Shepherd´s Rod 2004 2003-08-10
Bob Jones & Paul Keith
Davis
October 7, 2003
Psalm 104
As we
have stated in times past, the Lord emphasizes a Psalm to correspond with
each year that provides an outline of His thoughts and ways. There are
prophetic indications provided in the Psalm corresponding to that
particular year that will have overriding applications on multiple levels.
It seems that Psalms 104 provides even more insight and emphases
for 2004 than the various Psalms have for the previous years. The year
2002 provided an incredibly dry season both naturally and spiritually with
greater measures of the Holy Spirit being released in 2003. We will
continue to see that expansion take place over the next three years as we
become more acclimated with the ways of Heaven for this generation and
learn to more fully cooperate with the Holy Spirit to release Heavenly
virtue.
It was specifically noted by the Holy Spirit that there
are 35 verses in this Psalm which also provides a source of direction. For
us, the number 35 generally points to the Highway of Holiness depicted in
Isaiah 35. Clearly, there is a present call for greater measures of purity
and consecration in order to remain on the lofty path established for us.
This is the “higher way” of holiness to which we are called. When we do,
it will carry us above the cares of this world and the tormenting spirits
that are released with substantial authority from the realms of darkness.
This Psalm has as an overriding theme the petition of God's people
for His supernatural intervention. This is clearly desperately needed. It
is a call for prayer, praise and prophetic proclamations to ascend to the
throne of Heaven provoking a release of His awesome attributes and power.
Additionally, Psalm 35 contains truth that will work in unison with the
strategy of the Lord for the present release of His authority and warring
host. He will begin to contend with our adversaries when we petition Him
and call for Him to occupy His post as Captain of the Host and the awesome
Warrior.
1. Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are
very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty,
Our
praise will restore to the eyes of the people the great glory and majesty
of the Lord. When we affectionately and gratefully bless the Lord with our
praise and acknowledgment of His majesty and splendor, it will awaken a
generation to divine destiny.
This once again points to the houses
of prayer and praise that are being established as well as a call to
organize specific seasons of prayer and intercession that may last several
days at a time. These are the introductions to the restoration of the
Tabernacle of David administration of worship and prophetic declarations.
The heavens will be transformed as we enter more complete into this
ministry in maturity.
2. Covering yourself with light as with a
cloak, stretching out heaven like a {tent} curtain.
The Lord
clothes Himself in light as with a virtuous garment to depict His great
authority in Heaven and in creation. We are likewise called to be endowed
with the raiment of light that proceeds from Him. We are called to be the
light and salt of the earth.
The pure white light of Heaven will
proceed from the throne to be imparted into the spirit and soul of the
Lord's people to make us divine carriers of His virtue. Many will
encounter the lights of Heaven in private worship and in corporate
settings in amplified ways over the coming months and years. The Apostle
Paul once had such an encounter and it transformed his life forever. The
Bible describes the Lord as our source of every good thing coming down
from the Father of lights in whom there is no shifting shadow. (See James
1:17)
A "great light" will be offered to those who have formally
known darkness and gloom. Much like the promise given to the land of
Zebulun and Naphtali, the people who walk in darkness will see a brilliant
light and he will make the latter time a glorious season. (See Isaiah
9:1-2) This is for the land "beyond the Jordan" as we cross over into the
day of promise. Illumination will be coming to those who have formally
embraced traditionalism and religious structures and many will now embrace
divine light
3. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the
waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the
wind;
The Lord is releasing the wings of the wind to transport
us from captivity into liberty and freedom. His angels are winds that fuel
the flame of fire burning in the heart of His ministers. Great spiritual
winds will come to lift us above the issues of this world as we learn to
soar in the Spirit like eagles. This fresh wind will carry many to higher
realms of revelation than known in the past.
4. He makes the
winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers.
Angels
coming as divine winds will spread and amplify the fiery words that will
proceed from the mouth of the Lord's messengers. Throughout the ministry
of the Lord Himself, we discover angelic activity that surrounded His
life. Likewise, substantial activity will accompany the ministers of the
Lord from the Heavenly host to help bring to maturity and orchestrate
readiness in this generation for the divine visitation promised to it.
People will discover with great surprise the far-reaching effects
their words will have as the angels carry anointed messages to the far
corners of the earth. The word of the Lord that proceeds from anointed
vessels will be transported and conveyed by the winds of these angels to
strategic individuals and regions with transforming impact.
5.
He established the earth upon its foundations, so that it will not totter
forever and ever.
The Lord is establishing a foundation of
righteousness on the earth upon which He will allow the authority of His
throne to rest. Once fashioned, it cannot be moved from its place. The
things that He is setting in motion will continue without end. The time
has now arrived for the revelation of Christ to be delegated to a
prophesied and foreknown generation.
6. You covered it with the
deep as with a garment; the waters were standing above the mountains.
The Lord rules from His throne with perfect supremacy and rest.
Nothing takes Him by surprise nor is there a need for which he has not
already made provision. The righteous need not fear but stand in faith.
The Lord saw all things before the foundation of the world and provided
for every need.
The heavens came into existence by the word of the
Lord and the waters to cover the earth by the expression of His lips. The
victory is already achieved.
7. At your rebuke they fled, at
the sound of your thunder they hurried away.
The voice of the
Lord is as the sound of thunder. The Lord will be speaking with far
greater clarity in the coming days to those with ears to hear. He stands
at the door knocking with the revelatory voice hearkening to the people
anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation who will open to Him and
minister to Him in their priestly role.
We are living in the day
in which there will be thunder coming from a clear sky to prophetically
indicate the sounding of His voice to this generation.
8. The
mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which you established
for them.
Divine order is being established in the earth. The
perfect model of creation depicts the supernatural order of Heaven. The
time has now arrived for the appropriate biblical order to be established
in the Church. The heavens…the stars…the sun and the entire universe
function in its perfect order and structure. The establishment of the
earth and the boundaries set for the waters highlight the authority of God
in all of creation. The governmental order will now take its place in the
Church to function in power and true spiritual authority.
9.
You set a boundary that they may not pass over, so that they will not
return to cover the earth.
The Lord is drawing a "line in the
sand" as a boundary or line of demarcation to determine who will cross
over and wholly submit themselves, spirit, soul and body. There are
boundaries and parameters that are set in the earth and in our individual
lives. We are presently living at a juncture in time that will be looked
upon for years to come as a pivotal crossroad in human history. We must
carefully make our choices and decisions through prayer and greater
understanding of His Word and the prophetic outline foreseen by the
prophets of old.
10. He sends forth springs in the valleys;
they flow between the mountains;
The Lord is now releasing
springs of living water to flow forth from our innermost being to quench
the thirst of a parched and dry land. We are to be the rock through which
the water will flow. He is the source and we are to be the vessels that He
utilizes. Many people will be "sent" to dry and desolate places to be a
source of life through which springs of Heavenly water will flow.
11. They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild
donkeys quench their thirst.
The springs of living water will
proceed from the mouth of the Lord's messengers. This is a call to power
evangelism to give a drink of living water to the lost and desperate. This
will be a season for greater measures of evangelism outside the four walls
of the Church. Many will be anointed and sent to difficult areas with a
commission from Heaven to provide living water.
12. Beside them
the birds of the heavens dwell; they lift up their voices among the
branches.
Birds of Heaven are oftentimes representative of
angelic messengers bringing songs of praise and adoration to individuals
and fellowships. During seasons of high praise an angelic host will very
often participate with the people in worship to bring the song of Heaven.
Prophetic songs of praise and deliverance will come as individuals
determine to yield to this dimension of our revelatory heritage. This will
be especially true as we learn to function more fully in Tabernacle of
David worship.
The prophet David assigned specific priests to
accompany him and others to record spontaneous songs of praise and worship
that would come through the prophetic anointing. Likewise, we will receive
great insight from the psalms, hymns and spiritual songs developed through
this gift.
13. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.
The
upcoming season will produce a time of fruitfulness or harvest. This is
pointing to the harvest of souls as well as the return of many prodigals
who have been running from their divine call and commission. The living
water that will be carried by specifically anointed vessels will nourish
the seeds of destiny imparted to the souls of many, bringing them to the
awareness of their destiny and purpose.
There is a prophetic
promise in Joel 2:26 stating that we will eat and drink and be
"satisfied." We are not yet satisfied with our present condition or the
deposit of Heaven that we carry. We are to eat and drink of the Lord's
goodness and praise Him from a satisfied heart.
14. He causes
the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man, so
that he may bring forth food from the earth,
Anointed teachers
will begin to instruct the Church on becoming the mature body. The Lord
will cause growth and expansion to be facilitated in order that we may
bring spiritual food to the nations. This is the time to put away childish
things and begin to partake of strong meat that is being delegated in due
season.
There is a present call to Hebrews 6:1. We must move
beyond the elementary principles into the things of Heaven that we may
taste the good word of God and the power of the age to come. All this is
accomplished through intimate relationship with the Lord as deep longings
within us call out to the depths of God's heart.
15. And wine
which makes man's heart glad, so that he may make his face glisten with
oil, and food which sustains man's heart.
There is coming a
season of joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. Wine is symbolically
expressing gladness of heart and stimulation that comes by the revelation
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fresh bread is coming from Heaven as the hidden
manna set apart and reserved for this generation. The call to grow in
maturity will be facilitated by the Lord's leadership presenting to the
people the deeper things of God that are provided to us by the Spirit of
Revelation who searches the heart of the Father.
From this posture
we will be strengthened as a mighty warrior and equipped to encounter the
plots of the adversary set against this generation. The Lord is a Warrior
and we are to be clothed in His militant attributes as it relates to the
enemy who dwells in heavenly places.
16. The trees of the LORD
drink their fill, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
Trees of righteousness are soon to emerge endowed with the
resources of Heaven necessary to build a spiritual habitation. The Lord is
looking to the humble and contrite of heart to build a dwelling place for
Him. The cedars represent purity of character symbolized by the material
used by Solomon in the construction of the Temple.
Our call is to
be clothed with the incorruptible material of His nature and character.
This will make us the living stones placed in His Temple. The trees and
cedars represent the resources of Heaven necessary to construct the
spiritual Temple ordained for this generation.
17. Where the
birds build their nests, and the stork, whose home is the fir trees.
There is a present invitation for intimacy and fellowship with the
Lord on an unprecedented level. Psalms 84: 3 depicts the Lord's people as
a sparrow who has found a home or a swallow discovering a nest for
herself— the altar of God. We are to make our abode before His throne and
like David discover the one thing most important that will satisfy our
soul. That is, to continually behold the beauty of the Lord and to
meditate in His Temple.
18. The high mountains are for the wild
goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the shephanim.
There are
many who have attempted to hide from God in the high mountains and among
the cliffs and ledges. However, there is no place obscured from His sight.
There are many who are seemingly characterized with a "goat nature" that
will discover the Lord in the next wave of evangelism now being released.
This could also point to many people who have a Godly calling placed upon
their life that are presently in the occult, New Age, and heathenism who
will hear the voice of Lord and respond.
19. He made the moon
for the seasons; the sun knows the place of its setting.
The
Church is often represented by the moon with the mandate to reflect the
light of the sun and mark the times and seasons of Heaven. Our call is to
reflect His great light. We are now approaching the time in which the
light of the moon will be as the light of the sun (son) and the sun will
be seven times brighter like the light of seven days. (See Isaiah 30)
The prophetic voice of the Church is to announce to the world the
appropriate times and seasons of Heaven and the activities of God on the
earth. As we press in to the revelatory realm of Heaven, we will access
greater understanding into this important role.
20. You appoint
darkness and it becomes night, in which all the beasts of the forest prowl
about.
Those who dwell in darkness will behold a great
Light... those who dwell in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of
death will encounter the Light of Heaven. (See Isaiah 9:2) The light of
God is coming to illumine our darkness. This is both for those who are
saved and living in depression, discouragement and oppression as well as
the unsaved that are without any light or salvation. Greater radiance from
God is coming.
It is during the night seasons or days of darkness
that the predators prowl about seeking prey. Darkness is allowed only to
illustrate the brilliance of His great light.
21. The young
lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.
The
young lions here represent people who are hungry for God and seek Him from
a desperate heart. The Lord will always feed the spiritually hungry.
One of the great miracles performed by our Lord was the
multiplication of the fishes and loaves. Herein we have a prophetic
picture of the Lord supernaturally providing bread for hungry followers,
given to the disciples who then delegate it to the masses. The Lord took
the bread and blessed it with a supernatural blessing that multiplied it
so that all who were hungry had more than enough. The Lord will always
make a way to provide bread for those who are hungry.
22. When
the sun rises they withdraw and lie down in their dens.
Once a
hungry heart has eaten and is satisfied, he will lay down in peace and
rest. The Lord is calling us to taste and see that He is good. Therein, we
will discover the rest of God and the fruit of His many benefits.
23. Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until
evening.
The man who goes forth to do his work and faithfully
labors until evening is considered the righteous laborer and entrusted
with greater power and authority. This season will produce righteous and
faithful people who will be endowed with greater measures of faith and
broader dimensions of authority because of their trustworthiness.
24. O LORD, how many are your works! In wisdom you have made
them all; the earth is full of your possessions.
Divine wisdom
is a great attribute and spiritual key to unlock the resources of Heaven.
An invitation now stands before us to access through the revelatory realm,
greater dimensions of Heavenly wisdom and insight. Supernatural treasures
are the fruit of the mantle of wisdom.
25. There is the sea,
great and broad, in which are swarms without number, animals both small
and great.
Very often, the Holy Spirit represents humanism and
psychological reasoning through creeping creatures and swarming insects.
They illustrate the thoughts and ways of man imparted through this
symbolic representation. Flies can very often portray lies. Presently,
there is a great sea and vast array of humanistic thinking and soulish
reasoning that attempts to make the word of God of no effect. This passage
depicts that spiritual reality.
26. There the ships move along,
and Leviathan, which you have formed to sport in it.
Great
“leader-ships” will begin to emerge to deal with humanism and
psychological reasoning that has attempted to steal the birth right of
God's people. Ships at sea represent "leader ships" called for a specific
purpose. On the other hand, greater authority will also be delegated to
the enemies of the Cross as represented by Leviathan. However, the power
of the Cross has cut the head off of this creature and our job is to
retrieve those who have previously been held captive by this deceiving
spirit.
27. They all wait for you to give them their food in
due season.
There is a present call, particularly in the
Western Church, to understand more fully the ministry of waiting upon the
Lord. In response to this mandate, we will discover greater realms of
revelation and apprehend our spiritual meat in due season. There will be a
renewing of our spiritual strength as we minister to the Lord in this
fashion. (See Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 46:10)
28. You give to
them, they gather it up; you open your hand, they are satisfied with
good.
This is a time to taste the good word of God and the
fruit of His many blessings. When we do, will discover that He is indeed
good. The Lord is coming to a generation with the open book in His hand to
be eaten and devoured by His bride. We will then be called to prophesy
again concerning many nations, tongues, tribes and kingdoms.
29. You hide your face, they are dismayed; you take away their
spirit, they expire and return to their dust.
The common grace
that has been upon the earth will “expire” so that “Great Grace” can be
revealed to the Church. There are greater dimensions of grace that the
Lord wants to bring to and through the Church. It is to those who will
shout the proclamations of "grace, grace." (See Zechariah 4)
Without grace we would be troubled and dismayed by the hiding of
His face from us. He then sends His Spirit to give us greater measures of
grace.
30. You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and
you renew the face of the ground.
When the breath of God is
released it produces spiritual life. The Lord will be breathing life into
us in order to take this gospel to the nations of the earth with power and
authority. The Lord is going to breathe on many to produce a wave of
evangelism in the immediate season before us. This Spirit of Life will
enter the people and set them on the course of destiny. This will be
accomplished through the great-grace that is coming.
31. Let
the glory of the LORD endure forever; let the LORD be glad in His
works;
We are living in a day in which the Glory of God will
be manifested and revealed. The Lord will express joy in His saints and
release strength for the battle and hope to displace hopelessness. He will
rejoice in the work that is to be accomplished in this pivotal hour of
human history.
When the Lord finds pleasure in us, it provides
spiritual strength and fortification. What greater acknowledgment can we
hope for than to receive the pleasure of the Lord and be identified as His
friends!
32. He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches
the mountains, and they smoke.
The days ahead will experience
great shaking and quaking both on the earth and in the heavens. There is a
shaking coming so that those things that remain can be revealed as having
been purified and refined.
33. I will sing to the LORD as long
as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Great praise services will experience tangible expressions of His
presence as the praise reaches the heights of Heaven. There will be
substantial anointing on praise gatherings birthed in humility and
sincerity. As the praise reaches a crescendo it will touch the heart of
the Father prompting a great response from Heaven. This will be the year
for visitation to occur in praise on a greatly expanded scale.
There will be a number of places that this is true but there will
be a special emphasis on Nashville and the calling placed upon these
worshipers to lead in the coming battle.
34. Let my meditation
be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.
With the many distractions from the spirit of this world, our
calling is to meditate upon Him and His vast glory. Our prayer should be
for the grace to fasten our gaze upon Him neither looking to the right nor
the left so that He would find His joy in our adoration.
This is a
time to meditate upon the attributes of the Lord and His promises to us.
In these revelations He is specifically admonishing us to focus our
attention upon His commitment to:
1. Make us more than conquerors
in Christ. 2. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.
3. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will never leave
nor forsake me. 4. I once was young but now I am old yet I have never
seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread. 5. Taste
and see that the Lord is good.
35. Let sinners be consumed from
the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise
the LORD!
God granted repentance is coming to the wicked. We
are admonished in 2 Timothy 2:25-26 to gently and with humility bring
correction if perhaps God may grant repentance leading to the knowledge of
the truth. Many are held captive by the snare of the adversary that the
Lord wants to liberate with deliverance and escape from bondage and the
presence of darkness.
Great fear is coming upon the earth and the
Lord in His mercy is calling sinners to return to Him. Fear, depression
and terror are the reward of the wicked contributing to the greatest
judgment upon those separated from Christ.
Seven— The Number of
Completion
In a visionary experience, Bob saw a map of the
United States with the number seven (7) superimposed over the map. This
was to spiritually indicate that a work of completion had been
accomplished in a number of people prepared for a fresh release from the
throne of Heaven. The places that the number seven laid across the map
indicated a unique release of the Spirit in those areas.
That is
not to indicate that it is the exclusive place in which the Lord is
releasing a deposit of His Spirit. Rather, it is strictly highlighting
this area for an extraordinary expression of God to be demonstrated by
those specifically prepared for this purpose.
The emblem of the
seven seemed to begin along the Gulf coast and expand at an angle toward
the northeast with the region of New Hampshire forming the upper most
portion of the numerical symbol. From there it extended across the
northern portion of the United States and Canada to the West Coast and
made a slight turn down around Oregon and California.
There is a
finished work that has been fulfilled in a body of people who will be
brought close to the Lord and His throne to hear fresh expressions from
His heart. Seven is the number symbolic of completion to indicate the
maturing that has transpired in those to be used by the Holy Spirit.
As the vision continued, Bob also saw another numerical seven;
however, this one was inverted. This was also to indicate the completed
and maturing work that has been accomplished in the realm of darkness
through those who oppose the work of the cross and the Church of the Lord
Jesus.
Our adversary has been at work in a body of people to equip
them in the realms of darkness to oppose the fresh dimension of Heaven
being unleashed in this hour. The Lord indicated that His Light will
always overcome darkness and we should not be threatened by this increased
opposition. When we submit ourselves to Him in complete trust, He will go
before us in the battle.
Crossing Over
A baptism of
fire is coming upon those who have been set apart and prepared to be
mightily anointed in this juncture of Church history. The Lord clearly has
a strategic blueprint that is continuing to display His perfect plan and
purpose for this age. It is His roadmap to the Prince of Peace with
signposts along the way to indicate progress. This crossroad is alerting
us to a present release of spiritual virtue and Heavenly power for the
vessels that have gone through a grooming and purging process in order to
qualify them to carry this dimension of His authority. We are now
broaching the completion of a spiritual stepping stone that ultimately
leads to the throne of Heaven.
Many of the central figures used in
the process of completing this important step in God's plan are receiving
their Heavenly reward and crossing over into eternity. The Lord spoke it
this way,
“Derek was a prince...a prince of God’s word. He brought
the word of truth. Bill was bright... for he allowed his light to shine
upon youth and Kenneth Hagin was a man of great faith that believed God
for the release of Heavenly grace.”
These men have now graduated
to their Heavenly reward. The present generation must now assume the
responsibility of leadership and take the next step to go far beyond the
valuable foundation established by these devoted predecessors. As Elijah
was a prophet in the wilderness, the Lord will now establish the “Elishas”
who will be prophets to the masses.
These Godly men going home
have left us with a rich heritage and a duty to carry the torch of Heaven
to greater heights. These three are not the only ones who have entered the
realms of glory. However, they are the ones who have been specifically
mentioned through these revelations. There call and the function they
served represents insight into the next generation soon to occupy their
post of duty.
No longer will the Lord's anointed ones be hidden in
the wilderness. They will now be revealed on a broad scale to a number of
people in a corporate way. A new generation of radical prophetic voices
will now emerge who have encountered Heaven and carry a fresh expression
from the heart of God.
No man will {be able to} stand before
you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be
with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. (Josh 1:5)
Joshua carried the anointing and commission of Moses to its
completion. The prophet Elijah once prayed and observed a cloud the “size
of a mans hand” on the horizon of Israel. So also can we now perceive a
new cloud to bring the “reign” of Heaven on our spiritual horizon. The
prophetic prayers offered to the Lord for the release of governmental
leadership will now be answered in a more pronounced way.
The
Baptism of Fire
There will now come into view men and women
burning with the flame of Heaven ignited in their souls who embody radical
passion and extravagant devotion. These will know the reality of the
prophetic proclamation spoken over the Lord Jesus by the prophet John the
Baptist. Those who follow Him and experientially apprehend the baptism of
fire will carry a notable deposit of heavenly virtue.
As for
me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me
is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His
hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather
His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable
fire. (Matthew 3:11 12)
There will be significant spiritual
activity that will surround this emerging leadership who have been endowed
with the support of Heaven. Angels will ascend and descend upon the
purposes of God committed to this loyal group. This leadership will carry
the authority to release this heavenly host as the Church learns to more
adequately work in cooperation with the plan of Heaven at this crucial
moment of human history.
The anointed leadership now being
commissioned has, through the grace of God, captured the attention of
Heaven and has been furnished the authority to release the Heavenly host
to work in consolidation with us on the earth to establish Heavenly
parameters.
Faith— Trust— Rest
There are dimensions
of faith that are being expanded in this new season to go beyond common
faith into “sacred trust.” Now, we are also discovering there is a place
that extends beyond trust venturing into “divine rest.”
Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering
His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we
have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they
heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who
heard...Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who
formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of
disobedience (Hebrews 4:1, 6)
The Lord desires for us to enter
a place of rest that transcends our present measure of faith and trust.
When we discover our rest in Him...He will find His rest in us. Faith is
the "deed of trust" signed over to us as our inheritance to occupy the
land of promise purchased by our elder brother. In that habitation of
promise we will apprehend His rest. In this place we will experience the
faith of the Son of God that identifies the substance of things that are
hoped for and imparts evidence of the unseen.
There remains a
promise to enter His rest and it is being offered this day in a profound
and significant way. When the word of truth is mingled with faith it
begins to produce the life of Christ in us that will establish us in trust
before the Lord leading to His rest and the greater works of John 14:12.
The three Hebrew sons thrust into the fiery furnace of
Nebuchadnezzar trusted that their faith in God would save them even if
their physical bodies perished in flames. However their trust awakened the
affection of God who would not allow them to face this encounter alone and
entered the trial with them and allowed them to discover their rest in
Him. Not even the smell of smoke was allowed to touch these devoted men.
They discovered the rest of God.
This is an essential element in
God that we must ascertain in its fullness in order to overcome the fear
and terror that will permeate this generation. We are living in a time of
extremes. There will be extreme fear and intimidation imparted to the
hearts of people who are not grounded in Christ. Conversely, there will be
extravagant faith, trust and rest delegated to those fully submitted to
the Lord and His perfect plan. Grace is being released for us to
comprehend and apprehend this dimension of the faith realm as we
articulate this desire to the Father through prayer, praise and prophetic
proclamations.
Escalation Among the Young
There
will be a marked increase in the grace and anointing upon youth groups and
the equipping centers devoted to this segment of the Church. There is a
divine grace coming to help escalate spiritual maturity in the development
of their character and the utilization of spiritual gifts. Some will
actually be launched into ministry at ages ranging from 21 to 25. The Lord
will provide mature and seasoned overseers to help cover and protect these
ministries allowing time for growth and experience.
It will be a
consolidation of the generational mandates being inaugurated in this hour
to facilitate a multi-generational--- multi-cultural unity. This day will
see a merger of the young and old, rich and poor and a cross-pollination
of race, color and ethnic groups. The true definition of the one new man
will begin to come more clearly into focus.
The youth movement
that has been prophesied and is presently emerging will not tolerate
religious zeal or traditions of man. Their heart will only be captured by
Godly passion and the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ living and abiding
in His people doing through them the works of the Kingdom. That will
likewise be the banner and spiritual standard of all utilized in this
expression of Heavenly reality.
The Color for This Year—
White
The color for this year is white...specifically, white
light. There will emerge from the throne of Heaven great deposits of
Heavenly light into the spirit and soul of the Church to ignite us on the
course of destiny and high purposes.
Then Jesus again spoke to
them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not
walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. (John 8:12)
There are many applications to white and even more as it relates
to light. Some pertain to the purity, consecration and holiness that is to
characterize God's people. Light dispels the darkness of our soul as He
lights the candle of our innermost being.
Furthermore, it can
relate to the priestly garments and our call to minister to Him in the
beauty of holiness. Likewise, the white flag of surrender typifies the
total yielding of our spirit, soul and body to the will of the Father.
One thing we know with certainty about light is that it travels
fast and straight. There are three basic ways to manage "light."
1. Block it with some object thus creating a shadow. 2.
Reflect it and change its path through the reflection. 3. Bend it by
making it pass into another material of different density like water.
We can block the light of God with our unbelief or reflect the
great light to a lost and dying world. We can also allow the light to rest
in us as it comes vertically from Heaven to be expressed through us
horizontally to a dark world.
The white light of God shines from
Heaven into us. However, it emerges from us in the seven expressions of
the Spirit as represented by the rainbow and the sevenfold Spirit of God.
Our hearts are to be like diamonds that reflect this great light and the
various manifestations of His spirit providing the Spirit of the Lord, the
Spirits of Wisdom and Revelation, the Spirits of Counsel and Might, the
Spirits of Knowledge and Reverential Fear.
Empty Parking
Lots
In the next aspect of the visions given to Bob, he saw
parking lots adjacent to establishments devoted to worldly entertainment.
Uniquely, the most striking characteristics of the parking lots were the
fact that they were empty. Much of the focus and attention of America has
centered on the entertainment industry. This vision is pointing to a day
in which a marked contrast will occur in the interest of this nation
toward sporting events, theatrical productions and other forms utilized to
pacify the souls of man.
Many will turn to God and the outpouring
of His Spirit or fear and torment will nullify the pleasure these things
formerly provided. Clearly, there is a place to relax and enjoy the things
we have been provided but that is secondary to the walk we have with God.
The Lord is inviting us to share with Him in a spiritual feast and
make Him the object of our great affection, not some other form of
obsession.
A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many;
and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been
invited, "Come; for everything is ready now.' But they all alike began to
make excuses. The first one said to him, "I have bought a piece of land
and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused. Another
one said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them
out; please consider me excused. Another one said, "I have married a wife,
and for that reason I cannot come.' (Luke 14:16 20)
When 9/11
occurred there was a shifting of the interest in people from day-to-day
entertainment towards spiritual matters and the seriousness of the world
events. Something of that caliber is on the horizon though not necessarily
that disastrous in nature. This form of entertainment is not speaking of
hideous or perverse adult entertainment and corruption but things that are
not evil by nature. These could be characterized more as distractions that
will be dismissed as the times become more and more serious.
Furthermore, the empty parking lots seemed to also indicate
industries and factories that have been relocated or completely shut down
because of business failure or lower labor costs elsewhere. Prayer needs
to be offered for our economy and the important jobs needed by our
laborers. When stress is placed upon our finances these pleasures
oftentimes loss their allure. These things cannot be allowed to usurp our
relationship with the Lord or they will be removed.
The day is
upon us in which a person will be given the choice of attending a ballgame
or a Christian service and the choice will be made to attend the service
to see what God is doing. There will be something of a testing occurring
to determine the heart of this nation related to her choices in this
arena.
Amplified Lust
Unfortunately, the visions
continued to illustrate acceleration in the lust of this world for those
who are separated from Christ and the destiny of Heaven. These would
include the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
The enemy will fuel the passions of the world for "girls, gold and glory."
Naturally these three “g's” are a symbolic representation of the snares of
the adversary utilized to entrap man by the spirit of this world.
Wickedness will be elevated to a much higher level than even now
present. This is the inverted seven that was seen in the previous vision
involving the escalation of darkness. The distribution, availability and
communication of corruption will only grow worse, if that is imaginable.
Our commission is to bring divine light to help lead the many from this
overwhelming darkness.
24 Hour Prayer & Praise
At 2 AM Bob saw a 24-hour praise service that was highly anointed
and visited by the host of Heaven. These praise services were not
established as 24/7 meetings but specifically designated for certain
seasons of heightened prayer and warfare. Some may extend from 1 to 3 days
nonstop 24 hours per day. There will be a number of leaders commissioned
to orchestrate this form of prayer, praise and prophetic gathering.
Tremendous gains will be achieved in the Spirit when this type of
assembling takes place. It will be utilized by the Lord to break the
shackles and devices of the adversary set against the Church and this
nation. Some will be specifically devoted to Israel while others may have
as an emphasis the political leadership of this nation and the vital
decisions being made by our governmental leaders. Still others will have
as a focus the release of the Holy Spirit and the visitation of Heaven to
our nation. Another major calling for the prayer movements will be
directed at overcoming the efforts of the adversary to unleash greater
dimensions of terrorism in our nation and in Israel.
The specific
theme along with the spiritual authority to see it accomplished, will be
delegated to those commissioned with this purpose and endowed with the
support of Heaven to see its fulfillment. Some may take place in buildings
while others may be organized in tents and open air gatherings that will
draw spiritual warriors from broad regions.
Finding Him
There is a scriptural directive given by the Lord stating that
those who seek Him will find Him. There is a present emphasis on this
spiritual invitation.
Then you will call upon Me and come and
pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when
you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:12 13)
The
Father is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. We
think that we are seeking Him but in reality He is pursuing us. Thank the
Lord for that!
Last year during the Shepherd’s Rod we emphasized
the truth that wise men continually seek Him. That reality was once again
highlighted in the Lord's continuing pursuit of His Bride.
These
24-hour gatherings that will extend for a day to several days will
represent our knocking upon Heaven's door and He is promising to answer.
He will visit the desperation of His people who unite with the one purpose
of touching His heart with passion and desire.
The wisdom
expressed through a seeking heart will function as a key that unlocks the
resources of Heaven and grants access to the power, glory and authority of
God. These are essential in our quest to know Him and do exploits to His
glory.
A New Day
At 3:21 AM an affirming word came
that reiterated our entering a fresh dimension of the Lord’s Heavenly
plan. This is something we have been sharing for the last several months
and is now being re-emphasized. This present hour is marking the dawning
of a new day both for those in Christ and those outside of Him. This is a
new day of light and a new day in the realms of darkness.
For
in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret
place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now
my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in
His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing
praises to the LORD. (Psalm 27:5 6)
There will be times and
seasons to hide ourselves in Christ and other times to be aggressive and
militant in our posture. The seasons that we isolate ourselves with Christ
is not for dormancy but to wait upon Him and minister to Him to gain His
insight and blueprint for victory.
O LORD, I love the
habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. Do not
take my soul away {along} with sinners, nor my life with men of bloodshed,
In whose hands is a wicked scheme, and whose right hand is full of bribes.
(Psalm 26:8 10)
When we wait upon the Lord we will mount up
with a revelatory anointing expressed through the attributes of the eagle
that grants further understanding into His scheme for triumph. Once
achieved, we can rally the troops behind that directive in much the same
way that David became the victorious king in his battles with the enemies
of Israel.
Breakthroughs in Science
There will be
new and fresh breakthroughs in scientific technology that will be both
beneficial and detrimental. Some of these breakthroughs when entrusted to
faithful stewards will facilitate the purposes of Heaven. Unfortunately,
those stolen by the adversary or squandered by those who do not stewards
it properly, will likewise be employed to promote deeper realms of
darkness and corruption.
There will be some individuals who are
entrusted with great endowments from Heaven who will fall in the error of
Balaam and embrace the wages of unrighteousness. However, this present
hour will also see the emergence of loyal and trustworthy stewards who
have a heart for the Kingdom of Heaven and appropriate the gifts and
anointing for advancement.
Our prayer should be for the
impartation of a faithful heart so that we can catapult the Church into
greater expressions of His glory. The release of this kind of anointing
and technology will be determined by our willingness to be fashioned into
His image. He loves us too much to give us something now that he will be
required to judge us for later because of improper stewardship.
Creation and the knowledge of the universe are given by the Lord.
However, Satan defiles and corrupts all that he touches. He will likewise
release depraved understanding of science and technology to facilitate an
evil agenda involving biological weapons for terrorism, improper
applications of science and perversity in advanced communication media.
A Time of Release
At 6 AM, Bob was given a further
revelation from Psalms 37:6; He will bring forth your righteousness as
the light and your judgment as the noonday.
This was an
additional insight involving the white light of Heaven being disbursed in
this hour. Much insight will be delegated to the Church from this
strategic Psalm. Many pastors and teachers will find a special grace upon
the divine truth inherent in this passage.
Wisdom and
understanding is the light of Heaven. During this revelation Bob saw a
white flag of surrender being hoisted by the church. Fortunately, this was
not surrender to our adversary in the battle but submission to the purpose
and desire of Heaven in the hearts of Christians. The time has now arrived
for a consecrated body of believers to inherit the promises long foreseen
and expressed through the prophets of old.
This past Rosh Hashanah
saw the birthing of Heavenly mandates that are now given life and
substance. Though presently immature, a quick work will establish these
Heavenly purposes deposited throughout the Western Church and the nations
of the earth. Many individuals and fellowships have been pregnant with the
promise of God for quite some time and this past season saw a first-fruits
birthing.
Another birthing will be taking place around the season
of Pentecost 2004. As an affirmation of this spiritual reality both Wanda
and I have been given dreams in recent days focusing on the birth of a
spiritual child with prophetic significance. This was also validated in
the natural with the birth of children in this season, one of which we
know of that was named Destiny.
On the morning of Atonement, I was
given a dream that I believe relates to this aspect of Bob's revelation
concerning the birthing. This was one of the more unique expressions
coming from God that I have seen and I will try as best as possible to
articulate what I saw.
In this spiritual dream, I saw a "thought"
emerging from the heart of God and given birth. At first the "thought" had
the appearance of an immature embryo but quickly took on shape and form
including legs and arms.
The Bible tells us that He has thoughts
and plans for us related to our welfare and not our calamity. In 1
Corinthians 2 we are likewise instructed that the Holy Spirit searches the
depths of God and gives expression to the thoughts and ways resident in
Him by the Spirit of Revelation. It is called the mind of Christ.
From the mind of Christ thoughts are expressed concerning His
strategy for this generation and the deposit of the Spirit to accomplish
His Heavenly design and unfold the mysteries of the Kingdom. These plans
cannot be accessed through the natural wisdom and reasoning of man. They
are only revealed by the Holy Spirit to His people. I inherently knew that
the image I was seeing involved something new and fresh that was being
birthed from the heart of God.
The appearance of this spiritual
expression was fashioned by and surrounded in white light. I knew then
that the predominant color for this year would be white which was later
verified through the revelations given to Bob. The white light of Heaven
will shine as a flag of surrender over the Church welcoming the fullness
of the Holy Spirit to cause us to arise and shine with that same light.
Very often individuals and fellowships are on a quest for a "word"
from the Lord. A word is a thought that has been given expression.
Something new and fresh is being articulated from the "thoughts" of God
that will consolidate spiritual thoughts with spiritual language.
Harvesting Things Sown
The Church in the United
States will begin to reap that which has been sown. Seed of light that
have been sown in faithfulness and humility will reap a bountiful harvest
of visitations, miracles, signs and wonders leading to a harvest of souls.
Seed of selfishness, ambition and jealously will come under discipline if
not dealt with through repentance.
LORD, I have heard the
report about you and I fear. O LORD, revive your work in the midst of the
years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.
(Habakkuk 3:2)
“Lord, in Your judgments remember mercy”,
should likewise be our prayer. If we have sown mercy and grace we will
likewise reap the same.
For judgment is without mercy to the
one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)
In the continuing development of the prayer movements being
initiated in our nation, a fresh deposit of intercessory appeal and grace
will come forth as mediatory prayer on behalf of our nation for mercy. To
be truly effective in intercession, the burden must be birthed deep within
the heart of the people. That is part of the new life that was released
around Rosh Hashanah. Many intercessors will carry in their spiritual
being the cry for mercy and grace involving this nation.
There
will be a marked escalation in the angelic activity surrounding the
Church. Furthermore, this activity will carry a militant characteristic as
Michael and the warring angels of Heaven are released to establish the
design of Heaven in the earth. As in the days of Israel, the giants of the
adversary are occupying the land of promise and must be displaced in order
to access our inheritance.
As articulated in Matthew 11:12, the
Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. This
is a spiritual reality that is accomplished in the realm of the spirit
through humble and contrite vessels anointed with kingdom power and
authority. Michael and the host of Heaven under his jurisdiction with
warring attributes are being released and will be empowered by our
revelatory prayer and prophetic declarations on behalf of the Church and
Israel. Our prayer is always to the Lord for the desire of Heaven to be
fulfilled. He then orchestrates through the Holy Spirit the appropriation
of the prayers of the Saint in the delegation of His authority.
This will also be true in our stand for Israel. A combative spirit
will be unleashed by the intercessors burdened with the cause of Israel to
release angelic warriors to push back the adversary attempting to abort
the plan and destiny of this beloved nation.
Winds in the
Mulberry Trees
In yet another of the revelatory expressions
that came on Atonement, Bob heard, "the winds will blow in the mulberry
trees on behalf of the righteous." This notable statement is pointing to a
supernatural release of Heavenly virtue on behalf of the saints of God.
And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the
tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the
LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines. And
David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines
from Geba as far as Gezer. (2 Samuel 5:24 25)
This spiritual
application will be true on multiple levels. Miracles, signs and wonders
will now begin to accompany the Lord's people in a more pronounced way
along with a substantial increase in the healing anointing. It will mark
the beginning of a season of favor that will escalate over the next three
years for the righteous. When we hear the “new” sound of marching in the
mulberry trees, then we will know the Lord is with us for advancement.
There seemed to be an emphasis on this promise relating to those
who have been prepared for this release and yielded themselves to the
grooming and preparatory process. Righteousness is derived through the
grace of God being released to yielded vessels wholly submitted to Him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. To experience
the governmental release related to the dominion associated with His
Kingdom design, we must also allow the Holy Spirit to equip us as
"overcomers" clothed in garments of righteousness.
Along with this
divine promise came a warning stating, "What we have been consuming with
our eyes will determine what we become." If our eyes have been fashioned
on the Lord with the great objective of beholding Him with an unveiled
face, then we will likewise become more like Him. Conversely, if our eyes
have been distracted and enticed toward the issues of this world, then our
garments of righteousness become stained. The fruit of this path produces
lust, jealousy, greed and all manner of evil. This will obviously hinder
our ability to partake of the divine favor that is to be released and
symbolized through the prophetic picture of David.
There is a
present call to repentance for allowing our eyes to waywardly gaze upon
corruption. There is judgment that is coming to the house of the Lord
according to the directive of 1 Peter 4:17. Let us be charged to take
advantage of the Lord's grace while it is available and allow the Holy
Spirit to catapult us into the winds of favor.
The Justice of
Heaven
There is a release of divine justice that is taking
place in this hour. The justice of God renders blessing and favor upon the
righteous and judgment upon unrighteousness. The baptism of fire will be
for the purpose of making His ministers a flaming fire that is fanned and
fueled by the winds of Heaven. The Lord desires for this to be a season of
expansion and escalation. Many individuals will be set ablaze with passion
and desire for the Lord and the revelation of His kingdom.
The
Bible declares that all things are open and lay bare before the eyes of
Him with whom we have to do. (See Hebrews 4:13) The light of God is being
released to search the depths of God's people, not for the sake of
rendering punishment but for the sake of sanctification in order that the
high purposes of Heaven can be accomplished. It is the Lord's desire to
bless His people and unleash substantial power and authority through them
to touch the nations of earth. To do that, we must be like Him.
What has been done in the darkness will be brought to the light
through this examination. It will be a baptism of fire to purify the
vessels of honor. Many have been in the furnace of affliction described
prophetically in Isaiah 48:10. Isaiah also gave the directive necessary to
behold the King in all of His beauty…
Sinners in Zion are
terrified; trembling has seized the godless. "Who among us can live with
the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" He who
walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain
and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears
from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He
will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His
bread will be given him His water will be sure. Your eyes will see the
King in His beauty; they will behold a far distant land. (Isaiah
33:14-17)
The current birthing that has taken place around the
biblical feast of Rosh Hashanah is the emergence of Heavenly justice.
Justice will be a key that unlocks the resources of Heaven in the latter
days as all the injustices of our generation and the prior generations are
rectified. The thief must restore and return all that has been stolen from
the people of God. That is the great benefit of the Lord coming as the
just judge to wage war and render justice.
Psalm 19 declares that
the judgments of the Lord are to be desired more than gold, even more so
than honey from the honeycomb. This notable Psalm also makes the eternal
declaration that all of creation declares the handiwork of God. This next
season will continue to see an escalation in earthquakes, unusual seismic
activity, signs in the heavenlies and storms. There will be unusual
lightning storms with many of the wind storms indicating and identifying
the places of amplified angelic activity.
Awesome Awakening
Among Charismatic Catholics
In this portion of the
revelations, Bob was shown that a blessing of Heaven imminently awaited
those within the Catholic Church who have embraced the fullness of the
Spirit. Psalm 23 was given as a specific outline to characterize this
release. The Lord is going to represent Himself as the good Shepherd who
feeds His flocks and leads them to still waters and green pastures.
This expression of favor is not limited to just those who are
recognized as "charismatics" from among the Catholic Church but also the
various fellowships who were birthed during this movement and are
identified as charismatic
congregations.
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