Original post by PD .

Tomorrow we are having a missions theme. I know it’s short notice, but Jose Padilla is leading the evening service and has asked that people bring flags for the country they love or are from, dress in the clothes or bring a snack food or dish.

So, come on out to the 5pm service and we will snack throughout while Jose shares about missions!

Fun!!!!

see you there!
Blessings!

pd

Dustin Hedrick
Head Pastor

the Tapestry Church
a Vineyard Community
Phone | (301) 251-4082
Web | www.tapestrychurch.com

Original post by PD .

Hey Everyone,

if you are looking for something to do on Sunday, Heidi Baker will be at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Frederick, MD at 10:30.

the website is: http://www.cornerstonefellowship.net

Check it out!!!!!

We will miss you guys this weekend.

Blessings!

pd

Dustin Hedrick
Head Pastor

the Tapestry Church
a Vineyard Community
Phone | (301) 251-4082
Web | www.tapestrychurch.com

Original post by PD .

Original post by PD .

Steps – from testing to application

Testing Revelation

Following is a list of eleven tests for judging revelation:

1.            Test your motivation and the purpose in giving the revelation.

 “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”

1 Corinthians 14:3

 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

Ephesians 4:11 & 12

If your motives are other than those outlined above, your heart is not pure in this regard and the revelation is probably not from the Holy Spirit. The result of all of God’s work lies in redemption.

2.            What is the beneficial purpose?

Does it bring conviction or condemnation or does it strengthen and edify?

3.            Test it against the scriptures.

Does it agree with the Word of God? (2 Timothy. 3:16, 17; Rev. 22:18-19)

Does it line up with the purpose of God’s written revelation in the Word? (2 Corinthians. 1:17-20)

4.            Test the content of the revelation (1 Thessalonians. 5:19-22)

Is the rhema confirming something that God is doing in your life or the life of the person it is for? Does it flow with the scriptures, and is God speaking the something to many people in your fellowship.

5.            Does it seek to Glorify Jesus Christ? (John 16:14, 15; Rev. 19:10; Dan. 7:1-14)

All rhema from God will woo you to Jesus Christ and seek to lift Him up with praise and honor.

6.            What is the fruit of the revelation and the resulting fruit in your own life? (Matthew 7:15-18; Ephesians 5:9, 10; Galatians 5:19-26)

7.            Does it come to pass? (Deuteronomy 18:20-22; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12)

8.            Does it draw you away from Jesus? (Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

9.            Does it produce liberty or bondage? (Romans 8:15; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Timothy 1:7; 2 Corinthians 3:17)

10.         Does it produce life or death? (2 Corinthians 3:6)

11.         Does the Holy Spirit attest to the revelation? (1 John 2:27)

In conclusion, we must test ever spirit, and test the spirit of every revelation (1 John 4:1-6). Testing not only involves discerning if the revelation is from God or not, but once discerned that it is of God then, if a vision or dream, it must be interpreted by God before it can be applied.

Interpreting

The interpreting of visions and dreams starts with your investment in the Word of God. The richness of time you spend in the word is in direct correlation to your understanding what God has shown you in pictorial form. Throughout the word, God has illustrated His truth, and you need the truths of scripture to reside deep within your being. When that happens the Holy Spirit is able to reach down into your spirit and pull the relevant truth to the surface and merge it with your revelation. Secular bookstores, for years, have sold books on dream interpretation, linking various symbols with their interpretation. These books are carnal and often demonic in nature. God’s visionary language is creative in nature, individual in purpose, and selective, designed for the one receiving the vision. It can’t be mass-produced and handed out to the curious like candy on Halloween. The only consistency found in the symbolic language of God’s visions and dreams is the richness of the truth it proclaims. We do see commonality at times throughout the body of Christ but these are not set in stone. Symbolism has its foundation in the Word of God! Many times God will use symbols found in the scriptures. On the other hand, he often will use symbols that are relevant to your life experience. God is a creative God. His very nature causes the springing-forth of creative activity in every move. He will not be put into a box. When God speaks to you through visions or dreams, He speaks very personally. For this reason, I have not listed pectoral symbols with their interpretation. To do so would lead some to false interpretation. The only book you need for understanding your visions and dreams is the Living Word of God!

Application

Application not only involves God’s timing, place, and method, but also the motives of your heart in the deliverance of the revelation. Ask God:

·       Who is this revelation for? Is it for me, for someone else, or for the whole group?

·       How should I give this word?

·       When should I give this word?

·       What should I do after giving this word? And so on.

Remember, when giving a rhema from God, your heart is always in focus. Abide in Him, stay humble, and seek His face and not simply His hand. Dare to be a Daniel and strive for the deeper things in Him. Don’t settle for revelation, for the sake of revelation. Seek His face in the midst of revelation and you will overflow with rivers of living water. Then, and only then, will your cup, be a cup of blessings to others around you.

God Bless

Fred Raynaud

www.iacfc.org

Sources of Revelation

To help better understand this let’s look at three sources of revelation that can come into your mind. It is critical to our understanding, for Peter tells us that:

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not”

2 Pet. 2:1-3

The very fact that false teachers shall arise should move us all the more into the direction of abiding, but abiding does not mean abandonment of the gifts that God has given us.

Now let’s look at a few sources of revelation that exist. The first and most important source of revelation comes from the Holy Spirit. In 2 Peter we are told:

 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

2 Peter 1:21

The Greek word here for “moved” is “Phero.” The meaning of “Phero” is to bear, carry, or borne along. This word is also used in Acts 27:15-17, where Paul, on his way to Rome, by ship, was caught in a fierce storm. The winds drove the ship into the island of Malta where it was shipwrecked. In this instance, we see the same word used for the ship being driven by the wind as was used previously. This is all too reminiscent of the rushing wind we see in Acts chapter two:

“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 of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Acts 2:2-4

On several occasions Jesus, in the book of John speaks of the Holy Spirit and His relationship to the church, lets take a look at a few of them:

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

John 14:16, 17

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

John 14:26

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

John 15:26

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

John 16:7

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

John 16:13, 14

In addition to the Holy Spirit as a source for revelation, there are two other sources that can invade our minds.

A second source for revelation is the human spirit or soul. This is illustrated for us in the book of Ezekiel we read:

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel 13:1-8

This is a perfect example for God’s people falling into the delusion of false revelation brought on by their own sinful hearts. The Lord links their delusion with the vanity of their walk, the lack of abiding in Christ and resting in their own prideful ways. Jeremiah also expounds on:

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?”

Jeremiah 23:16-18

It is evident from these passages that the need to stay humble before God, to seek His face and not simply His Hand, and keeping your heart pure before Him, is the only way to abide. This calls for the fruit of the Spirit in all its meekness, anything less, simply leads to strong delusion. In Colossians Paul tells us that we should:

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Colossians 2:8

 Here again we see the role that vanity plays in deception and the pride of human philosophy in the web of deceit. We must be wise and humble in all our ways lest we fall into the pitfall of deception.

The wounded soul is also a source of false revelation. Later on in the book under the chapter of healing, we will talk about the renewing of the mind and inner healing of the wounded soul. The whole process of healing the wounded soul will help guard against soulish delusion.

The third source of revelation comes from the demonic realm. Paul makes it very clear in the book of Ephesians, chapter six, that our warfare is not waged against mankind but the spiritual forces of darkness. Paul further elaborates for us in 2 Corinthians the craftiness of the enemy in his pursuit to destroy what God is doing.

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him… For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

2 Corinthians 11:3, 4, 13-15

A good example of this kind of warfare encounter is found in the book of Acts 16:16-18 were read:

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”

Acts 16:16-18

In this account, we see a woman possessed by a demon of necromancy. The deception that she was using, to infiltrate the church, was not a lie, but a truth that was being proclaimed through a demonic spirit. No doubt, this was to give credence to her divination, and I presume, that her ultimate desire was to secure a position in the church that would ultimately lead to damnable heresies. However, Paul grieved in his spirit, through the gift of discerning of spirits, saw through this false angle of light, and cast the demon out. Oh, how much more today do we need this gift? I pray that the Lord would richly pour out this gift upon us in these last days.

This whole process of judging revelation takes on major elements of warfare and that many times this takes place in our minds. That’s why we are commanded to renew our minds, and put on the mind of Christ. Take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Rhema of God. Paul tells us in Second Corinthians that:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The key here lie in taking every thought captive and sifting it through the Word of God. We must keep our hearts in check. For vain imaginations and thoughts that proceed, ether from the flesh or the demonic realm, have only one purpose in mind and that’s to kill the life of Christ in you, to rob you and the Church of the blessings of the Most High, and to destroy all that God desires to do in this dyeing world. We must pray for a humble heart, and discern what is of God and what is not. Therefore, as Jesus has stated, we must,

“Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

Luke 8:18

This is truly a call to heart cleansing for

“With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward”

Psalm 18:26

Many times revelation will be a mixture of the above. Having a mixture does not necessarily label you as a false prophet, for we are in a fallen world with a fallen nature, not perfect, and must sift out what is good and beneficial and ignore the parts that are not. Paul tells us this in First Thessalonians:

“Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Peter is a perfect example of mixture in revelation. Look at these two events in the book of Matthew:

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

Matthew 16:16, 17, 21-25

In contrast with:

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Matthew 16:16, 17, 21-25

At one moment Peter is receiving divine revelation regarding Jesus’ true identity, and at another moment the devil is speaking through him with lying revelation. Jesus response to all this is a call to self-denial, seeking the will of God and not selfish ambitions. I would guess that Peter felt proud after Jesus blessed him saying:

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:18, 19

This opened his heart to be deceived and give ungodly counsel. If Peter, can fall into this trap, how much more can we in the church today?

The fruits of the flesh are not the only doors to false revelation. Fatigue, sickness, tiredness, stress, certain forms of meditation, and depression can all add to the confusion found in receiving Godly revelation.

“Yet, the words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

Psalm 12:6

Judas, being filled with greed and the need for power, opened up the door to the devil, which lead to the betrayal of our Lord.

“And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;”

John 13:2

Proverbs tells us that all the ways of a man are wise in his own eyes: but the Lord weighs the spirits (Proverbs 16:2). Knowing this we must commit all our works unto the Lord, and are thoughts will be established (Proverbs 16:3).

This is why fellowship is so important. We must submit ourselves to one another (Ephesians 5:21). For, where there is no counsel, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety (Proverbs 11:14). We must look for evidences of influences other than the Spirit of God. Examine the heart or center core of your revelation. Do a system check of your spiritual walk.

God Bless

Fred Raynaud

www.iacfc.org

 “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

“For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good…”

Luke 6:43-44

Three aspects to revelation need to be sifted through before a revelation can be fully implemented in your life. The first is the Revelation itself. The second is the Interpretation of that revelation. The third is the Application of that revelation. Before we dive into the details of these three areas, let’s set some groundwork or foundational principles.

The first step in discerning revelation is taking a hard look at your own life, a spiritual survey if you will. You need to do a system check. You need to test your heart and character. Ask yourself various questions to get a spiritual measurement of your walk with the Lord. Take a spiritual pulse-check if you will. This is very important because your discernment is in direct relationship to your abiding in Christ. You are a fallen creature, saved by grace, and trapped within a mortal body of sin and death. It is only by abiding in Him that the spiritual filter of the Holy Spirit can function fully in you. We are in a war and the enemy of our souls will not stop in his efforts to delude and destroy all that God is trying to do in your life. Jesus said,

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

John 15:1-7

System Check

Here are some key questions to ask when doing a spiritual system check.

How is my devotional life? Am I regularly reading the Word of God in addition to studying the scriptures? It is very important not to just study the Bible, but to devotionally-read the bible, slowly, and meditatively, giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to breathe His truth into your spirit. Much like dinning on the Word of God, savoring every bit, as apposed to studying the recipes, which though very important, do not compare to eating a solid diet of simple reading.

Check your prayer life. How is my prayer life? Do I spend quality quiet time with the Father? Is my prayer life more than corporate prayer or intersession? Do I have quiet fellowship with the Lord? Do I listen as much as I speak? Devotional prayer is just as important as any other kind of prayer. To learn to savor those moments with God on a regular base will build a life style of abiding.

Am I having fellowship with other believers? You need to fellowship within the body of Christ. You need to be a part of a local fellowship. A branch set apart from the vine soon withers. A log removed from a burning fire soon smolders. Ask yourself - how is my fellowship?

Do I have un-confessed sin in my life? Jesus said, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25). The ability to release the issues of life to the Father and confess your sins quickly and expediently unto the Lord is the surest way to stay on the path of abiding. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and true to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

What are my motives? Do I seek to edify the body of Christ? Am I others oriented? Do I have a humble and contrite spirit or am I filled with pride, religiosity, or one-up-man-ship? God is searching for humble hearts of simple devotion to Him. This often is a trait that is honed in the fire of adversity, trial, and brokenness… but is one that should be strived for…. The ability to seek His face and not just His hand is the surest posture to take when abiding.

Once you have done a system check, and find yourself in a place of abiding, then you are ready to discern, listen, and judge what God is breathing into your spirit. You must understand that it is important to judge and test revelation. In 1 Corinthians 14:29-33 we read:

“Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

1 Corinthians 14:29-33

Testing and judging are the natural outcome of moving in revelatory knowledge. Too many times people want to throw out the baby with the bath water. Because of fear, they despise prophecy, deny the moving of God’s Spirit, and turn from God in an effort to protect the church from error. Yet, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21: “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” The command here is proper balance, testing without grieving, judging without despising. One of the difficult problems believers face, as they learn to move in revelatory knowledge, is to discern what is accurate or inspired by the Holy Spirit or what is inaccurate or fleshly.

God Bless

Fred Raynaud

www.iacfc.org

Prophetic Dreams and Visions

As you can see from the previous study the Prophetic-word of God can come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. It is this variety that I would like to focus on in the prophetic. I would like to zoom in on the use of visions and dreams in the prophetic. Prophetic visions and dreams are all throughout the scriptures. I Deuteronomy 13:1 a Prophet is referred to as a “Dreamer of Dreams.” In Numbers 12 we read:

“And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.”

Numbers 12:5,6

A good example of “Prophetic Seeing” is found in Isaiah 6:1-8. Let’s read:

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

Isaiah 6:1-8

Another example of “Prophetic Seeing” is found in the book of the Prophet Daniel. Let’s take a look at Daniel’s dream found in chapter seven.

“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me….”

Daniel 7:1-15

Now let’s look at a few personal examples of visions and dreams, relating to various aspects of Prophetic Ministry.

Personal Prophecy

Not too long ago while praying with Debbie, a friend of mine, the Lord gave me a vision. In this vision, I saw a wooded area with a stream running through it. Debbie was running along the side of the stream, shooting and darting through the woods. The look on her face was intense and urgent.

Next to her in the river was a salmon swimming up stream. As I looked at Debbie running she suddenly stopped, as if she was in pain. She reached done and took hold of her foot. She was wearing a pair of moccasins. I noticed there was a whole in the bottom of one of her moccasins. Debbie had a rock or something in her moccasins that was causing her to stumble.

As I began to share this vision with Debbie, the presence of God was all over me. I began to speak as the Lord gave me utterance. “Child you have sought Me with all your heart and you have ran the race that I have set before you with diligence and perseverance. Yet every time you stumble you beat yourself up with condemnation feeling that I have rejected you. Yet it is this rejection and pain that I have come to heal. For I have not rejected you, says the Lord. I have purchased you for a price more precious than Gold, I have paid for all the pain and the hurt, and I have come to give you life and that more abundantly. I have come to take away the pain of that which causes you to fall and give you a new pair of shoes, fitted for you and the race that I have called you to. For as the salmon swims up stream to give birth to that which I have put in him, so you shall run and give birth to that which I have put in you. For your feet shall be as hinds feet, set upon a Rock. That Rock is the Rock of your salvation. No longer shall the stubble of this thing, cause you to stumble, for I have broken the curse that has clung to your path and given you new shoes to run with, says the Lord.”

The outcome of this personal prophecy to Debbie was truly a point of breakthrough for her. Over the following months, this word from Lord had revitalized her walk with Him. The Lord had healed the spirit of rejection that weighed her down and given her a new vigor. Today she works full time in ministry for her local church in Florida.

Let me share with you another example of a personal prophecy that will help to illuminate visions and the prophetic. A few years back while ministering personal prophecy at a church in Richmond Virginia, during one of their School of the Holy Spirit nights, I received a vision for a gentleman seating in the church.

In this vision, I saw a boat floating on a lake. The boat had several life perseveres along its side. This man was trying to sit in a lounge chair and relax but every time he began to sit down the waves of the lake began to rise up and he could never sit.

I shared the vision with this brother and the Lord gave me this word to give to Him, “All your life you have been a protector to your children. You have taught them the ways of the Lord and have given them My light that they my serve Me, says God. Just as you have been a life preserver to them in a time of trouble so I AM to you, says God. Trust Me to be your Father. Trust Me to be that life preserver that takes care of all of you. For surly I shall watch over your children, says God. I shall protect them and help them in the time of need. Yet know I have come to help you, says God. I have come to refresh your soul and give you a season of rest from the worry that rises up against you. Trust Me O child of mine and I shall be your skipper, your anchor, and your quiet place. Now be refreshed says God. Be released from so much responsibility; and know this, that I, the Lord, today, have given you rest. Receive my Spirit and know that my peace shall refresh your soul, says God.”

As I shared this word to this dear brother, I could see waves of the Spirit refresh him, as tears rolled down the sides of his face. God desires to speak to His children. He desires to touch them right were they are at, and give them abundant life in this hard world that we live in.

One final example of personal prophecy will suffice for our purposes here. One day several years ago while ministering to a group of employees at CBN the Lord gave me a vision for a dear lady named Lolla. In this vision, I saw the hand of the Lord upon Lolla. On His hand, he was wearing a ring with various stones in it. In His other hand, He held a scepter with sparkling jewels that shined forth-tremendous light. Lolla was standing with her head down sadness filled her countenance.

The Lord spoke to my heart and said, “This ring on My finger is Lolla’s family and every stone within it is the birth stones of her children.” I shared this vision with Lolla and then the Lord gave me this word to give her.

“Daughter of Mine, I am the lifter of your head, the God of your salvation, the Lord of Comfort in your time of need. You have worried about the destiny of your children, whether they will serve me or serve the fallen one, and sadness has filled your heart. Know this, that I am for you, says the Lord, and I have heard the tears of your sorrow. For with every tear that falls to the ground I have caused it to water the seed that is within your children. Do not fear for their souls for My hand is upon them even as My hand has been upon you. I have placed them upon the ring of My finger and with My scepter I have upheld the desires of your heart. For the jewels on My finger have become the jewels on your crown, for you are my faithful one and your children are set into sockets of pure gold tried in the fire and they shall illuminate the light of My glory. Remember My ways are not your ways; but know this that the way that I have chosen is truly the best way for I am the way the truth and the life, and today I have given you a crown of promise to cover your household. So lift up your head and behold the God of your salvation.”

With teary eyes, Lolla lifted her head in praise unto God. The power of His presence pierced through hopelessness and despair, bringing about faith in the author and giver of life. Oh how wonderful are His ways, how majestic is His name among those who love Him.

Prophecy and Directional Seeing

Directional seeing is the process in which the Lord shows you something that is specifically related to gaining understanding regarding direction. This may be for you or for someone else. Let me use this example to illustrate directional seeing. In 1980, I was attending fellowship at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in California. Every Friday night Pastor Chuck Smith would host a Christian concert through Maranatha Music to minister to the youth. One night, after the concert was over the lead singer for the band made a call to all who would like to participate in “One Day at a Time Prison Ministries.” The Lord touched my heart so powerfully that I shoot out of my chair and went up to volunteer for that ministry. Over the next several weeks we went to local jails and prisons, ministering to those incarcerated. During that time I met a gentleman, I’ll call Bob (not his real name). Bob was a professional businessman and was very involved in the political arena and revitalization projects in Orange County. Bob and I became pretty good friends.

My time in prison ministry was cut short when the Lord called my wife and I to Canada to open a Hotel. The next six months we spent our time in the icy cold of Canada. When we returned from Canada, the Lord placed it upon my heart to get a hold of Bob. For the next few weeks I looked for Bob, finely I left a message at his office. A few days later, the Lord gave me a dream. In this dream, I saw the architect drawings or blue prints of Orange County Airport. They were very detailed and written across the drawing were the words “John Wayne International Airport.” I woke blow away by this dream.

I was standing in the kitchen of my mother’s house telling her about the dream when the phone rang. Mom answered it. She looked at me and said, “It’s for you. Do you know someone by the name of Bob?”

“Yes,” I said. I took the phone and said, “Bob, How are you doing? I have been trying to reach you.”

“Good Fred, good, what can I do for you.”

“Well,” I said, “I’m not really sure… I had this dream last night.” I proceeded to tell Bob about the dream, when we got in town, and how the Lord had placed him on my heart.

“Praise God,” Bob said, “You know I sit on the board of the County Commissioners her in Orange County? Well I have been seeking the Lord’s guidance regarding something. You see – we are looking at rebuilding Orange County Airport and it has been recommended that we rename the airport to ‘John Wayne International Airport.’ I have been praying if this is the right thing to do. Praise God brother, I believe God just gave me the green light.”

I was so blown away at what transpired I just stood in my mom’s kitchen praising the Lord, and today, if you fly into Orange County, you will be greeted by an eight foot bronze statue of John Wayne as you pass through the gates of “John Wayne International Airport.”

So what’s the lesson here? One brother is praying for guidance. Another brother is 1,000 miles away driving down the coast heading back to California. God stirs my heart to get a hold of that brother, but not knowing why. After multiple attempts – it was the night before he reached me that the Lord spoke vie a dream regarding this brother’s situation. It was all so very naturally supernatural. This is the simplicity of the language of visions and dreams. The Father desires to move in our day-to-day lives. He wants the freedom to pour out the spirit of revelation and understanding in very practical and common ways. He is looking for hearts that are not bound up by a religious spirit but hearts set free to walk with him in simplicity. The God of the everyday is speaking everyday.

Prophecy and the Gathered Assembly

Often times the Lord desires to speak to His people as a group. This is different from what He proclaims in a personal prophecy. When prophesying to the gathered assembly it is very important that all things are done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40). Order deals with timing and the leadership of your church can let you know what is acceptable to your specific church. Remember that the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet (1 Cor. 14:32). That means that you control the “when” and “how” of prophecy. Be teachable and open to correction. Assembly prophecy should fallow the 1 Cor. 14:3 purpose. Remember that revelation given to you by God while you’re at church does not mean that the revelation is necessarily for the whole group. With every revelation there needs to be interpretation and application. It is God’s application that lets you know the “who,” the “where,” and the “when,” of a revelation.

Let me now share with you some examples of prophetic vision from my own experience. In August of 1990, during CBN’s “Seven Days Ablaze”, I was in worship in front of the studio headquarters building when the Lord gave me this vision.

The Lord spoke to me very loud and clear saying “What I am doing in the church today is world-wide and I am calling My people to be trees of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, and all My trees shall clap their hands.” Then I saw this Vision.

I was looking up to heaven praising Him. The presence of the Lord was truly overwhelming. All of a sudden, I saw the throne of God, high and exulted. Around about the throne were the trees of the Lord. They were blowing in the wind, moving and swaying in worship to the Lord. Then I saw a White Mountain of solid rock, like marble, or jasper. It filled the whole earth, as it shot up into heaven in brilliant splendor. There were large crevasses in the sides of the mountain. As I looked, I was overcome with the slender of the shape of this mountain. As I looked up at this mountain, I realized that the crevices in the sides of this mountain were the creases in the majestic robe of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then the Lord said, “My trees shall be petrified trees of solid rock. Trees planted not of this world but trees planted on Me.” Then I saw these trees planted on the mountain of the Lord and the mountain was Christ. Trees of stone, hallelujah! Then I was standing next to a tree, a tree that shot up so high in the mountain. As I was looking up into the tree, I saw the Holy Spirit, as a dove, flying up over the top of the tree. Then the Lord said, “Look at the place I’ve called you to. Look at the place I’ve called you to.” Then I opened my eyes and I saw the mountain of God surrounding the place where we were standing, it was surrounding everything, everywhere, and the Lord said “BEHOLD THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD AND THESE TREES SHALL BE PLANTED UPON THIS MOUNTAIN!” The Spirit of the Lord was all over Me.

Pat Robertson sensed that some people had received a word from the Lord and asked if we would like to share. Then I shared parts of this vision to the crowd gathered at this assembly, as the Lord had lead. The following day Pat spoke on the book of Daniel and “the Mountain, cut with out hands.”

This vision had a threefold purpose. Part of it was for the gathered assembly, part was to Pat, possibly confirming his message for the following day, and part of it was a personal word to me. In this setting, the Lord would only have me share that which was for the group and for Pat.

Let me now share with you one more vision that deals with public prophecy to gathered assemblies. On night about a few years ago, I attended a small group meeting at a friend’s house. During worship at this meeting, the Lord gave me the following vision.

In this vision, I saw the oceans of the world at dusk. There were navel ships moving across the face of the waters coming from all directions. Then I saw a ballerina beginning to dance across the floor. Her beauty and purity was uncanny. Her stature was as an Olympian with perfectly toned muscles and her face had a look of intense seriousness about it. With every move she made there was a sense of perfect form and balance. Then the Lord spoke “BEHOLD THE DANCE OF THE BRIDE!” As He was speaking, I saw the Earth suspended in clear blue space. This ballerina was standing at the top of the Earth in a starting stance with her hand held up to the heavens. Then I saw the Hand of the Lord reach down and take hold of the ballerina’s hand. With perfect orchestration, He began to spin the bride in a dance. Faster and faster He spun, moving the bride across the globe. Then He said, “BEHOLD THE DANCE OF THE BRIDE! For surly she shall dance and surly I shall come. For the dance that I have called her to is a dance of holiness and power. To shack the foundations on which this world stands. Like a mighty army my bride shall come. From the north even to the south, and from the east to the west, so she shall dance. For greater things than these shall ye see. For my table is set and my wedding shall be - but the dance of my bride this world shall see, for I am coming for the Holy ones. I am coming - GOD THE SON!”

At the end of this word, we experienced an outpouring of the Spirit that it was truly over whelming. We read in Revelation 19:7, 8 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” and in Hosea 2:19,20 “And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.” and finely in Isaiah 62:5 “For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” So Paul adds to this in Ephesians 5:32 where he has been expounding on marriage says “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

The bride of Christ shall prepare the way for the return of her Husband. She shall get her house in order and sweep through this planet with Holy fire as the extended arm of the Lord. The power of God shown the church during apostolic era has not ended. As a mater of fact the dance of the bride shall be like nothing before it, For as one man ushered forth the proclamation of His first coming, a company of believers shall bring in his second coming. For this is the time of the bridle shower - where the later rains mingle with the former rains - bringing down a shower that will flood the earth. Like a title wave of His presence the earth shall again be flooded but this time with the rain of His glory.

Gifts and Callings

Often times the Lord will prophetically confirm the gifts and callings to an individual through prophecy. This is illustrated by Paul, in Romans 1:11, “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.” Paul adds to this idea when he address Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:14, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” Paul tells Timothy later in to stir up that gift was given him, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands (2 Timothy 1:6).” In 2 Samuel 7:8-17 we have a good example of this kind of prophecy.

“Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.”

2 Samuel 7:8-17

Let me now share with you a personal experience that will illustrate how visions relate to this kind of prophecy. One night while ministering prophecy at a church in Virginia the Lord gave me a vision for a young lady sitting in the congregation.

In this vision, I saw this young lady standing on a dusty dirt road. The road looked like it was in Jerusalem. In her hand was a bowl of milk. She knelt down in the center of the street and placed the bowl of milk on the ground. All of a sudden, I saw little kittens from all over the city running up to this bowl to get milk. They were all huddled around that bowl, lapping and drinking all they could get. Then I saw this young lady standing on this road surrounded by children.

I shared this vision with that young lady and the Lord gave me these words to give to her. “Daughter of mine I have placed a sweet anointing of My Spirit within you and I have called you and chosen you to be a missionary and teacher to My children. For the milk, that I have placed within you is true milk indeed, sweet and pure. For this milk shall draw all that I put in your path to come to you. You shall be a refuge to the children and nourishment to there souls. For I know, Daughter, that you shall go wherever I send you. It shall be even as kittens are drawn to milk so these children shall be drawn to you, says the Lord God.”

We all then prayed for this young Lady and called down God’s blessing and anointing upon her. As we prayed, the presence of God was all over her and she was slain in the Spirit, falling to the ground with His sweet presence. I later found out her father was a pastor and that she had been seeking God about being a missionary and going to Israel. God had confirmed the desires of Her heart, and in fact had placed that desire within her, Himself.

Prophecy can touch many accepts of our lives. The Lord desires to speak to our day-to-day needs even as He desires to plant hope for our future and bring us into the gifts and callings of our lives. I have seen God speak to people regarding to geographical moves, major decisions, business endeavors, romance, pregnancies, financial endeavors, and future events. God at times has even spoken words of rebuke and though this is rare and is always spoken in love, nonetheless it happens for whom the Lord loves He also chases. The Lord desires to woo His bride unto himself. Jesus is jealous for His own, and He will not share His bride with the spirit of this world.

The bible speaks very clearly about prophecy in the scripture. We are told not to despise prophecy or give it a lesser role than is appropriate. At the same time we are commanded to prove all prophecies, and hold fast to that which is good (1 Thes. 5:20, 21). Even beyond all this we are commanded to desire and earnestly covet the prophetic ministry - “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way… Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy… Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues” (1 Cor. 12:31; 14:1, 39).

To respond properly to the prophetic it is important that we learn to judge properly what has been said. But more importantly is to judge a prophet as a person by the quality of his life. This entails the fruit of his ministry, his message, the maturity in his life, the methods he employees, his moral character, and motives of his heart. Motives are high on God’s list discernment list. Samuel declared that when anyone manipulates prophecy for his or her own gain, that person is guilty of the sin of witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:22, 23).

Responding to something that God has given you takes an element of faith. In Hebrews 4:2 we read - “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard It” If a prophetic word is received with an attitude of faith and acceptance, then the rhema that is heard will create faith for the fulfillment of that word. In Romans 10:17 it states that “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” In the Greek, the “word” here is “rhema.” A word from God quickened to you for that moment. Faith is foundational. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. However, with faith all things are possible.

True faith produces the ability to obey and obedience is better than sacrifice. James tells us to be doers of the word, and not hears only. And in Deuteronomy 29:29 we read - “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” and in Romans 2:13 it is the doers of the law that shall be justified and not just the hearer. So James tells us in 4:17 - “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Finely let patience, humility, meekness, and submission be the foundation on which you respond to a true word of prophecy. Humble obedience is the ignition key that starts the fulfillment of what God has spoken to you. Let the prophets of God arise and proclaim this world for the Kingdom of our God!

 God Bless

Fred Raynaud

www.iacfc.org

Growing as a Prophet

The gifts and callings of God come from Him. He is the one that calls and distributes as He wills. Jesus illustrated this when He told His disciples:

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: . . .”

John 15:16

It is Christ that gives the ascension gifts:

“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men . . . And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”

Ephesians 4:8, 11

This is further elaborated on in Paul’s letter to Corinth:

“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”

1 Corinthians 12:28

We are told to desire Spiritual gifts and to desire the gift of prophecy yet it is God who places the offices in the church.

Mike Bickle, in speaking about contemporary prophetic ministry gifts, identifies four levels of prophetic ministry. His outline of the prophetic is very helpful in identifying the ingredients of development in prophetic ministry. This four level framework is simply a starting place to look at the function of the prophetic within the church today. Mike Bickle clearly states that this is just a starting place and after further research it may become apparent that more levels are needed.

Simple Prophecy

The first level is that of Simple Prophecy, that is someone who speaks something that God brings to mind. This kind of prophecy is illustrated in Acts,

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:”

Acts 2:17, 18

Paul adds to this where he says that: “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted” (1 Cor. 13:31). This level of gifting is from the Holy Spirit to equip the church for edification, exhortation, and comfort, to one another (1 Cor. 14:3.) This gift is available to all believers.

Prophetic Gifting

The second level is that of Prophetic Gifting. This gift falls into the same category as level 1 of simple prophecy but it differs in that the person operating in this gift is beginning to bud forth more of a prophetic anointing. This level is the starting point of the separation of simple prophecy, available to all, and the Gift of Prophecy is exercised on a regular bases. An individual moving in this realm should be honed for leadership and discipled on a regular base. His main purpose is still to edify, exhort, and to comfort.

Prophetic Ministry

The third level is that of Prophetic Ministry. These are individuals who have been released by the church for ministry. Their gifting is much broader than that of the 1 Cor. 14 model for in this level there is a measure of authority within the local assembly, but they may travel outside the local church to minister to other members of the body. Often those moving in this level also will operate with many of the other sign gifts, i.e., healing, miracles, and deliverance. In addition, there is strong insight into directional and correctional ministry.

Office of Prophet

The fourth and final level is that of the Office of Prophet. These individuals have a far-reaching ministry to the body of Christ. Their influence is more on international bases and natural signs as in the Old Testament often confirm their words. Their words carry much authority and they, often, move in the sign gifts. They have a current flow of revelation to include angelic visitation, and open visions. At times, they will speak of things that are not spiritual, i.e., natural events and things that speak to the nations. There is also revelation regarding future events and moves of the Spirit worldwide.

To grow as a prophet of the Lord it is imperative that you be filled with the word of God. Study the scriptures. Meditate on the texts concerning prophecy. This takes a disciplined life style. There needs to be strong emphases on prayer and intersession. Your Christian character is very important. The words of a prophet are first judged by the fruits of a prophet. Learn to weigh prophecy, both yours and others. Ask God to grant you wisdom (James 1:5). You must desire to walk blameless before all men letting your light shine forth as outlined in 1 Timothy and Titus. You must be correctable, teachable, and fall under the leadership of your church or governing body. It is very important to be in a learning environment such as a home group at your church. Search out elders within your church who will help you grow up in your gift. Recognize the value of prophecy in the church (1 Cor. 14:3). Ask God for the gift of prophecy. We are encouraged to seek after and desire to prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1,39). Ask your pastor to lay hands on you to receive the gift of prophecy (Rom. 1:11; 1 Tim.4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). Finely you must be in love with Jesus Christ. Be obedient if God releases prophecy to you. Respond to the Holy Spirit.

The Forms of Prophecy

In the bible, we see various forms of the prophetic. Like a painter’s palate the rainbow of colors in which God expresses Himself to His people is a reflection of His divine creative nature. The colors are as vast with variety as the personalities traits found in His people.

In Isaiah 49:5-7 we see “The Prophetic Oracle,” this also can be seen in the New Testament in Acts 13:1-3. The word “oracle” in the Greek is the word “Logion.” It is a diminutive of the word “logos” meaning a word, narrative, or statement and it is divine in that it is a message from God to His people. In the New Testament the use of the word “oracle” can be seen in 1 Peter 4.

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

1 Peter 4:10, 11

Here we see oracle and its relationship to the full counsel of God, or totality in teaching. This I would say is the call for walking and living a life founded upon the Logos thereby causing the Rehma of God to come forth. This is not an addition to scripture as we discussed earlier. Let’s look at a Prophetic Oracle found in the book of Acts.

“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.”

Acts 13:1,2

In the book of Isaiah chapter 12:1-6 and in Acts 15:30-35, we have an example of “The Prophetic Exhortation.” The meaning of exhortation denotes the idea of calling one to one’s side, to entreat, an appeal, encouragement, and consolation. Let’s look at these two examples of the “Prophetic Exhortation.”

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee”

Isaiah 12:1-6

“So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them. And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles. Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still. Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also”

Acts 15:30-35

In Nehemiah 9:6-37 we have an outstanding picture of “Prophetic Prayer.” This kind of prayer is an anointed prayer where the Spirit of God steps in as intercessor and bubbles forth the heart of God. Linked to Prophetic Prayer is the prayer of intersession. When intersession is combined with Prophetic insight, it becomes much more powerful, cutting through the heart of the matter and cries out God’s solutions to a given situation. Let’s look at Luke 1:67-69 for an example of Prophetic Prayer.

“And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David…”

Luke 1:67-69

Now let’s look at prophecy in the form of a song. The song of Moses, found in Deut. 32:1-43, is a beautiful example of “The Prophetic Song.” Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:15 “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” Moreover, in Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”; In Deuteronomy 31:30 we see that Moses sang to the people of God. “And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.” In Isaiah 42, we see the prophet Isaiah break into song in the midst of prophecy.

“Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands. The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.”

Isaiah 42:10-13

There is also an aspect of prophecy that takes the form of “Personal Prophecy.” The “Personal Prophecy” seems very popular as well as controversial today. I believe this kind of ministry is very important to the body of Christ. Yet, like anything else there needs to be balance. “Personal Prophecy” is a prophetic Rehma word from God to an individual. “Personal Prophecy” may cover topics concerning gifts, callings, ministries, God’s will in a situation, romance or marriage, births, geographical moves, or simply your walk with God. Like all prophecy, it needs to be judged and confirmed in the body of Christ with the understanding that “Personal Prophecy” is always “in part” and not the whole picture. Let’s take a look at 2 Samuel 12:1-7 where we have an example of “Personal Prophecy.”

“And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

2 Samuel 12:1-7

In the book of Acts 21:9-11 we have, another “Personal Prophecy” combined with “Prophetic Action.” Let’s read.

“And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done”

Acts 21:9-11

The “Prophetic Action” is found all throughout the Old Testament. This kind of Prophetic communication is a physical acting out what the Lord is saying. It is dramatic and is always done at the Lord’s command and not at the whim of an individual. In Jeremiah 13:1-11 we have a good example of the “Prophetic Action.”

“Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear”

Jeremiah 13:1-11

God Bless

Fred Raynaud

www.iacfc.org

 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy”

Acts 2:17-18

“Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”

Psalms 105:15

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Amos 3:7

“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.”

1 Corinthians 14:1

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

Ephesians 4:11-12

“He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”

Matthew 10:41

We are living in a prophetic time, a season of the ushering forth of the Kingdom of God… a time of the Elijahs of God to take their stand, with golden trumpets of proclamation upon their lips and holy fire in their eyes.

We, as members of the body of Christ, are advancing the Kingdom of our God and forerunners to the dawning of a new order, a new government, a new kingdom – a Kingdom not made with hands. We are partakers and forerunners to the return of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Like John the Baptist, we are the voices of many crying out in the wilderness - Prepare the way of the Lord.

We are prophetic people. We are the oracles of the living God and now, more than ever, the time has come to proclaim from the mountaintops - behold the Lord is coming with the clouds and every eye shall see Him. For surely our God desires to speak to His church and woo His bride to the wedding feast of the Lamb; to call her garments white and to remove every spot and wrinkle. However, the voice of the bridegroom will not stop at the church. For nations shall hear - Our God Reigns. Truly, the time has come for the Elijahs of God to step forth and call for an accounting to all who oppose Him who sits upon the throne.

Prophecy in Perspective

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines prophecy as a noun that “signifies the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God. It is the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means. It is the forth-telling of the will of God, whether concerning the past, the present, or the future.”

Dr. Bill Hamon states that, “A truly, divinely inspired prophecy is the Holy Spirit expressing the thoughts and desires of Christ through a human voice.”

Derek Prince says that, “The gift of prophecy is the supernatural imparted ability to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, and speak God’s mind or counsel. Prophecy ministers primarily to the assembled group of believers but also to individuals. Its three main purposes are:

·       To edify, meaning to build up and strengthen, to make more effective

·       To exhort, meaning to stimulate, or to encourage, or to admonish

·       To comfort or to cheer up

John Wimber states, “Prophecy is declaring the message of God to His church for the purpose of edification. It is not a skill, aptitude, or talent. It is the actual speaking forth of words given by the Spirit in a particular situation and ceases… this may be given in a poetic form or even in a song.”

We can see here various definitions to prophecy, telling us various aspects of the prophetic. Vine’s says that prophecy contains the mind, counsel, and or will of God. Derek Prince points out the purposes of prophecy in the ministry to the church while Wimber brings in the variety of prophetic that includes poetic, oracle and song.

The Gift of Prophecy and the Word of God

Many people get hung-up when one speaks of the prophetic in the church. There is confusion that arises as to how much authority prophetic gifting carries. People often ask; “Doesn’t the prophetic add to the scripture and if so isn’t that wrong?” No, it does not add to the scriptures.

In the Old and New Testaments, we find two levels of the prophetic given. We see the ministry of certain prophets in the Old Testament and Apostles in the New Testament whose ministry were used to give us the scriptures. These men spoke the very Words of God. On the other hand, we see the ministry of certain prophets in the Old Testament and prophets in the New Testament who ministered to fellow members of the community. These men spoke a message from God to one another but their words were the words of men inspired by God.

In the Old Testament, the prophets who spoke the very words of God were messengers sent by God. This is seen in the following verses:

“Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.”

Haggai 1:13

“The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.”

Obadiah 1:1

“And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.”

2 Samuel 12:25

You can see from these verses that these men were divinely sent by God to the people. They were called messengers and ambassadors of the Lord God. We also know that their very words were God’s words. In Deuteronomy 18:18 the Lord says,

“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”

And in Jeremiah 1:9,

“Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.”

and Ezekiel 2:7 we read

“And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.”

These men spoke the very words of God. Their mission was to be the very mouthpiece of the Lord.

In addition to being sent by God as messengers of the Lord and speaking the very words of God, their words carried absolute divine authority. In Deuteronomy 18:19 we are told that the Lord required obedience to the words spoken by this kind of prophet, for they were God’s words, and in rejecting the words of the prophet, you are rejecting God (1 Samuel 8:7). The disobedience of the people to the Lord’s prophet often brought judgment and the wrath of God (2 Chronicles 25:16; 18:1-34).

Not only were there prophets that spoke the very words of God, giving us the scriptures, there were other prophets in the Old Testament who spoke with the words of men (that is to say their words did not generate scripture.) A good example of this is found in the ministry of Elijah and Elisha in the books of Kings. The record of their ministry shown in the Kings is there to illustrate the use of the prophetic in the Kingdom of God. It is a historical narrative of the Kings from Solomon to Zedekiah, from a Kingdom in tranquility to the fall of Judah and exile to Babylonia. We see the ministry of these men as they interact with the Kings of this nation and the nations of others.

We also see in this historical narrative, there were companies of prophets at various locations (1 Sam. 10; 2 Kings 2:3, 5, 7; 4:38; 6:1). These prophets, found in the book of Kings, were there when Elijah was taken to heaven. They watched as the mantle of anointing was passed to Elisha. In this, we also see a hierarchy in prophetic authority. It appears that the prophetic ministry of Elijah and Elisha were greater than that of the other prophets. They appear to be the elders or teachers to the sons of the prophets as illustrated in the following verses.

“And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.”

2 Kings 2:15

“And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.”

2 Kings 4:38

“And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:”

2 Kings 9:1

Here we see the prophets not only giving reverence to the ministry of Elisha but taking orders and being directed by the prophet Elisha. The younger prophets ran errands for Elisha (2 Kings 9:1-13). Yet the Lord tells us that he used the ministry of all the prophets to speak to the nation of Israel, and Judah, as seen in the following verse.

“Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”

2 Kings 17:13

We also see that Nathan delivered messages from God (2 Sam.12:1-14) and that David had court prophets, that were in his service, to help him make decisions (2 Sam. 7:1-17). Baalim was also a prophet who got messages from God for the people (Num. 22-25). Prophets of less stature are throughout the scriptures. We have Ahijah who prophesied against Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:1-18), and the man from Judah who prophesied against the altars at Bethel (1 Kings 13:1-32). In the Old Testament we see traveling Prophets, who were Seers of the Lord, i.e., Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha. We also see Temple Prophets such as Ezekiel and Jeremiah; and Court Prophets, Nathan, Gad, Asaph, Heman, Jedthun who were David’s Seers. Finely we see the Free Prophets who held no priestly or court office, such as Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah.

In the New Testament, we see Apostles who’s functional was similar to the same as the Old Testament prophets who gave us the scriptures. These men were messengers of Christ (John 20:21; Act 22:21; 2 Cor. 5:20). They spoke the very words of God (Gal. 1:11-12; John 14:26; 16:13-14; 2 Pet. 3:2; 1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Pet. 3:15-16). The level of gifting from God in their lives was to complete the cannon of scriptures and lay the foundation that the church would be built on.

I addition to the Apostles we also see another kind of prophetic activity found in the New Testament. These were the prophets that ministered to the church speaking the heart of God through the words of men. Their purpose was not to give us the scriptures but to operate in the body of Christ.

In Acts 11:27f we have Agabus predicting a famine in Antioch. We also see in Acts 21:9f were Agabus warns Paul about impending persecution from the Jews in Jerusalem. Prophetic gifting is also found in relationship to the commission of Paul and Barnabus for a special mission (Acts 13:1) and with Judas and Silas at Antioch (Acts 15:32). The Prophets predicted Paul’s trials (Acts 20:32), and warned Paul of trouble at Jerusalem (Acts 21:4). Phillip’s daughters are said to be prophetess (Acts 21:9), and Timothy learns of his gifts through prophecy (1 Tim. 1:18; 4:14).

It is evident in scripture there are varying degrees of authority attributed to different levels of prophetic utterance. The New Testament Apostles were functioning in a similar role as that of the Old Testament prophets that gave us the scriptures. Yet, in the scriptures we also see another level of Prophetic activity that occurs in both the Old and New Testaments, these were the prophets that spoke the words of men. Their prophetic activity was initiated by the Spirit of God, was spoken through human words or actions, and was a mixture of the Spirit and humanity. These prophets who spoke the words of men did not leave us the scriptures. Their purpose was on the day-to-day activity of the church in the lives of individuals. Agabus, Silas, Judas, Phillip’s daughters, and the prophets in the church at Corinth demonstrate this.

For the Church today, prophecy operates at the second level. The prophets and Apostles handed down to us the scriptures that were the very words of God and have supreme authority in the church. Prophecy spoken today does not carry the same degree of authority as the scriptures.

God Bless

Fred Raynaud

www.iacfc.org

Tapestry Podcast PM Service
Date | 10-19-2008
Speaker | Brad Lewis
Title | Sunday PM Sermon

the Tapestry Sunday PM service Brad Lewis from Immanuel’s Church came to share with us about vision. This is one of my favorite sermons of the year!

Tapestry Podcast AM Service
Date | 10-19-2008
Speaker | PD
Title | Sunday AM Sermon

the Tapestry Sunday AM service.

Tapestry Podcast PM Service
Date | 10-12-2008
Speaker | PD
Title | Sunday PM Sermon

the Tapestry Sunday PM service.

Tapestry Podcast AM Service
Date | 10-12-2008
Speaker | PD
Title | Sunday AM Sermon

the Tapestry Sunday AM service.

Tapestry Podcast AM Service
Date | 10-5-2008
Speaker | PD
Title | Sunday AM Sermon

the Tapestry Sunday AM service.

Tapestry Podcast PM Service
Date | 9-21-2008
Speaker | PD
Title | Sunday PM Sermon

the Tapestry Sunday PM service.

Tapestry Podcast AM Service
Date | 9-21-2008
Speaker | PD
Title | Sunday AM Sermon

the Tapestry Sunday AM service.

The Sound of Heaven

Oct 30, 2008

In my vision, I saw a powerful Angel dressed in white standing on the top of a mountain. He had a large white horn in his hand. He tilted his head back – looked up to the heavens and he began to play. As he played the sound of his voice filled the heavens, it echoed like the sound of rushing water. He was singing with a very loud and wonderful voice, “B E A U T I F U L…, J E S U S – You’re BEAUTIFUL - So beautiful…, beautiful… J E S U S … YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL …” As he sang the atmosphere throughout the mountain began to change. The wind stirred up to the sound of his song and began to move like a whirlwind between the valleys and along the streams, and cliffs and byways, moving and stirring in every direction. And I heard the angle say in a loud and mighty voice, “CAN YOU HEAR ME – OH SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD? CAN YOU HEAR ME?”

I said, “What… what are you saying?”

 “Can you SEE? – Can you see … HIS beauty? So Beautiful, So very Beautiful…. Look, Look, listen to me now, the Lord whom you are seeking is standing at the door, right in front of you …, can’t you see him?,” the Angel replied. “What the Lord is doing in your day is N E W – it’s fresh – it’s BEAUTIFUL… so very BEAUTIFUL…, LOOK, come in a little closer – look into His eyes and be consumed by the beauty of His Love.”

I stood amazed, wanting to get closer to His love. I wanted to go deeper. I knew I had not been that deep before, I have not so much as even touched the hem of His love … and I so wanted to get closer. Then I saw what looked like another Angel standing on the hills dressed in a long white robe. All of a sudden, he began to dance…, and then He reached into his robe, pulled out a flute and began to play and dance across the hills. He looked at me, beckoning me to come closer, to join in and follow him in his journey.

So I followed. As I got closer, all of a sudden, he turned to face me…, and when he did, I was startled. He reached out, grabbed my shoulders, and pulled me towards his face – looking into my eyes. I was drawn into his face…, and my breath left me…, it was not an Angel, it was Jesus! He said, “Look into my eyes. I am drawing you into Myself. I am showing you the wonder of My love.” I stood there speechless and amazed.

Then I heard the Lord say, “I have come to immerse you in My love, to draw you like water from a well, a well of deepness, a well of plenty. Do not think that you have reached the end of the road, for I tell you this is the beginning, this is new… this is wonderful. You will not believe that this was even possible, yet, the thing that I am going to do in you will be wondrous, so wondrous that the world will be struck with confusion, not knowing what is going on. For what I do will be like a spring out of dry ground that will turn into a flood and will sweep through this wasteland and turning the dray places of men’s heart into fertile soil. They shall drink from your wellspring and find peace. You shall become a cup of blessing and a cup of judgment. For the sword I have placed in your hand is a double-edged sword. Now, dance with me and come a little closer. Look into my eyes and see the depth of My Love, for I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly. Do not fear, come in, come a little closer…, look into my eyes and SEE what I am doing….”

The Potter’s Wheel

Then I saw the Lord sitting at a potter’s wheel. He was spinning the wheel and molding the clay with such incredible joy. He worked the clay and built it up, and then with a swift hand he would knock it down, and start all over again. He did this with tremendous joy, never worried that his creation was not complete – He just re-built it. Then, when the bowl was complete, he smiled and held it up to the light admiring its beauty. He took the bowl, placed on the table, and began to beat His chest with his hands. Then He cried out a proclamation…, “This is the wine of my wrath, this is the wine of my covenant, this is the wine of my saints who have poured out their blood and now rest in the palm of my hands, and this is the wine of my bride who shall dance with me in this final hour.” Then He stretched forth his hands over the bowl and out of his palms poured forth a new wine. He took the bowl and walked over to a window. It was a window of heaven. He took a drink and then poured out his bowl upon the face of the earth.

And all the Angles cried out with a loud voice - like the voices of thunder they cried, “Wow, wow, wow, the earth has received it just reward, and the day of reckoning is at hand.”

Then the Lord said, “Do you understand My child?”

“Yes, Lord, help me understand,”

The he took me to a very tall mountain overlooking the city of lights, and it was night. He said, “What do you see?”

“I see a city, asleep and at comfort.”

“Now what do you see?”

I looked and saw flames like fire on the outskirts of the city. The flames were moving forward, consuming the city like locusts in the summer time. I said, “The city is being consumed.”

Then the Lord said, “Tell the nations of this world, do not rest in the day of trouble. Awake from your slumber. Arise from your sleep. For this day is like no other, and this hour is unlike anything you have seen. Arise and wake, turn from your ways, repent and seek my face. For the hour has come, the day is at hand. The time of my chastening is ending, now it is upon you. Even as the sun rises in the east so it has risen upon you. Come to me before the sun sets, or you will be consumed by the fire of my presence.  So it shall be, that all how call upon My name shall be saved. The time of my presence is at hand, and many will be singed from the breath of My mouth. This is, if you can receive it – a day of grace…, and of judgment. Know this oh nations that lift up your hand against me and my anointed. My hand is extended for a short while – reach out while you can, for the days are coming when man’s hearts shall be sealed by their own desires, and nothing shall break the power of their free will. Come, come all you who labor, and are heavy laden, and I shall give you rest. Seek me, seek me while I can be found, today is the day of salvation.”

Then I was standing upon the plains, and I looked and saw the wine of heaven falling upon the ground. Everywhere I looked, it was pouring down, like buckets of crimson water falling to the earth. People were running in all direction. Some were crying out cursing the wine that fell upon them, others, stopped…, looked up and were changed, as they drank this new wine. And I understood the hour in which we live. And my heart was opened to this hour. And I wondered what will be around the corner and how the church would receive this word. And I heard the Lord whisper in my ear, “do not fear or be afraid, what I whisper in your ear, shout it from the roof tops. The times are calling for a shift, and great change is coming upon my church. Do not hesitate, for I have give you the pen of a ready writer, I have plucked a feather from the plumage of my presence and placed a mighty quill in the palm of your hand. Do not fear them, for they must decrease and I must increase, until I fill the whole earth.”

And I sat there thinking – the hour – it really is at hand

God Bless

Fred Raynaud

www.iacfc.org