Enlarge Our
Hearts!
By Paul Keith Davis
In
the year 2002 the Lord graciously allowed me to experience a series of visions
and revelations that I have now incorporated in, "Books of Destiny."
The essence of these truths involved the soon emergence of great spiritual
champions from every walk of life who will be identified according to Hebrews
11 and experience deep realms of the Spirit. They will be a unique generation
whose capacity for God will be greatly enlarged by supernatural grace and given
access to Heaven's Treasury Room. This
treasury room is none other than God's heart containing the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge hidden in Christ, according to Colossians 2:2-3 saying: that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit
together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full
assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery,
that is Christ Himself in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge.
As
part of that overall revelation, the Lord introduced to me a great champion
that He supernaturally created as a symbol or token of this end-time group.
However, this prototype was not a man but a horse by the name of Secretariat.
It is said of Secretariat that he "ran the greatest race ever run."
This in reference to his overwhelming 31 lengths victory at the 1973 Belmont
Stakes; A feat never before or since achieved!
The
mystery of this champion is realized at the time of Secretariat's death and
autopsy. Incredibly, the veterinarians discovered that Secretariat had a
healthy heart 2.5 times larger than the average and weighed an astonishing 22
pounds. The observation was made that Secretariat ran the greatest race ever
run because he had a supernaturally prepared heart giving him greater capacity.
That
is the revelation the Lord gave me concerning His end-of-the-age Army. Each
will have an enlarged heart for God allowing greater capacity for His love and
grace. King David, a man after God's own heart, spoke it this way in Psalms
119:32, "I shall run the way of Thy commandments, for Thou wilt enlarge my
heart."
While
in Exeter, England this past February the Lord instructed me to preach the
story of Secretariat. It had been several years since I shared this message but
I did the best I could from memory. The response was amazing! Interestingly, I
discovered later that the building that had been rented to house the conference
was called Belmont Church.
This
seemed to be an added affirmation of God's desire to bring forward this unique
group of people in this generation to respond to the great demands and realms
of darkness we see unleashed. I preached
an updated version of this revelation in our February conference,
"Possessing Bridal Inheritance."
Since
then, I have been even more pleased and surprised to discover that the story of
Secretariat has been made into a movie to be released October 8. Without
knowing this, we planned our fall conference on the exact dates of this movie's
release. I cannot help but believe this is marking God's timing for the
awakening of a remnant company who will be great champions for God with
increased love and capacity for Him.
As
a result of this, I felt it important to re-release a portion of "Books of
Destiny" related to this story of Secretariat in hopes of it being an
encouragement to press in to God all the more in the days ahead.
Excerpt
from "Books of Destiny"....
Secretariat
In
1973 Secretariat rose out of obscurity to become recognized as one of the
greatest racing horses in history. At that time interest in horse racing was at
an all-time low in the United States, but this exceptional horse changed all
that. Because of Secretariat's prior history, no one thought he had much of a
chance at the Kentucky Derby. Experts believed that the race's distance or
field offered little chance for a record-setting performance. Yet, to the
surprise of everyone, Secretariat ran the first quarter-mile of this
prestigious race in slightly more than twenty-five seconds, setting a new
world-record pace. But could such a large and broad-shouldered horse maintain
that stride and pace for another mile? Everyone wondered.
Surprisingly,
Secretariat did better than just sustain that pace. He increased it with each
quarter of the race, finishing the one-and-a-quarter mile distance in less than
two minutes-an achievement unmatched before or since.
Suddenly
a media frenzy began to flourish around this beautiful red horse. Observers
described him as "truly magnificent." He graced the covers of Time,
Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated. A champion had been born!
The Preakness
Excitement
began to build as the Preakness, the second race in the coveted Triple Crown,
approached. The nation's attention was turned to this beautiful horse, about
whose attributes commentators struggled to find appropriate adjectives. One
announcer claimed that in human vernacular Secretariat would be a Heisman
Trophy winner, a Rhodes Scholar, and Miss America all in one stunning,
awe-inspiring being.
In
a unique way Secretariat's performance at the Preakness was even more brilliant
than his victory at the Kentucky Derby. Secretariat was in last position out of
the starting gate but still did something unprecedented in this historic race:
He sprinted full-bore around the first bend, and by the time he turned onto the
back side, he was racing to the lead. Now, the turns on this track are tight,
and horse-racing aficionados considered it suicidal to take the first bend too
fast. Nevertheless, Secretariat did the extraordinary in his second of three
monumental races. Veteran racing experts were awestruck, declaring,
"Horses don't do what he did here today. They just don't do that!"
As
he had at the Kentucky Derby, Secretariat won the Preakness by two-and-a-half
lengths. Many believe the pace of this race was also record-setting, but
because of a controversy over the time clock, the speed was never verified.
With
two victories under his belt all that stood between Secretariat and the Triple
Crown was the Belmont Stakes. One journalist said that if Secretariat were to
lose the Belmont, "the country may turn sullen and mutinous." World
attention was focused on this single race, which some would later describe as
"the greatest race ever run."
The Greatest Race
On
the morning of the Belmont Stakes Secretariat awoke with a seemingly mystical
determination. His trainers later told reporters that he was "rearing and
bucking, flaring his nostrils and rolling his eyes." He was somehow filled
with anticipation for the race. Reportedly "he burst from the barn like a
studhorse going to the breeding shed and walked around the outdoor ring on his
hind legs, pawing at the sky in a magical, unforgettable instant, now frozen in
time."
Secretariat
totally intimidated his competition approaching the starting gate; a
supernatural atmosphere appeared to surround him. He did not merely walk to the
gate-he romped to his position.
The
Belmont was the longest of the three races. After the starter's gun had
sounded, initially a horse named Sham gave Secretariat a formidable challenge.
The first six furlongs were run in a staggering seventy seconds, with Sham
incredibly keeping abreast of Secretariat. However, the pace proved more than
Sham could sustain, and the challenger injured himself in the last race he
would ever run.
Meanwhile,
Secretariat continued to command the lead during the second half of the race.
As one commentator put it, "It was as though he were running on the
wind." Midway through the race it was clear Secretariat would win the
Belmont and become the first new Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years. Yet,
even more astonishingly, instead of coasting to a safe victory, Secretariat
maintained the same record-setting pace; he did not merely want to win-he
intended to run the greatest race ever.
Certain
no horse could maintain this pace for so long, many observers and journalists
felt jockey Ron Turcotte was foolish to continue to push Secretariat at this
tempo and risk collapse and the loss of the Triple Crown victory. But the
jockey had little to do with it: Secretariat was running at his own pleasure.
This was a day of destiny. Turcotte later commented that Secretariat had a mind
of his own for this race, and he [Turcotte] simply held on and enjoyed the
ride.
As
the last quarter of the race lay before Secretariat, every fan, journalist, and
observer grew mesmerized by the fortitude and sheer talent of this amazing
horse, whose victory turned out to be one of the greatest events in sports
history. His Triple Crown performance is unmatched in U.S. horse-racing
history. It was the greatest single performance he had ever witnessed in a
sporting event, recalls legendary golf champion Jack Nicklaus. When this mythic
race was over, Secretariat had defeated his closest competition by thirty-one
lengths and set an all-time record of 2:24, a feat previously considered
impossible.
The Secret of Secretariat's Success
What
a great champion God created for us to learn from! Secretariat had a secret,
which was only discovered at his death. During an autopsy, medical examiners
found that Secretariat had a perfectly healthy heart that was almost
two-and-a-half times larger than an average horse's heart. Secretariat's heart
weighed a staggering twenty-two pounds, whereas an average horse's heart weighs
about eight-and-a-half pounds.
Secretariat
had been given a supernatural heart. Almighty God, the Creator, had given this
horse a special endowment and greater capacity than any other race-horse in
recorded history.
When
I asked the Lord why he gave Secretariat such a large heart, he replied quickly
and concisely: "Because it pleased Me to do so." No matter what
veterinarians' conjecture or animal-biologists' suppositions might attest, God
had simply decided to create a great champion.
As Isaiah 42:5-6 declares: Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched
them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the
people on it And spirit to those who walk in it, I am the LORD, I have called
You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over you, And
I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations....
So
in this generation of prophetic destiny, at a unique time in human history, the
Lord Jesus will demonstrate divine power and Kingdom virtue through obscure
champions with "supernatural hearts." These champions' hearts will be
enlarged with passion and desire for the Redeemer and with Heaven's compassion,
which they will be able to transmit to a needy generation. Many, like
Secretariat, will arise from obscurity to run some of the greatest races ever
run.
In
a prophetically symbolic way, Secretariat's twenty-two pound heart could
represent the generation soon to emerge with a commissioning from Isaiah 22:22: Then I will set the key of the house of David on his
shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open.
The
key to the house of David signifies a governmental people who, like King David,
will be anointed as both worshipers and warriors. David is regarded in
Scripture as a man after God's own heart. He possessed a special capacity in
his heart for God and His Kingdom revelation. So shall the emerging generation
of radical worshippers and warriors, who in a day unprecedented in history will
champion fresh standards of excellence and victory.
David's
heart prophetically portrays the nature of the champions of the Lord's army.
They are dreaded by the forces of darkness, who will recognize Christ's victory
that they convey. As the Psalmist recorded:
Once you spoke in vision to Your godly ones, And said, "I have
given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I
have found David My servant; With My holy oil I have anointed him." Psalm 89:19-20
God
gave David the power to become a champion of Israel and God exalted him as a
hero chosen from among His people and anointed him with holy oil. David was a
champion of Israel foreseen and identified by the prophetic voice of that day.
There
have been forerunners and prototypes in years past but now an entire body of
people is being groomed for this lofty purpose. This great and weighty mystery
is the hidden truth of godliness. In the Lord Jesus, God was made visible in
human flesh and vindicated through the Holy Spirit and preached among the
nations. The Living Word or Bread of life once again desires to be made flesh
through a body of people joined with Him in a holy consummation. As we live not
by natural bread alone but by the living Word proceeding from the mouth of God,
the bread of abundant life, even so the hidden truth of godliness will become
part of our spiritual DNA.
Eye
has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor has yet entered into the human heart,
the great blueprint of Heaven, the Lord desires to reveal to His people.
Mysteries reserved deep in the heart of the Father, locked away in the mind of
Christ, and dispersed by the Spirit who searches the deep things, await the
passionate embrace of a latter-day company of overcoming, holy, victorious
ones. Abba, His Spirit, and the Bridegroom say, "Come."
Paul Keith Davis