You’re on a boat, out at sea, and Jesus is walking by – on the storm-tossed waves – and invites you to join Him. Do you step out, or do you stay put? When Jesus’ disciples saw Him coming, all but one stayed on the boat. They were afraid. They could not, dared not, hope that they could do what Jesus had invited them to do. They could not be the people He saw them to be. His wonderful presence sometimes has a way of bringing our weaknesses to the surface. It prompts us to ask ourselves: How am I really going? Am I really strong enough to step out of my boat? Am I strong enough to lead others out too? How do I really cope under pressure? How do I deal with stressful circumstances?
I have been greatly encouraged by Bob Hartley’s prophetic word regarding HOPE, so I would love to share it with you. Bob received a series of dreams in which God revealed His plans to heal and strengthen us through four “doors of hope”. This restoration begins by identifying areas of weakness in our lives: Bob refers to these as “fissures of hopelessness, these places where we are not in the fullness of His truth within us.” We all have them. For some of us, it might be a fear of lack, or doubt that God truly cares for us in some way. God’s desire at this time is to HEAL our “fissures” with a deep revelation of HOPE: the confident expectation and belief in the goodness of God in every arena of life. Ask God to show you where your fissures of hopelessness are.
God wants to HEAL and STRENGTHEN you with four specific kinds of HOPE:
Hope for the Unseen: Are there areas where you struggle to believe that something will come to pass because you can’t see it happening in the natural? Hope for the unseen enables you to see down the supernatural hallway of Heaven and believe what will come to be, though we have not YET seen it.
Hope against Hope: Are there areas where you feel apathy in the midst of difficulties and pain? Is there anything that would seem like a lost cause? Hope against hope enables you to believe and declare God’s hope-filled plan of things to come.
Carefree Hope: Do you feel burdened and responsible for saving people? Does the weight of the world rest on your shoulders? Carefree hope enables you to partner with God without taking on burdens that are not yours. In other words, you can partner with the Saviour without feeling you need to be the saviour of the world.
Child-like Hope: Are you stressing and striving to make things work? Are you trying to earn your way or earn favour? Child-like hope enables you to trust God and simply relax and enjoy the moment with Him, having His favour simply because you are His child.
Ask God which of the four hopes are the answer for you today. Ask Him how He will heal and strengthen you with this hope.
May you be blessed, healed, restored and strengthened by our God, The GOD of HOPE!
If you would like to join with other people to adore Jesus together and declare the promises of God, you can participate in a national skype hookup via Hope Australia
To read the full text of Bob’s word, see below:
A Hope-Filled Encounter: The Lightning Bolt and the Power of God, by Bob Hartley
What you are reading is a series of dreams that is a state of the union for the Body of Christ in this time. It is an encounter not just for one man but for us all. As you read on, you will enter into a progressive journey of hope from the “lightning bolt” to the four new hopes that God is taking us into today.
The Lightning Bolt Encounter and the Journey To Four New Hopes
In these both recent and repeated encounters of the lightning bolt, I saw 50 million people on a JOURNEY TO 4 NEW HOPES. These ones were looking and yearning for a deeper knowledge of God as the God of Hope in every arena of life and throughout the earth. While they were on this journey, they entered into a large banqueting hall where they found a group of those who could feed them on the true knowledge of God.
The Greatness of God
The group that could feed the 50 million on the true knowledge of God were also the ones, who were to take the mountains, but they weren’t to take the mountains themselves, but rather they were to bow low at the base of the mountain and see who He was in the mountain and then arise and shine with Him. The EMPHASIS here is ON THE VALUE of God – THE GREATNESS OF GOD and His life in us. The value of God’s heart and compassion were so emphasized to them that they were TRANSFORMED BY SEEING HIS EYES and the way He looked at others. They were to be the champions of others, helping them through the doors of the hope of His great calling in them by going into the deep broken places of these with hope and with love.
The Lightning Bolt and the Power of the Captain of the Host
As the 50 million were being fed by those who could feed them on the knowledge of God in the banqueting hall, I saw a lightning bolt come and strike the hall. The LIGHTNING BOLT was the BENEVOLENT POWER OF GOD and nothing could compare to the authority of the One, the JOSHUA 5 CAPTAIN OF THE HOST of the Lord, the Son of God who threw the lightning bolt. When He threw the lightning bolt the GREATNESS OF HIS NAME WOULD BE VINDICATED and the true knowledge of God would be restored.
I will vindicate the holiness of My great name… Then the nations will know that I am the Lord… Ezekiel 36:23
In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:1-5
Leading the 50 Million To the God of Hope
In the midst of the highly charged atmosphere that followed, I saw that there remained significantly fewer who could lead the 50 million to the God of hope for the power of God is good, but when it comes it will also reveal and magnify the weaknesses that are within us. The Lord called these weaknesses FISSURES OF HOPELESSNESS and I saw that when the lightning bolt struck these fissures of hopelessness would be exposed in all of us. The lightning wasn’t coming to hurt anybody, but the coming of the Holy, pure, power of God exposes and magnifies all that is hidden before our eyes. This smaller group were those who had dealt with their fissures of hopelessness deeply enough that they were not injured when the lightning hit. They would be shaken, as all were, but they would still have the STRENGTH OF HOPE to lead people to the God of Hope in this time.
Lightning Bolt to Release the Voice of Hope
The Lightning Bolt is coming! The Lord is letting us know this by repeating this dream I first had five years ago. He is revealing this to us so that our fissures of hopelessness can be fully healed and we can become like those in the encounter who, when the lightning bolt hits, are shaken by the power of God but having a deeper core strength of hope and a higher hope meter, they are able to be the voice of hope that the Lord wants to release, that the Lord wants to release through us in this time.
Now, these fissures of hopelessness that the Lord spoke of are parts of us, which are not anchored securely in His hopeful perspective of the challenges in and around us. For instance, for me, the Lord spoke that I had a fear of lack and a fear of rejection that had created a fissure of hopelessness where I had relied on self-strength in some areas instead of Him. In this, I was not seeing the truth of His face as the supplier of provision in my life, not seeing His face as the Redeemer of my relationships. We all have these fissures of hopelessness, these places where we are not in the fullness of His truth within us, but He has not left us to struggle through these fissures of hopelessness alone. The Lord has given us a way out, a solution for these fissures of hopelessness. The four new hopes are the solution that the Lord is giving us in this time.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10
Four New Hopes
In a recent dream, God revealed to me a door leading us into four new hopes that will prepare us to be like those who were healed and strengthened in hope and able to stand when the lightning bolt hit. We deal with these fissures of hopelessness by stepping into these new hopes. The four new hopes that I saw the Lord giving us in this time are: Hope for the Unseen, Hope Against Hope, Carefree Hope, and Child-like Hope.
Hope for the Unseen is where we see down the supernatural hallway of Heaven and believe what will come to be, though we have not YET seen it. When we have a fissure of hopelessness where we must naturally see in order to trust God, then this Hope for the Unseen is the solution for us.
…but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Romans 8:24-25
Hope against Hope is where in the midst of challenges and pain we believe and proclaim the hopeful plan to come. When we have a fissure of deferred hope, where we shift into a place of apathy, then Hope against Hope is the solution for us.
Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken… Romans 4:18
Carefree Hope is where we partner with God but do not take on the responsibilities and burdens for saving people that rests with God alone. We can partner with the Savior but not be the savior of the world. When we have a fissure of hopelessness where we subconsciously and unwittingly try to be the Savior instead of truly partnering with the Savior, then Carefree Hope is the solution for us.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Childlike Hope is where we do not stress and strive to make things work. Instead, we trust God and enjoy the moment of Hope that we are in with Him. When we have a fissure of hopelessness where we are stressed and striving to make things work, in order to earn our way and favor instead of living in the favor God has given us, then Childlike Hope is the solution for us.
Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever. Psalm 131:1-3
The Lightning Bolt Power of God That Will Change Everything
God is taking us into these new hopes, feeding us on the true knowledge of Him, bringing about for us a new hope narrative in Him that is “beyond our wildest dreams.” You wouldn’t believe me if I told you what I saw for us five years from now…you would call me a hope heretic. God is releasing a lightning bolt that is the power and knowledge of God in this time. He is releasing a true knowledge of Him, His benevolent power, in a lightning bolt that will change everything! It is a time that has not yet come, but is coming. God is fulfilling a growing hunger in His people at this time for the deeper knowledge of Him. He is coming to transform us with HIS HOPE!
Before Azusa Street, we would have been called hope heretics if we had told them that the Holy Spirit would again be released across the earth and that there would be more than 500 million spirit-filled Believers today. At the turn of the 20th century, if we had told them that a century later we would be seeing the widespread physical healing and salvations that we are seeing today they would have told us we were out of our mind. In the same way Jesus tells us today of a new era that we are entering into, an era of NEW HOPES RELEASED and many will call us “hope heretics” as we proclaim the goodness of God that He is bringing forth in this hour and in the days to come. It is so far beyond what we believe for our Promise Land now.” It is the 1 Corinthians 2:9 reality coming to Earth in this time.
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
The Promise Keeper
These PROMISES OF NEW HOPES will be kept by the God of Hope who is the Promise Keeper, who has been revealing His face as the Promise Keeper to us again. Earlier this year the Lord showed me in a dream that He would reveal to the Body of Christ His forgotten FACE AS THE PROMISE KEEPER, which is of great importance for us in this time. As we are seeing His face as the Promise Keeper in this time God is bringing us into a place of EXPECTANCY OF HOPE for the advancement of His Kingdom, this promised land that He is bringing us into.
“Now cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.” Joshua 1:2
“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24
“In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago…” Titus 1:2
50 Million Hope Reformers Unfolding a New Hope Narrative
In this dream the Lord has been revealing to us the Royal Hope Journey of 50 MILLION HOPE REFORMERS who will reach cities and nations with true hope and lead people into a new hope narrative that He is unfolding, A HOPE NARRATIVE that is UNLIKE ANY PROMISES WE HAVE SEEN BEFORE. It is the “GREATER WORKS” of John 14:12.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” John 14:12
We, the 50 million who will change cities and nations with the force of hope, are in search of the food of the DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. We are also those who can feed others on this deeper knowledge of God and we may even yet be a multitude, who after dealing with our fissures of hopelessness and being strengthened in the 4 NEW HOPES that God is giving us in this time, will be those who have a deeper core strength of hope and a higher hope meter that allows us to be the VOICE OF HOPE that the Lord wants to release in this time.
Next Steps
Go before God and ask Him where your fissures of hopelessness are. Ask Him which of these Four New Hopes is the solution for you. Ask Him how to do that. Ask Him to show you how to be strengthened with these 4 new hopes in your fissures of hopelessness so that when the lightning bolt hits, you can be a VOICE OF HOPE leading people to the God of HOPE and into a HOPE NARRATIVE where there is a PROMISED LAND…BEYOND YOUR HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS!
Glossary of terms used:
“God of Hope” refers to the face of God reflected in Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
“Hope“ is a confident expectation and belief in the goodness of God in every arena of life.
“Hope Narrative“ is the Revelation 12:11 word of our testimony, meaning our story of HOPE in God, which is the testimony of our history with the God of Hope.
“The Royal Journey of Hope” means the journey of those who have responded to God’s invitation to encounter Him as the God of Hope in their lives and are following Him forward in that royal quest.
Written by: Bob Hartley “Four keys of Hope”: CC Image by Brenda Clarke