I believe that the year 2012 is a very significant year.

As I stated in my last blog post, the number 12 symbolizes divine accomplishment and governmental perfection.

This year is about the government of God arising in us. It is a time when heaven will be revealed on earth in a greater way through the people, the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the heirs of God.

For the last 8 years, we have been walking in a prophetic cycle that has been unfolding before us. It began in 2003 with the prophetic word spoken by Barbara Yoder. Those who were in attendance will well remember the response of the people. They began to run the building, forming battalions across the front of the platform. We were so moved by what God was saying to us about moving us out of an old, hidden place, we could no longer remain in our seats. It truly was a God moment and we were responding as best we could in that moment. We were coming to the understanding that we are a people on the move and God would continue to unfold the fuller meaning as we walked in response.

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Welcome to 2012…a New Year that has already begun unfolding before us!

Twelve is a significant number.  It is the number of government and it
symbolizes divine accomplishment and governmental perfection.

The year 2012 is about the government of God arising.  If we want to see the government of God arise in the earth, we must first allow it to arise in us, His people, in a greater way.

Because God’s work is always a continuum, the new didn’t begin with the midnight stroke of a clock on December 31^st.  What God has been building in our lives is ongoing and eternal.  It is line upon line, truth upon truth, and experience upon experience. Therefore, we have not started something new in 2012, but we are continuing in the path He has set before us.

Earlier this month, Tony and I, along with members of our family, went to the 12^th annual choral celebration, “The Sacred Sounds of Christmas,” featuring Seattle Pacific University’s concert choir, wind symphony, symphony orchestra, and other fine musicians and readers.  What a way to begin the Advent season!

The Benaroya Hall, in downtown Seattle, is a 2500 seat performance venue and it was filled to capacity.  As we were seated, my eyes were immediately drawn to the simple but elegant decorations setting the atmosphere for this beautiful event.  There were several Christmas trees with white, sparkling lights, and a huge wreath of greens with their lights.  It was dramatic in its simplicity.  The atmosphere of the season was filling the air.

As the lights went down, the members of the orchestra took their seats.  Then the conductor walked on stage, taking his center stage position.  Every orchestra member’s eye was focused on him in readiness for his first signal.  There was a pause.  He then lifted his baton, and pointed towards the wind instruments.  With the first stroke of the conductor, every wind instrument played a single note simultaneously.  They were obviously tuning their instruments so that the sound they would make for the glorious musical event of the evening would be beautifully coordinated and in tune with each other.

In my last blog I talked about identity being the key to transformation, and transformation is about moving into the next stage of identity.  Often, God uses prophetic words to bring us into a greater understanding of His view of us, which is usually something we wouldn’t have considered for ourselves.  When a prophetic word comes, it gives us a glimpse of our future, even though we may not fully see it or understand it.

It is a fact!  God uses ordinary people.  Think about Abraham.  He was a man born into a family that served idols.  Neither his background or beliefs made him a likely person for God to choose for the purpose of recovering man from his sinful situation.  At that time, Abraham wasn’t even a believer!  Yet, God’s intention for him was that through him and his descendants, God’s authority and glory would be expressed in the earth.  Amazing!

The journey we have been on has been referenced in letters to the field, blogs, and through information on our website.  New life has been forming over this ministry. Something of the Spirit has been stirring up our depths with a greater desire to move into a deeper level of relationship with God and to be a greater expression of His life, His goodness and His love in the world.  While on this journey, new dreams have been forming and new life has been taking shape.

Each conference (particularly since 2003) has been filled with profound messages, and prophetic words spoken to Aglow of God’s intent for this ministry.

A prophetic word is God’s way of telling you how He views you.  He speaks into the present, from our future, and calls us into our identity.   Prophetic words connect us with the next stage of our identity.  We become pregnant with promise and promises are designed to possess us for the purpose of God.

It doesn’t seem possible that our Aglow Worldwide Conference has come and gone.  After months of planning and preparation, expectation and excitement, we have returned home with weary bodies, but soaring spirits!  Every Aglow conference has its own uniqueness, but this particular gathering was filled with future, destiny, and purpose.  We left Houston changed and ready to walk in new mindsets and a greater anointing.