Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Revelation 4 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
About a year ago during prayer the Lord gave me a picture. I saw a barrage of rainbows. First, I saw an eagle with a rainbow coming out of its mouth. Next, I saw rainbows draped around the saints' feet. Then, I saw rainbows covering angels as they flew. Finally, I saw rainbows descending upon certain churches. I believe these rainbows represent throne room encounters as seen in Revelation 4. That being said, I believe there is a positioning taking place for throne room experiences that will greatly influence and enhance our ministry.
The eagles are the revelatory people that will gain entrance to portals into heaven. When they return, their mouths will shine with intense revelation. They will speak words of clarity that have been held back for generations. They will stand as oracles of the Living God, and even though their methods may seem irrational, they will teach with a wisdom and knowledge that astounds the highest of scholars, for they will reveal the hidden things. "I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them." Isaiah 48:6
When I saw rainbows draping the saints' feet, the Lord spoke and said, "Rainbows will drape their feats." God often speaks in puns, and here He showed me physical feet as a wordplay on feats. He is currently calling us to demonstrate feats of strength that will draw humanity to Him. These feats will draw Christians who need to be recharged and renewed, but they will also draw the lost who are searching for a real God of wonders. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. Matthew 15:30
As the vision continued, I saw angels touching down covered with rainbows. Throne room servants are coming that will carry the Word of God with astounding authority. God wants His words to be revealed for what they truly mean. New revelation will be delivered to faithful teachers who will realize the eternal depth of His Word. I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,Revelation 10:1-2 The receiving of these messages from heaven will be wonderful beyond our comprehension, but the release of these messages will at times be very excruciating for the persons whom God instructs to deliver His words. So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth." Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. Revelation 10:9,10
When rainbows descend upon churches, the "open heaven" phenomenon will be experienced in those places. Certain churches have been doing things right in their pursuit of the King. Their seeking will reveal a brilliantly colorful display of answers. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25 2
God is allowing the glory of the heavenly realms to be experienced in our temporal reality. He wants the nature of heaven to become the nature of earth. Thus, our daily natural activities become touched with the divine and display the supernatural. A rainbow is an arch of color. Actions in the supernatural exude the radiant hues of God's perfect will and order. In past experiences I have seen colors brighten in rooms full of people when the presence of God arrived. It almost seems as if color becomes magnified by the Father of Lights.
When I was in grade school, some of the children referred to crayons as colors. As we become more and more childlike we will again get to play with colors. Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18 2
Somewhere over the rainbow lie the secret things of God. He is waiting to reveal so much more to us. Deut 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
The French Revolution
A few years ago I had a revelatory experience that pointed to today's international quarrellings. In the wee hours of the morning between consciousness and sleep, my bed became divided in a turf war. One half seemed to be England locked in fierce battle against the other half which appeared to be France. My bedroom zoomed with angelic activity, and I quickly awakened really just perplexed by it all. As I meditated on the experience that morning I felt that England could represent Christian faith and that France could represent humanism and gnosticism. But I did not rule out the possibility that they simply could represent themselves.
More recently the Lord has told me that France has become like a modern day Nineveh. If the Lord were to command us to go and preach judgment to France, many of us would really struggle with that idea. Because of France's behavior toward Israel and the Iraqi war, many American Christians have grown bitter and impatient with the French.
During the summer of 2003 France lost nearly 15,000 people due to an unprecedented heat wave. In a country without air conditioning a rise in temperature proved to be tragic. Many of the casualties were elderly. The news of this disaster fell on uncompassionate ears in the United States. Many of us probably felt like France deserved her plight. But who are we to judge?
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.? Matthew 7:1-5
France, like a brother, has been our ally throughout history. Politics aside, they have run to our aide in wars and conflicts dating back to the American Revolutionary War. They have often been on the side of the underdog fighting for the less fortunate to receive justice and equity. Even when the first French explorers, settlers, and missionaries came to the New World, they were much more honorable in diplomacy towards the Native Americans than other Europeans. They had an approach of respecting the culture and ways of indigenous people that forged ties.
But France's pursuit of humanism dating back to influential philosophers such as Voltaire has lead to a downward spiral into moral degradation. France has placed man's abilities and accomplishments above everything else. It has a rich history of being the seat of art and culture for the entire world. But it has allowed a fascination with creation to distract it from the creator. The Lord showed France to me like the Looney Tunes character Pepe Le Pew. Pepe, a skunk, was always love sick and chasing after what he thought was a female skunk. But she was really a cat who was accidentally painted with a white stripe down her back. France like Pepe is lovesick and has been chasing after an illusion of the truth-- humanism. Humanism has and will continue to fail France as a lover.
Thus says the LORD:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24
From 1789 to 1799 France experienced revolution. A burgeoning middle class led an uprising against the corrupt government lead by privileged nobility and clergy. Through its wars the revolution promoted such ideas as individual rights, democratic politics, and equal justice before the law. I believe it is time for a new French Revolution-- one that will break the people of France free from the tyranny of humanism and even atheism. God has a great plan for France if they will turn to Him. Like crying out for a long lost brother, we must stand in the gap for this country of great art and achievement . Humanism has left France with a heart of stone, and we must pray that God will soften their hearts and draw them to His. Through the Lord's mercies may France not be consumed, and may His compassions not fail them (Lamentations 3:22).
Door of Daniel
During worship on August 22, 2004 I saw a huge door opening. A massive door appeared above the stage in my church. It was flat and parallel to the floor. It looked much like a vault door—probably five to ten feet wide. The door itself resembled lumber that had been embedded in the earth for years. Soil and moss covered its surface. As it first opened I saw steam lift off the edges as the pressure released. It slowly opened and a deluge of liquid light gushed out into the church. Afterwards the door hung open over us suspended in the air. I immediately knew a new level of revelation was being opened to the church. An ancient doorway thrust open that had been shut for years possibly centuries. There seemed to be more liberty in the revelatory realm that Sunday morning than in the past.
The next Wednesday in prayer I felt the Lord tell me that the door was a door of Daniel. The doorway was a portal into more meaningful revelation and weightier truths. This word prompted me to turn my attention to the book and life of Daniel the prophet. I remembered that Daniel was a unique figure in the bible. His story was one of great character, miraculous signs and wonders, and pinpoint revelation. He is also one of a few people in the Bible in which no negative word was recorded.
Daniel was one of a select group of youth who was deported to Babylon for training in the King Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Daniel 1:4 says that they were “young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.” Daniel remained true to his God and even fasted from the king’s meal provisions and excelled past other palace appointed youth. Even though Daniel and his colleagues were given Babylonian names and teachings, they did not suffer an identity crisis.
Identity crisis is rampant in the church today. We have struggled recognizing our gifts and when they are revealed to us, we often try to function in the roles in the flesh. In addition our greatest challenge is letting go of our earthly identity for that of a heavenly one. We want to remain schemers instead of getting up off our backsides, fighting for what’s right, and pressing into kingly roles—see Genesis 32:22.
Daniel was given a Babylonian name. His real name meant “God is my judge.” His Babylonian name Belteshazzar meant “Bel protect his life” and honored a pagan deity.
In the courts of Nebuchadnezzar no doubt he was constantly addressed in the later. But Daniel persevered in the Lord and lived a life that fulfilled the true destiny of his life. He served as a prophetic voice in a pagan court, and thereby served often as a voice of God’s justice and judgment in a transitional time. Starting out as a captive he went up with divine favor to become a respected ruler in a foreign government.
Daniel was an overcomer in times of crisis. When the king was troubled by a dream, his magicians and astrologers failed to bring him comfort. Daniel responded in wisdom and focused petition, and he was given the dream and its meaning. “So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” Daniel 2:16-19
Walking in humility and understanding, Daniel did not rejoice and take credit for his gift. “But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.” Daniel 2:30
The secret things were revealed to Daniel. Both those that were pressing and timely and those that gave direction for years to come were exposed for his eyes, ears, and faculties. In these days I believe the Lord is raising up a generation who will once again behold the secret things that only the Lord knows. And they will be used to do mighty exploits for God even in the midst of new age pagan prophets.
Much is being said today about the importance of character over gifting. If a Daniel door is being opened to us, and the secret things are being revealed, our integrity will definitely be held accountable. We will have to fast from the world’s offerings and be committed to holiness and purity.
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Silly Love Songs
A couple of years ago I was privileged to minister to an up and coming musician. This young man is so talented in his craft that he has already recorded on Christian recordings in Nashville. The Lord focused me, however, on his song writing skills and told me that he would write powerful love songs. These love songs of worship to the King would be so moving that entire congregations would stop singing along just to listen to the beauty of the lyrics. I do not know if he was encouraged by this word, but I was captivated by what that scene might look like.
A few months later while meditating on God, I felt and saw white shafts of light shooting through my being. I knew that this white light was a manifestation of God's love. It cut to the core of who I was and it shown into and through me. In the midst of this I was compelled to write these descriptions of His love:
Your Love is truth love,
Unconditional love,
Surrendered love,
Exposed love,
Bold love,
Inerrant love,
Lasting love,
Confrontational love,
Unshakeable love,
Eternal love.
The Lord is calling the church to be a church of His love. His love is the root of mercy, grace, and compassion-- things that we so desperately need to be exhibiting to this fallen world. This world does not love the way the Father does. Consequently the fields of harvest are full of shattered people who are longing to experience true love. And this kind of love is not the kind found in fairy tales, but it is the agape love of God. As we effect the streets with God's love we must become as children and love without limits, love in innocence, love with trust, and love in purity. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Matt 19:14
We must aggressively pursue a war waged in love. With darkness rising on the face of this earth, we are caught in combat that will only be won by God's love. One of the battle standards in these actions should bear the words of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
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