That God desires to communicate with man is abundantly evident. He sent forth His Son to reveal Himself. One of the common ways in which the Son of God is described is as “the WORD of God.”
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Yahweh did not create mankind to leave him to live out life in a vacuum. He has ever been present, and speaks through a myriad of ways. His voice is heard in visions, dreams, signs, types and shadows, prophetic utterances, the Scriptures, through the voice of the indwelling Spirit, and many other ways. I am often privileged to hear from other saints concerning the manner in which God is speaking to them. I am in awe of the profound nature of some of the things being communicated. In this post I will share a few of these testimonies with you.
Blind Men Walking
I have recently been blessed to meet through the Internet a brother in Christ who has been walking the afflicted path for several years now. God has been doing a stripping work in his life, leading him down paths he would not have chosen for himself. There has been a great cost involved. This brother’s name is Wayne Smith. He has a blog where he posts the experiences and teachings the Father has entrusted to Him.
I have only corresponded with him a few times now, yet I sense the hand of the Father strongly upon this brother. I was reading a post on his blog where he recounted what he perceived to be two separate angelic encounters. The message contained in this first encounter contained a profound expression of truth communicated with exceptional clarity. It is a message for this hour.
Of Blind Men and Angels – W.E. Smith
Posted on December 9, 2008 by W.E. Smith
Greetings to all who visit these pages, and may our Glorious Father in heaven bring you to His glory in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Oh that our only prayer and desire is that Christ would be formed in us, that He alone would be increased and expressed, and all that we are would be reduced and suppressed. This is my prayer daily for all of you, and indeed all His little ones scattered such as we are in this unfriendly wilderness. I do also most sincerely thank you for your prayers for myself, my family and this small online journal, whose only life and inspiration, if there be any at all, might flow from the only True Life in all the Universe.
Dear friends, I am not personally given to prophetic dreams or visions, but I must share some singular events that have occurred recently that are quite remarkable -
The first, involved an encounter when I was out walking at lunch downtown here in the city where I work. There at a stop light was an elderly blind man, seemingly confused as to where to proceed. I saw him from across the street and quickly asked the Lord if He wanted me to help him.
Crossing the road on the next light, I asked the man if he needed assistance; that he appeared disoriented. He responded that yes, he wanted to go to 260 Fourth Street. I conveyed to him that he was nowhere near that address, but if he wanted I could assist him in finding it. He said yes, thank you, that he was looking for the campaign office of some local politician. The man told me that his dispatcher had in fact dropped him off at 60 Fourth Street instead of 260 Fourth Street.
As we proceeded down Fourth Street (we were about 5 blocks from where he wished to go), I sensed something mysterious about this encounter, and engaged him in small talk. I inquired if he was totally blind or if he could at least see partially. He responded that yes, he was completely blind from birth. As it turned out, he was very proficient with his guide stick, yet walking downtown even for the sighted is a perilous endeavor – street lights, cars running reds and yellows, curb-sides and other obstructions greeted us as we walked together down the sidewalk.
I wasn’t real sure the extent of his navigational skills, so I found myself alerting him to just about everything as it approached – “step up here, down there, red light, we need to wait a bit, construction scaffolding – here, let me take your hand, as there isn’t enough room for you to swing your stick…”
It seemed like we had walked for hours when we finally arrived at his intended location. It was there just as he suggested, yet the lights were out and the door was locked. Strange I thought. “Did you want me to wait with you until someone comes,” I asked. “No I can wait; I will be OK. Thank you for your help,” came his response. He than asked to use my cell phone, where he proceeded to correct his dispatcher as to the correct address.
After saying goodbye, I left the blind man there, and continued back on my way. It then occurred to me that in all the activity I never even considered that maybe the Lord might want to show His glory in this man and heal him. “Did you want to heal him Father?” I asked. You see, I do not believe as do some that it is the Lord’s will to heal every sick person in the world, but if it be His will in any particular instance, then He will let us know what to do and say. And no, He has never miraculously healed anyone through me to date.
In that familiar still and small voice that I have grown to hear so intimately, came a most shocking response -
“Do you not know what just happened my son? Although you think you were ministering to that blind man, it was he who was actually ministering to you. You must walk by faith and not by sight my son. You are the one who needs to let me guide you step by step, taking your hand and leading you where I want you to be. You are the one who needs to hear and heed my every word, to trust me as that man trusted you so perfectly. All he had was the prompting of your voice and the touch of your hand. He couldn’t see you or the obstacles before him. His trust in you was an absolute trust, and so it needed to be. His very survival depended on it. Much is coming that you will not see, and you need to follow me in the blindness of faith.”
[Source: http://livingwalk.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/of-blind-men-and-angels/]
Wayne goes on to describe another encounter, and his belief that in both instances the Father sent an angel to lead him to some discovery of truth. What impressed me, however, was not that there was an angel involved. It was the message conveyed that struck me with such force.
All men left to themselves, to be guided and directed by the counsel of their own soul, are truly blind. The majority of Christians today are walking as blind men. They believe they are adequate in themselves to determine the path they need to walk, and the decisions they need to make. They do not perceive the ditch that all must fall in who are self-directed.
In order to walk as overcoming sons of God we must accept the fact that we are blind. We are incapable of directing our own paths. Many Christians would nod their heads in agreement at such words, for they know Christ has been sent as a Shepherd to lead the sheep of His Father. Yet, in nodding agreement, these same ones continue to follow their own counsel and direct their own lives. This is how the vast majority of Christians walk today.
God provided to Wayne a remarkable revelation. Wayne pitied the blind man and wanted to assist him. Yet God revealed to Wayne that he was the blind man, and it was he that needed to be led by the hand and voice of Yahweh.
There is a reason that we hesitate to surrender to be led of God with such utter dependency. We know He will lead us to places and experiences we do not desire. Christ has promised all who follow Him that they will have a cross to bear, and an afflicted path to walk. Wayne availed himself of the grace available to him, and he has yielded to be led of God. His testimony reveals that it has been a difficult path. God has stripped him of many things, and the stripping process continues. As we yield to be led of the hand of God, listening closely to that still small voice, we find that we have to leave many of our possessions behind. More painful is that many people whom we love prove to be unwilling to walk the same path. Not all Christians are willing to take the Lord by the hand and go wherever He directs.
Isaiah 42:16
“I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, and I will not leave them undone."
People of God, the Spirit of God is testifying that days of great darkness are coming upon the nations. All men at that time will be as blind men, yet some even then will refuse to acknowledge their blindness. They will stumble in the dark until they are destroyed.
Consider, however, that a man who is blind from birth is not troubled by the darkness. The world has always been dark to him. If we as saints will admit our blindness, yielding now to be led of the Spirit of Christ, then our experience will be unchanged in a day of darkness. Having learned already that we are incapable of guiding ourselves, and having yielded to be led by the hand and voice of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to walk in darkness as if it were day. Having come to trust God’s guidance, rather than leaning on our own understanding, we will be well prepared to walk through dark times.
Zephaniah, Donald Trump, and the Hawk
This next prophetic experience comes from a brother, Mark Kirkland, who resides in the Pacific Northwest. This morning I received from him a testimony of two experiences he had last week. Following is what he wrote to me.
I want to share with you two signs from last week, the first one was that I had a dream where I was preaching to a large crowd. Donald trump was in the audience and I was trying to open to the book of Zephaniah but I could not find it and finally asked the audience for help.
(After I awoke I got up at about 3 or 4 AM and turned right to it, reading the entire book.) I especially noted the passage “it may be that you shall be hidden in the day of Yehovah's anger.”
The next was when I got to work, I saw what looked like a mess made by crows strewing out garbage. I went over to look closer and discovered the two wings and feathers of a large hawk. Bits of feather and blood were stuck here and there going up a light standard to where something, (I suspect an owl) had eaten it and dropped the feathers down.
I sent this brother the following reply.
Dear Brother,
These are indeed profound signs that you experienced last week. It is interesting that you could not find the book of Zephaniah, for Zephaniah's very name means "Yahweh has hidden, or made secret." What is it that Yahweh has hidden in this hour? The book of Zephaniah announces the day of the Lord being at hand.
Zephaniah 1:2-3
"I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth," declares Yahweh. "I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked; and I will cut off man from the face of the earth," declares Yahweh.
Zephaniah 1:7
Be silent before Yahweh God! For the day of Yahweh is near, for Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.
Zephaniah 1:14-2:1
Near is the great day of Yahweh, near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of Yahweh! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and the high corner towers. I will bring distress on men so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against Yahweh; and their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of Yahweh's wrath; and all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.
The book of Zephaniah speaks of God judging the princes among the nation. Donald Trump is one who stands as a prince in America. He is wealthy, and is accorded great honor due to his silver and his gold. God says in this book that He will judge the princes of the people, and their silver and gold will not be able to save them. Donald Trump is a fitting leader for the rebellious house of America. He is an arrogant man, very profane and exceedingly prideful. I remember some years back reading portions of one of his books and it reeked of pride and arrogance. The pages were laced with profanity as he boasted about the things he had accomplished, deriding those he considered to be lesser men.
Yet, as appalling as it is to consider that Americans would ever consider such a man to have the attributes of a national leader, there are many in this hour who are beginning to embrace him for that very purpose. As one of the princes of America, he will suffer the judgments spoken through the prophet Zephaniah.
Zephaniah 3:1-4
Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the tyrannical city! She heeded no voice, she accepted no instruction. She did not trust in Yahweh, she did not draw near to her God. Her princes within her are roaring lions, her judges are wolves at evening; They leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.
If Donald Trump is known for anything, it is for his mouth. He is truly a roaring lion. He appears fearless, and seeks to foster an image of fearlessness.
Donald Trump is Featured in this Book
Zephaniah 3:6
"I have cut off nations; Their corner towers are in ruins. I have made their streets desolate, with no one passing by; Their cities are laid waste, without a man, without an inhabitant."
Has God not cut down the corner towers in America? He has given the nation into the hands of evil men, skilled in destruction. I believe your experience with the hawk ties directly into this same message. The term Hawk refers to one who is a proponent of war, one who is eager for battle. America has long considered herself as one who preys upon the nations, who are weak by comparison. Yet America will in the coming days find herself become the prey. Her wings will be removed. The nation that has shed much innocent blood will find her blood scattered on the ground.
[End of Letter]
The Father has given numerous testimonies that America will have her wings clipped. A profound word to this effect was observed when a U.S. Airways flight landed in the Hudson river in January of 2009. There were two men in the cockpit flying the plane, and 153 people in the rear. It was dubbed “the miracle on the Hudson,” for all survived.
U.S. Airways Plane at Battery Park
I wrote about the significance of the event at the time. It is a parable of the 153 fish in the net that the Lord does not want to lose. What I want to point out at this time, is what this parable portends for America. The plane represents the nation. It was in the process of ascending when it struck a flock of geese and both engines went out at the same time. The plane had to be landed immediately, and the Hudson River provided the only suitable option.
This was a U.S. Airways flight, and it stands as a symbol of America. America is about to have her economic and financial engines completely cut off. She will experience a sudden descent, yet through it all God will preserve a remnant. Those saved in the plane escaped with their lives, but they had to leave all their possessions behind. Not even a pocketbook could be taken out with them as they fled for their lives.
It is what happened to the plane after the crash that I want to focus on. The plane drifted, and ended up being anchored at Battery Park where it remained for some time. This is a parable of the battering America will experience in coming days. The only way to retrieve the plane from the water was to remove its wings and transport it on the ground through the city. This speaks of America losing her ability to soar over the nations. She will be greatly humbled, and abased.
U.S. Airways without Wings
Our Father is speaking through a variety of ways in this hour. May His people hear His voice and surrender to be led of His Spirit in all things!
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Joseph Herrin
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As you suggest, Joseph, there's a lot to plumb in fact of the USAir jet coming to rest and being secured at Battery Park.
ReplyDeleteAmong other things...
“The Sphere,” a 25-foot high sculpture by German sculptor Fritz Koenig, was brought to Battery Park on March 11th, 2002 -- six months after the 9-11 attacks, 2 years to the day before the Islamic Madrid train bombings, and 9 years to the day before the big Japan EQ and tsunami.
It formerly sat under the World Trade Center towers, sustaining significant damage when they came down. It is cast in 52 bronze segments -- unintentionally symbolic of sin every week of the year.
The sculpture is "meant to symbolize world peace through world trade...", [NOTE: not the peace of Christ, but of trade, like Tyre, the seat of Satan in Ezekiel 28]
It, "was placed at the center of a ring of fountains and other decorative touches designed... to mimic the Grand Mosque of Mecca(!!) ...in which The Sphere stood at the place of the Kaaba [the black stone to which Muslims pray there]... Mayor Michael Bloomberg, his predecessor Rudolph Giuliani and other local officials spoke at a ceremony rededicating it as a memorial to the victims."
Near it stands an 'eternal flame' -- not the eternal light of YHWH, but a flame coming up out of the ground. This is the place where the once high-flying hopes of the US will soon be ending...
I believe the Lord led me to this post as an answer to prayer. I have been battling doubt and fear over
ReplyDeleteSome areas I have been told to step out in faith on.
Your writing helped me comprehend that in this matter I am blind and God will faithfully lead me in what he is asking. I cannot fully express how this changed my fears to joy that I can trust God in what he is doing. Thanks, Regina