four visions of the river of god
Recently the Lord showed me a vision with great significance for the Body of Christ in these days. He connected three parts of the vision together in rapid succession then, four days later, gave me the final part.
The first vision came during our weekly church staff meeting. As we were worshipping and waiting on God, I saw a great river flowing down into the earth from the heavens above. It looked like a wide river of water, but I knew in my spirit that it was actually the River of God’s presence. The Bible teaches in the prophecies of Ezekiel and the Revelation that a River of Life flows from God’s Throne into the earth and returns back to the Throne. And this river that I saw was shining with God’s glory. It was full of His power and anointing and grace.
As the vision unfolded, I saw thousands and tens of thousands of God’s people floating and swimming in this wonderful manifestation of God’s love. They were being washed with little waves of healing. Many were being cleansed. Others were being released from heavy addictions and bondages. Wave after wave kept flowing over them as depression and isolation gave way to a deepening fellowship with God. Next, bigger waves of refreshing washed over everyone and still bigger waves seemed to strengthen the swimmers, imparting giftings and increasing the measure of wisdom and revelation in each one.
Then…suddenly, as I watched, that wonderful scene began to change as believers, by the hundreds, were being pulled quickly up and out of the river as if by great and powerful forces. It lifted them to the top of the water. But, as I watched, they appeared to be water skiing and they seemed to be happy and excited. But my heart became sober and serious and deeply troubled. Now thousands were coming up out of the river, being pulled by many different powerful forces in various directions. They were moving at great speeds crossing back and forth in front of each other, almost oblivious to each other, but yet trying to impress each other.
It was then that I saw that those believers were not skiing on regular water skis but on crutches. They were resting on crutches on top of the water. And I asked, “Lord what am I seeing? What are you showing me?” Then God said to me…”Many of my people are being pulled out of the River of My Glory by powerful distractions and appetites and pride. They are riding on the top of what I am doing in the earth as if their successes were by their doing. They are relying on things again and trusting in others beside Me.” I could feel God’s displeasure.
He told me that the greatest dangers in this present move of God are coming from the distractions that rise up in our flesh and in our soulish desires. Our own ambitions, as well as the demands of schedules and the expectations people are all threatening what God has purposed for our generation. I saw crutches of reputation. Reputation was pulling so many out of the River. Religious and denominational loyalties were pulling people up and out of God’s presence. Financial demands, fear, anxiety, attitudes, the real motives of hearts that were still divided, physical exhaustion and stress were all working to rip people out of God’s River of Life. I saw crutches of talents and natural abilities honored by others and wanted by others and pursued by others, but not yet sanctified for God. I saw drastic weaknesses in character, and those with weakened character were being pulled up out of the River unto even bigger crutches. They were skiing around as if the whole River of what God is doing in this last hour was there for their personal benefit. Oh, I need to tell you that what God is doing in the earth today is not about you and it’s not about me. It’s about Jesus. He is the center. He is the purpose for which the River of God has been released. He is the One who is to receive Glory from the River. It’s not flowing, as the prophets foretold, to advance us and our programs and our desires, our dreams and our ministries. It’s not flowing to build our churches, but His Church.
Then, as I continued to watch those water skiers on crutches, God said “Tell my people to let go and get back into the River now! Dive! Dive! It’s not going to be profitable or safe stay on top of the River any longer. They must go back in My presence. Dive saints! Dive! Dive!” Then the vision changed. I sat at that table. The staff was still worshipping, unaware of what I was seeing, but in my spirit, the vision was changing! Now I was watching a massive submarine running on top of the water. The crewmen were moving around the deck. But, suddenly they disappeared into that massive war machine and I could see hatches being closed. In a few short moments, that great vessel began to slip back into the water and I could hear, in my spirit, a command to “Dive! Dive!” Then I heard a strong voice ordering all weapon systems to be activated; and the submarine disappeared completely out of sight.
Again, I asked the Lord, “What am I seeing? What are you showing me?” And He continued to speak to me, “My people must dive so deep into My presence that the enemy can no longer see them. They must become My hidden ones.” When our life is hid with Christ in God, when we dive into the River, out of public view, out of the eye of the crowd, we are also out of the eye of the enemy. God said, “Dive into My presence quickly. The weapons of spiritual warfare that I have given you will only be effective against the enemy when you are warring out of My presence.” The weapons of warfare that God has released to us for this hour will have to come out of His presence. Only then will they be powerful and full of His authority. They will not operate out of our experience, nor our reputation or good intentions. God’s power against the enemy is going to come from His sovereign presence. Only then will they be powerful and full of His authority. They will not operate out of our experience, nor our reputation or good intentions. God’s power against the enemy is going to come from His sovereign presence. Only then will we successfully hit the enemy and do incredible destruction to his plan and kingdom. Our weapon of spiritual warfare will remain useless if we stay on the surface of the River of God. We must hide ourselves in God’s presence! It’s time to dive!
Then the scene changed again into the third part of the vision. This time, the Lord showed me a grove of trees. I was standing in a position in the vision where I could see a deer standing among the trees. As I watched the deer, it started down several different paths changing from one to another and still to another, sensing danger here and there, it changed its course frequently and made its way carefully to the water’s edge. As it began to drink, I heard a pack of wild dogs in the distance beginning to pick up the scent of the deer. Suddenly, the deer bolted and dove into the water and swam out into the deep part until I could only see its nose, the top of its head and its eyes. It sought the deep water. I watched that pack of dogs as they reached the water’s edge and they went crazy. They were confused. They ran up and down, trying to find the scent; smelling here; sniffing there; but they could not find the deer. It was there, in the deep water, but they could not find it. Then the Lord said, “Tell My people to dive back into the River of My presence and My anointing quickly! Let go of the things that are puling them out of My presence. Let go of the things that are distracting them. Let go of those flirtations and fleshly desires. Dive into the River of God where the enemy cannot see you. Dive into the hidden place, shut yourself away with Me in My presence. Seek My face and dive deep where the scent of your life will be cleansed away. Shut yourself in with Me quickly.” Then the third part of the vision passed and my spirit was still.
Four whole days passed before God spoke to me gain and a fourth vision was given. I was leaving the church to drive home on Sunday evening. Suddenly I saw into the spirit again and I was back at the same place where I had been when the first vision came. I felt such a strong sense of God’s presence in my car. I remember pulling into the driveway of my home and sitting there for a long, long time waiting on the Lord. I was seeing the River again, only now all three scenes from the previous visions were standing side by side. To one side, I saw a part of the River where many were still swimming in the River and I was rejoicing over those who were there! More and more were jumping in and thousands and thousands of believers were being added to what God was doing. Then I saw the middle of the picture; it was the second scene all over again. Many were still skiing, still oblivious to what was going on. But to the right of that scene, I saw a part of the River that was already frozen over. And those who were still on top were ice skating! They were still on their crutches in the stark cold silence of that winter scene. There were heavy, gray clouds in the sky above them. There was no sunshine! No fellowship! No noise! Each one was all alone! I could see their breath. And God spoke to me, “Son, some that I called to the River have already missed the time of their visitation. They did not heed my warnings to let go and dive back into My presence.” It came home to my heart with a great mourning. That fourth vision was so serious that I wept before the Lord. God said, “There are some who have already missed My last call for them.” And then the word “Festus” flashed across my eyes. “Festus.” I looked up the passage in Acts, Chapter 26 where Paul was ministering to King Agrippa. He laid out the Gospel and the simplicity of Christ. King Agrippa was concentrating on what Paul was saying until Festus came into the room. Festus began to mock Paul and the Gospel. Then Agrippa immediately stopped listening to Paul and he spoke these fatal words: “Paul, almost thou pursuadest me to be a Christian.” And God said to me, “There are many Festus’ who have come into the lives of My leaders and My people. Many Festus’ who are mocking what I am doing; they are laughing at praise and worship; they are laughing at the dance; they are laughing at the liberty of My Spirit. And many of my people are afraid to be embarrassed by their Festus’. They are at the very place of missing their opportunity to dive into a new visitation of My Spirit and their hearts are turning cold toward Me.”
Beloved, we are in a serious prophetic hour. Circumstances are trying to pull us out of God’s presence. We need to turn away from every distraction. Yes, it will cost many of us our friends, our popularity; maybe even our jobs. It may even bring a great shaking in our churches and leave us with smaller crowds to preach to but it does not matter anymore. What matters is that Jesus Christ be the center of everything! What matters is that we are doing all that He wants us to do, and that we are saying all that He wants us to say. Tell everyone you meet to let go of everything that is pulling them out of God’s presence and get back into the River! Get back into the River! DIVE! DIVE! DIVE! It’s time to swim!
~Pure Notes
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