WORD OF THE LORD FOR 2010
By Paul Keith Davis
Last
year the Lord spoke to me and indicated that I was entering the most important
seven-year span of my life. It was as though everything I have been through in
life was preparation for this season. If that is true for me, then I suspect it
is also true for many you as well. Clearly, a simple examination of the
political, economic and spiritual climate would support this position.
Furthermore,
the Lord also made it apparent that circumstances are going to dictate the
emergence of God's people in maturity, power and authority. The escalation in
spiritual darkness will reach such a pinnacle during this season that the only
remedy or resolution will come from the Lord's people. We must become what we
are destined to be and activate our calling as both "priests and
kings" to our God. This admonition is given from Revelations 5:9-10
saying:
And
they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to
open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood
out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and
priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."
This
passage highlights multiple spiritual dynamics that will be unfolding in the
coming days:
1. It is a new thing.
2. It is the revealing of what has been
concealed.
3. It is to the nations.
4. It involves the purchase of His blood and
harvest.
5. It facilitates the activation of His people as kings & priests.
Mysteries
& Secrets
Foremost
among these mandates is the Lord's unleashing of mysteries and secrets of His
Kingdom that have been reserved for the end-of-time generation. This paradigm
is made clear in the book of Daniel. This notable prophet received one of the
most profound revelations ever given to mankind. However, the angel that
delivered the insight admonished Daniel to seal the book and conceal the
revelation until the last days. (See Daniel 12)
This
is a clear reference to the generation that will be on Earth immediately prior
to the Lord's return. It would require very little effort to prove that we are
that generation. That being the case, we are to then expect considerable
revelation to be granted involving God's plans, purposes, and the unveiling of
His Word in greater measures as the mysteries of those things previously
concealed are now revealed.
The
sealed book was unsealed by the Lord Jesus and its contents are to be conveyed
to a body of people called the Bride of Christ. Once this revelation has been
consumed by this company they will then appropriate their calling as priests
and kings and facilitate the harvest. This biblical admonition is one of the primary
mandates we as a ministry carry.
Exponential
Increase in 2010
As
a result, the Lord spoke to me this past New Year's concerning the imminent
fulfillment of this biblical promise that I believe will be exponentially
increased in 2010. Interestingly, the Lord also highlighted two prevailing
enemy spirits that will be dispatched this year and the years to follow, with
the given assignment of hindering this call. They are fanaticism and criticism!
I
saw these two spirits functioning like book ends coming from two diametrically
opposing directions yet with the same determination to squelch the prophetic
release of God's Kingdom and hinder the harvest. The first was a dark wave of
fanaticism that will sweep behind the Kingdom truths that are to be revealed
with the expectation of pressing them beyond biblical parameters and proper
balance.
The
Fear of Fanaticism
Fanaticism
is simply defined as "wildly excessive or irrational devotion, dedication,
our enthusiasm; an extreme zeal or enthusiasm as in religion or politics."
Unfortunately, Church history is filled with more instances of spiritual
fanaticism than we could possibly enumerate. Every revival in modern times had
its fanatical element. Clearly, the prophetic movement has had its fair share
of hype and fanaticism that has effectually driven many away from this vitally
important aspect of our heritage. Even so, we must embrace the admonition of
1
Thessalonians 5:19-21 saying:
Do
not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine
everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
The
diabolical intent of this spirit is to drive things beyond biblical balance and
sway people away from the core truth because of the fanatical element that the
more grounded Christians desire to distance themselves from.
Of
course, fanaticism must be defined within a certain context. I remember as a
young college student in the late 70's, that word got back to my father that I
was born again and participating in an on-campus Presbyterian Fellowship.
Naturally, the Presbyterian movement is not known for excessive spiritual
manifestations yet my unsaved father called me into his office at that time and
expressed his concern that I had become, to use his exact phrase, "a religious
fanatic."
This
perception primarily stemmed from the fact that I was very zealous about the
salvation I had come to discover and often prayed, read my Bible and attended
Bible studies with other students. You can imagine his shock when I became a
Holy Ghost "Book of Acts" preacher. Fortunately, he came around and accepted
the Lord Jesus as his Redeemer shortly before his death in 2005.
The
point is I do not believe that I would have genuinely fallen into the
definition of a fanatic as I am seeing it today. The fanatical spirit will have
a tendency to cause genuine Kingdom seekers to sway away from the truth in
order to distance themselves from the fanatical element. That would be tragic!
Historical
Observation
History
records this fascinating observation concerning Martin Luther. Although Luther
made glaring mistakes involving
My
experience revealed the tendency of many saints to turn away from vitally
important truth that is to be unveiled today because of various fanatical
elements that will attempt to attach themselves to that truth. We must be like
the Bereans and study the Scriptures to see if these things be so. If indeed it
is supported by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit then we must embrace the
balanced truth in order to become what we are called to be, despite the
fanatical element.
The
Spirit of Criticism
The
other spirit that I saw coming from the opposite direction was criticism.
Criticism is defined as "the act or instance of making an unfavorable or
severe judgment, comment, analysis or interpretation of one's theory, doctrine
or life." From what I saw, this season will produce even more harsh
critical religious opposition to Kingdom truth with the hope of deterring the
emerging army. Like fanaticism, history is littered with countless examples of
unwavering criticism against spiritual outpourings and movements. This was
clearly seen in the Azusa Street Revival, the Latter Rain Revival, the
Charismatic Renewal and so on.
In
my experience, I was personally told that the one that I must be the most
cautious of is fanaticism, although I am to also be aware of the critical
spirit. As an individual, I would be more prone to distance myself from the
fanatical element than to give in to criticism. Even so, we must develop
fortitude like the early apostles to forge this new day and present to God's
people revelatory truth that has been reserved for our day.
We
are literally living in the day foreseen by Jeremiah when he said:
Call
to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and
hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge
of and understand). Jeremiah 33:3 AMP
Therefore,
it should be no surprise to anyone that much of this truth extends beyond
traditional belief structures and into the realm of revelation. The Word of God
is to be revealed in this hour on a scale never before seen in Church history.
That is the prophetic directive of Daniel 12 and Revelations 10! It will
expedite the emergence of God's people in great power and facilitate the
harvest. This prophetic promise will be
realized despite spiritual opposition including fanaticism & criticism.
A
Personal Testimony
By
Wade E Taylor
"Not
as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.. I press toward
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12, 14
A
teacher (Walter Beuttler) in the Bible school I attended often spoke of having
a "dissatisfied satisfaction." He was
thankful for, and satisfied with all that he had received from the Lord, yet he
was dissatisfied as he knew there was much more that could be possessed.
"For
we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has
before ordained that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:10
These
"good works" are the things or circumstances that the Lord places in our path
for the outworking of His purposes - first within us during our time of
preparation, and then through us for the benefit of others. The word "should" is conditional, which means
that we have a part in choosing the path that we will follow in the outworking
of the Lord's purpose for us. Because
the right choice is usually not the easiest or most convenient, it is extremely
important that we choose rightly.
After
graduating from Bible school, I diligently sought the Lord as to what I was to
do, but seemingly, I was not receiving direction from the Lord. I knew about a new school that was about to
open. One of their goals was to train
students to minister in the Italian language, and I was unable to relate to
this, as I am not Italian, nor felt any calling to minister to Italians.
Therefore,
I pushed aside the "drawing" that I felt toward this school, and instead, I
decided to pioneer a church on
I
stopped the car and asked the Lord about this feeling. He responded that I was to go to this new
school. I had to turn around and go in
the opposite direction. I had prayed
much about what I was to do after graduation from
Soon
after arriving and being settled in a guest room, I found a quiet place where I
could pray, and repeated to the Lord that I did not want to come here, but that
I wanted His best. In response, the Lord
clearly spoke the following into the depth of my being: "I will allow you to go to
The
next day, I was accepted as a student and moved in. A few months later while alone praying,
suddenly I was in heaven, standing in the presence of God. I knew that He was directly in front of me,
seated on His throne, but I could not see Him as I was blinded by brilliant
glory. I had a sense of holiness that
was beyond any ability or words to express.
As
I stood there facing the throne, from my left, intense wave-like streams of
glory, in brilliant color, began to move slowly toward me and entered into the
depths of my spirit. This could be
compared to a freight train, with each box-car carrying a cargo that was
deposited into my spirit. As each of
these entered into me, one after another, I became aware that I was to
establish a ministry on this property.
It was as if every cell in my body became a sensitized voice box, and I
understood the Lord's desire for a "set-apart place" in which He could both be
and do as He desired.
When
I returned from heaven to the place where I had been praying, I was so deeply
affected by the manifest glory I had experienced, that I had great difficulty
in relating and functioning in my normal circumstances. It was two weeks later that I was able to be
"normal" again.
I
gradually became aware that the purpose of the "ministry" to which I was being
called would be to prepare those whom the Lord would send, to recognize and
become responsive to His voice and also to have a respect for, and a
sensitivity to His manifest presence.
This related to those who would be "called apart" to be "made ready" for
His end-time purposes.
"Let
us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is
come, and His wife has made herself ready."
Revelation 19:7
This
Italian Assemblies of God school closed at the end of its third year and
remained vacant for six years, when in a very unusual way, this property was
given to me. While waiting during this
period of time, the Lord caused me to know that I was being prepared to be used
as an end-time "John the Baptist."
Later, the Lord confirmed this through a Scripture that expresses the
deepest irony in all the Word of God.
"Annas
and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of
Zacharias in the wilderness." Luke 3:2
"Annas
and Caiaphas" speaks of the headship and function of the established religious
system, which the Lord by-passed. "John.
in the wilderness" speaks of an isolated, barren environment, which the Lord
used to prepare John for a critical time of ministry.
The
Church system was fully in place and functioning. Yet the Lord could find no one within the
religious system of that day who had a "hearing ear," to whom He could impart a
"present" word. Therefore, He chose one
who was not a priest, and led him into a "wilderness experience" to be trained.
Today
also, there are those within the Church who have fully committed the totality
of their being to the Lord, and are being called apart to receive a fresh word
from the Lord. This speaks of the
absolute necessity of our receiving a "present word" concerning preparation
(our being an end-time corporate John the Baptist), to become a witness of the
Lord's manifest presence in these last days.
Therefore, we must make the right choices to bring this witness into its
full expression, first within and then through us.
This
religious system, which the Lord by-passed, had experienced the glory of God
and had received much by direct revelation from the Lord. However, they became dependent upon past
experiences for their present standing with the Lord. The fact that the Lord had moved through them
in the past was not enough to equip them for the present need. They were incapable of hearing a present word
concerning the soon to appear "Lamb of God."
During
this present time, there are those who are being called apart concerning the
soon to appear "Lion of the tribe of
While
I was a student in
"And
be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18
"Being
not drunk with wine, wherein is excess" speaks of a substitute for this higher
spiritual impartation and enabling power.
This substitute (wine) has been used by Satan to wreck countless lives
and families. Any seeming "benefit" that
comes from it is deceptive, and carries a terrible price tag.
".but
be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord"
(Ephesians 5:18-19). This is the
transforming effect of the real wine of the Holy Spirit. It will release us into a spiritual boldness
and liberty beyond that of which we are capable, which will glorify God and
enable us to minister in great freedom and power.
However,
no matter how tremendous this experience might be, we cannot continue to depend
upon the experience of "drinking at the fountain of past visitations." It is urgent that we begin seeking the Lord
to bring us into a fresh new dimension of the supernatural. No longer are we to look back to where we
first met the Lord. Nor, are we to tell
the Lord how, when, or where the "new" is to come into our lives and ministries
(I turned around went north to a place that seemingly did not fit the calling I
had received).
We
must have a "dissatisfied satisfaction" - our being thankful for what we
presently have, but actively seeking the Lord for "more." There are two sides to a coin. They are different, yet make a singular
whole. Our past and present experiences
must merge to make a way for us to enter the future.
John's
testimony was that he is the "voice of one crying in the wilderness." He clearly saw the urgent need of that hour
by saying, "Prepare you the way of the Lord, make His paths straight" (Mark
1:3). The very heart of my calling and
ministry is the preparation of a "voice" that can speak in our day, as John
spoke in his day, to be available to the Lord for His purposes during this
difficult time in which we live.
All
this came into being, when, on July 4, 1959, I stopped the car while driving
toward
Many
years have passed since that date in 1959.
There were years of glory, spiritual impartation, and transformed
lives. Mistakes were also made, for
which I have repented and received forgiveness from our Lord. Now, at this present time while residing in
I pray that you also will look beyond your past spiritual experiences, and your present circumstances, and make the right choice during your critical moment of decision.