Dear Friends and Intercessors, “2023, the year of revolution.” It is only January 16th, and the revolution is already proving to be thorough, exposing hidden things and dealing with the hearts of men who hold positions of great power.

 
Coast to coast, from downpours in the west, to the uprooting of power structures in the east, God really seems to be turning the nation upside down!

Throughout the unearthing, however, we are witnessing the rise of the Ecclesia!

Every great move of God occurs because the people of God embrace their purposes in Him and step into their destiny. When we determine in our heart to fulfill His purposes in and through our lives, it turns the nations upside down!

Throughout the book of Acts we see tremendous upheavals occurring in the heart of men everywhere! The expansive reach of the Gospel message extended from northern Africa, throughout the middle east upwards along the Mediterranean Sea and right into the heart of the Roman Empire!

Most of the Apostles travelled on foot, a seemingly tedious journey, yet the Gospel of the Kingdom was an unstoppable force in the earth, imagine the intercession and unlocking of Scripture that occurred each step of the way.

Jesus’ disciples travelled far and wide, but book of Acts details the Apostle Paul’s expansive journeys. While some Christians today won’t attend Church on Sunday if the weather is bad or attend a prayer meeting if it conflicts with our favorite television program, the Apostle Paul lived his life with intention. What intention? To turn the world upside down!

Paul travelled countless miles to spread the message that the Kingdom of Heaven had finally come, and it was nothing like they expected! The Roman Empire was oppressing and even persecuting the people with unbridled and fervent oppression, yet Christ didn’t come to overthrow Rome; He came to overthrow the hardness of our hearts so He could enter in and birth the Kingdom of Heaven within. From here it would roll out into the earth. That’s quite a unique revolution!

I remember the day when I read through the book of Acts and my spirit was so stirred, I could not put it down. Nothing could tear me away from the pages and I turned them with bated breath awaiting the next message that cut to the heart yet added 3000 to their numbers in a single day! What about the next angelic jailbreak striking awe in the heart of the corrupt leaders or better yet, the next earthquake that started a revival right there in the jail?! It was incredible! The book of Acts came alive in me, and I felt like I was experiencing the revivals, the miraculous healings, the birth of the ecclesia in city after city! I felt the shipwrecks, the bite of the viper without incident, and the imprisonments and resulting letters along the way. I pictured the enemy as he devised plan after plan to destroy one man and then found myself truly celebrating as he failed again and again! I wept, I rejoiced, I jumped up and shouted praises to the King of kings and Lord of lords as truth pierced the darkness again and again! It was incredible!

One cannot experience the events in the book of Acts and still question why the enemy would pursue one man with such ferocity. It is quite clear; every step Paul took released revival and revolution in the earth! When you read the Bible with intention, it comes to life, and you experience His Word in ways you cannot imagine!

Revival was released throughout those regions to save the masses and uproot idolatry in the land. Revolution was launched to shake up the political and religious sectors and help pave the way for a lasting change in the heart of men! What begins in the church must pour out into the nations of the earth! We cannot expect the world to change but the Lord does expect us, His people, to effect change in the world.

What softens the heart? What demonstrates the surprising wonder of Who God is? What moves mountains or brings the presence of God amid the storm? His people doing His Heavenly will here in the earth. Yes, it really is that simple. When the people of God determine in their hearts to fulfill the will of God, it turns the world upside down, uproots corruption, and softens the hard-hearted to their need for a Savior!

God often speaks to me in unique ways. Friday, during a torrential downpour, I looked up into the sky and saw a chunk of those ominous clouds cut out and lowered down. Through the hole this created, the sun shone brilliantly. It really appeared as though God took a cookie cutter and cut through the darkness to shine His light.

Then today, just down the street, traffic was detoured due to a tree brought down by high winds in the early morning hours. Dark storm clouds still surrounded and rained down upon us. Yet, in my backyard, was the eye of the storm. I opened the door and stepped outside because the contrast of this light from the surrounding area was so intense. It was here, in my backyard, that the rays of the sun lit upon a beautiful sunflower that, against all odds, bloomed today! In mid-January! That’s unheard of here in the valley. I ran back inside to grab my camera and the Lord said, “if My people walk in My ways, I’ll ensure they bloom in the midst of the darkest storms.”

Friends, this flower should’ve bloomed months ago, and it never did. I almost pulled it to plant something else, but the Lord pressed on my heart to be patient, it would bloom in His time. I never dreamed it would be during historic storms in California!

The revolution God showed me will spread across the government, the economy, and the church. It will be difficult; it will seem like we are living in the darkest of storms. However, if His people stay in the eye of the storm, where His light dwells, this is where we will bloom!

We must embrace our destiny and step forward in obedience and faith! In political shake ups, in storms that rage across the landscape, in economic turbulence, this is when the Ecclesia arises to show the world that God is the answer, He is our hope, and it is His Kingdom we’ve been waiting to enter!

We are the vessels through which the revolution will flow out into the nations!

We are living in Acts Book Two. It is a revolution! Like the Apostles, every step we take must be both directed by the Lord and obeyed with intention. When Holy Spirit was released, the revolution that began with Jesus, launched the Ecclesia into their purpose in the earth. This is where every change God desires to bring about in the earth should begin. We, the Ecclesia, must be so in tune with our Lord that we do not hesitate when the time comes to launch. You know, by the 17th chapter of Acts, there was such a mighty revolution sweeping the land, even the leaders proclaimed that Paul and his followers were turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6) and I can assure you, Paul remained in His light every step of the way!

How do we turn the world upside down? Prayer, obedience, and adherence to His Word. It’s quite simple really when you put it down on paper. We complicate it in such unnecessary ways. Let us determine in our hearts to live this life for Him with intention and be part of turning the world upside and paving the path for righteousness to reign in our land! Let us stop running from the storms and search for the eye of the storm. It’s here where His light will shine and direct our steps so we can effectively pray what He instructs us to pray, obey His commands without question, and every day determine in our hearts to complete the race set before us!

So, let me ask you: are you blooming in the midst of the storm and as a result, turning the world upside down?

If not, consider making a change now and becoming a person of prayer, obedience, and one who adheres to His Word. Join us each week as we commit to prayer every point, He gives us. Together, we will unearth and uproot the darkness and release His light, His kingdom into the earth!

Blessings & love
Ricci Johnson-Wilson

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