My dear brother Dennis,
Upon leaving your office and arriving home I realized that I must write down the impressions of what I saw and the burden the Lord shared in our time of prayer. A phrase goes round and round in my mind. It is, "The burden of the Lord in the valley of vision."
Today as we were praying I experienced something that has never happened before. I was suddenly overcome with a gut wrenching despair and sadness. It happened when you showed me the flyer you received in the mail announcing the son of Jerry Falwell appearing at the annual NRA Christian Prayer Breakfast. Suddenly I began to tremble and shake. I felt winded as though I'd been hit with a knock out punch to the solar plexus! I doubled over and began to sob uncontrollably. I felt as though the Lord's heart was beating loudly in my chest and it was breaking!
Intuitively I realized that this invitation to the NRA/Christian Prayer Breakfast was from the National Rifle Association. I realized that this union between the secular or profane and evangelical Christianity, was an act of spiritual adultery! I was devastated! I knew that I was experiencing the heart of our Lord Jesus and I felt as though the Spirit was weeping through me. I was overcome with grief at this act of prostitution. I saw myself and us corporately portrayed as a scarlet woman lifting up her (our/my) skirts for any man who walked by and who might be enticed to join' with her. I was sick at heart and repulsed by this act of fornication with the world!
"Is this what I have done?! Lord please forgive me!" I cried!
As we continued in prayer, I continued to be captivated and shaken by this revelation of how we have played the harlot. I saw how we (the church/the bride of Christ) have prostituted ourselves in order to feel special, accepted, esteemed and loved by the world. Having received this revelation it seemed as though scales fell from my eyes and I could see with great clarity all the areas in which I/we have fornicated with the world, its institutions and western cultural values. I/we have traded the white linen of our purity for the bawdy revealing garments of a whore. Worse yet, I hate to speak of it but I’m compelled to share all that I felt. The Lord showed me how we had not only adorned ourselves cosmetically but also how we have flirted, enticed, and invited THE WORLD TO LAY WITH US. I perceived that we have YIELDED OURSELVES EVER SO SLOWLY. I knew that WE, the people, who call themselves by His name, have let the vileness of the world (portrayed by an unclean spirit) invade and defile us. We have allowed this evil to penetrate us in our deepest selves.
Next I saw the final resultant condition of the church. She (I,We) appeared as an old hag - wrinkled, diseased, and dressed in the tattered filthy scarlet and black lace garments of a prostitute. She lay in the gutter offering herself to every man who passed by. To some she cried out; “I know you. Do you not remember me? Come, taste of my pleasures!” These men hurried by and looked upon her with loathing and disdain. She was smeared with thick cheap make up and appeared more like a painted pathetic clown. Yet she still perceived herself as seductive, attractive, alluring - capable of loving and being loved. The sight of her (ME/US) broke my heart and sickened me. It was tragic and pathetic! I wept!
Then I said to myself;
“How will I/she ever be redeemed? Is it too late? Is all lost? Is it all over?”
These were my thoughts as I gazed upon this pathetic painted lady who was now an object of disdain and ridicule by those in "the world" who once professed love for her. There she lay in all her horrible splendor, totally abandoned and hopeless as she sobbed with gut wrenching desperate longing and remorse.
Then the Lord reminded me of Rehab and that she came to be in the royal lineage! The Spirit said; “There is redemption!" I also remembered Mary Magdalene and the woman taken in adultery!
Then my heart said:
“I will strip her of her shameful clothes and all her filthy rags. I will remove her makeup, the paint, the earrings and adornments with which she has adorned herself. I will wash her and bathe her and in my love she will be dressed in fine linen and neither she nor I will know her shame or nakedness. Then she will see herself in My loving eyes and she will know her purity and great beauty. For she is the love of my life...the one for whom my heart beats and is my deepest desire...my love...my VIRGIN bride for whom I wait."
Then I heard, “Babylon the mother of harlots." I understood that this was the world system and that Babylon is that human system which masquerades as "the church' but which is NOT the product of divine conception! IT is the product of a union of the sacred and the world - all of which lies in the hands of the evil one! It is an abomination unto the Lord and I realized that ALL its children are illegitimate” ...
BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!
Hallelleujah!
Then I heard, “What God has cleansed make thou not uncommon!”
I began to rejoice in my spirit as I sensed the water (of the word) come and wash away all her filth, much as a flood waters overflow and then recede and in so doing remove the POLLUTION AND ALL SCARS FROM THE LAND,
I rejoiced as I sensed my own cleanness and I remembered that our Lord not only forgives us our sins but CLEANSES us from all unrighteousness. Then I recalled that it was the flooding of the Nile that provided the fertile soil to bring about a new season of life and a great harvest in Egypt.
I tell you “So will it be in America!”
Suddenly, in my mind, I saw myself as a bride adorned standing before a full length mirror! I was totally amazed and transfixed by the vision of loveliness before my eyes - such purity and exquisite beauty. There was no outward adornment, no make up, no painted lips - just a beautiful bride in her white wedding dress and veil. The radiance and beauty I beheld was breathtaking. I sensed my heart beating loudly anticipating going forth to meet Him! I was totally consumed with the thought of the upcoming ceremony.
Next I remembered our Lord plaiting a whip and driving out the moneychangers and cleansing the temple. I knew that this is what He was beginning to do in my heart and in the hearts of His people! I knew the moneychangers represented this seductive spirit of materialism which has captivated America and the world and especially the American "church".
Next I saw the spirit of materialism (Baal) and the Spirit of sensuality (Asteroth, Aphrodite, Venus, Circe, Jezebel - a female erotic spirit) join and morph into one being!!!! I realized for the first time that materialism and sensuality are not two separate spirits as I formerly thought but ONE! Materialism IS a seductive Spirit also known as covetousness - which is idolatry! ! I saw that the power and allure of the this “American Idol” (i.e. materialism, capitalism, consumerism, individualism, avarice, usury, and even called seed faith) - is that its power is rooted in LUST!: the Lust of the Flesh, the lust of the eye and the vain glory of life all rolled into one. This demonic presence, often known as 'zeitgeist’ (spirit of the times) or the spirit of America, has been irresistible It appeared as an octopus whose tentacles reached out around the globe. This spirit has captivated many nations and spawned countless illegitimate offspring throughout the world! It is a powerful and subtly seductive satanic spirit.
And I heard, "Its name is EROS!"
Then I was immediately taken to the Book of Revelations where in I read:
1And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. Revelation 18
1And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
10And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19
