Let's continue looking at the message for the church that God gave me in a dream. I believe the eeriest part of this dream is where "the people sit comfortably in their seats." The people were unmoved by this wind of God's Spirit. It's as though complacency ruled. How did the church get in this kind of a condition? Could it be our people friendly theology? You know, a theology that has no call to repentance, no confession of sin, and definitely no call to holiness. Remember, "God did not call us to uncleanliness, but unto holiness." (I Thessalonians 4:7) There's no hatred of sin. And there is very little evidence of a first love experience in the church today. Revelation chapter 2 speaks of the church at Ephesus having lost its first love, could this be an indictment against the church today? First love simply means Jesus is number one in our lives. We love him first and foremost above anyone or anything this earth has to offer. The church no longer fears God or reverences him. There's very little acceptance of the full counsel of God's word. And then last but definitely not least, there seems to be no submission to God's set authority. I do realize that with all of the scandals taking place in the pulpits of America it is easy to lose confidence and faith in the leadership of the church, but it was God Himself who has set ministers in their places of authority and has commanded us to submit to them.(Hebrews 13:17)
Amos 8:11-13 speaks of this by saying, "Behold, the days are coming; says the Lord, 'that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. In that day our fair virgins and strong young men shall faint from thirst.'" Notice that it is God himself who is sending this famine upon the land. God has allowed churches to choose for themselves preachers who will tell them what they want to hear. Just as it was when Israel demanded a king he allowed them to have Saul. As a result of this there is a famine of the hearing of the word of God because our preachers, for the most part, no longer embrace nor preach the full counsel of God's word. People are wandering from church to church in search of truth yet there's none to be heard. Our young people are crying out for truth and yet it is not to be heard from the majority of the pulpits, especially in America. God has placed his ministers of truth on hold. He has them in a wilderness place, just like John the Baptist, being made ready for this last great move of God. They will come forth as one crying from a wilderness place, "repent for the kingdom of God is at hand." They will speak the absolute truths of God's word and they will also live by the truths of God's word!
Paul recognized that a time would come when people would not want to hear sound doctrine and preachers would accommodate their desires in order to build their numbers, monies, reputations, egos and pride. This is why he admonished Timothy, "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap to themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." I believe we have reached such a time as this. It's a time where people, those seated comfortably on the bus, do not want to endure or even hear sound doctrine. By not enduring sound doctrine I mean they will not stay in your church if you preach the full counsel of God's word, especially a call to holiness. These people are double minded, they want the best of both worlds and they want preachers who will pamper them with kind words of how great they are.
Even Jeremiah addresses this issue in his writings in chapter 22:21-22, "I spake unto you in your prosperity; but you said, I will not hear. This has been your manner from your youth, that you obey not my voice. The wind shall eat up your pastors, and your lovers shall go into captivity; surely then you should be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness." When he says here that he spoke to us in our prosperity he's meaning when we had a wealth of the knowledge of the word of God presented to us. In times past, and not too long ago, preachers would preach the word in its fullness. They would give altar calls and the altars would be lined with seekers because of the conviction that the word of God brought into their souls. Today's church says I will not hear. This seems to be our attitude from the time we were young believers right on through to now--we will not obey the voice of God! But God is sending his tornadic wind to his church and those preachers who are not faithful to their call to preach sound doctrine shall be "eaten up" by the wind of God's judgment.
Ezekiel chapter 13 gives this warning to the modern-day prophets, those declaring the will, mind, plan and word of God, in verses 3, 6, and 10-15. "Thus says the Lord God: 'Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!'" (3) "They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, 'thus says the Lord!' But the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed."(6) (My hand will be against the prophets)"Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, "Peace!" when there is no peace-- and one builds a wall and they plaster it with untempered mortar-- say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?' Therefore thus says the Lord God: "I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar and I will say to you, 'the wall is no more, nor those who plastered it.'"(10-15)
The warning here to our modern-day prophets or preachers is that God is going to send a tornadic wind into their midst and expose them for what they are. He is speaking to those "who follow their own spirit and yet they have seen nothing." In other words those ministers who are following after their own flesh, lust, desires and agendas. Those who are speaking what itching ears want to hear in order to maintain their reputations, financial base and people in their churches. They are like those spoken of in verse six, God has not sent them and yet they're seeking the confirmation of their peers, congregations and leadership to confirm them as ministers of God while all along "the Lord has not sent them." Like the prophets that Ezekiel was speaking about, the ministers today speak a message of peace when there is no peace. They do all they can to make the people on the pew, "those comfortably seated on the bus", to feel safe, secure and heaven bound. They are building the walls, their churches, with untempered mortar, or to say a watered-down compromised word. But God is about to send his wind of judgment which will come as a flooding rain and a stormy wind to tear down what today's ministers are now building. God's wind of judgment is about to expose the false preachers, false doctrines, false Christians and false churches. The foundations upon which we have built our compromised churches will be revealed and they shall fall. Then the world shall know that God is Lord.
Finally, Malachi 2:2 offers this warning to those who are comfortable in their religious "bus seat" believing they are on their journey to heaven while all along they are consumed with contrary spirits, garbage, sin. "If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto My name, says the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already because you do not lay it to heart." Because we pick and choose the Scriptures that we want to adhere to we find ourselves under a curse. When God's wind of judgment comes to His house all that will remain are those who were walking in holiness, purity and righteousness. Those who would dare, by God's own strength, obey all the word of God. If you feel as though your life is not blessed by God you may be right. When we fail to walk in holiness we fail to be blessed of God.
Join us next time for the completion of this message.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
A TORNADO IS COMING TO YOUR CHURCH--Pt 1
God gave me a dream on Saturday morning May 14, 2011, at 5:30AM. I feel that this dream is vitally important for what our nation is going through with the disasters that we have been experiencing as well as prophecy being fulfilled for these the last of the last days. This is a message directed to the church.
I was on a bus full of church people and the bus began to be tossed around like it was caught in a tornado. It spun around and was rocked side to side and to and fro. The people never moved from their seats as though they felt secure in them. As long as they stayed seated they were comfortable and safe--a false sense of security. The shaking of the bus became very violent, yet no one moved. There were sparks flying from the roof of the bus.
I stood and began to rebuke Satan and all his demons. I told the people that we were under demonic attack and for them to start praying and rebuking the demons. As I was talking I made my way to the rear of the bus. There was a small room there like a restroom or closet. I could dimly see through the door and there was a silhouetted figure behind the door. There was a bright light behind it causing it to be silhouetted. I opened the door and a creature came out--a demonic creature I thought. It was white and very fat and round. I was frozen with fear. I had no confidence in my position in Christ. I was so fearful that I could not speak. I tried to rebuke Satan but all I could do was stutter. Finally, I was able to utter one word repeatedly, Jesus.
Finally, I had what appeared to be garbage can lids in my hands. I tried to crush the creature between the two lids in my hands. As I brought the lids together, like cymbals, one on each side of the creature, the creature exhaled out a white cloud and it was no longer round and fat. I woke up. I tried to go back to sleep but scriptures began to pour into me, and I knew that this was a God-given dream.
I then asked God to give me the interpretation of the dream. This is what I felt the Holy Spirit was giving me. Church people are sitting comfortably on the church bus of life, seemingly on life's journey to heaven; but God is about to send the wind of His Spirit to His church. His design is to blow away the garbage, or to say sin,in our lives. The wind of God's Spirit has been attempting to blow through His church and the hearts of His people, but we're content to sit comfortably on our religious "bus seats" and ignore it. We're not even moved by His Holy Spirit when it is moving among us.
Acts chapter 2 verses one through three says, "And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty 'wind', and it filled all the house where they were 'sitting'. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it set up on each of them." Notice when the Holy Spirit is moving among God's people it comes as a wind that blows into our lives and sets us ablaze for His glory. This is what is coming to the church as we sit on our "bus seats," our pews. There is a mighty wind of God's Spirit that is about to blow into the church that will not only cleanse us of all our sin, but it will set us ablaze for His glory.
The sparks that I saw falling from the ceiling of the bus were indicating the fire of God falling on His people. As the fire of the Holy Ghost falls upon us it will expose our sin, the garbage in our lives, that hinders our witness for Christ and prevents us from living in victory.(Numbers 32:23) This coming wind will also set us ablaze for His glory by burning the dross out of our lives. Mal.3:2-3,"But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." When a refiner is purifing gold or silver, he boils it over fire in order for the dross to bubble to the surface. As it comes to the top he scoops it off. He does this until there is no more dross and when he looks upon the liquid he can see his own image reflected in it. So it is with the fire of God that is coming to the church. When it comes it will burn all the dross out of our lives until it is all gone, and when He looks upon us He will see a reflection of Himself. He said that He will purify "the sons of Levi," this is the saints. We are a royal priesthood; we are seated in heavenly places as kings and priests. This is speaking of us. Once He has sent us His fire of purifying and we have been cleansed of our sins and the dross in our lives, we then can offer up to Him an offering "in righteousness." We then are ready to face the coming judgments of God with the confidence that we are His and He will use us in these last days to bring glory to His name.
In the dream I stood and began to rebuke Satan and demons. I have always been able to rebuke Satan and his demons and was confident that I would win the battle--but not this time. My rebukes had no effect on the violent wind. God has shown me that it isn't Satan doing this but Himself. It is God bringing judgment to His church. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them (those in the church but not truly born-again. Remember he is speaking about the church and those in it receiving judgment.) that obey not the gospel of God? (The gospel that teaches us that to be born-again one must die to themselves [Romans 6]). And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly (the carnal "christians", the double-minded in the church)and the sinner (in the church) appear?"(I Peter 4:17,18)
We will think that the violent winds in our lives are of Satan, but it is God Himself come to clean house. When Jesus entered Jerusalem He went into the temple and cleansed it. He is coming again and He wants God's house clean--thus the tornado of God is blowing. He wants holy, pure, clean lives ready to impact our world and ready to harvest souls. A church ready to be like Jesus! Not the religious, self-fabricated Jesus that we claim is the real deal, but the Jesus of the Bible that changes lives! If your Jesus isn't changing you, who would want Him? The Jesus of the Bible changes the lives that He saves. This wind may take on the appearance of sickness, death of loved ones, financial chaos, lost jobs, homes going into foreclosure, false accusations, broken homes, disfunctional families, etc., but all of this is the wind of God designed to purify us--He wants our attention! He is preparing a bride for His Son. One without spot or wrinkle. One who reflects His image.
As I went to the rear of the bus and looked at the smoke glass door on the small room I saw the creature. I realize now that the bright light behind the creature is the presence of God. And in this dream the creature that I saw was solid white. The interpretation of this is the fact that this creature was pure. The creature was also fat and round this simply means that it was full of blessings, full of revival, full of miracles, full of healings, signs and wonders, all the things that God is wanting to give to his church. This creature is the Holy Ghost Himself. He is full of manifestation gifts, blessings, revivals, miracles, healings, signs, and wonders and he is just waiting for the church to be pure enough to receive them. The reason why the Holy Ghost was "fat" is because he has been dammed up as it were with all of these blessings of God not able to allow them to flow out to God's church because of the garbage in our lives. He will not cohabitate with contrary spirits.
In this dream when I first faced this creature I was full of fear. I thought it was because of the presence of evil but it was the presence of purity instead. I was unclean. I felt unworthy to be in the presence of such purity. All I could do was utter the name, Jesus. It seems as though we have enough religious knowledge to know to invoke the name of Jesus but not the lifestyles of Jesus that gives the use of His name its power. Only pure, holy, righteous lives will be victorious in the war between good and evil that is coming in these last days. Only pure lives can defeat the enemy of our souls.
Another thought that came to me as I was praying for the interpretation of this dream was another view of what the silhouette in the closet stood for. As I was praying for the interpretation of this I felt the Holy Spirit asking me, what are we hiding in the closets of our hearts and minds? What spirits are we hiding in the closets of our hearts?
In this dream I tried to use garbage can lids to crush this creature but we must realize that we cannot destroy the works of demons with garbage in our lives. As I brought these garbage can lids together on each side of the creature it exhaled out a white cloud. The cloud was the stored up blessings, revival, miracles, healings, signs, wonders, manifestation gifts, and the greater works that Jesus spoke of. As we take our garbage, or to say our contrary spirits, to God He will release blessings, revival, miracles, healings, signs, wonders, manifestation gifts. The Holy Ghost will breath out upon the church these things from God. Revelation 5:8 tells us as the four creatures and the 24 elders were before the throne John saw, "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." We have been praying for blessings, revival, miracles, healings, signs, wonders, gifts, etc. Our prayers will be mixed with the power of the Holy Ghost and poured out upon us when we allow the Holy Ghost to expose and remove the dross, or to say the garbage, out of our lives.
Hebrews 12:26-27 reads, "Now He who promised, saying, 'Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.' Now this, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of all these things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain." God is shaking up the church as well as all the earth. We are experiencing record earthquakes, floods, droughts, wildfires, tsunamis, tornadoes, etc. We're witnessing nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 as never before. The terms for nation and kingdom means ethnic groups or religious groups, or simply groups of people. We are now seeing religious groups and ethnic groups as well as other groups of people really coming against one another in all parts of the world, especially in the Middle East. We're seeing famines as well as pestilence, the diseases that usually follow famines and earthquakes, like never before. And Jesus said in Matthew 24:8 "all these are the beginnings of sorrow." We are about to witness the last great move of God! The last great awakening! And it will be a call to holiness! God is shaking the earth and the church is not exempt from this shaking--His judgment has begun!
We will continue looking at this tornado that is coming to our churches in next week's blog.
I was on a bus full of church people and the bus began to be tossed around like it was caught in a tornado. It spun around and was rocked side to side and to and fro. The people never moved from their seats as though they felt secure in them. As long as they stayed seated they were comfortable and safe--a false sense of security. The shaking of the bus became very violent, yet no one moved. There were sparks flying from the roof of the bus.
I stood and began to rebuke Satan and all his demons. I told the people that we were under demonic attack and for them to start praying and rebuking the demons. As I was talking I made my way to the rear of the bus. There was a small room there like a restroom or closet. I could dimly see through the door and there was a silhouetted figure behind the door. There was a bright light behind it causing it to be silhouetted. I opened the door and a creature came out--a demonic creature I thought. It was white and very fat and round. I was frozen with fear. I had no confidence in my position in Christ. I was so fearful that I could not speak. I tried to rebuke Satan but all I could do was stutter. Finally, I was able to utter one word repeatedly, Jesus.
Finally, I had what appeared to be garbage can lids in my hands. I tried to crush the creature between the two lids in my hands. As I brought the lids together, like cymbals, one on each side of the creature, the creature exhaled out a white cloud and it was no longer round and fat. I woke up. I tried to go back to sleep but scriptures began to pour into me, and I knew that this was a God-given dream.
I then asked God to give me the interpretation of the dream. This is what I felt the Holy Spirit was giving me. Church people are sitting comfortably on the church bus of life, seemingly on life's journey to heaven; but God is about to send the wind of His Spirit to His church. His design is to blow away the garbage, or to say sin,in our lives. The wind of God's Spirit has been attempting to blow through His church and the hearts of His people, but we're content to sit comfortably on our religious "bus seats" and ignore it. We're not even moved by His Holy Spirit when it is moving among us.
Acts chapter 2 verses one through three says, "And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty 'wind', and it filled all the house where they were 'sitting'. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it set up on each of them." Notice when the Holy Spirit is moving among God's people it comes as a wind that blows into our lives and sets us ablaze for His glory. This is what is coming to the church as we sit on our "bus seats," our pews. There is a mighty wind of God's Spirit that is about to blow into the church that will not only cleanse us of all our sin, but it will set us ablaze for His glory.
The sparks that I saw falling from the ceiling of the bus were indicating the fire of God falling on His people. As the fire of the Holy Ghost falls upon us it will expose our sin, the garbage in our lives, that hinders our witness for Christ and prevents us from living in victory.(Numbers 32:23) This coming wind will also set us ablaze for His glory by burning the dross out of our lives. Mal.3:2-3,"But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." When a refiner is purifing gold or silver, he boils it over fire in order for the dross to bubble to the surface. As it comes to the top he scoops it off. He does this until there is no more dross and when he looks upon the liquid he can see his own image reflected in it. So it is with the fire of God that is coming to the church. When it comes it will burn all the dross out of our lives until it is all gone, and when He looks upon us He will see a reflection of Himself. He said that He will purify "the sons of Levi," this is the saints. We are a royal priesthood; we are seated in heavenly places as kings and priests. This is speaking of us. Once He has sent us His fire of purifying and we have been cleansed of our sins and the dross in our lives, we then can offer up to Him an offering "in righteousness." We then are ready to face the coming judgments of God with the confidence that we are His and He will use us in these last days to bring glory to His name.
In the dream I stood and began to rebuke Satan and demons. I have always been able to rebuke Satan and his demons and was confident that I would win the battle--but not this time. My rebukes had no effect on the violent wind. God has shown me that it isn't Satan doing this but Himself. It is God bringing judgment to His church. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them (those in the church but not truly born-again. Remember he is speaking about the church and those in it receiving judgment.) that obey not the gospel of God? (The gospel that teaches us that to be born-again one must die to themselves [Romans 6]). And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly (the carnal "christians", the double-minded in the church)and the sinner (in the church) appear?"(I Peter 4:17,18)
We will think that the violent winds in our lives are of Satan, but it is God Himself come to clean house. When Jesus entered Jerusalem He went into the temple and cleansed it. He is coming again and He wants God's house clean--thus the tornado of God is blowing. He wants holy, pure, clean lives ready to impact our world and ready to harvest souls. A church ready to be like Jesus! Not the religious, self-fabricated Jesus that we claim is the real deal, but the Jesus of the Bible that changes lives! If your Jesus isn't changing you, who would want Him? The Jesus of the Bible changes the lives that He saves. This wind may take on the appearance of sickness, death of loved ones, financial chaos, lost jobs, homes going into foreclosure, false accusations, broken homes, disfunctional families, etc., but all of this is the wind of God designed to purify us--He wants our attention! He is preparing a bride for His Son. One without spot or wrinkle. One who reflects His image.
As I went to the rear of the bus and looked at the smoke glass door on the small room I saw the creature. I realize now that the bright light behind the creature is the presence of God. And in this dream the creature that I saw was solid white. The interpretation of this is the fact that this creature was pure. The creature was also fat and round this simply means that it was full of blessings, full of revival, full of miracles, full of healings, signs and wonders, all the things that God is wanting to give to his church. This creature is the Holy Ghost Himself. He is full of manifestation gifts, blessings, revivals, miracles, healings, signs, and wonders and he is just waiting for the church to be pure enough to receive them. The reason why the Holy Ghost was "fat" is because he has been dammed up as it were with all of these blessings of God not able to allow them to flow out to God's church because of the garbage in our lives. He will not cohabitate with contrary spirits.
In this dream when I first faced this creature I was full of fear. I thought it was because of the presence of evil but it was the presence of purity instead. I was unclean. I felt unworthy to be in the presence of such purity. All I could do was utter the name, Jesus. It seems as though we have enough religious knowledge to know to invoke the name of Jesus but not the lifestyles of Jesus that gives the use of His name its power. Only pure, holy, righteous lives will be victorious in the war between good and evil that is coming in these last days. Only pure lives can defeat the enemy of our souls.
Another thought that came to me as I was praying for the interpretation of this dream was another view of what the silhouette in the closet stood for. As I was praying for the interpretation of this I felt the Holy Spirit asking me, what are we hiding in the closets of our hearts and minds? What spirits are we hiding in the closets of our hearts?
In this dream I tried to use garbage can lids to crush this creature but we must realize that we cannot destroy the works of demons with garbage in our lives. As I brought these garbage can lids together on each side of the creature it exhaled out a white cloud. The cloud was the stored up blessings, revival, miracles, healings, signs, wonders, manifestation gifts, and the greater works that Jesus spoke of. As we take our garbage, or to say our contrary spirits, to God He will release blessings, revival, miracles, healings, signs, wonders, manifestation gifts. The Holy Ghost will breath out upon the church these things from God. Revelation 5:8 tells us as the four creatures and the 24 elders were before the throne John saw, "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." We have been praying for blessings, revival, miracles, healings, signs, wonders, gifts, etc. Our prayers will be mixed with the power of the Holy Ghost and poured out upon us when we allow the Holy Ghost to expose and remove the dross, or to say the garbage, out of our lives.
Hebrews 12:26-27 reads, "Now He who promised, saying, 'Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.' Now this, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of all these things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain." God is shaking up the church as well as all the earth. We are experiencing record earthquakes, floods, droughts, wildfires, tsunamis, tornadoes, etc. We're witnessing nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 as never before. The terms for nation and kingdom means ethnic groups or religious groups, or simply groups of people. We are now seeing religious groups and ethnic groups as well as other groups of people really coming against one another in all parts of the world, especially in the Middle East. We're seeing famines as well as pestilence, the diseases that usually follow famines and earthquakes, like never before. And Jesus said in Matthew 24:8 "all these are the beginnings of sorrow." We are about to witness the last great move of God! The last great awakening! And it will be a call to holiness! God is shaking the earth and the church is not exempt from this shaking--His judgment has begun!
We will continue looking at this tornado that is coming to our churches in next week's blog.
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