Is To Come
By Shirley Mitchell
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8
I received a precious life word from the Lord this summer. He threaded together many things that He has been telling me over the past months.
When I went to Israel at the beginning of the year, many people asked me if I was concerned about going to the most volatile place in the world and in all of the history of mankind. In addition to this, my friend had a vision of where people had been harmed, but she didn’t know if it was our trip or not. As much as I understand people’s concern over the volatile region and as much as I esteem the Spirit of the Lord in my friend, I knew one thing. I knew that I was returning to Kentucky because I was going to start videotaping Jesus Lives. Now I didn’t have a full production crew at that time. I didn’t have the video cameras in place. However, I knew that God told me that I was going to videotape Jesus Lives. He told me the dates. He had made a way for me to find some other things like the director, the stage set, the clothes, the jewelry, the sound, and such. All of which were complete faith things. So I knew that I was coming back to KY.
At the last session of videotaping Jesus Lives, I told the ladies that I was going to take down my Christmas tree. They burst into laughter because it was April 14th. I told them after I did that, I was going to sleep during the month of May. Well, I think I slept for three months because I was so tired. I have also done the things that I neglected for four years while writing and taping Jesus Lives. I’m running and swimming again. I’m doing Girl Scout badges with my daughter Sophia. I focused on teaching Sophia to read. After two years of struggling through teaching Sophia to read, we have had a breakthrough. She is reading chapter books on her own. Hallelujah! I have started to teach my other daughter Victoria to read. I am having more mother-daughter conversations with my oldest who is preparing for adolescence. I am learning to be a new manager at work. I am learning a technology that is new to me. All of these things are very good things to do, but they were not the deep connection that I get with God when I meditate on His Word, pray, and then write. I learn just as much by writing as anyone who reads it.
After Jesus Lives, I could feel Elijah welling up within me. It was similar to the way that God had placed Jesus Lives on my heart so I knew it was coming. I just thought that I had four years to do it since Jesus Lives took four years. In the beginning, I was motivated through Jesus Lives to tell the story of Jesus to my daughters so they would know. Later, my motivation became just for people because I love them so and the love of Christ that fills me and motivates me to live for Him. It is different with Elijah. I still don’t know where this one is going. I just know that I am doing it out of obedience and the love for Christ. It could be that it is just my personal quiet time and not something on the level of Jesus Lives. God never said what was going to happen with Elijah. I still don’t have a vision over it.
At the end of the summer, I attended a Living Proof Live Beth Moore conference. She spoke about the parable of the sower in all three sessions. She gave seven points about the Word of God and the importance of studying it daily. She spoke so many things that rejuvenated my heart. Yet, at the same time, God was speaking to me about other things. If you heard a tape of the conference and what God spoke to me, you would wonder if it was the same event. When we open up the Word of God to hear from Him, the speaker can be saying one thing while God sews in together with another. It’s like sewing plaid and stripes together, and suddenly they fit together beautifully.
During this event, we sang “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty.” God spoke, impressed, embossed, and pounded the next line after the title of the song. You see, He had taken me there in my quiet time before the event. He had prepared my heart by taking me back to Revelation 1:8. I remembered the name of God from this passage. He is Jehovah Jah, the God who is, who was, and who is to come. God breathed over that next line and said boldly, “Shirley, you have an is-to-come.” I wanted to leap high in the crowd and outstretch my arms and celebrate. You see, I didn’t know that I had an is-to-come. When I went to Israel, I knew I was returning because God had told me His plan for me. However, when I finished Jesus Lives, I had no promise from God about my life. I felt mildly depressed needing a word that there was more living to do…Much like Elijah needed encouragement after his showdown with the Baal prophets and he fled to the desert. He needed to know that God had more for him to do in his life.
I shared this with my niece who attended the event with me. She said that she needed that word, too. She is switching from her Christian school to a public school. She is moving from middle school to high school. These were such big changes in her life. I realized that many other people needed to know this, too. You have an is-to-come. Are you going through a change in your life? Are you switching jobs or careers? Are you going through a divorce? Have you experienced a loss – loss of a loved one, a job, or just another phase of your life? If you have received some bad news, a poor medical diagnosis, or if you are receiving medical treatment, you have an is-to-come. When we finish our is-to-come on earth, when we breathe our last breath, God will take us on to our home in heaven to our even greater is-to-come. We will live with Him in all of His glory. Hallelujah! Glory to God!
Pray with me: Lord, You are amazing. Glory to You! We bless You. We praise You. We adore You. You are our Jehovah Jah. You are the God who is, was, and is to come. You are the God over our is, was, and is to come. You are not limited by the constraint of time so You can enter our past, present, or future. You know how each one will play into his or her role for Your kingdom. Lord, we ask You to let each one of us know with every part of our being that we have an is-to-come. As long as we are breathing, You are not finished with us. You have more works for us to do to bring glory to Your name. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.