The Changing of the Guard with Cath Osborne
During a Friday Praise evening last year around the end of August I heard in the Spirit, the word… ‘It’s the changing of the guard’….
Definition: The changing of the guard is the ceremony where the Kings guard hands over responsibility of protecting the palace to the new guard.
A few weeks later, in the natural, the Queen passed into glory. Confirmation. The reason for her death due to ‘old age’.
I have sat on this word for months knowing the Spirit of God was confirming the end of an age. The old has passed away the new is NOW. Recently, as I turned the next page of a book I have been reading, the title to chapter 7 written on the page in front of me was ‘Changing of the Guard’.
Interestingly enough the first scripture I read in this chapter, in which I had very excitedly sat up in bed to read at some crazy hour of the morning was… Psalm 24:
‘The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.’
‘The King of Glory shall come in’… This Psalm was something our worship team prophetically sang out when Pastor Sue came to minister in November. She had woken up that morning with the same scripture on her heart and of course she arrives at Valley Heights and we start singing this Psalm.. Love how the Lord confirms His living word. Sue prophesied over me ( I receive it on behalf of the church) the restoration of the tabernacle of David, the Davidic Covenant. She also declared the key of David….
In both scriptural references to the key of David Isaiah 22:22 and Revelation 3:7-8, we see the key of David is given to establish God ordained authority in that time. A changing of the guard! A changing of authority and government. So why David??? David was a man after Gods own heart…
‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ (Paul in Acts 13:22). 1 Samuel 13:14 is the original scripture Paul references, ‘The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart…’ David was always seeking to find a proper resting place for the presence of the Lord among the people….. that’s GODS OWN HEART… and it has been His heart since the very creation of the earth…. Sanctuary has always been purposed that we would ‘live to move the heart of God’. Many words have been prophesied over this Sanctuary body and this Davidic covenant is all about Divine order….. Gods heart first.
‘Lift up your heads, O you gates’- As a leader within our Sanctuary body I have a responsibility to keep my head lifted up, to devote myself alongside Adam and our leadership team to steer the church body toward Jesus, the King of Glory…. THAT HE MAY COME IN! This must be a body of believers who truly seek HIM…this is all of us, every part of us. WE HAVE BEEN AND ARE CURRENTLY BEING PREPARED. As I have prayed for many families these last few weeks I see every family has been through trial and rugged terrain that they have courageously journeyed these past few years…..hard stuff, unusually traumatic things, things that have been painful, relentless and somewhat wearisome…. BELOVED…..’do not be downcast, O my soul’ (Psalm 42) ….this was part of your preparation… from the wilderness, the BRIDE IS BEING PREPARED….The Lord is looking for a people who will HOST Him…..thats us!! and it’s not just on a Sunday….
What does our Bridegroom King say as we come up out of the wilderness….?
“Who is this one? She arises out of her desert, clinging to her beloved.
When I awakened you under the apple tree, as you were feasting upon me,
I awakened your innermost being with the travail of birth as you longed for more of me.
Fasten me upon your heart as a seal of fire forevermore.
This living, consuming flame will seal you as my prisoner of love.
My passion is stronger than the chains of death and the grave,
all consuming as the very flashes of fire from the burning heart of God.
Place this fierce, unrelenting fire over your entire being.
Rivers of pain and persecution will never extinguish this flame.
Endless floods will be unable to quench this raging fire that burns within you.
Everything will be consumed. It will stop at nothing as you yield everything to this furious fire
until it won’t even seem to you like a sacrifice anymore.”
Song of Songs 8:5-7 TPT
Our hearts…
‘Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?, Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol’
I fiercely charge our Sanctuary family in 2023 to accept the call to ‘THE PATHWAY OF PURITY, A HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS’…. I sense that with this word the Lord is not asking us to arrive somewhere… it’s not a destination… its pure worship. A pure lifestyle. A heart after Gods own heart, a repented heart. We have been equipped with every thing we need right now to pursue and host His Kingdom on this earth. We can no longer procrastinate and allow something ‘greater’ to grab our attention, to starve us from the ONE thing that will satisfy our every need.
DO NOT ALLOW DISTRACTION BELOVED!
The danger is idols in our lives that have very cunningly become habitual. This is the year to bring out into the light from the darkness things that we knowingly or unknowingly worship and place higher than God himself. Divine order is a must for 2023.
As we enter this ‘newness’ this year, be reminded and humbly encouraged that this church is BIRTHING…. I sat on the lounge the other day and physically felt a baby turn in my stomach…( and as you know after my Aprils fools jokes years ago…. I’m not pregnant!! Ah ha) With new things, comes excitement! Let us altogether choose to HUNGER and THIRST for HIM. Let us, LET GOD do a great work in us as individuals that we may stand a holy people, a set apart people, a preciously pure people.
“And then our immaturity will end! And we will not be easily shaken by trouble, nor led astrayby novel teachings or by the false doctrines of deceivers who teach clever lies. But instead we will remain strong and always sincere in our love as we express the truth. All our direction and ministries will flow from Christ and lead us deeper into him, the anointed Head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:14-15 (TPT)
This end of an age, is a handing over and it starts with us. The Kings guards are positioned at the gates of the palace to protect from danger or attack. The gates. A place of entry and a place of exit. As Gods children I see a level of accountability this year that matures the body spiritually, emotionally and mentally. We need to guard HIS TEMPLE. To see the Kingdom of God in each other and at all cost protect this and prevent further attack or desolation. Seeing what God sees. Loving like God loves.
Discipling each other, coming alongside…
We will not be without trouble the Lord says! ‘In this world we will have trouble but take heart, I have OVERCOME the world!
For Spiritual Warfare – we are fully equipped!
WE STAND in the….
Belt of truth
Breast plate of righteousness
Shoes of the gospel of peace
The sword of the Spirit
Shield of faith
Helmet of salvation
WE PRAY & INTERCEDE!!!!
Amen!
Lastly as I have been studying the book of revelation 2&3 this I believe is so significant for us and churches who navigate this moment and season in HIS-STORY.
In the 7 letters to the 7 churches, Jesus rebukes 5 of the churches but doesn’t rebuke 2 of them. The 2 churches He doesn’t rebuke are Smyrna and Philadelphia.
Revelation 2:8-11
The first one was the church of Smyrna, known as the persecuted church. Smyrna means ‘myrrh’ in Greek. Myrrhs spiritual symbolism was death and it was a fragrant anointing oil. Jesus speaks firstly to the church of His deity and His death and resurrection. He sees their tribulation and their poverty but says they are RICH! He says I know those that persecute you are from the synagogue of Satan. He says DO NOT FEAR the persecution that is ahead, and be faithful unto death and you will be given the crown of life. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
Revelation 3:7-13 The second church was Philadelphia, known as the faithful church which name in Greek means ‘brotherly love’… the Lord speaks to them of the key of David, the open door set before them, the obedience, the perseverance even when they had little strength, holding fast to what they have, the encouragement that they have not denied the name of Jesus. The safety in the last days, ‘I shall keep you from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. Hold fast what you have that no one may take your crown… This crown as in Smyrnas crown also signifying the royal authority given to those who are victorious co-heirs with Christ.
IT IS TIME –
These 2 churches I believe hold significance for us right now Sanctuary beloveds… Let us die to the things of the earth and as living sacrifices become the fragrant oil poured out for Christ. Let us see what true wealth is. WE are indeed rich says the Lord! Remain faithful. Persevere. Be obedient. Hold fast and keep the name of Jesus lifted High. He is the Way.
Here are there 5 churches that Jesus asked to repent! It’s pretty self explanatory.
Ephesus ( ‘desirable’ in Greek ) – ‘the loveless church’
Pergamos ( ‘citadel/married’ in Greek ) – ‘the compromising church’
Thyatira ( ‘sacrifice’ in Greek ) – ‘the corrupt church’
Sardis ( ‘escaping’ in Greek ) – ‘the dead church’
Laodicea ( ‘people ruling’ in Greek ) – ‘the lukewarm church’
Lastly, ‘Look at what we have and make room’…
As we set up a cabana on the beach this January I was amazed at the incredible invention of this newest cabana…. Not only were there so many on the beach but surprisingly they weren’t heavy to carry, they weren’t hard to put up and also a reasonable price….(thanks to my in-laws who we borrowed it off) I pondered…. What else makes these so good Lord? God said to me, ‘They use what is already available, the sand on the seashore’…..This design uses the weight of the sand on all four corners…. The only other thing it required was room for the wind to flow through it…. Room for flow, room for the wind to come and go as it needed, without blockage or unnecessary resistance…. I believe God was asking me to encourage each
of us to use what we have… God will waste nothing to see His Kingdom come…. Let us utilise this and make room for the wind of the Spirit to come in, and come through…. Releasing obstacles and hindrances. Waking up His Church in this hour. Let us choose this now, open our eyes…. Seize every opportunity in these days. The Lord will return for a pure spotless Bride. We are getting ready beloveds…. The Great Unveiling of His manifest sons and daughters.
“I am convinced that any suffering we endure is less than nothing compared to the magnitude of glory that is about to be unveiled within us. The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!” Romans 8:18-19 (TPT)
With much love,
~ Cath xxx
