A Wilderness Testimony

Occasionally I share teachings or testimonies of others that I have found to be personally edifying. Following is such a word. It is part one of a four part series. The other portions can be accessed at the author's website. A link is provided at the end.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days,

Joseph Herrin

Dare To Defy Her (Steven Crowder)

“Come Out Of Her, My People!”

I moved to southeastern Washington and lived near the Snake River for six years. During that time, I sat by banks of the river and recorded what the Lord showed me. After the sixth year, I was blessed with a heavenly visitation, followed by a very difficult series of events that led to the writing of this prophecy. The hand of the Lord was very much upon me at this time, and it was during this period of strong anointing that I spent the next eighty days experiencing what you’re about to read, followed by writing down what I’d been shown. It is my great hope that this message will be a blessing to those who still have an open ear to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to His people

Your Brother—Steven Crowder

On the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 2001, the Lord sent me to a destination in Washington state, twenty-two hundred miles distance, and He said, “There is an eight by forty home awaiting you at the end of this journey. Reside there, near the Snake River, close to Hell’s Gate, on the way to Hell’s Canyon, and wait patiently for Me at this place until I show you what you’ve been sent there to see.”

And so I dwelt there for many days, and I was thrust into the Refiner’s fire until I cried out with all that was within me for deliverance, and through Him I was able to overcome these things, not by my strength, but through His Spirit that strengthened me. And the wife of my youth was there with me to help me through this difficult trial. And the Lord said, “I have delivered you and strengthened you to overcome these generational curses, and I have caused you to be sick at even the thought of these things. From this day forth, remember that I have a work for you, so be careful not to defile yourself in any way.” And I was grateful for this, and greatly humbled. And I heard a song being played over and over again, and the word were: “I’m here waiting in the wings.” And then the Lord said, “I am also bringing your brothers and sisters through My refining fires at this time, so that they can become overcomers, and this is the reason that they’ve been made to endure these difficult times, because My true vessels are vessels of honor, says the Lord. These are vessels formed by My hand and passed through the fires of My choosing. Those who endure My fires shall be made into vessels capable of holding the new wine, and all others shall not be fit to hold that precious anointing that I shall pour out liberally and without measure. Behold, it shall be a new thing, says the Lord! And all who see shall be amazed, and all who call themselves by My name in that day; yet who have not been purified, they shall seethe inwardly, although their masks shall speak otherwise.”

In the early morning hours of my forty-eighth birthday, I was taken into the heavenly realms, and it was so overwhelming that my heart was barely able to contain the joy! Within the weeks that followed, a series of events occurred that baffled me, and at times they overwhelmed me. This gave way to anger and then to overwhelming grief, and afterward, the veil was removed and my eyes were opened to what was occurring in the spirit realm concerning these matters. And then the Lord spoke to me and said, “It was eleven years ago when My Spirit fell upon you, and with trembling hands you recorded the message entitled, ‘Woe be unto you all you enemies of the cross!’ Now, behold, and write down what I will show you, for this is what becomes of and what will become of these enemies of the cross, these conquerors who call themselves by My name, yet who have continually practiced non-payment.”

And I said, “Lord, what do you mean when you say ‘non-payment’?”

And the Lord said, “Non-payment! Behold what will become of these conquerors. Show them what I spoke through your pen eleven years ago, and then show them what will become of them if they do not repent and change, if they do not separate themselves, if they do not come up higher into that place that has no leaven.”

And I said, “Yes, Lord.”

This is the word of the Lord given eleven years ago. February 1997

"Woe be unto you all you enemies of the cross! To all ye who say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us,’ woe be unto you! Woe be to you who merely take My name to cover your sins, yet who refuse My cross, My bread, My robes of righteousness—yes, even Me, says the Lord! Woe be unto you who embrace covetousness and refuse correction—who turn My house into a social order and not a house of worship.”

“Woe be unto you who have drawn My watchmen near to merely tickle your ears! When the strong messages come, instead of contrition, you embrace murder to protect your idolatrous hearts! And how you murder My servants—though they come to you in love and in a spirit of hope. Instead of repentance, you have opted for murder you sons of Cain! My wrath is even now being kindled against you—you who take My name and bring reproach upon yourselves in sight of all and for all to see.”

“And behold, here is your judgment, even now [in 1997]—because you have chosen to make My house a social order and not a house of worship and prayer, and because you have chosen to shout and not bow down before Me—behold, your prophets shall hear a mixed word, for none draws close enough to hear with clarity My still, small voice amid the din and the uproar of your congregations. It is true that the gifts are without repentance, but a leavened, mixed word does not bring the life that you think it does; it only leads to lukewarmness—and that I shall not tolerate. A contrite heart and a broken spirit I shall not despise, but shouting, lukewarmness and pride I shall reject, says the Lord !”

“Behold, the day is coming when you shall look, and behold, the righteous man shall not be found among you, and only partial words mixed with vain imaginings from your lukewarm prophets shall be heard—words that do not bring life.”

“Woe be unto you who are at ease in Zion! Woe be to those who say, ‘Rapture! Rapture!’ and refuse to pay the price of bearing their cross—you who refuse to lift a finger, yet lay heavy loads for others to bear. The spirit of the Pharisee is upon you, and you likewise will perish if you do not repent! Woe to you who have assumed charge of My household, yet who beat My messengers who come to you for your correction. Do you not know that I will come upon you in an hour that you are not aware of, and I will cut you to pieces and assign you a place with the unbelievers as your reward? ‘Peace and safety,’ you shout, and in so doing, you deceive yourselves from any preparation!”

“Woe be unto you who seek the deeper things, and embrace Jezebel and not Me, says the Lord! My paths will lead you to the cross. The true treasures of the Living Word lie through and beyond the Jordan, that place of death to self. Jezebel will lead you to circumvent the cross and not go through it! Have I not said that I am the door to the sheepfold, and all who enter in must enter in through Me? (John 10:9) In fact, there is no other way that you can partake of the true heavenly treasures but through Me and through the cross of death; wherein you will indeed find life. Pray that you will understand this! But woe be unto you who have twisted the cross and made it a dainty thing, for it is not a dainty thing, but it is an instrument of death! In the very spirit of Rome, you have carelessly romanticized the cross and taken away its use!

Woe be unto you!”

“O’ My people, it is not My desire that any man should perish, and therefore I have made provisions for you, but you must accept the paths that I have chosen for you to walk upon! My paths lead to life, but that life only comes through death. When you let the cross do its work in your life, then you shall then know the power and the life that is hidden from the proud. Won’t you hear My voice? Draw near to Me and I shall draw near to you. Look therefore to Me, and not to any man. Draw near to Me and hear My still, small voice. Behold, the day is coming when the proud shall be swept away, therefore humble yourself before Me, and in My time I will exalt you, says the Lord.”

The Lord further counseled me and said that the distorted cross that man has created [as a replacement for the true cross] that this is an evil thing in His eyes, and that to twist the cross and to take away its intended use is to deny its power, and that this is one: an abomination and two: a judgment to anyone who refuses to repent of this.

The Path That I Was Put Upon

In the year 2002 I was given a job in a kitchen, where I worked preparing food and washing dishes. After five years, I was promoted to the management position, and the owner praised me and told me that I was doing a good job. The owner of this business was my boss, and I answered directly to her. She had a daughter from a previous marriage named Crystal, and she stated that she had divorced her first husband because she said that she had “never loved him and that she got tired of serving him.” After she divorced her first husband, she lived a carefree party life, acting more like a wild teenager than a responsible parent. Eventually she got pregnant, and then she remarried, this time to a man that was almost young enough to be her son, and through this marriage she had two sons, whom she named “Clay” and “Dusty”

Her daughter from the previous marriage also worked in the place where I was employed, and when she first started working there she was kind and polite. However, this all changed as soon as her mother allowed her to have any authority, and after this power was given to her, she became full of venom and hatred. She walked around in a very haughty manner, abusing all of the employees, myself included. I tensed up every time I saw her, because she really enjoyed hurting people, and she did that as often as she could. She was entitled to do this because her mother was the owner, and she allowed her family members to do things that anyone else would be terminated for doing. When my eyes were opened to see what was happening in the spirit realm, I saw a demon inside of this daughter that manifested itself through a quick smirk, a smile that took over her face directly after she would purposely injure someone.

One morning I was ordering supplies for the restaurant, and the daughter told me to order a particular item. I told her that I couldn’t do that, because her mother had told me not to order this expensive item any more, due to a smaller budget. That’s when the demon inside her manifested, and she attacked me. She began ranting and screaming at me, and I was thankful for the peace that the Lord gave me to endure this without defending myself. She told me that “this was what my problem is, that I always have to be so dramatic about everything!” Then she screamed at me, saying “Just do what I said “Just do it! Just do it!” And then she sarcastically shouted, “Thank you!” before stomping off in her indignation.

Although I was shocked at what had taken place, I stood my ground and I didn’t bow to her pressure, for I’d been told what to omit from the purchasing order by her mother, who was the one in authority over me. [Note: this part about operating under the authority placed over you is very important] In the end, the mother caved in to her daughter’s controlling ways and she let her get what she wanted, letting her over-rule her authority, rather than standing her ground with her. For several weeks after this incident happened, this daughter would spit venom in my face at every opportunity, and she was so controlling and manipulating that despite my best efforts, her mother would always side with her in order to keep from being attacked by her, the daughter that she “supposedly” had authority over. In the end, the mother told me that I could only work on the weekends, because her daughter and I could not be in the same building at the same time. The daughter’s self-righteous, controlling ways, complete with mercilessly punishing anyone who dared to defy her [self-imposed] authority ended up ruling, trumping even her mother’s authority! I could not afford to only work on the weekends, and it was then that the Lord blessed me with another job that didn’t require any effort to seek out. When I put in my notice, I told the mother that I’d given them five and a half years of faithful service, and that I’d done nothing wrong to deserve the treatment that I’d been made to endure. There was no bitterness or hatred in my heart toward her, and I told her that when she gives in to her daughter’s controlling ways that everyone ends up suffering. And, with that being said, I put in my two weeks notice.

I returned to my home after putting in my notice, and that’s when the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and explained to me what had just occurred, and He assured me that He had placed me there for the purpose of seeing and experiencing this particular highly symbolic sequence of events. He reminded me that He’d previously sent me thousands of miles to dwell in places that I’d never been before, and to take heart and be encouraged, because, just as I’d been positioned in these previous places in order to eventually prophesy, I had also been placed in this kitchen for the same purpose. So, with this in mind, to those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying, here is the interpretation.

The First Level of Interpretation is Given

There is more than one layer of depth to this interpretation, and it’s best to start with the simplest one.

The Lord said to me, “What is the daughter’s name?”

And I replied, “Her name is ‘Crystal.’”

And the Lord said to me, “This is because what has happened through her shall be made crystal clear, so as to instruct My people, to warn them and to encourage them. Also, what has been shown here is purposed to call those who still have an ear to hear My voice to ‘Come out of her My people, be ye separate, I will be your God and you shall be My people.’”

And as I pondered this, the Lord opened up my understanding.

He said, “The woman who had authority over you, she is a picture of the modern-day [religious] church. She was married to someone that she neither loved nor wanted to serve, although when she espoused herself to this man, she called herself one of My people, and she promised to remain faithful to him before Me. The daughter that she brought forth from this loveless and unfaithful union is truly made in her image, and she protects her at all costs, even when she knows that it’s wrong to do so. This daughter is so loved and cherished by her, because; in her eyes, she sees her as an extension of herself—an expression of what she has produced and how she has “evolved.” The mother is a picture of the carnal [fleshly, unchanged] church who will always justify the actions of her daughters, because she herself has been taken over and is being controlled by a conquering spirit—that spirit that rides upon the white horse, going forth “conquering and to conquer.” (Rev.6:2) Her firstborn is named Crystal, and she too is a conqueror; in fact a much stronger and more determined conqueror, foul within her heart, filled with spirits that I allowed you to see, and she takes great pleasure in her fleshly beauty and in her ability to punish anyone who would dare to defy her self-imposed authority, and, although they are “innocent in My eyes, they are guilty in her eyes.” The mother did not deal with or become accountable for her own life, and hence she is powerless to deal with or hold accountable her firstborn’s life, and now that this daughter Crystal has grown up, the mother is being controlled and conquered by her to the point that she will defend her at all costs, having lost the ability to discern good from evil. By living vicariously through her daughter, she has been forced by the spirits of darkness to call good evil and evil good, lest she too gets mercilessly attacked by this rebellious daughter. By living this way through her daughter, the mother is able to justify her flesh, and by justifying her flesh, this is proof that she is under the influence of a conquering spirit, for to admit defeat and be changed by the hand of the Lord would be to lose control, and conquerors always have to be in control.”

“The Lord’s overcomers overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and because they did not love their life even to death. (Rev. 12:11) They do not control things around them or attempt to conquer the world through knowledge, using their heads “like goats” in order to get what they want. Remember back to the garden, when Eve was beguiled and chose the tree of knowledge over the tree of life. Like sheep, the Lord’s true servants merely follow their Shepherd wherever He leads them. It’s that simple, and yet man has made it so complicated! The Lord’s true servants walk upon the paths of His choosing, and by doing “this,” they’re given a testimony, because they willingly laid down their lives in order to follow Him. They’ve laid aside their own plans, willingly walking away from them, so that they can be led by the Spirit of God, hence, ‘following Him wherever He goes.’”

The Lord instructed me further, saying, “The woman who had authority over you had this authority through the proper means, because she owned the business that employed you. Her daughter’s “authority” was self-imposed, and she demands that everyone bow to her wishes, because she operates out of a very strong ‘conquering’ spirit that has to control everyone and everything around her. You were under the authority of someone higher than her, and when you stood your ground and refused to let this daughter named Crystal control you, that was the trigger that set loose the demon, and hence you were attacked and then accused of the very thing that she was doing. When she said that you were being ‘dramatic,’ it was her way of accusing you and berating you in an effort to control you, just as this same tactic works with her mother, who has lost all control over her. This same technique is also used on everyone else that she comes into contact with. She had; and still has, no authority over you, and when you wouldn’t bow to her demands, she did the only thing that she was capable of doing, which was to stomp off like the spoiled child that she is, and then she plotted against you to make sure that you paid for your transgression. That is the reason why she was so venomous and hateful toward you after you dared to defy her.”

“Crystal” is her mother’s firstborn, the product of a loveless marriage, and the children from her second marriage are named “Clay” and “Dusty.”

“To admit defeat and be changed by the hand of the Lord means to lose control, and conquerors ALWAYS have to be in control!

Thus saith the Lord”.

The Next Level of Interpretation

The Lord’s true overcomers do so by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and because they did not love their lives even to death. By laying down their lives and all the ambitions that come with them; which simply means their own plans, the Lord is able to set them upon the paths of His choosing. He is the Great Shepherd, and it is always His desire to bring His sheep (meaning His children) to maturity. It is always His plan to bring His children past the flesh life and into spiritual maturity so that He can fill them with His blessings—blessings that the world (worldly-minded) cannot receive or even understand! And, just as the Great Shepherd laid down His life in order to serve, the Lord desires to fill His servants with gifts so that they too can lay down their lives and serve in a greater capacity. However, these servants; these vessels, must be passed through His refining fires and they must endure these trials before He can pour out a greater portion of His Spirit into them. This is exactly like a clay vessel that is formed by the potter’s hands and then it has to endure multiple firings in a very hot oven before it is a finished product, capable of holding the oil that will be poured into it. To pour oil into an unfinished vessel would be foolish! Hence, the oil of the Holy Spirit is only poured into those vessels that are capable of holding it, and He is the one doing the pouring! There are no “Holy Ghost Bartenders,” as some have claimed to be. If people want to argue about this, then argue about it with the Lord. I’ve said what the Lord gave me to say concerning this subject, and the Lord has sternly warned me to not argue with people about it or to even discuss it. Again, the Lord says this—“If you want to argue about this matter, then argue with the Lord and not with a man!” Although the Lord has and does use people to pass on His blessings through the laying on of hands, this is only done by the leading of the Holy Spirit. So much of what you see concerning this subject which is occurring in the Inner Court Holy Place of Religion is a show at best, and a sham at worst. Remember, there is a difference between the Lord’s true followers and those who merely operate under the guise of religion. The religious church and the true church are not the same thing!

The Lord desires for all of His servants to take on His nature, which is the nature to serve. The Lord desires for all of His servants to grow and mature so that they can produce fruit. Mature trees produce fruit, and immature trees do not. The Spirit of the Lord comes looking for fruit in His servants, and this fruit only comes from mature trees. And what is this fruit? It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5)

The Lord tells us that to the person who has, more will be given, and as you walk faithfully in what you’ve been given, more will be given to you, and it’s then that you’ll begin walking in abundance, and also in authority—not a (self-imposed) authority of yourself, but because you’re following the Lamb, walking in the Spirit, and under the orders and direction of the Holy Spirit, you will be walking in His authority when He tells you to do something. And, when you’re walking under the authority of the Lord, you will not bend to the authority of another. God’s Word says “My sheep hear My voice, and to the voice of another they won’t hearken unto.” (John 10:4,5) Those earthen vessels that mature and endure the fires of His choosing will be filled with that which the Lord desires to put into them, and as they go forward doing His work, they’ll know His voice of authority, and to the voice of another they will not hearken unto. Thus saith the Lord!

Now, please come with me for a moment, as we need to return to the kitchen, seeing that this is the illustration that the Lord used.

The young woman named Crystal—she had no authority over me, and when she gave me an order that I was instructed not to do (this ordering “not to do” being given by the person in authority over me, this person who was in a position of greater authority than the daughter named Crystal), I dared to defy her (Crystal). When I “dared to defy her,” it wasn’t because I was being rebellious or argumentative, it was because I was obeying and honoring the authority that had been placed over me. The daughter named Crystal is a conqueror, and conquerors always have to be in control. I was guilty in Crystal’s eyes but not in the eyes of the Lord. I “dared to defy her,” just as Luther dared to defy her (the “religious” church), when he nailed his 95 thesis on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, being God’s mouthpiece to “come out of her My people.” Luther “dared to defy her,” and his protest caused him to become the very first protestant. Sadly, the modern-day church has lost her protest, because they refuse to defy her! “Why is this so??? I inquired of the Lord.

I asked the Lord, “Why do God’s people refuse to defy her [the religious church] and why have they lost their protest”

I also asked the Lord, “What is a ‘protestant’ that lacks protest?”

And the Lord answered me, saying, “A protestant without protest—this person is merely a talker and not a walker—a protestant in name only, with nothing to show for it. These are trees without fruit. With many, it’s because they’ve lost the ability to discern good from evil.”

“And Lord, what does that mean?” I asked.

“Behold, she sits as a queen, and she says in her deceived heart, ‘I am not a widow,’ meaning that she claims to have [Me] as a husband, and, she also says, ‘I will never see mourning,’” He answered.

“This is the modern-day church that operates out of a counterfeit spirit—the spirit of the Great Theatre. And, as I spoke through My servant Ezekiel, My sons of Zadok will teach the people to discern the difference between good and evil. (Ezekiel 44) This goes much deeper than teaching My people to obey ‘thou shalt not’ laws—the good and evil here means that which is holy and true and that which is profane and not true—that which is not true—meaning counterfeit, artificial, false, in place of, antichrist! The Lord will bless those who overcome with the fullness of His Spirit, and there will be people in the religious sector that will attempt to walk in this, but it will be a counterfeit anointing, a mock Holy Spirit, a mere fabrication that will be able to fool the many, but not the few that are truly walking in My Spirit, says the Lord! And this counterfeit is an evil thing! In and through the spirit of the Great Theatre, they will play the role, they will pretend and act out, making this ploy appear genuine, but the only thing genuine about it will be that it will be genuinely false. And My sons of Zadok will be there to show the people how to discern the difference between good and evil, between that which is genuine and that which is not. Behold, this is the word of the Lord!”


The Difference Between the Genuine and the Imitation January 11, 2008

And as I laid upon my bed this night, I dreamed intensely, and the hand of the Lord was upon me in a powerful way, and He ministered to me even as I slept, saying, “Come out of her, My people that you may not partake of her plagues!”

And again, I heard Him say, “Come out of her, My people, and be ye separate. I will be your God and you will be My people!”

And a third time I heard the Lord pleading with His people,

“Come out of her, My people, that you not partake of her plagues!”

And I said, “Lord, what plagues are you talking about?”

And the Lord said, “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his or her flesh, shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.

And, being greatly intrigued, I inquired, “Lord, how do they mock you?”

And He replied, “Mock, imitation, counterfeit. They mock Me in their assemblies! They call another spirit My Spirit! Come out of her My people, that you not partake of her plagues, for I have given them what they truly wanted, for they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved!”

And I said, “Lord, how did this happen? How did this happen?”

And the Lord said, “They did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved, and for this reason I’ve sent upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, mock, counterfeit, in order that they would all be judged who took pleasure in wickedness.”

And I said, “Lord, what is this deluding influence?”

And He answered me and said, “They refused to go up the mountain like Moses and Joshua, ‘lest we die,’ they said. They refused to carry their cross and let it do its work in their lives, and in doing so their flesh remained alive and I answered them according to their flesh and their fleshly desires. Behold, they have set up idols for themselves.”

And I said, “Lord, what are these idols?”

And He replied, “They mocked Me in the houses that they say they’ve built for Me, which; in most cases are nothing more than monuments built to honor themselves! And in these houses they mocked Me, saying, ‘This is the Spirit of the Lord! This is the Spirit of the Lord!’ when it is NOT My Spirit, but a counterfeit spirit according to the flesh! These perpetual children that refuse to grow up, they have produced the only fruit that immature trees produce, and by their fruits you shall know them! They refused My cross, and in its place they embraced a fleshly cross, so I have sent upon them a deluding influence so that they will call another spirit My Spirit! They embraced a fleshly cross, one that did not crucify their flesh and put it to death, and they refused to ascend the mountain with Moses and Joshua, ‘lest we die,’ they said. They wanted the self-life and the life of the spirit at the same time, and I answered them according to their desires. And, like tares, they will all be gathered together in order to be burned, so come out of her, My people, that you may not partake of her plagues, these tares that look like wheat, yet there is no fruit! Behold, this is what happens to those who become enemies of the cross!”

And in a terrified voice, I shouted, “Lord, this is a terrible thing!”

And the Lord said, “The great and terrible day of the Lord! A great day of blessing for those who have gone through the cross and walked according to My ways, and a terrible day for those who have become enemies of the cross, walking according to man’s substitute ways—the fleshly cross. Woe be unto them! To those who mock Me in their assemblies, woe be unto them! To those who have said in their hearts, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us,’ woe be unto you!”

“Now show them the vision of the cross,” the Lord said to me.

And I said, “Yes, Lord. This is the vision that You showed me in the eighth month of the eighty-eighth year.

Go to - Part Two - The Vision of The Cross