"When I visit My people in mighty revival power, it is to prepare them for the darkness ahead. With the glory shall come great darkness, for the glory is to prepare My people for the darkness. I will enable My people to go through because of the visitation of My Spirit. Take heed to yourselves lest you be puffed up and think that you have already arrived. Many shall be puffed up as in the olden days, for many then received My message but they continued not in it."

This speaks volumes to the man or woman whose heart is for God. How seldom do we wisely consider why the Lord's Spirit is out - poured upon us. We may pray for revival, but our motives are not as pure as they should be. And if the Lord should visit us, we believe that we have somehow earned this visitation by our intercession. We often think that this visitation is a stamp of approval that we are walking rightly. We seldom if ever have thought that God's visitation is to prepare us for walking through darkness. How many times has there been an outpouring of God's Spirit, and part of you felt that 'we must be doing alright' for God to visit us in this way. How many times did you perceive that this was not because we were doing so well, but that we might strive to do better? The easiest trap for believers to fall into is thinking that we are farther along than we actually are. If the Lord uses you in some way, and others thank and praise you for it, it is so easy to become puffed up. That is why we must continually, daily die to our flesh. Our flesh is the avenue by which the enemy can attack us. When our flesh is subservient to our Spirit, there is no avenue of attack.

I have heard many Christians proclaim that because they trust God, they know that He will keep them. Well, that is true, to a point. God will keep us, as long as we keep our feet on the path, and walk in obedience. God will not however, force us to stay on the straight and narrow. We always have the choice to listen to another idea; to entertain a different theory. What I have seen happen over the past 30 odd years, is many who started out walking with the Lord, have strayed, and fallen for deceptions. This did not come about because God was not there to protect them. It came about because they chose to listen to another voice. They were not as dead to self as they thought themselves to be, and willingly chose to believe a lie.

"Listen to the messengers, but do not hold men's persons in admiration."

This is a hard one for many. Because we can see the person that God is moving through, it is easy for us to associate the message with the one delivering the message. Many slip simply because they lift up the messenger more than they receive the message. Many are so awed by the moment, that they do not discern that the messenger could just as well have been a rock or a donkey. God is not limited in any way when it comes to expressing Himself, but we are often guilty of confusing the message with who it is delivered by. We often think that because God used an individual once, that everything they say from then on is God as well. "For many whom I shall anoint mightily, with signs and miracles, shall be lifted up and shall fall away by the wayside. I do not do this willingly; I have made provision that they might stand. I call many into this ministry and equip them; but remember that many shall fall. They shall be like bright lights and people shall delight in them. But they shall be taken over by deceiving spirits and shall lead many of my people away."

It is an awesome responsibility to be chosen by God to be a messenger. We must remember that the message is what is important, not who it comes through. God knows when he anoints an individual, that there is the risk that they will not continue to walk with Him, but will become sidetracked into thinking that they are something special, and allow pride to creep into their hearts. That is why He stressed throughout this vision, that we not hold men's persons in admiration. "Did I not anoint Jehu?"

If you go to 2 Kings 9 you will find the account of how Jehu came to be anointed King over Israel. The Lord empowered him to slay Ahab, Jezebel and all of his descendents and those who sided with him. Chapter 10 continues with the annihilation of all the prophets and worshipers of Ba-al, bringing to fulfillment the prophecy of Elijah. This is but one example recorded in the Word of God of an individual who God anointed for His purposes. They may perform great exploits, yet fail to continue walking with God. 2 Kings 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. There is no guarantee that because you were used by God at one point in your life, you will always walk with God. This is because we have been given free will. Our walk with God is perpetual and ongoing. As long as we are in this world, we must fight the good fight, continually pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

"Hearken diligently concerning these things, for in the last days will come seducing spirits that shall turn many of My anointed ones away."

Here the Lord exhorted us as believers to listen very carefully and pay close attention to these things. He warned us that there would indeed be seducing spirits that would turn many of His anointed ones away from the truth. This warning is to believers; not to the unsaved. This danger is to those who have tasted of the Lord that He is good; and yet are susceptible to deception. You may ask, "How can it be that we can be saved and still be deceived?" We can be deceived when we are not walking in a close personal relationship with God.

When we place are trust in confidence in a man, albeit one that is supposed to be God's representative in this world, (i.e. a Pastor, Teacher, Prophet, etc.). In this vision, the Lord said, "But if you will seek Me diligently, I will put My Spirit within you. When one shall turn to the right hand or to the left you shall not turn with them, but keep your eyes wholly on the Lord." Right there is the key. We must seek God with our entire being; mind, soul and spirit. We must believe and obey without question. Getting our eye off of God and onto a man or movement for even a little while can be enough to cause us to slip and fall. It is imperative that we know the Gospel of Christ. It is vitally important that we allow God to place His Spirit within, that we continually grow in spiritual discernment, and in our relationship with our Lord. We cannot get to where we need to go with half-hearted commitment.

"Many shall come with seducing spirits and hold out lustful enticements. You will find that after I have visited My people again, the way shall become more and more narrow, and fewer shall walk therein. But be not deceived, the ways of righteousness are My ways. For though Satan comes as an angel of light, hearken not to him; for those who perform miracles and speak not righteousness are not of Me. I warn you with great intensity that I am going to judge My house and have a church without spot or wrinkle when I come. I desire to open your eyes and give you spiritual understanding, that you may not be deceived but may walk in uprightness of heart before Me, loving righteousness and hating every evil way."

This judgment is a reality. How much better as believers to willingly lay down our lives (our ideas, ambitions, thoughts, imaginings) now and come into right relationship with God, than to be judged by God when He judges His house and be found wanting. Now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to make our calling and election sure. All of our righteousness is as filthy rags. We must believe that God means what He says. When He says that when He comes He will have a church without spot or wrinkle, know that He means it. Just as in the days of old, God always make a way for us to stand and overcome. It is up to us to take advantage of it.

"Fear not, for I have warned you. Many will be deceived."

"If you walk in holiness and uprightness before the Lord, your eyes shall be open and the Lord will protect you."

"If you will constantly look unto the Lord, you will know when the doctrine changes and will not be brought into it."

"If your heart is right I will keep you; and if you will constantly look to Me, I will uphold you."

"The minister of righteousness shall be on this wise: his life shall agree with the Word and his lips shall give forth that which is wholly true, and it will be no mixture."

"Therefore I exhort and command you to study the Scriptures relative to seducing spirits, for this is one of the greatest dangers of these last days."

"I desire for you to be firmly established in My Word and not in the personalities of men that you will not be moved"

"Diligently inquire of Me when you hear something that you have not seen in My Word."

"Do not hold people's person's in admiration, for it is by this very method Satan will destroy many of My people."

The Lord Himself says clearly what the danger is in these last days. I pray that we will give serious consideration to this Word from our Lord. It was pertinent in 1965, and is of critical import now in 2003. So many have already fallen victim, let us not be counted among them. When confronted with a 'new revelation' that makes claims contrary to what Jesus said, reject it. I encourage everyone to read this entire vision for themselves, and prayerfully consider its message.

Proverbs 4:23-27 Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Standing in the presence of the Lord is a very humbling experience. There is no place for pride before God. If we hold pride in our hearts, we cannot come into God's presence. Beware of giving any kind of pride a resting place within your heart; for as the above passage states, pride is the prelude to falling. If we follow those things that the Lord spoke here, which simply corroborate what has long been said in the written Word, we need not fear. If we but keep our eye centered on God, and off of man, He will empower us to overcome. Forewarned is forearmed. I cannot stress enough how important it is to our walk, to hear and heed this warning. For weeks I have been feeling a heavy sorrow and sadness, which doesn't let up. I believe that this is how our Lord feels when he looks upon the condition of His Body. It grieves the Lord when one of His anointed ones is snared and taken. If you hold the belief that the Lord will not come back in your lifetime, then you are in for a rude awakening. The time is short, the hour is at hand, right now is the time to prepare. The meek shall inherit the earth, the haughty shall be removed out of it. Seek the wisdom that comes from above if you would get understanding.

1 Timothy 4:1,2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly [distinctly], that in the latter times some shall depart [instigate a revolt, desist, desert] from the faith [moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; assurance, belief, faith, fidelity.] giving heed to seducing [pay attention to, apply oneself to, adhere to, have regard] spirits, and doctrines [instruction] of devils; Speaking lies [promulgating erroneous Christian doctrine] in hypocrisy [deceit]; having their conscience seared with a hot iron [to brand ("cauterize"), that is by implication to render insensitive].