YOU HAVE NOT PASSED THIS WAY BEFORE
JAN. 1, 2023 ~ Part One
I do not have any catchy phrases or clichés as we come into this New Year. I do not have a whole lot different to say than what I have been honestly, but I will share more on what the Lord has been speaking to me about, ever since we crossed over into the New Year on the Hebraic calendar at Rosh Hashanah in September. The Lord sent me on a journey of sorts, to a place of my ancestry, to speak to me about where we are going in this season. I shared very little at the time, although I thought I would share more over the weeks that followed, but I found the Spirit pressing me to hold the word until now.
Remember, as I have mentioned before, I believe that the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) in the Autumn is when things begin to shift in the spiritual. Then, three months later at the first of the year on the Gregorian calendar, what began to be birthed in the spiritual realm, then begins to be manifested in the natural realm. I have seen this happen time and time again, although some years are more pronounced than others. Sometimes, it takes a little bit longer for things to begin to manifest in the natural, due to warfare, others choices, etc, but I have still noticed it to be a regular occurrence. There is almost always a pressing in the natural during this time, to come into that which has already been decided in the spiritual.
BETHABARA
The place where the Lord took me on my journey is a place called “Bethabara”, which is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. I was also searching out some of the ancestry on my mother’s side of the family, who are buried near Winston-Salem. I made quite a lot of personal discoveries, and some of those I will share at another time.
The settlement of Bethabara in North Carolina, was founded in 1753 by German-speaking Moravians. Many of you may know of the history of the Moravian prayer movement and how it has impacted this nation, as well as other nations of the world, for centuries. If you don’t know the history of that prayer movement, I encourage you to research that.
Bethabara means “house of passage”, and is the place in scripture where Joshua and the children of Israel finally crossed over the Jordan river to enter into the promised land. It is also traditionally believed that this is the same place where Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river by John the Baptist, which speaks to a whole different prophetic understanding of it being a “house (or place) of passage”. So, why did the Lord take me to Bethabara, and what was He wanting me to see? I believe it was several things actually, both in the spiritual and in the natural. We went to a special Rosh Hashanah service at a church in Winston-Salem. After the service, I felt the Lord drawing me to visit Bethabara before we drove home.
First, He began to speak to me about the phrase that He spoke to Joshua in chapter 3 verses 1-4: “Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, 'When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it…Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before'.”
The Lord had already begun to speak to me about this passage a few weeks prior to Rosh Hashanah…specifically the part that says “you have not passed this way before”. After visiting Bethabara, I felt the Lord saying that we need to be very careful in how we proceed during this time. I have prayed into this for the last three months, and I want to say this as we come into this part of the New Year - WE HAVE NOT BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE!
Things may seem somewhat normal right now, at least to a certain degree, but I am telling you now, we have not been where we are going, nor have we experienced what is coming. Many of you know of the things I have warned about that I (and many others) have seen are coming. Some of them, I honestly felt would have already happened by now, and I asked the Lord about those things.
What I have heard, and what was confirmed to me by a number of other prophetic voices, is that we have had a “reprieve” and delay of what is coming, because of the prayers of the saints, and out of His mercy and grace. But from what I have understood, it cannot be completely stopped…delayed, yes. Diminished, some...but not stopped.
I believe the Lord is giving His church more time to prepare both in the spiritual and in the natural, for what many of us in the prophetic have been seeing and warning about, which will come. He has told me for a number of years that the church is not ready in either sense. We need to take the extra time that we have very seriously, and hone in on His voice, also making sure we are listening to the right prophetic voices, so we may be led by His Spirit in all we do.
If we look at the verse above, we can see that the main thing He told the Israelites to do, was to follow behind the Ark of the Covenant. They were to make sure not to think that they knew the way and try to get out ahead. The “Ark” is the place where His Presence dwells. We must follow His Presence, His Spirit, in all we do! We cannot assume we know what He wants us to do, just because it is what we were led to do in another season. This is an altogether different season and place, and we cannot let pride make us think we know more than we do.
So many in the church have tried to go back to “church as usual” after 2020, but I am telling you now, as I have told you before… the old, traditional way of doing things will not cut it in this new era. Even the old “charismatic”, non-denominational "church" way will not cut it. The old wineskin WILL NOT suffice for the new wine that is coming!
We must seek Him as never before, dwell in His Presence as never before, and be led by His Spirit as never before. It is imperative. There are giants that we will encounter in this season that none of us have ever encountered before. I do not say that to bring fear, but to cause you to be sober and vigilant. As long as we are following His Spirit, and being led by Him, just as the children of Israel, we will be protected and we will have the strategy from Him on how to defeat the "giants" and dangers that lie ahead.
If you do not believe me when I say we will encounter that which we have not before, then simply take a look at the last 2 years, and tell me if the church as a whole, even the most seasoned among us, hasn’t encountered very difficult times and “giants”, which they have never experienced before? It has already happened, and there will be more. I have said many times, the last two years were only a "dress rehearsal" of sorts, a precursor if you will.
I believe we are currently at a“Bethabara” kiaros time, the “House/place of Passage”. We began passing through this gate in the spirit at Rosh Hashanah, which is why many of us encountered such warfare at that time. As I have said many times, there is always warfare at the gateway into the new place.
Now, we have been pushing through in the spiritual sense, but many of us are having to also “push though” in the natural as well, coming through into this New Year. Many have felt a heaviness in the natural, an oppression, and even some physical things. We’ve been fighting the enemy that is pushing hard to keep us from breaking through in the natural, what has already been birthed in the spirit.
Let me encourage you...Do not falter, and do not give up ground! Get into the place of His Presence, which is where your strength comes from!
Another thing that the Lord showed me and confirmed a few weeks after my journey to Bethabara, was through a very different situation that another friend is going through. The Lord spoke to both of us separately, strangely enough, through a movie that many of us have seen called “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. Neither of us have seen that movie recently, but He used phrases in that movie to speak to both of us. I know this was about her situation, but I also came to realize it is for the larger body as a whole in this time, as I have continued to hear it since then. The phrase I have heard from the movie is “Only the penitent man will pass”. Many of you remember the scene, where Indiana Jones realizes what that quote means, and that a “penitent” man is humble before the Lord, and he kneels just before his head is almost cut off. I believe the Lord is saying in this season that we MUST walk humbly before Him, as never before. If you look up the actual definition of the word “penitent” it is this:
“feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant.”
We must be a people of repentant hearts and spirits before God, and be quick to have sorrow when we have grieved Him. Again, it is imperative in this time!
Psalms 51:17 says that a “broken and contrite heart” God will not despise. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented people. WE MUST BECOME THOSE PEOPLE, THAT ARMY OF GOD THAT HE WOULD HAVE FOR US TO BE!
We must also be humble, and realize that we cannot do this in our own strength. It is not by our own might that we do that, it is not in our own power, it is BY HIS SPIRIT! (Zech. 4:6)
If we are led by His Spirit, then we are His children, and His very own inheritance! We will overcome, by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony! Remember, He is with us, and He will never leave us or forsake us!
I want to tell you what He told Joshua in Josh. 1:9 -
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Be strong and courageous, people of God…for no matter what we must walk through this year, He is with us…as long as we follow in His path, in His footsteps, being led by the voice of His Spirit!
“Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:21
He has great and wonderful things in this place we are "passing over" into. Things that we will walk in that we have only imagined and dreamed of! Many things that we have only heard about from past generations and past awakenings. It is time for the next Great Awakening for our generation - Now is the TIME, We are the PEOPLE!
I will release Part 2 of this word soon, to talk about the other things that the Lord showed me at the place of “Bethabara”, and the Moravian people.
Blessings as you come through the “Place of Passage”,
Amanda Shiflett ~ Prophetic Reformer