Spirit Now

Evan Roberts sent on a prayer ahead of him to the children in the towns he was going to visit. When the children prayed this prayer, revival broke out before he even arrived to the scene. As you pray this catalytic prayer and take risks to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit into new territories, may you see the Holy Spirit move in greater ways than ever before.

Send the Spirit now, for Jesus Christ's sake.

Send the Spirit now powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake.

Send the Spirit now more powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake.

Send the Spirit now still more powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake. 

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Join us for one of our upcoming School of Revival modules

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To go more in depth on significance of what happened on this day in history, see

• How October 31st is a Catalytic Day for Reformation, Revival, and Destiny: Extended Version

• Reformation Fire: Why the 500 Year Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation is Significant for us Today

• Tapping into the Power of the Testimony: Launching into Greater Destiny

•  Defining Moments by Bill Johnson and Jennifer A. Miskov (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2016).

• Ignite Azusa: Positioning for a New Jesus Revolution by Jennifer A. Miskov with Heidi Baker, Bill Johnson, and Lou Engle (Redding, CA: Silver to Gold, 2016).

*As a disclaimer, we also want to recognize and honor our Catholic brothers and sisters today and celebrate the whole Body of Christ as we move forward together, hand in hand to see God’s Kingdom come here on earth in our day.

Not sure what’s next, but learning how to transition well. God is our home and our safe place always (Psalm 91).

by Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD on location in Maui

I know a lot of us are in major transition in our lives. Whether it’s recovering from the Redding fires or transitioning back to your home country, or moving out of where you once lived into a new community, graduating school and entering into “real life”, letting go of your job to pursue your dreams, or processing the past season. 

I am currently in transition as well, and hanging on tight to God for whatever is next. I find myself letting go, processing the past, and learning to celebrate and grieve what once was so that I am able to position myself to receive what He is preparing next. I’m doing my best to lean into Him, and moving where the Spirit leads, literally one step at a time. I was reminded the other day by a precious one that the last time I was in a similar major transition, was “homeless,” and not exactly sure what was next that God birthed Destiny House. That was nearly seven years ago. And what an incredible journey it’s been along the way where God has added to my spiritual family in such a sweet way. 

The good news about transition is that it's temporary. This awkward season of shifting from one way of life to a new one soon shall pass. Many times transition is an uncomfortable growing pain because we are growing taller and about to step into more. What once fit us no longer does because God is about to give us new shoes that we will need to traverse on new territory for a new season.

If you are currently in the midst of a transition, I encourage you to think of a time in the past where you were in a similar season and recall what came next. God is so faithful and always has been. He will get you to where you need to be as you seek His face above all else. I also want to encourage you to give yourself lots of grace. Everybody goes through a season of transition differently and at his or her own pace. Some are quick to make the change and others take longer to process. Continue to invite God into your process wherever you are at.

If you are mourning a season of old, remember that God takes us from glory to glory so whatever is next, is going to blow your mind. It may come to you in a different looking package than you’d expect. However, if you are positioned where God wants you right now for such a time as this, He’s surrounding you with keys for your destiny hidden in the lives all around you. Blessing you with great hope in the midst of this change. He’s not only transforming you into more of who you are called to become, He’s getting ready to pour you out to the world in a greater overflowing measure. Lean into Him; He will hold your hand in this transition and get you to the other side.

Blessing each of you with fresh perspective for what God is currently doing in your midst and an infusion of hope and anticipation for what He is about to do. May He remind you today who you are and what you’re born for. May His faithfulness overwhelm you and may He be your peace that passes understanding.

“This is what the Lord says – He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters…Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:16-19

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D

While living together or being a part of an intentional community can be very messy at times, it is also one of the most beautiful experiences one can have. Family accelerates growth. We can’t step into the fullness of our destiny apart from our tribe.

The following are three ingredients or ways of doing life modeled after Jesus that we have embraced as a part of the Destiny House experience the past six years. We hope and pray that our rhythm will inspire you to intentionally gather with your tribe to run after Jesus with everything inside and be launched into a greater measure of your destiny.

1. Cultivate Connection (Family)

We have regularly set aside one night a week exclusively for family time. This includes making and sharing a meal together, spending time catching up and sharing testimonies, connecting, and an opportunity to receive prayer/ministry if needed. What happens during each family night might change each week but the primary goal is connection. Impartation, teaching, or equipping may be released at times but that is not the regular focus of these times together. Some of our family nights have turned into the Holy Spirit falling upon us all and end in pure worship to Him, others have ended in a round circle of each person doing a rap, and one time we all went out for ice cream. The key is to set aside time each week simply to be with each other and connect at a heart level. Consistently make time for each other and have fun!

2. Cultivate Hunger (Fasting & Feasting)

We have regularly fasted as a community on the first day of the week (Mondays) so we can grow in our hunger for God. We skip two meals and then come together in the evening to share dinner and break our fast together. This works best when it’s a potluck style meal and everyone is involved in preparing the meal together and eating a common meal. Many revivalists have experienced their defining moments while on a fast. Read Feasting on God: The Lost Art of Fasting by Jennifer A. Miskov.

 3. Cultivate Space for Encounter (Worship)

We have regularly set aside a time each week to open our doors to host a worship/encounter time together as family. This is open to all ages and we love it when children can join in. Dance and creativity also has a special place in the worship gathering. The emphasis and focus of this time is on loving and adoring Jesus. The purpose of our worship time together is Encounter and to spend time in the Secret Place together as a community. It is to see Jesus face to face, to know Him more, to love Him with our whole hearts. These gatherings are not about us seeking God to answer our prayers or give us things. It’s not even a place where we come to seek healing; it’s all about JESUS (Psalm 27). We want our time together in family to honor and love Him well.

These worship times together and even the song choices we use are all about adoring Him. While praise, thanksgiving, and songs crying out to God are all good, our emphasis and focus is simply ADORATION. We want to set down our agenda, our problems, and simply worship Him because He is worthy of it all no matter what we are going through. And it’s powerful to do this week after week in the context of family, showing up and being vulnerable before God together even if sometimes that’s the last place one wants to be. Part of this practice is learning to show up and worship in community no matter what is going on in our lives. We consistently love on Jesus in the context of family and praise Him because He is worthy and never changes even if our circumstances do (2 Chronicles 20).  Stewarding this well of encounter together also sharpens us to stay unified.

So while we show up to our times set aside to worship together with one focus, many times as a result of us pouring our love out to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and marks us with the Father’s transforming love. Many times people weep and God heals deep things in their hearts without anyone even praying for them. Creativity is stirred as we create space to worship God with all of our hearts, minds, souls, spirits, and bodies. Art, and dance are released regularly as a part of the worship team. We dive into the river of the Holy Spirit and move wherever God takes us which looks different literally every week. Influenced by the Welsh Revival, our meetings are worship focused. In the beginning of the meeting, we briefly welcome guests, have a few people share testimonies, someone will give a very brief word, then we will go straight into worship, encounter, and then ministry however the Holy Spirit is leading.

Example of our Destiny House Rhythm

This is the rhythm we’ve shared for more than 6 consecutive years that represent our core values of Glory, Honor, and Destiny

1.     Family: Commit to family night each week with Feasting together (Monday Nights)

2.     Hunger: Commit to fasting one day each week (Mondays)

3.     Encounter: Commit to worship in the context of family one time a week (Friday Mornings)

*Once a month on a Saturday night we also regularly hosted an Encounter Worship Night for more focused impartation, equipping, teaching to be released.

If you have been stirred and want to learn of the history of Destiny House and how to develop a revival community

by Jennifer A. Miskov

Climbing high means
Deeper wounds ‘cause
When you fall
from this altitude
Way up here in the sky
Where the angels reside
It hurts and
You feel
Pain
But that just means
You are
Alive

Living near the dirt doesn’t hurt
But soaring off of cliffs
When you’re just learning how to fly
Is sure to give you a nice surprise
Oh fearless one

You have climbed high
And fallen low
You have been bruised and beaten down
But never letting go and
Not alone
You
Have risen up
and climbed high

You have run far
And stayed low
You have fought hard
And not let go
You have dug deep
And struck gold

Hearts wide open
Singing and soaring
You’ve never looked back
Even when your heart was cracked
Wide Open

Oil spills out
Fills the room
Everything changes
In the perfume of
You

Courage hidden in tears
Now ascending
High above the clouds
Deep into the rhythm
Of His heart beating
Faster as He draws near

Feel His breath as He
Stands before
You
Face to face
Lost in His embrace
No more shame
For this is how
You Overcame

*Written on April 26, 2018 and presented to the graduating Destiny House tribe 2017-2018. Be blessed and infused with courage and strength for such a time as this. Hang on tight to Him and don't give up. This world needs you.

By Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. July 17, 2018

Here I am sitting with white space surrounding me, walls stripped bear. The only decorations left are the memories that remain. I have moved a total of 8 times since coming to Redding in September of 2011. I am approaching my 7 year anniversary of being in Redding as I finish up not only packing to go on my next trip to Maui but also packing up and moving out of both Destiny House and my beautiful little apartment on Gold Hills Drive. I said goodbye to the house on Placer Street where the Destiny House movement was birthed yesterday.

You see, earlier on this year God was stirring our team to begin praying about next steps with Destiny House. As we neared renewing our lease into our 7th year, we felt there was a shift and that God wanted to do something new in our tribe. Instead of doing what we always did, we felt God was leading us to stay small as we grow big. After a huge process of God speaking and confirming it to us (including the painful process of surrender and trusting it all to the Lord), we let go of the physical property. This was not easy at all, especially as I had vision to see worship released in family there for 100 years and we still had 93 left to go! We came to realize that Destiny House is more than a building, it's a people.

We only found out months later after we decided not to renew the lease into the season, that YWAM (Youth With A Mission) had decided to rent out the neighboring Presbyterian church and needed a place nearby for their students to live. When we were feeling led to let go of that house, we had no idea of any of these things! God moved us out to make space for YWAM to steward the well of revival in the next season. Now a layer of missions will be built upon what we cultivated with worship in family and encounter. To learn more about our shift at Destiny House, see blog post entitled Living Stones: Open Letter About Changes with Destiny House.

 

WE FOLLOW A PERSON, NOT A VISION

The good thing is, we follow a Person, not a vision. Ultimately being one with Jesus is our greatest destiny, no matter what that looks like. This means that at any time as we follow the dreams and desires of our hearts, as we are united with Christ, He has the total freedom to change plans.  We need to remain tender and moldable in His hands to allow Him to reshape us and rebuild us at any time (Jeremiah 18). 

What does it look like to be clay in the hands of the Potter and completely trust Him even if it is uncomfortable in this new season? I can tell you this right now, everywhere I look, God is doing a new thing! We must allow Him to take us on a wild adventure and not resist His pull, even if it looks like something totally out of the box that we never would have even thought of. God is shifting, transitioning, and bringing alignment with Heaven over our relationships, callings, and partnerships so that He can knit us closer to our tribe in this season and prepare us to be perfectly positioned to steward the great harvest that is on it’s way and in some ways is already here.

Now is an important season of uprooting, repositioning, and launching into greater destiny as well as planting and building where God leads. One of my dreams for Destiny House was that people who came for a night or a season would get launched into a greater measure of their destiny when they left. As our tribe is now scattered all over the world, it feels a bit like the church in Acts that shifted from Jerusalem to Antioch. I believe God is launching us all into even more of what we are born for.

Some happy last memories with Destiny House alumni at the Placer Street house.

MY CRAZY LIFE

So that takes me into my personal update and very raw and unfinished process I will invite you into. Let me warn you, I don’t have a lot of answers, however, if you have managed to continue reading this far, I like you and want to include you in this journey. Today, July 17, 2018 is my last day of living in my apartment that I’ve been so blessed to have these past couple of years. A few days before my recent world tour, the family who I rent from told me they might be moving soon. Then a few weeks later, while I was ministering around the globe, I received the email that the house was sold and I’d have to move soon (they totally honored me in the process throughout the quick change including the house selling the day it went on the market). I honestly wasn’t surprised, especially after all that had recently unfolded with Destiny House. At the same time, I also honestly didn’t want to go either because I loved all of the intimate moments I have shared with Jesus in this space as well as the special moments with friends here. After a process of realizing it is the Lord who is pulling apart my nest so that He can push me out and teach me how to soar (the most uncomfortable feeling ever), I finally accepted it as the hand of God and began to move forward (after moving back and forth and feeling turned upside-down first).

I had already planned a trip to Maui before I knew anything about moving and feel the Lord on what God wants to do there. So right now you may have as many questions as I have, but in the midst of not having any of the answers to give you at this time, I want to say I am excited for what God has next. I trust Him fully to lead and guide, starting with the first step to Hawaii. While there for several weeks, I will get to spend some time resting and adventuring with one of my spiritual fathers and his wife, as well as a few ministry opportunities to pour out on the island and get to know the Maui tribe more. I will even get to do some work there and record an Ecourse in a studio along with other creative projects that have been on my heart for awhile. I can hardly believe this is my life and I am so grateful to receive such gifts from God. The life of being in full time ministry has it’s perks when God is your boss.

As of today, I am planning in being in Maui about a month, return to Redding for a few months to teach first quarter of BSSM, help set up the new season at Destiny House, teach at a few YWAM schools, do a ministry trip to Alaska doing a Writing in the Glory workshop in a prison, and spend time praying about what God has for me next (this is all very subject to change depending on what the Lord's plans are which will take precedent over my own ideas). I will continue to oversee the global movement of Destiny House and the leadership team. Destiny House Redding will now be stewarded by the incredible team of people I have known for many years and who are family to me, Kirsten who was the very first one to move into Destiny House with me nearly six and half years ago and April and Rodney Jennings who are from Anaheim Vineyard where I grew up and have since moved to Redding and have been running with us ever since. The model will look a little different but more to come on that soon. We believe God is doing a new thing and are excited to pioneer revival in family as we continue to dive into our 7th year of Destiny House.

So this is my now update and some of the process to get here. I warn you yet again that in a month, my plans could all completely change. It is my desire to be fully surrendered to the leading of the Holy Spirit and go wherever and whenever He leads no matter what that looks like. I invite your prayers during this process. When I look back at other transitions in my life, I am so encouraged and filled with HOPE that God already has everything mapped out. In the midst of the uncertainty and not knowing answers to most of the questions, one thing I do know is that Jesus is with me along the journey. He is so faithful and always has been.

 

OUR HOPE IS FOUND IN HIM

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding us, the truth is that if God didn’t even spare His own Son, how could He not also give us all things and have incredible plans laid out for us (Romans 8). Whether we have answers or not in this season, knowing Jesus is always enough. He is our One Thing. He is our destiny and our destination. As long as we relentlessly pursue the lover of our souls and remain closely connected with Him, no twists or turns can take our focus off His face. He is our One Obsession and our next step. We can fully trust in Him to lead us in His timing where He wants us to be.

Blessing you with fiery passion to behold the beauty of Jesus and lift His name up high no matter what you are facing today. May great courage to trust in the truth that He is so for you and with you in this journey be imparted as you read this. With love, blessings, and fire,

Jen

“Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in Him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with His superabundance until you radiate with hope!” Romans 15:13 (TPT)

Check out this radio interview below which was over 6 years ago when I had no job, no car, and was in a similar situation of transition only to later realize I was on the verge of one of the biggest breakthroughs of my life preparing to birth Destiny House. Receive the blessing and impartation at the end!!!

Photo by the incredible Annette Biggers (www.acreativechange.com)

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

*this was written in the summer of 2018 when I was en route from Europe to Africa during a severe time of crisis.

This article is dedicated to all of the pioneers on the front lines and those in the persecuted church.

“As long as I am with you my life is the light that pierces the world’s darkness.” - Jesus in John 9:5 (TPT)

If you are reading this right now, it means that you are born for such a time as this. Inside of you, you carry hope and an answer to the world’s problems. God has given each one of us strategies to overcome evil and to bring light into the darkest of places. Each generation is faced with an opportunity to break through and to take more ground for the future. We are called to carry and to be the light of Jesus in the midst of a crooked and depraved generation. We are called to shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life (Philippians 2:14-16).

When storms arise, God’s power also arises. In the face of opposition, we are given the opportunity to be courageous and to act for Christ. We are also being strengthened to steward the greater inheritance we will gain on the other side. The only way through a storm is to face it. Have you ever seen a ship escape crashing waves by trying to avoid them or go parallel to them? The only way to save our lives and to advance against the evil coming against us is to turn our ship head on and go straight through the pounding waves to the other side. We step through fear by clinging to our Father in Heaven, wholeheartedly trusting in Him to lead us through. Receive this promise from God in Isaiah 43:1-2 where He says,

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
  When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.

5 Keys to help dismantle the forces coming against us and to release God’s power

I am in no way saying that I have the answers to the problems are world is facing right now or that if you use these keys your life will be protected. It is important that we remain one with Christ, connected to the Body of Christ, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will lead us differently each time so it is imperative to always stay close to Him. With that said, I want to share a few weapons we have access to that can help dismantle the strongholds coming against our generation when the time arises.

In Christ Jesus and under His authority…

1. Love has the power to dismantle hatred and to reveal the nature of Jesus

Love is a weapon of warfare that can dismantle the stronghold of hatred. Because of the intensity of hatred arising in our day, our love must increase and become fiercer. Above all, we must recognize who the real enemy is. Our battle is never against flesh and blood or each other but rather against principalities and powers in which we have full authority and victory over in Christ (Ephesians 6). The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy but Jesus has come to give us abundant life (John 10:10). The weapons of our warfare are not like the worlds. We must take dominion and confront the spirits coming against us by choosing to love people fiercely and realize the hatred aimed toward us is the enemy trying to silence us. By the power of the Holy Spirit alone, we must choose love in the midst of hatred. Love has the power to cover a multitude of sins and melt even the hardest of hearts. The more extreme the hatred, the more extreme our love must be to overshadow it. We must rebuke the enemy and instead bless those who curse us and pray for them (Matthew 5:43-45). When we recognize what battle we are truly in, having the correct perspective, and step out to love, it changes everything. We must be possessed by the Holy Spirit to have the power to love in the face of hatred.

2. Focus has the power to dismantle distraction and to release destiny

Focus is necessary for us to step into and fulfill our God-given destinies. Distraction is prevalent in our day and is a tactic the enemy uses to try to get us isolated from each other because he knows that unity in Christ is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with (Psalm 133). In Psalm 27:3-4 (NIV), King David says that

Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

 One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.

While many of us thankfully do not have to face an army head on, we do face an army of opposing thoughts and distractions that compete for first place in our thoughts. The one thing David sought was to behold the beauty of the Lord. What is our one thing in a world of options? A personal revolution will take place when everything else is stripped away and we wholeheartedly give Jesus first place again in our lives and thoughts. Focusing on Jesus dismantles the spirit of distraction and confusion and leads us into a place of intimacy and peace in Jesus like never before. Practicing being silence with God and waiting upon Him (Psalm 46) can help invite the fire of God’s presence to refine us.

3. Worship has the power to dismantle oppression and to shift the atmosphere

Worship in the midst of a storm dismantles oppression and may even ignite the next Great Awakening. In the story of the Moravians worshiping on a ship in the midst of a storm, John Wesley observed their strength in God and was marked. Influenced by his new friends, he later went on to lead the Great Awakening and start the Methodist Movement. It is crucial to worship God in every circumstance. Fixing our affection on Jesus lifts off heavy burdens and keeps us connected to the all-powerful God who is Lord over all. Our worship should not change depending on our circumstances because God never changes.

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat was facing the greatest army ever known in his generation so he called his people to praise God for His holiness and give thanks. In this situation, while the people offered praise and thanksgiving, behind the scenes, God was at work to dismantle their enemies. In the midst of the greatest battles of our lives, is our first response to seek the Lord and pour out an offering of worship and praise? Worship is one of the most powerful weapons of warfare I have personally experienced. It helps us keep our focus on The One Thing rather than letting fear and anxiety consume us. It also clears the evil around and even creates a well for generations to come to step into the momentum of Heaven in that place. Most importantly, it knits our hearts together with our loving Father.

4. Intercession has the power to dismantle terror and to save lives

Intercession, or focused prayer, has the power to dismantle terror and every stronghold that comes against us. For those who feel called to remove barriers and pave the way for future generations to walk in great freedom and peace, I want to encourage you to study the life of Rees Howells (1879-1950). I believe his life holds keys we need for today in dismantling the evil coming against us. He was a revivalist from Wales who raised up an army of intercessors to lay down their lives on the altar of intercession and cover those on the front lines in prayer. They have marked results of rerouting Hitler’s attacks through their prophetic intercession.

Intercession is huge. If you know any missionaries or others who are giving their lives for the sake of the Gospel in dangerous places, your prayers make such a massive difference and can even be the difference between life and death (Acts 12). Whether you are on the front lines or in a comfortable home, your prayers can literally shift the direction our world takes. It is our responsibility to cover and support our family in Christ who are planted in the darkest places (Hebrews 13:1-3). May the spirit of intercession fall upon us all so that we can more vigilantly stand in prayer with our brothers and sisters afar.

5. Courage has the power to dismantle fear and to advance God’s Kingdom

Courage to step out in faith regardless of what opposition may come dismantles the spirit of fear and advances the Kingdom of God all around us. It’s in those times when everything seems to come against us that God is preparing us to break through into a new level of authority, power, strength, and dominion. Like an eagle, allow the resistance you are facing to let you soar even higher above the storm. This is the time to spread out your wings more than ever before. When fear creeps it’s way at your door, ask the Lord what is really going on and what greater breakthroughs He’s about to lead you into. It’s likely that one small act of courage and following your heart regardless of the opposition can set things in motion to have ripple effects for generations to come.

In the midst of the poverty spirit coming against her generation during the Great Depression, that was precisely the time when Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944) remained obedient to the leading of the Spirit to step out in faith and build one of the largest churches in California. With only a small amount of money to begin with, by the end of the construction, she was able to pay for the whole building in cash. Whenever something is coming against us, we must move in the opposite spirit and continue on following the leading of the Holy Spirit even if it doesn’t make any sense. Our circumstances should never dictate whether or not we remain obedient to follow the voice of God.

Blessing

These keys just scratch the surface and are not to be an exhaustive list. My goal is not to be enemy-focused but rather to equip the Body of Christ to both stand and take more ground for the Kingdom of God no matter what we’re faced with. In Christ, we have authority to face and win any battle the Lord leads us into. May you be stirred to be fiercer in your love, more focused on the face of Jesus, burdened with intercession for those who are on the front lines, and courageous like never before. Keeping your eyes on Jesus always, may you continue to move forward toward all that God has for you no matter what comes against you.

Remember that it’s just after the darkest time in the night that the dawn breaks through. Blessing you with courage to remain standing no matter what you are facing today and to endure until the end. Receive a fresh baptism of fire today. He is worthy of it all. I close with a prayer taken from my latest book Walking on Water:

"I pray that your focus never leaves the face of Jesus. I bless you with a fierce determination to take hold of Him no matter what the cost. May you be marked His presence all the days of your life. May you be ruined for anything less than His satisfying love. I bless you with a life that cannot function or exist without His presence. I pray that you are undone by the one thing and that Psalm 27 becomes a new anthem in your life. I pray that you would burn with a fiery passion and fall deeper in love with Jesus each day. May you receive a fresh impartation of hunger for God. May the Holy Spirit continue to come in even greater power for His name's sake. I bless you with a mighty baptism of love and of the fire of God. May you be utterly swept away in the tender love of Jesus until you are willing to go anywhere and do anything to be closer to Him still."

* See a recent blog post entitled How Revivalists Approached Epidemics and podcast that goes with it entitled Hope in the Midst of the Corona Virus.

**See Walking on Water: Experiencing a Life of Miracles, Courageous Faith, and Union with God and Defining Moments (by Bill Johnson) to get more equipped and to dive deeper into these themes…

by Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD

ENGLAND

I started my world tour by stopping in London for a few days to see Destiny House alumni Lucy and her family, Carmella, and then got to see Elisabeth King who happened to be in town too. Was great to reconnect with the beautiful Destiny House tribe in the U.K.

Then I headed to Birmingham where I lived from 2007-2011 and completed my PhD. We got to reconnected with friends Andrew & Rosie McNeil who are also the Vineyard pastors there. They hosted Destiny House family & alumni Stacy, Laura, Aimee, and myself with their incredible hospitality skills and also set us up for a fun week of partnering what God is doing in the nation. In February, they visited Destiny House and our tribe had the opportunity to pray and prophesy over them and it was a special time together. It was such a treat to then be with them in England right after they finished their sabbatical.

We dove straight into ministry with a special Holy Spirit Encounter night they planned for us when we arrived Thursday eve. God filled the church with hungry hearts. After I shared about the inheritance in that land that John Wesley paved the way for, we welcomed more of God’s presence and He came in a special way.

The next evening we got to share with the youth of the church and play games which was fun. Saturday we hit the streets to be a part of Healing on the Streets. It was fun to be back with the crew that helped me launch it in the city over 10 years ago. There were some fun opportunities to pray for people there. On our walk back to the car, we decided to ask one of the buskers who was singing in the city center if we could borrow his guitar and microphone to release something and he said yes! Laura strummed on the guitar as Aimee shared her spoken word out there on the streets. Was so powerful and so much fun! Later that night we had dinner and a small gathering at the house we were staying at. We got to worship and share testimonies together, some of my favorite things to do!

On Sunday, we did two services, one in the morning and one in the eve. In the evening service, after the team prophesied over the nation including Mary T. who met up with us, I shared about the Welsh Revival and then called for a fresh baptism of fire and of the Holy Spirit. God moved in our midst in a powerful way. So grateful to have had the opportunity to pour out in my home church in England I was involved in when I lived there.

Monday night we gathered the prophetic community of a few local Vineyard churches and after the team imparted what they had learned about the prophetic, Stacy danced over each person what she was feeling prophetically for them. It was so powerful. Tuesday we had a play day and went to Stratford upon Avon where Shakespeare grew up. England was so good to us. We felt so welcomed, loved, and I’m also so grateful to Andrew and Rosie for making space for us to share our hearts and impart into their people.

It was also special to recognize how much I have grown in the last 7 years since living thee and how faithful God has been to me. He’s done so much in such a short amount of time and I am so grateful. It was a treat to see friends and partner together to release more of the Holy Spirit in the church and city. From ministering at church, to Healing on the Streets, to a youth meeting, prophetic gathering, staff meeting, we had a special time pouring out together. Highlights were definitely when Aimee and Laura asked a street performer to use his microphone and guitar so they could release spoken word on the streets, the small gathering where Stacy prophesied over everyone there through dance, and reconnecting with precious friends. It was special also getting to impart our Destiny House DNA to others wanting to build community. We love our English family and it was a treat to reconnect and partner together with Andrew and Rosie for a fresh move of God in their nation.

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CZECH REPUBLIC

From England, we flew to Czech Republic where more of our Destiny House tribe came from around the world to meet together at a castle. We were initially drawn to visit the Czech after several confirmations, dreams, and divine appointments as well as the desire to dig deeper into the well of the Moravian movement which we’ve been influenced by.

We had such a special and deep time together with the Destiny House family in the CZECH REPUBLIC. It’s like we discovered the roots of our own tribe here. These people know how to linger in God’s presence and wait on the Holy Spirit in such a tender way. Rather than bringing them Encounter with Jesus, we all just went there together. We also had some beautiful moments of communion with each other on the castle grounds where the 24-7 worship was hosted. Our Encounter night in the barn ended with us all holding hands uniting together with people from different churches and the shape of our circle ended up in a heart. This is so profound as Czech is known as the heart of Europe. We felt such a sweet connection with this nation that birthed the Moravian movement. It’s been such a treat to be together with the Destiny House family in Europe.

In the Czech, we realized that the way we normally minister didn’t work there because we discovered that we were drinking from the same well and that these were our people. We saw a need to actually teach and help cultivate connection and unity among the people rather than only lead encounters. I shared about being the Living Stones as well as the importance of every part of the Body of Christ needed to play it’s part in unity. We were blessed with sweet kindred connections with Niko, Teresa and their family at the castle where we stayed. They hosted an evening with us at their barn and brought in leaders and people from the region together. They also hosted a 24-7 prayer room the weekend we were there. We also got to visit the church where Jan Hus used to preach before he was martyred for defending his faith. BSSM students Jennifer and Eva and other friends welcomed us into the nation with so much hospitality and fun. We loved our time together partnering for unity in the nation. 

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MOZAMBIQUE

MAPUTO
My first stop was at the Iris base in Maputo. One of the most profound moments of my trip happened when I was being driven into the center at the same time that school was getting out on the base. We slowly drove on the first road filled with kids in uniforms that slowly parted as we drove through. A sea of well fed and educated children all because of one yes over 20 years ago by Rolland and Heidi Baker. We never know how many people in the future will be impacted by our one yes today. I was wrecked!

There it was great to meet the incredible missionaries and to facilitate a Holy Spirit worship night together with them. I also got to see some the once kids when I first met them but who are now moms and dads with families. They are still burning for Jesus nearly two decades later which makes my heart so happy!

CAMP 2000
From there I got to help take a team of visitors out a couple hours north to Camp 2000, a church in a refugee camp I helped plant right after the floods in the year 2000. I got to see Pastor Rafael and meet his family with 4 kids. I first met him when he was 17 and he would go out with me and the others to evangelize and plant churches years ago. Seeing his faithfulness to continue to remain there even after 18 years warmed my heart.

While there was not much progress on the physical church building since last time I was there in 2012 and prayed over its foundations, the church community itself, though small, was strong with a solid leadership team and burning hearts devoted to the Lord.

They were so blessed to have us visit and after our worship service together they made us a great local feast. God put it in my heart to help Rafael build the church building he’s wanted for the past 6 years but has no income to make any progress on. His dream is to also eventually make it a center to help care for orphans since there’s a need to help the children there. I will take a team here next year to help build the church and it costs less than $10,000 to help make this dream a reality. If anyone would like to contribute toward this project, you can give here www.silvertogold.com/give

PEMBA

I next flew up to the north in Pemba and God gave me safe passage into the city. There were recent terrorist attacks in villages that Iris has been to a few hours north of there and many had warned me not to go. However, when I heard the news, I was even more compelled to go to simply be there and pray if nothing more. When you’re family is in trouble, it’s good to support them and stand together. To learn more of Iris' official statement during this time, go HERE.

I had the opportunity to teach the Mozambican Bible School students several times and also a couple times for the remaining Harvest School students that were there before they all were told by the government to leave the country because of the attacks that had taken place.

I had the chance to visit the Iris University that Heidi has been contending for for over 15 years now. It truly is amazing to see that even in the face of attack and opposition of the enemy, Heidi and Rolland are continuing to move forward with the promises God placed on their hearts. To quote Heidi herself, “When you don’t quit, you win.” Sometimes dreams take a long time to build but I am grateful for examples like Heidi who don’t give up on the dreams God has placed in her heart.

I also have the privilege to go on the Iris boat with Heidi, Pastor Surprise, and lots of other greats. We had fun adventures as well as got to meet some of the village children when we took a smaller boat to an islet. The next day we went to do an outreach to the village children at the university. With 2 minutes warning, I got asked to preach to the children and found out when I was holding the microphone that I’d have to do it in Portuguese. I’m not exactly sure what they heard but it was fun to literally dive into the deep end and give it a try!

I had the opportunity to go on another boat ride on our sabbath day with some of the incredible visitors who all said yes to come despite the crazy reports and danger in the land. We had so much fun and finally got to swim in the gorgeous ocean here. It’s an amazing gift that Captain Kapas has made possible to the visitors and missionaries to take them out for a 3 hour tour and help them get refreshed during the intensity of living on a mission field. Taking a sabbath rest is life if you want to finish well and they are doing it well there. We even saw dolphins on our trip together!

My last day in Pemba we all prayed for a mama who’s kids were recently killed by the radicals. As I was praying for her, my heart was breaking. It’s one thing when you’re on the other side of the world hearing of the reports of terror but to be sitting with one who had her family stolen from her makes the pain and the war real and realer than it’s ever been. It was such an honor to be there with the Iris family during such a dark time. Heidi and Rolland are on the forefront of bringing light to pierce the darkness and I was inspired to realize even more that my life is not my own and that being inconvenienced or suffering for the sake of the Gospel is one of the biggest privilege on this earth.

As Christians we have authority over this murderous spirit coming against our generation. We don’t fight against flesh and blood but principalities and powers (Ephesians 6). We have authority in Christ to tear down strongholds and to defeat this enemy of our generation through fierce love and prayer. With God all things are possible. If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8). In the darkest of times, it’s our time as the church to shine and go wherever the Spirit leads us. If we die, we die. But if we don’t step out and take risks where God is leading, are we really even living at all?

I was reminded in Africa that Christianity is not about being comfortable. How many times have I or we prioritized avoiding pain over obedience? But did Jesus avoid pain? Did the apostle Paul go around cities because he knew he might be beaten (Acts 14:19-20, 20:22-24, 21:1-16)? They and so many others fully followed the leading of the Spirit even into suffering and pain because they knew there was a greater purpose. They knew that they lived for eternity.

Paul’s said in Philippians 3: 8-11
“I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him... I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings becoming like him in death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Will we say yes today to the call to go anywhere and do anything God calls us to, no matter what the price? Will we surrender all for the sake of One who laid down His very life to give us a future and a hope? Will we allow ourselves to be inconvenienced for the sake of loving Him today?

Let's pray this pray afresh together right now.

Jesus, I surrender ALL of my life to you today. I lay all of my gifts, reputation, relationships, accomplishments, past, present, future, dreams, and destiny at Your feet. I trust it all to You and ask that You consume it all with your fire. Anything that’s not Your gold for my life, strip it from me. I give You permission to melt and reshape my heart. You can refocus, remold, restructure, and redirect my life however You seem fit. I want more of You at any cost. You can have my whole heart. Let my life be ALL about loving you wholeheartedly. May my life be a fragrant offering well pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.


Here's a few verses to read on the privilege it is when we get to suffer alongside Christ:
Philippians 1:29-30 / 1 Peter 4:12-16 / Hebrews 13:3 / James 1:2-4 / Acts 14:19-23

FINAL EXHORTATION

Did you know that when the wind is against you and you spread out your wings, you will fly even higher? In the face of resistance or challenging seasons, that’s precisely the time to step out in faith and believe for more. It was in the midst of the Great Depression that Aimee Semple McPherson had faith to step out to build one of the largest churches in L.A. I had the honor of watching first hand how in the midst of one of the darkest times in her beloved nation, Heidi Baker became even more fierce to take more land and move forward to bring light, love, and healing into the darkest places. I am honored to be alive for such a time as this. I want to encourage you to never give up on your dreams and in the hardest of times, do the opposite of whatever is coming against you. You were born for such a time as this.

So shine bright ones; He is worth the prize. When challenges and hardships come against you, you are on the verge of your biggest breakthrough. The only way forward is facing the storm head on and going through it. Breakthrough is on the other side of this trial, I promise you that. Be courageous, God is with you. Isaiah 40:31, 60:1, Psalm 91

Thanks for joining me on this journey and for all those who supported this trip, we couldn’t have done it with your investment and prayers! Blessings and fire on your journey. May your eyes remain fixed on the face of Jesus always, He is so for and with you!

Extended Version