Marriages and relationships have never been more strained, finances and resources seem beyond the grasp of many, and frustration is at an all-time high. It is also important to understand that the knowledge available to the average believer has never been greater. In fact, one of the characteristics of the last days is that knowledge will increase.

Dear one, that is one of the problems that I have observed. That is, the Lord’s children often have all the knowledge they need. They are just not putting into practice what they already know. Truly, it would be wonderful to know what to do about these tragic circumstances and that is exactly what the Lord has promised for the year 2012.

1 Chronicles 12:31-32

31 And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name, to come and make David king. 32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.(emphasis mine)

As I have mentioned in another writing, “I saw a golden door open before me as I entered this new year. The door led away from a muddy, crooked, rut-filled road (2011), and opened to a road of transparent gold as straight as an arrow.” Truly, I have experienced this new path as I entered into this gloriously promising year. Just as the year 2011 was one that we became bogged down in and seemed to gather ever-increasing layers of thick and burdening mud, 2012 promises to be a year of true and lasting freedom and joy. Just as God gave to young King David men of understanding and men who knew what to do, look for men and women to come into your life this year with this kind of “Wisdom”. As you gain Wisdom from others, God will teach you how to walk in a Wisdom that is your own.

I say the above because I also heard the Lord say, “It is time once again to focus on the wells of our spiritual fathers. It is time to “honor” the labors of those who have gone before us and speak to the seeds we have planted.” Just as Isaac did. Each time he re-opened one of his father’s wells there was contention. Rather than to enter into contention with some one, he went onto the next well and re-dug it until the Lord gave him a well of his own. The need to value what our spiritual fathers have done in the past will have great significance for 2012. The need to stay out of contention with others will also be a key ingredient to walk in the Wisdom promised for this amazing year.

Have you ever done work that someone else got credit for? Some who are reading this are stuck and unable to move forward because of this very thing. I tell you this – forget it and move on to the next well!! That is where your blessing is. Forgive, forget, and forge forward.

Genesis 26:18-24
18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 19 And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. 21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. 22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. 23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

Truly, the year of 2012 will be a year in which “offenses” will be healed for all of those who have a heart to follow the Lord. In fact, the sin of offense is what has kept many of the Lord’s children from receiving all the Lord has for them. This has been one of the strategies of the enemy against the Children of the Lord. As long as he can keep us offended at something or someone he knows he can keep the Prophetic Promise from reaching us. Yet, the Lord is pouring out exceptional grace to uncover and heal the wounds of offense this year. Still, we will have to extremely persistent and careful to follow up on each offense the Lord uncovers in our hearts.

This year will be one of restoration and reformation. New revelation and strategies are now available to discover how to do things outside the box. Please don’t think of this as a “blanket blessing” in which everyone will receive automatically. You will need to press in and ask God for specific steps, and continue to clear any accusations you are holding against other people. Our own judgments against others will block the blessings from God.(Prophet Doug Addison)

Restoration: God is Revealing the Plans of the Enemy

The Word of God declares that we should not believe a matter unless it is confirmed by the mouth of two or three witness. This is the wisdom I have sought to function in concerning the prophetic things I have heard from the Lord. Let us now look at what a couple of other well-known prophetic voices have declared for 2012.

September 2009: Bob Jones had a revelatory encounter where he was sitting on a train. He asked the conductor, “What is this train?” The conductor said it was the “Glory Train” and he gave Bob a capsule that was shaped like an egg.

The egg had new life in it. It had the beginning and end of time in it. He asked the conductor, “When can I open this egg and when will this train arrive?” He said the time was within the egg and the egg will be opened in 2012! The time capsule had the wisdom of the ages in it; from the beginning to the new beginning.(emphasis mine)

Bob said that we’ve come to the end of the old and the birthing of the new in 2012, and the glory of God will fall upon the churches.

Ancient Wells of Revival Being Uncapped

There have been several prophetic affirmations that ancient wells of revival are soon to be uncapped. One of those wells that I believe will be uncapped is that of the Latter Rain Revival and the Voice of Healing of the 1950s. That revival saw many miraculous healings and huge tent meetings. William Branham, Paul Cain, Oral Roberts, A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, T.L. Osborne, Gordon Lindsay, and many others were used greatly during that era of time.

Did you notice that these words include “the wisdom of the ages” and the necessity to look for the “wells of revival of the past” to be uncapped? Let me share another interesting Word I heard from the Lord for 2012. It came in the form of a vision where the Lord brought a chess set into my room and said, “I want you to sit down here and I will teach you how to play chess this year; the strategies you learn from playing this game are like the strategies the enemy seeks to use against my children. I will show you how to identify those strategies before he can implement them and show you how to capture the strongholds by which he seeks to attack my little ones.”

Once again I want to remind you that truth needs to be confirmed by the voice of two or three witnesses. Here is a word from Prophet Doug Addison concerning how God will reveal the strategies of Satan to us in the year 2012.

Restoration: God is Revealing the Plans of the Enemy

The winds of change are blowing away the clouds and smoke that the enemy has placed in front of our eyes. This year we will see how Satan has been lying, cheating, and stealing. This will become more evident as dishonest practices that have robbed people will continue to be revealed in business and government.

I have many more things to say about the year 2012 but will have to reserve them for our next writing. Yet, before I depart I want to share the vision I promised in our last writing. I had been meditating on the Word of the Lord that had said to me, “Son, begin again to prophesy to the seeds, (dreams and visions), that you and others have sown over the past years.” As i began to do this I saw:

Tender green shoots were pushing up from the ground, and as they did so I saw large pieces of rocks that were flat being moved out of the way by these tender shoots. These rocks had been placed over the seeds by the enemy to keep them from coming forth. Nevertheless, the power that was in the seeds had been warmed by the sun, (I somehow knew that the vision was not speaking about the sun, but rather the “SON”), and had pushed through. As they came through the trial of moving these large stones away, I heard the Lord say, “Just as the stone was rolled away at my resurrection and I came forth to rule and reign at my Father’s side, so will my children learn to rule and reign in the year 2012. The dreams I planted in them will have a resurrection this year.” As i watched these tender plants push through the soil and reach toward the warming sun, I once again heard the Lord say, “Only to the degree that these reborn dreams, goals, and visions reach for me will they find the ability to be fulfilled. The reason that my children have not seen the seeds they planted break forth and produce, is that these seeds were often for their own glory, praise, and comfort. Tell them I will no longer tolerate this in those children who have been believers long enough to mature. Their seeds must seek to focus on “MY GLORY and MY GLORY ALONE this year.”

Dear one, let us understand that we have no honor or glory of our own. Only as we give glory and honor to the SON will the prophetic promise and power be released.

Revelation 4:10 – 5:1
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

MORE TO FOLLOW
Apostle Robert Rogers
www.onemillionvoice.org

John 15:1-12

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 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. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.(emphasis mine)

As my heart leapt over the truth being freshly revealed to my hear, I began to hear the Lord teaching me the Wisdom I have so longed to receive. His words seemed to float up from deep within my spirit saying, “Son, the beauty of dreams and visions is that they can convey truth in a way that brings greater clarity to my Word as well as providing a window through which my children can better understand themselves. Through the ministry of dreams and vision I am able to display pictures of truth that are specific to each individual. The images that are seen in dreams and visions have a different meaning to each child of God. Through dreams and visions I am able to communicate to my child in their own language. Every child of God speaks a language of vision that is unique only to them. It is like a secret code I have with each of my children. That is why when you communicate some of the dreams and visions I give to you they have very little to teach my sons and daughters. For that vision or dream is only for you. Many have misinterpreted their dreams and visions because they have failed to understand this truth. It is now time for my Wisdom to teach you how to know the difference. Yet, because I am God I can also speak in a way through dreams and visions that all of my children can benefit from them. Those are the kind that are revealed in my Word.”

I continued to meditate of the road of transparent gold and somehow knew in my spirit that this road was simply Jesus Christ Himself. Once again my heart rejoiced to think of the roads in heaven that were of transparent gold. I knew that each of these roads in Heaven were but ever increasing revelation of Jesus Christ. “How marvelous is the Wisdom of our God!”, I exclaimed. “How unsearchable are His riches!” I also knew that to travel this road in this life was to live a life of transparency. Such a life has nothing to hide or to cover up. As a result it is impossible for fear to grip a believer who has the courage to walk this transparent path. My mind went immediately to the garden of Eden where the first impulse of Adam and Eve after they had sinned was to cover up and hide. I knew then that all of us in some way have been trying cover up things and to hide from one another and from the searching eyes of the Lord.

Somehow I knew the call to transparency was a call to true freedom. This path would truly lead to the deliverance from the “fear of man”. I knew that the Fear of the Lord was the beginning of Wisdom and that this transparent golden road was called the Road of Wisdom. Each step down this road would deliver me from my fears only to the degree that I walked in the Fear of the Lord. How pleasant this path is and how delightful to meditate on it. As I walked with the Lord He began to talk with me once again about how the game of chess could parallel the truth that He wanted me to understand. He went on to say, “The game of chess can be compared to my ways of evangelism. The goal of the game of chess is to capture the opposing chess pieces for the King. Truly, many lost souls are but pawns in the hands of the enemy called Satan. Yet, there are others who are priests in his army as well as knights who are greatly admired and envied for their beauty and power while others are castles or strongholds. Still others represent the head of the deceptive forces of darkness; these are the kings and queens of the lost. Son, I have a strategy for winning all who are captured by the enemy and used by him at his will. As you walk with me down this golden path I will reveal my end time strategy for winning the lost to my Kingdom no matter what position they hold in the Kingdom of Darkness.”

As I continued to walk down the golden road, the Lord continued to speak to me and give this invitation to all who would join us on this beautiful journey. He said, “Tell all who will listen that I will grant those who will walk with us an ever-increasing measure of four parts of My Nature. They are: My Heart, My Wisdom, My Authority, and My Power. Tell them My children will need all that I impart of these parts of My Nature for the work that lies ahead. We are entering into some of the most challenging hours of man’s history on this earth. The darkness is seeking to increase at an exponential rate, but I have long been prepared for every device the enemy has planned. Remember My Word found in the book of Isaiah that reads:

Isaiah 60:1-7

1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His Glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My Glory.

The Lord went on to say, “Son, this is the hour to draw near to Me as never before. To walk with Me so close you can feel my heart beat and feel the breath of My Being. I want to raise up the End Time Army of My Saints to do the exploits that I spoke of in My Word. Son, I charge you to get this Word to all who will listen. I will open doors for this message to go through but you must be faithful to all that I give you and charge all those who are working with you to apply themselves as never before.”

I then felt the heavy mantle of anointing and responsibility rest on my shoulders. I also knew that those whom the Lord had called to help me with this message would also feel the weight of this call and respond accordingly. Are you one of them?

MORE TO FOLLOW

Apostle Robert Rogers

Gen. 50:20

20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Does not God’s Word say:

Rom. 8:37  

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

NKJV

          I knew that this victory over the Spirit of Intimidation was a temporary one and that the next time I faced this enemy I would be better equipped to both identify and to overthrow the one that has paralyzed so many of God’s children. I also knew that the Lord allows these encounters to teach us more about Himself and His victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

As I was enjoying the sweetness of this victory and the presence of the Lord, I saw Him reach into His robe and draw something from His side. As He gave it to me I heard in my inner man these words, “My son, I have just given you the Gift that I give to all who have persevered over the trial and enemy of the Spirit of Intimidation. You have walked in a portion of this Gift for a long time but you and others will notice a marked difference in the degree and the way that this Gift will manifest from this day forward.” I somehow knew that the Lord had just planted in me a much greater measure than I had ever known, a portion of Himself, known as Wisdom. I remembered that throughout the book of Proverbs, the wisest man who ever lived continually charged us to gain three of the things we must have to be successful in life. They are of course, Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom. I knew I had pursued these things all of my Christian life, but was about to step into a greater anointing of this three-fold cord of  Proverbs. I had taught that Knowledge is “information”, that Understanding “is to know what to do with information”, and that Wisdom was the “correct application” of  Knowledge and Understanding.

As I received this marvelous Gift from the Lord, I instantly saw this truth like this, Knowledge- what I should know; Understanding- why I need to know these things;  Wisdom- what, when, and how to implement these truths. I had also taught that these this three-fold cord of Proverbs was essential to the correct understanding of dreams and visions. When applied to dreams and visions it looked like this. Revelation (knowledge), interpretation (understanding), and application (wisdom).

I had much experience in the first two for I had traveled the last fifteen years teaching on the interpretation of dreams and visions. Yet, as long as I had been teaching on this subject I knew I lacked the ability to apply all that I had learned to the degree I needed. Finally, this wonderful gift would allow me to move forward with the work the Lord had called us to accomplish for His purpose. I would now be able to build the “Bridge that Millions Would Cross”. I noted that Wisdom is listed 54 times in scripture and that the number 54 is the number of grace and to rule and reign. Here are just a few verses found in this wonderful book of the subject of  Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom.

Prov. 2:10-12

10 When wisdom enters your heart,

And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

11 Discretion will preserve you;

Understanding will keep you,

12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,

NKJV

Prov. 1:2-4

2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding,

3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,

Justice, judgment, and equity;

4 To give prudence to the simple,

To the young man knowledge and discretion —

          From my studies and my long walk with the Lord, I knew that Wisdom was not an object but rather a person, and not just a person but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. I had been given a greater portion of all that Christ is and had been called to walk with Him in ever increasing measures. I delighted in this knowledge for I knew that to be in His presence was both fullness of joy and pleasures forever more. I knew that it is these two things that the world constantly seeks for and tries to pay any price to attain. Yet, because they neither know nor understand the source of joy and pleasure they find themselves continually empty. As I meditated on this I saw the Lord walk over to my table and place a chess set down. He then invited me to sit down and play chess with Him. I said, “Lord, I do not like or enjoy board games and especially do not like chess.” Nevertheless the Lord said, “Come and sit down with me I have much to teach you about wisdom through this game.” The Lord went on to say, “Chess is a game that you must see many moves ahead of what you are presently doing. It is much like the Prophetic Ministry in that when you become an expert at chess you know what your opponent is going to do before  he does it.” The Lord then spoke something to my heart that I was astonished by. He said,” Son, most of your life and ministry you have insisted on being what you call “spontaneous”. That is, you do not like to plan ahead.” He then asked, “Do you know why you insist on being spontaneous?” The Lord continued to teach me saying, “As a child you were disappointed so many times when you were promised something in the future, that you began to protect yourself by not allowing yourself to plan.” He reminded me of many incidents in my life where disappointment gained a deep seat in my nature.

He went on to remind me of the Spirit of Rejection that was upon me from birth. He then revealed that being born out of wedlock, I  was not wanted by my mother and that was the beginning of years of bitter disappointment in planning for future events. For each time my heart would lay hold of some future promise, the dread Spirit of Alcoholism in those who made these promises would steal that joyous hope from me over and over again, until at last I refused to plan ahead. But, I rather became an expert at making the most of spontaneous opportunities. He went on to say that, “As good as being spontaneous is and the ability to adapt and make the most of every immediate opportunity, the result has great limitations to it.” He said, “Son, from the game of chess I will teach you how to plan ahead and how to thwart the enemy’s strategies to steal those plans from you. In chess you must be constantly on the “offensive” to play defensively – that is to only react to what the opponent is doing – is the sure way to losing in the game of chess as well as in the game of life.” I then began to realize that in order to grow in Wisdom, I would have to allow the Lord to change a great deal of how I have learned to function.

First of which is to allow the Lord to heal these past wounds to such a degree that I could follow Him more freely and completely. I began to wonder how I could learn to plan ahead in such a way that I would still be yielded to the Lord. For over the years I had watched many others who adopted a different way of dealing with their disappointments. I had learned that this had hindered them even more that the limitations of being spontaneous.

Indeed, they had become so expert at planning and controlling their environment that they could not be open to the others who, in their mind, threatened their carefully thought-out and controlled plans. Neither could they see some of the ways in which the Lord wanted to work in their lives because it did not fit into their need to control all things around them. As I sought the Lord about how I could safely strategize and plan without becoming controlling and manipulating, the Lord spoke to my heart saying, “Son, the answer is very simple. If love is at the center of your plans and guides all your actions, you will never become controlling or manipulative. You will, indeed, need to constantly be aware of the “motive of your heart”. This is what is means to “walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh”. Love is the foundation of my Kingdom and only that which is done in love can have my approval and support of My great Authority and Power.

I then knew again the desperate need for the Church to experience the next great move of God called “the Baptism of Love”. I knew that just as the truth of water baptism transformed the Church and brought world wide revival and just as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit did the same. The next baptism on the Lord’s calendar would fill the Church with a love she has never fully moved in before. The truth the Lord spoke of in “they shall know you by your love”, once again became a powerful reality in my Spirit and began to renew my mind. As I watched the checkered chess board, the word “Love” began to cover its entire surface. I knew that every move I was to make with each chess piece must be made in love. I knew that to move out of any other motive would spell defeat and disaster. I also began to recognize how often pride and insecurity had guided much of the things I had wanted to do for the Lord in the past and prayed that I would be move discerning of my motives as I learned the new skill the Lord wanted to teach me. I closed my eyes and began to have the following vision. I saw the children of God on a muddy and crooked road. Deep ruts had been dug into the road. These ruts were so deep it was impossible to get out of them.

Not only that, but with each step the thick mud of past wounds and experiences clung to the feet, ankles, and knees of each one who struggled to move down this road. Every step the believer was trying to take resulted in the exhaustion and frustration one experiences who has walked in the kind of mud that is made from partial clay, water, and dirt. Every effort to move forward was only done with the greatest exertion and each step resulted in another layer of mud being added to the boots, legs, hands, and body of the believer. For at times, the child of God would trip from the sheer weight and fall. Sometimes, the boot would slip off the feet as the child of God made the tremendous effort to free themselves of this mud. The mud would also become so thick upon the boots and shoes that some would fall off, and for a brief moment things would seem easier, yet the next step would only result in a fresh layer of this hindering mud to accumulate.

The result was, of course, exhaustion of the greatest measure. More time was spent trying to free themselves from the last step they took than actually moving forward. As I watched this scene I saw a magnificent door open and on the other side lay a road of transparent gold. This road was as straight as an arrow. As I looked, the Lord invited all who were on this other road of mud, ruts, and crookedness to step out of this mess be cleansed and wash away every vestige of mud and dirt. As those who responded to this invitation left this past path and stepped into the Lord’s invitation, the clinging, sticking, sucking mud of frustration, anger, and wariness was being washed away.

A new hope began to spring into each heart. An unbelievable strength seemed to return to the legs and arms of each one who chose to go through the welcoming doors. As we passed through the Lord spoke and said, “You have just stepped onto the path of WISDOM. Welcome to a new life free from the frustration, weariness and disappointment of the past.

” MORE TO FOLLOW

Apostle Robert D. Rogers

www.onemillionvoice.org

A great question for us to ask ourselves at this time is, “Are there some truly miraculous things the Lord is doing in our life this very moment that we are so blinded by fear, depression, and discouragement that we cannot see?” You may doubt the fact that intimidation can blind us to that degree, yet we find Elijah in that exact position. Let us now look at the narrative.

FIRST, ELIJAH DOES NOT TAKE NOTICE THAT AN ANGEL IS MINISTERING TO HIM.

1 Kings 19:4-5
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

I am certain that most of us would be greatly encouraged if an angel appeared to us. Indeed, angels are mighty spiritual beings sent to help the heirs of salvation, yet many of us are unaware of their diligent protection and care. Is it possible that the ministry of an angel or angels is even now surrounding your life but you are not aware of it? I am convinced that angels are joyfully helping us, for the Word of God declares it to be so.

Hebrews 1:13-14
13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Hebrews 13:2
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

How is it then that Elijah hardly noticed this Angel? The Angel even spoke to him and gave him miraculous sustaining food. In fact, we will discover a constant flow of God’s manifestation in Elijah’s life that this servant of God fails to recognize; for he has been blinded by the spirit of intimidation. How is this possible? As our story unfolds, Elijah eats the food given him by the Angel on two occasions, and this food sustains him for forty days as he is being divinely directed by God to a place of protection and solitude where the sovereign Lord will speak audibly to him.

Still, Elijah is so blinded that each time the Lord asks him a question he only speaks of his problems. How would you respond if you heard the audible voice of God? Do you not think that you and I would walk around on cloud nine rejoicing of this great blessing? You see, the Spirit of Intimidation if given into, has the power to blind us from the blessings of our great heavenly Father and maximize our problems to such a degree we can hardly function.

I have known many believers in whom the Lord was bringing great and constant blessings into their lives. So much so that others were envious of what the Lord was doing. Yet, no matter how many blessings were coming their way, they focused only on the great problems they still lay ahead. How about you?

Consider with me that God was divinely helping Elijah the whole time but Elijah could not see it. The forty day journey Elijah was taking was being divinely directed by the Lord with every step he took, yet Elijah was unable to appreciate this miraculous journey. Why? He could only dwell on his problems. Oh Lord, please forgive our blindness. Even in the midst of this long dry journey, this journey of loneliness and seeming forty day silence, you are directing our every step. You are leading us to a cave of isolation so that we cannot focus on anything other than your divine presence and still we are blind. Let us receive your word recorded in the book of Revelation and anoint our eyes that we may see.

 Revelation 3:18
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (emphasis mine)

I was once in a worship service in which the music was so loud I could barely think. They were singing songs that I did not know and the building was packed. Still, I could not sense the presence of God in any of what was going on around me. Suddenly, I was enveloped in total silence and I began to have the following vision.

With the eyes of my heart I was standing on beautiful, green grass on a warm summer day and I was enveloped in a lovely silence and peace. The hand of the Lord reached toward me and I put my hand in His. I was like a little child and somehow I knew we were going to have a picnic together. We walked to a lovely green spot and the Lord set down His picnic basket and removed a red and white checkered picnic blanket and spread it on the ground. He invited me to sit down and as I did so He reached into the basket and brought out a spiral notebook . I knew without Him saying anything that I was to devote a great deal of the ministry He had called me to in writing by inspiration and revelation. For some time I had been journaling in a spiral notebook and recording the dreams and visions I had been receiving.The Lord then handed me a beautiful golden pen that fit into the spine of the notebook. He reached into the picnic basket a second time and pulled out a small stone jar with a lid on it. He took the lid off and inside was anointing salve. He then gently rubbed the salve on my eyes and said, “Son, no matter how disturbed, distressed, or distracted you find yourself, if you will pause and anoint your eyes with this salve you will instantly enter into my presence.”

The rest of that service I basked in the glory of that encounter. Divine peace flooded me and I knew I had been given priceless gifts that would be a blessing to me and thousands of others the rest of my life. Yet, like all gifts, I would have to spend a great deal of time developing the skills and insights necessary to use them to their fullest anointed purpose. One of the deepest lessons I learned from that encounter is that we can be blinded just as easily in a religious setting as we can be in the darkest storm. I reminded myself that the Spirit of Intimidation is very comfortable in religious settings and took note to seek to guard against this subtle deception.

I firmly believe that one of the greatest mistakes that leaders make today is that when we call a Council, Elders, or Deacons meeting, we begin with a brief prayer of devotion and then start dealing with the problems, challenges, or difficulties before us. I have sat through and participated in hundreds of these meetings and each one has ended up with more problems than when we started. I am sure that it is assumed that each person participating in the gathering has come together to talk business and has had fellowship and worship with the Lord before they got there and we can therefore move directly into the business side of things. Yet, dear one, that has proven to be a great error. No, we must wait on God until there is a divine sense of His presence. It is truly only in the presence of the Lord that perspective can be gained. Not only that, but we must have leaders who can draw us back into His continual presence as the meeting goes along.

Perhaps some who are reading this have never been involved in a denominational church business meeting, but the same principle is involved in settling personal or family challenges. Get into the presence of the Lord first and stay there. If we, like Elijah, focus only on the problems, we will miss the supernatural things the Lord is doing for us. Three times the Lord asks Elijah why he is in the cave of isolation and depression and Elijah always answers that same way.

1 Kings 19:9-11
9 And he came there to a cave and stayed there. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah the God of Hosts. For the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I alone, am left. And they seek to take my life away. 11 And He said, Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD. But the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
(emphasis mine)

Can you see it? The reason the Lord led Elijah to this cave was so that he could discern the still, small voice of the Lord in the midst of tumultuous difficulties. Indeed, the leader who can bring other leaders into the presence of the Lord during business and planning sessions will be the man or woman we need to follow. The husband who can bring the family gathering into the presence of the Lord and then make Godly decisions will be the man who solves the problem of divorce in the land. Do not be fooled when confusion, discouragement, and division are present, for truly the Spirit of Intimidation has found its way into our gatherings. Indeed, it is at this time we need the spirit of a Jehu to arise. One who not only recognizes this spirit but who is also anointed to slay her.

2 Kings 9:30-33
30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. 31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? 32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. 33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trod her under foot

To put this into simpler terms. If you or I find the Spirits of Discouragement, Confusion, Despair, or Depression present, let us not give into it. Let us begin to talk about the good things the Lord is doing in our midst; let us do only what the scriptures tell us too. Namely:

 Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-20
16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, 5 pulling down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ; 6 and having readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

In our next chapter we will discuss one of the most important verses the Lord wants to anoint for our day. As this verse is enlightened in our spirit, we will be able to wage war against the enemy with great effectiveness.

MORE TO FOLLOW
Apostle Robert Rogers

p.s. I appreciate so much the new subscribers we gain in every posting as well as the comments sent back to us. Truly this word is reaching around the world and giving hope and revelation to thousands. May the Lord receive all praise and glory. Please consider being one of those the Lord has chosen to be an electronic hub sending His Word to all you know by forwarding these writings. May the Lord both bless your efforts and the ministry He has called you to.

I immediately confronted my friend with what he had done and he took a good deal of time apologizing. In fact, as much as some of us hate confrontation, our ability to face the Spirit of Intimidation head-on is a second weapon that disarms this deadly enemy. Most Christians think it is not Christ-like to confront issues that are causing damage to them or to the Body of Christ. In fact, this is one of the worst things you or I can do. The Spirit of Intimidation is seeking to get us to give up our position of authority so that we have nothing to defeat it with. When we are unwilling to confront those seeking to control us or the work of the Lord, the Spirit of Intimidation takes that as a great weakness and will do even more damage. The result will be loss of clarity of vision, depression, discouragement, and a feeling we are bogging down and a loss of energy.

We now have identified two weapons the Lord has put into our hands to defeat His enemies. The first one we cited was “gratitude”. The ability to give thanks for even the smallest of things. I was once praying with a man I have great love and respect for and overheard his prayers. He was living in a very humble trailer with worn furniture. I heard him say, “Lord, I thank you for my refrigerator and my couch and my coffee table.” This man taught me a great lesson about gratitude. In fact, as I was praying one time, the Lord spoke to my heart saying, “Every man can be as wealthy as they want to be; for wealth is not determined by what you have but by your ability to be grateful.” What a powerful life changing word that was! I have seen people sit down to a seven course meal and do nothing but complain and grumble about the food or the service. The person who complains, criticizes, and grumbles will never be wealthy no matter how much money, possessions, or titles they have. No, the measure of our gratefulness is the only true measure of wealth. The following story I read is from Rick Joyner’s book The Final Quest. I wept the first time I read it and I still find tears of gratitude welling up in my eyes each time I think of “Angelo”.

I remembered the day when, as a young Christian, I had become frustrated with some issues in my life. I went out into the middle of a battlefield park near my apartment and determined that I would wait until the Lord spoke to me. As I sat reading my Bible, I was caught up into a vision, one of the first ones I ever had. In the vision I saw a man who was zealously serving the Lord. He was continually witnessing to people, teaching the Bible, and visiting the sick to pray for them. He was very zealous for the Lord, and had a genuine love for people. Then I saw another man, named Angelo, who was obviously a tramp or a homeless person. When a small kitten wandered into his path, he started to kick it but restrained himself, though he still shoved it out of the way rather harshly with his foot. Then the Lord asked me which of these men pleased Him the most.

“The first,” I said without hesitating. 

“No, the second,” He responded, and began to tell me their stories. 

He shared that the first man had been raised in a wonderful family, which had always known the Lord. He grew up in a thriving church and then attended one of the best Bible colleges in the country. He had been given one hundred portions of His love, but he was using only seventy-five. 

The second man had been born deaf. He was abused and kept in a dark, cold attic until he was found by the authorities when he was eight years old. He had then been shifted from one institution to another, where the abuse continued. Finally, he was turned out on the streets. The Lord had only given him three portions of His love to help him overcome all of this, but he had mustered every bit of it to fight the rage in his heart and keep from hurting the kitten. 

I now looked at that man, a king sitting on a throne far more glorious than Solomon could have even imagined. Hosts of angels were arrayed about him, waiting to do his bidding. I turned to the Lord in awe. I still could not believe he was real, much less one of the great kings. 

“Lord, please tell me the rest of His story,” I begged. 

“Of course, that is why we are here. Angelo was so faithful with the little I had given to him that I gave him three more portion of My love. He used all of that to quit stealing. He almost starved, but he refused to take anything that was not his. He bought his food with what he could make collecting bottles, and occasionally he found someone who would let him do yard work. 

‘Angelo could not hear but he had learned to read, so I sent him a gospel tract. As he read it, the Spirit opened his heart, and he gave his life to Me. I again doubled the portions of My love to Him, and he faithfully used all of them. He wanted to share Me with others, but he could not speak. Even though he lived in such poverty, he started spending over half of everything he made on gospel tracts to give out on street corners.” 

“How many did he lead to you?” I asked, thinking that it must have been multitudes for him to be sitting with the kings. 

“One,” the Lord answered. “In order to encourage him, I let him lead a dying alcoholic to Me. It encouraged him so much that he would have stood on that corner for many more years just to bring another soul to repentance. But all of heaven was entreating to bring him here quickly, and I, too, wanted him to receive his reward.”

“But what did Angelo do to become a king here?” I asked. 

“He was faithful with all that he was given. He overcame all until he became like Me, and he died a martyr” 

“But what did he overcome, and how was he martyred?” 

“He overcame the world with My love. Very few have overcome so much with so little. Many of My people dwell in homes with conveniences that kings would have envied just a century ago, yet they do not appreciate them. Angelo, on the other hand, would so appreciate even a cardboard box on a cold night that he would turn it into a glorious temple of My presence.” 

“He began to love everyone and everything. He would rejoice more over an apple than some of My people do over a great feast. He was faithful with all that I gave him, even though it was not very much compared to what I gave others, including you. I showed him to you in a vision because you passed by him many times. Once you even pointed him out to one of your friends and spoke of him.” 

“I did? What did I say?” 

‘You said, “There is another one of those Elijahs who must have escaped from the bus station. You said he was ‘a religious nut’ who was sent by the enemy to turn people off to the gospel.” 

This was the worst blow I had yet suffered in this whole experience. I was more than shocked, I was appalled. I tried to remember the specific incident, but couldn’t—simply because there were so many others like it. I had never had much ompassion for filthy street preachers, considering them tools of Satan sent to turn people off to the gospel. 

“I’m sorry, Lord. I’m really sorry.” 

“You are forgiven,” He quickly responded, “and you are right that there are many who try to preach the gospel on the streets for wrong or even perverted reasons. Even so, there are many who are sincere, even if they are untrained and unlearned. You must not judge by appearances. There are as many true servants who look like he did as there are among the polished professionals in the great cathedrals and organizations that men have built in My Name.” He then motioned for me to look up at Angelo. When I had turned, he had descended the steps to his throne and was now right in front of me. Opening his arms, he gave me a great hug and kissed my forehead like a father. Love poured over me and through me until I felt that it would overload my nervous system. When he finally released me, I was staggering as if I were drunk, but it was a wonderful feeling. It was love like I had never felt before. “He could have imparted that to you on earth,” the Lord continued. “He had much to give to My people, but they would not come near him. Even My prophets avoided him. He grew in the faith by buying a Bible and a couple of books that he read over and over He tried to go to churches, but he could not find one that would receive him. If they would have taken him in, they would have taken Me in. He was My knock upon their door.” I was learning a new definition of grief. “How did he die?”I asked, remembering that he had been martyred. Based on what I had seen so far, I was half expecting that I somehow was even responsible for that. “He froze to death trying to keep alive an old wino who had passed out in the cold.” 

The Unlikely Overcomer 

As I looked at Angelo, I could not believe how hard my heart had been. Even so, I did not understand how dying in this way made him a martyr, which I thought was a title reserved for those who died because they would not compromise their testimony of the lordship of Christ.

“Lord, I know that he is truly an overcomer,” I remarked. “And it truly is warranted for him to be here. But are those who die in such a way actually considered martyrs?” 

“Angelo was a martyr every day that he lived. He would only do enough for himself to stay alive, and he gladly sacrificed his life to save a needy friend. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, even if you give your body to be burned, but do not have love, it counts as nothing. But, when you give yourself with love, it counts for much. Angelo died every day, because he did not live for himself but for others. Even though he always considered himself the least of the saints, he was truly one of the greatest. As you have already learned, many of those who consider themselves the greatest, and are considered by others to be the greatest, end up being the least here. Angelo did not die for a doctrine, or even for his testimony, but he did die for Me.”

“Lord, please help me to remember this. When I return, please do not let me forget what I am seeing here,” I begged. 

“That is why I am with you here, and I will be with you when you return. Wisdom is to see with My eyes, and to not judge by appearances. I showed you Angelo in the vision so that you would recognize him when you passed him on the street. If you had shared with him the knowledge of his past that I had shown you in the vision, he would have given his life to me then. You could have then discipled this great king, and he would have had a great impact on My church.” 

“If My people would look at others the way I do, Angelo and many others like him would have been recognized. They would have been paraded into the greatest pulpits. My people would have come from the ends of the earth to sit at their feet, because by doing this they would have sat at My feet. He would have taught you to love, and how to invest the gifts that I have given you so that you could bear much more fruit.” I was so ashamed that I did not want to even look at the Lord, but finally I turned back to Him as I felt the pain driving me toward self-centeredness again. When I looked at Him, I was virtually blinded by His glory. It took a while, but gradually my eyes adjusted so that I could see Him. 

“Remember that you are forgiven,” He said. “I am not showing you these things to condemn you, but to teach you. Always remember that compassion will remove the veils from your soul faster than anything else.” 

As we began to walk again, Angelo entreated me, “Please remember my friends, the homeless. Many will love our Savior if someone will go to them.” 

His words had such power in them that I was too moved to answer, so I just nodded. I knew that those words were the decree of a great king, and a great friend of the King of Kings. 

“Lord, will you help me to help the homeless?” I asked. 

“I will help any who help them,” He responded. “When you love those whom I love, you will always know My help. They will be given the Helper by the measure of their love. You have asked many times for more of My anointing; that is how you will receive it. Love those whom I love. As you love them, you love Me. As you give to them, you have given to Me, and I will give more to you in return.” 

Living like a King 

My mind drifted to my nice home and all the other possessions I had. I was not wealthy, yet I knew that by earthly standards I lived much better than kings had just a century before. I had never felt guilty about it before, but I did now. Somehow it was a good feeling, but at the same time it did not feel right. Again I looked back to the Lord, for I knew He would help me. 

“Remember what I said about how My perfect law of love made light and darkness distinct. When confusion such as you are now feeling comes, you know that what you are experiencing is not My perfect law of love. I delight in giving My family good gifts, just as you do yours. I want you to enjoy them and appreciate them. Nevertheless, you must not worship them, and you must freely share them when I call you to.” 

“I could wave My hand and instantly remove all poverty from the earth. There will be a day of reckoning when the mountains and high places are brought down, and the poor and oppressed are raised up, but I must do it. Human compassion is just as contrary to Me as human oppression. Human compassion is used as a substitute for the power of My cross. I have not called you to sacrifice, but to obey. Sometimes you will have to sacrifice in order to obey Me, but if your sacrifice is not done in obedience, it will separate us.” 

“You are guilty for the way you misjudged and treated this great king when he was My servant on earth. Do not judge anyone without inquiring of Me. You have missed more of the encounters I have set for you than you have ever imagined, simply because you were not sensitive to Me. However, I did not show you this to just make you feel guilty, but rather to bring you to repentance so you will not continue to miss such opportunities.” 

“If you just react in guilt, you will begin to do things to compensate for your guilt, which is an affront to My cross. My cross alone can remove your guilt. And because I went to the cross to remove your guilt, whatever is done in guilt is not done for Me.” 

“I do not enjoy seeing men suffer,” Wisdom continued. “But human compassion will not lead them to the cross, which alone can relieve their real suffering. You missed Angelo because you were not walking in compassion. You will have more when you return, but your compassion must still be subject to My Spirit. Even I did not heal all those for whom I had compassion, but I only did what I saw My Father doing. You must not just do things out of compassion, but in obedience to My Spirit. Only then will your compassion have the power of redemption.” 

“I have given you the gifts of My Spirit. You have known My anointing in your preaching and writing, but you have known it much less than you realize. Rarely do you really see with My eyes or hear with My ears or understand with My heart. Without Me, you can do nothing that will benefit my kingdom or promote My gospel. You have fought in My battles, and you have even seen the top of My mountain. You have learned to shoot arrows of truth and hit the enemy. You have learned a little about using My sword. But remember; love is My greatest weapon. Love will never fail. Love will be the power that destroys the works of the devil. And love will be what brings My kingdom. Love is the banner over My army, and under that banner you must now fight.” 

With this, we turned into a corridor and were no longer in the great hail of judgment. The glory of Wisdom was all around me, but I could no longer see Him distinctly. Suddenly, I came to a door. My first impulse was to turn because I did not want to leave, but I knew that I must. This was the door Wisdom had led me to. I had to go through it. 

          In our next writing we will see how the great Prophet Elijah was deceived by the Spirit of Intimidation so that he could not see the things the Lord was doing in his life and how he focused only on his problems in the midst of some of the greatest blessings anyone could ever receive. Is it possible that you or I can be so blinded by the Spirit of Intimidation that we cannot see the miraculous things the Lord is doing in our life?

MORE TO FOLLOW

Apostle Robert D. Rogers

The most effective way to defeat an enemy is to ambush them. Ambush gives an army the element of surprise and is designed to throw them into a panic mode. If an army is gripped by panic, almost every decision it makes is wrong. Not only wrong, but disastrously wrong. Perhaps you know exactly what I am talking about. Perhaps you have often found yourself in intense spiritual warfare before you even knew it, and yes, you panicked and made almost every decision a bad one. If so, you will want to pay close attention to what the Lord wants to teach us in the following pages.

The good thing about walking with the Lord is that He will almost always warn us of the coming storms and battles. Indeed, He will warn us but that does not mean we are paying attention or will listen. You might wonder why I said, “The Lord will almost always warn us.” If the Lord is indeed our wonderful heavenly Father and will never leave us nor forsake us, then why would He not warn us every time? I can’t fully answer that question, but at least three things come to mind when I dwell on this truth. First, I think the Lord does warn us far more times than we realize. Yet, is it not true that when you and I try to warn a teenager of the dangers of driving or getting into debt or being alone with someone of the opposite sex, they almost never listen? I think that the Lord sometimes says, “I would love to warn them but they will not listen. They are too full of pride and self-confidence that My warnings would only be scoffed at.”

Secondly, I believe that the Lord sometimes does warn through correct teaching and like a natural father, He desires to teach us how to recognize and see danger for ourselves. If we have a natural father who takes us into the woods to teach us how to hunt or into a boat to take us fishing, that father has many things to show us. If we are in the boat he will teach us not to rock the boat, or when we cast our line to be careful how we cast so that we do not hook someone and cause severe pain. He tells us to watch for the wind that might come up suddenly and swamp the boat. Why does he do this? First, because he loves us and second, because someday we will take the boat out alone and if we have not learned the lessons to watch for danger our very life could easily be lost.

The third thing that the Lord has given to us is one of the most blessed gifts of an early warning system that anyone could ever hope to have. With this gift in operation and functioning at a high level it is almost impossible to be ambushed by an enemy. Sadly, very few of the Lord’s children know the value and blessings of this gift. The Lord used this gift many times to warn His sons and daughters both in the Old Testament and the New. I am sorry to say that for a long time I neglected this most blessed of gifts without ever knowing it. By now your mind is probably racing and trying to figure out what I am talking about. Well, here is what I consider the most neglected tool the Lord has given to His children. I am, of course, talking about dreams and visions. Did you know that approximately one third of the entire Bible is dreams, visions, and their interpretations? Yet the modern Church has very little, if any understanding, of how the Lord desires to use these gifts to bless us and warn us. Take for instance this following passage.

Job 33:14-17

14 For God speaks once,

yes twice, yet man perceives it not.

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,

when deep sleep falls upon men,

in slumberings upon the bed;

16 Then he opens the ears of men,

and seals their instruction,

17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose,

and hide pride from man.

He keeps back his soul from the pit,

and his life from perishing by the sword. 

The word sword here is “missile of attack”. So then we see the Lord does warn us and speaks to not once, but twice, yet we do not “perceive it”.

One of the definitions for the word “perceive” in this context is to “regard”. Is that not true of most of our dreams? We do not regard them as a word from the Lord? Another word used in this context for “perceive” is “to inspect,” “to watch for”, or “to observe”. No, most of us just dismiss our dreams as so much “junk mail”. When we look into the inerrant Word of God to test our experiences regarding dreams and visions as our early warning system, we find many such events recorded there. For instance, the New Testament opens with a flurry of dreams and visions and then they carry through the work of the Church in the Book of Acts. We find the father of John the Baptist experiencing a vision as the Angel tells him of the coming birth of John.

Luke 1:21-22

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

Next we find Mary being spoken to by another Angel.

Luke 1:26-28

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Indeed, we find Joseph being warned through dreams and visions to accept Mary as his wife and to flee into Egypt, and later we find Paul instructed not to go into Asia in a vision. Truly the Lord desires to instruct us through this Biblical form of communication, yet few believers understand or know how to judge, receive, or interpret these blessed means of Godly information. All of what we have written on the subject of guidance must of course be carefully measured by the precious and unerring Word of God. The Word is the revelation of Jesus Christ and Jesus is our foundation. Indeed, we can build no higher than the foundation we rest upon. If that foundation is the faith and knowledge of God’s Word, there is no limit to what the Lord can teach us. That being said, why do you think so few of the Lord’s children understand what a major portion of the Word of God teaches on?

We find one of the answers in God’s Word itself. Jesus warns us that the traditions of men can become more important than the Word of God. In fact, we find one of the Apostles of the Lord so deeply stuck in tradition that he cannot discern the will of God. How about you and I? Is it possible for us to be so caught up in one form or another of tradition, prejudice, or preference that we cannot hear what the Lord is saying? I once asked the Lord why His wonderful Word seemed to be so powerless in so many lives even when it is quoted. His answer astounded me but it was necessary for Him to use a vision to bring the answer, but we will reserve that for the next chapter.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Apostle Robert Rogers

Few of us have understood just how accurate and truthful the words of the Lord are to us. When the Lord says that the battle you are about to enter into will be one of the most severe and deceptive battles you have ever fought in, there is something in all of us that will fail to grasp just how bad it is going to be. We are never quite prepared for the onslaught of darkness that drops on us after we receive a divine revelation. I suppose we are so filled with the knowledge of that recent experience to ever believe that we could fall into any kind of darkness of the soul.

Yet, what we must understand is that the greater the revelation, the greater the battle. I often tell novice believers that if they have a miraculous encounter, they better do everything they can to appreciate it and value it. For it is my experience that the reason the Lord gives us out-of-the-ordinary blessings is because we are going to desperately need them to get through the battle that is sure to follow. I often advise, “Do not ask for supernatural encounters or revelations, because if we receive them, it is because we are going to desperately need them.”

Do you remember when Jesus received a public affirmation of his Sonship? He was being baptized by John the Baptist and a dove descended from heaven and a voice was heard saying, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” Do you know what immediately followed? That’s right, Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. The whole process of the temptation was to get Jesus to question the revelation He had just received. Was He indeed the beloved son of God? Satan kept saying, “If you are this special person then why are you hungry and suffering? If you are this special person use your power for yourself. Affirm yourself, show others your anointing, prove it.” All of these things are the same methods the enemy will use against you and I when we receive a word from the Lord. 

I then saw the Lord point to a coming storm. I could see the dark clouds from a distance moving at a fairly rapid pace towards me. The storm was not from rain, but rather from dust dirt, and sand. It was swirling and black, I knew that it would not be long until it reached me, so I asked the Lord, “What does this storm represent?” In His great love He turned to me saying, “This is the battle I told you was coming and asked if you were ready to fight in it. It is the storm that will seek to steal the revelation you received of my glory. My son, you were given a truth to reveal to my Church, that when received and walked in, will bring my Church into the unity I prayed to the Father for in John 17.” He then showed me those verses from His Book.

John 17:20-22

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

 The Lord went on to say that the coming storm of dirt, dust, and sand will do everything in its power to blind you from the truth you are called to deliver. It will seek to blind you from your purpose and cause you to lose the direction and path I have placed you on. The only way you will survive this darkness and despair is to allow the revelation established on My Word to be your constant guide and compass. My precious Holy Spirit will give you the tools you need and teach you how to expertly use them. He went on to say, “Son, there is yet time to learn how to use these tools before the storm arrives if you are diligent to focus and not allow yourself to be distracted by the enemies devices. The tools I have given you will give you great peace and confidence in the storm if you truly become a master of these tools.”

I then remembered that all of my life I have wanted to be a master craftsman able to produce with my heart and hands those things that were priceless because they were made of the finest materials and done with the greatest of skill. It seemed that most of my life I had settled for second rate things. Yet, I knew that only those skills that were of the master craftsman level could not only survive this terrible coming storm but even be perfected through it. I was very much looking forward to being trained by the true Master Craftsman, the dear Holy Spirit.

Yet, before I realized what had happened, the darkness of this storm imperceptibly began to take hold of me in a strange way. I sensed a slight discouragement and depression. Where before I was excited and could not wait for each day, I began to dread the thought of continuing on with the ministry the Lord called me too. I began to see some of the things I once loved to do as a drudgery. I imagined all kinds of negative things about people who I loved and trusted. How could I move from such hope and vision to this darkness was truly a puzzle. I then remembered what Judah had said about the coming storm. It was that remembrance that began to displace the discouragement and depression. One of the powers of deception is that the real cause stays hidden. The longer the enemy can hide the root of our problems, the longer he is able to continue unhindered and unchallenged. He does this by getting us to blame something other than the true source of our difficulties.

As soon as I recognized that my depression was from the storm the Lord warned me about, I began to arm myself for the coming battle of darkness. I remembered Judah had shown me that this storm was one of dust, dirt, and sand that swirled blinded, stung, and chocked. I also recalled that He had said He would open up the right scriptures to my understanding that I would need to not only endure this storm, but also to share truth with His Church that would fulfill His prayer that the Church might be one. The first scripture that came to my mind was this one:

Hebrews 4:12-13

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

I instantly knew in my spirit that this Word would help me to discern the root of where the confusion, discouragement, deception, and depression was coming from. I knew I desperately needed the skills of the Master Craftsman to use this verse against the horde of darkness I was encountering. I knew that if I walked in the truths of what this verse taught, no enemy could hide from the searching power of God’s Holy Word.

MORE TO FOLLOW….

Apostle Robert Rogers

To read from “The Journey” book I & book II go to www.onemillionvoice.org

EXCERPT FROM THE CHRONICLES OF JUDAH

The Journey II

As I sat and wondered why I was not able to fully accomplish what the Lord had called me to, my despondency grew. I then saw a familiar figure approaching me from what at first seemed a great distance. Yet, as my eyes of faith began to adjust, I realized that He was never a great distance away but always as close as my next breath. Still, although the figure of The Lion of the Tribe of Judah was so familiar, there was something that seemed very different to me. He appeared much larger and stronger than I had remembered. There too, was an aura around Him of absolute authority power and wisdom. Never had I been so enveloped and overpowered by this kind of wisdom. It seemed that every decision Judah had ever made in my life or in any other life was made and carried out in the only way that made sense. The wisdom that came from Judah had an amazing effect on me.

While beholding the wisdom, power, and authority of Judah the only possible emotional and mental state that I could dwell in was absolute and complete trust. This trust resulted in a peace so profound that nothing could ever disturb it.

I had thought that I had many questions to ask of Him if He would only draw close enough for me to ask. I wanted to ask why I could not complete the task He had given me and why the five-fold ministers could not work together long enough to build His bridge; why I had been so often hurt and rejected by others, and on and on my questions carried me, until all life seemed to be an unending flow of question marks. I wanted to know why, why, why! In fact, as I beheld His wisdom and authority I realized that most of my life had been paralyzed because I thought I needed to know, “Why?” to almost everything. What was also strange was that I thought if people would just listen long enough I could explain my thoughts and actions and that everybody would then understand and accept me. Yet, how I could be filled with so many questions and at the same time think, “If I could only explain myself, now everything would be ok.”, seemed so clearly contradictory.

My mind drifted to some far off passages that I once read and I tried to remember where they were recorded. My thoughts finally settled on the man called Job. Did he too not have many questions to ask the Lord? Had he not suffered in such a way that he deserved some answers? Why had he become so sick, why had he lost his children, why had his wife failed him and his friends turn against him? Why did his problems never seem to end? If anyone had a right to ask questions and deserve answers, I was sure this man called Job did. I then decided I would look up the passages that recorded not only the questions Job had about his life, but the answers that this deserving man was given. I was absolutely astonished at what I found.

1 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?

3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

4 Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?”

Were you as startled as I was after reading this passage? Basically the Lord said, “Job, no matter what you have suffered and endured, you are in no position to question the God of all creation.” That may sound hard and uncaring and to some grossly unfair. Yet, when God had finished revealing himself to Job, he could do nothing more than to put his hand over his own mouth and confess he was a fool to question God.

6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone —

7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,

9 when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,

10 when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place,

1 The Lord said to Job:

2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”

3 Then Job answered the Lord :

4 “I am unworthy —how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.

5 I spoke once, but I have no answer — twice, but I will say no more.”

I then realized that Job had experienced what I was presently experiencing as I was in the presence of Judah. As the Wisdom, Power, and Authority of Judah enveloped every part of my being my mind was renewed to such a degree that every question I thought I wanted answered was completely satisfied by knowing Judah will never and has never made a decision that was not best for not only me but for all of mankind.

I then knew that all the problems I had in trying to fulfill the dreams I thought the Lord had given me were found in His presence. I knew that if the Church could abide in His presence it would be the end of division, unrighteous judgment, criticism, competition, insecurity, and inferiority. It was just impossible to think of any of these things as I dwelt “under the shadow of the Almighty.”

The Lion of the tribe of Judah then spoke to me saying “Son I have revealed myself to you in such a way that all of your questions have been answered and that you now know the answer of how to perfectly fulfill my will in your life. You have found that as long as you abide in me nothing is impossible to you. This truth has been given to you so that you might reveal it to my children in a clear and precise way. When you do, you will release into the earth a power that I have intended for the Church to walk in from the beginning. I am here to help you fulfill this commission and I will supply everything you need to accomplish this. Yet, you must understand the terrible powers of darkness that seek to blind my children from truth. When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they opened a door to a deception so great that the entire world has been deceived and blinded by it ever since. What makes this deception so great is that it is accepted as truth and it is impossible for mankind to see through this lie unless they are constantly in my presence.

Over the next few months I will reveal to you just how deceptive and powerful these lies have become rooted in my church and how my church can be delivered. I will do this by opening up to you my Word in a new way. There will be times however, that the lies and the darkness will feel too powerful for you to be successful, yet understand this, that I have now restored to my church the offices of Prophet and Apostle and it is through these two offices that I break strongholds that will yield to nothing else. That is why the enemy has sought to distort the purpose of these two offices so mightily. Indeed, my Prophets and Apostles have been operating and functioning in immaturity for quite some time, but that is all about to change and you are one in whom I have called and anointed to mature these ministries.

I called you to beachhead the Prophetic and Apostolic anointings within the circle in which you flow. It was not unfamiliar to you but it was somewhat unfamiliar in the circle in which you flow. I warned you that at times you will be heavily criticized and rejected and told not to even think of going back, quitting, or not going on. You have been faithful in this call to beachhead these anointings and now I will allow you to establish them. When my Apostolic and Prophetic anointing are fully mature I will release into the earth; the last great move of my Spirit this earth will ever see. It will be so powerful that nothing of this earth will be able to stand against it. I will carry away the walls of lies and deception that have so blinded this earth to such a degree that all who really seek and want the truth will have the opportunity to embrace it without the power of lies and deceptions of this earth to hinder. Remember, I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life! My son are you ready for the Battle?”

MORE TO FOLLOW

Apostle Robert Rogers