“Surely, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets”. Amos 3:7
In Rome in 1975 at the International Conference of the Charismatic Renewal, prophecies were given by Ralph Martin and Bruce Yocum, with these words from Ralph Martin: “Because I love You, I want to show you what I am doing in the world today. I want to prepare you … days of darkness are coming,…- days of tribulation. Buildings that are now standing will not be standing…”. Recently rereading this text, I thought of the Twin Towers. “Supports that are there for my people will not be there…”. I considered the unopposed rioting and looting recent news. “I will lead you into the desert; I will strip you of everything you depend on now so you depend just on Me. … A time of darkness is coming on the world, but a time of glory is coming for my people…
“I will prepare you for a time of evangelism that the world has never seen. And when you have nothing but me you will have everything….”
And then from Bruce Yocum: “…Come to Me. Band yourselves together, around Me. Prepare, for I proclaim a new day … of victory…
The text of the entire prophetic word can be found on the internet: https://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/june2019p2.htm
About a quarter of a century ago, during prayer, I thought I heard (in my mind, not my ears), the words “Build an ark.” What does that mean, I wondered. My thought was that an ark was a boat God inspired for the saving of many from the great destruction of the flood.
When I finally got around to asking the Lord What did He mean by that, it seemed He responded ‘The floor is the Word, and the walls are praise. It’s open above for the prayers of my people to ascend and angels and graces to descend.”
Bit by bit this image has been filling out. The ark, I recalled, hasn’t got a rudder. I can’t direct its path. I must have faith in the One who directs my path.
It seems to me that the Word by itself is more like a raft, open to the weather, the waves. Although one is safe there, one must hold on tight. Some may lose their grip and may be washed overboard. What do I mean by that? God will not let go, but fear may influence a person to abandon his faith, clutching instead at the world’s remedies. Those remedies are often at odds with God’s law, drawing one deep into sin.
Walls would shelter us from the violence of the storm — Walls of praise. God inhabits the praises of His people. “…when the trumpeters and singers were as one … praising and thanking the Lord – … the priests could not minister, for the cloud of the glory of the Lord filled the house.” (2 Chron. 5: 13,14). There’s great virtue in praise to settle the storms of fear generated by the waves that threaten. We prosper.
It is sometimes hard, seeing the waves of violence and unrest, to remember that we have a God that is more beautiful than all the ugliness, more powerful than all threats, and True. Praising helps us refocus our hearts and minds to the most essential reality.
And again, as a raft lying on the surface of the water is not easily blown by the wind of the Spirit, the walls of praise are like sails the Holy Spirit can use to keep it moving in the right direction.
What would happen if global communications became so disrupted that we are left with only those near us for support?
Today’s culture is slipping away from the traditional values our nation was founded on. In order to be strong and remain Godly, we have to have strong Godly people around us.
A word here to emphasize is “build” an Ark.
Jesus himself had a limited group of followers that he trusted to start his church. They were not strong and wise when he collected them; They were ordinary and weak, but He saw in each the potential for more. He didn’t choose the strong in the world, but the weak. He had to first make them strong in the Spirit. No doubt the Spirit led Him in His choices.
These, then, had each other to support them in their work. Even when they worked alone, they had each other in prayer and could call on one another in need.
We are in increasingly difficult times. It’s more important than ever to build that strong center, firm foundation of the Word and walls of praise, both for our own safety and for those we see who flounder.
