I had a dream this morning in which the Lord revealed two strategies of the enemy that keep His people from entering a place of intimacy with Him. At the same time, God released two prophetic revelations for breaking these strategies: scriptural keys that to help overturn demonic plans. In the dream, I saw people being drawn down into the depths of a medieval fortress. Everything in the dream resembled the dark ages. I saw a damp cobblestone street that led into a dreary, medieval town. On either side of the street was a walled fortress, like a long, low palace that seemed to extend forever. The scene reminded me of a rainy day in medieval England: dismal, dreary, and dark. The fortress, or castle, bore no resemblance to the kind of fairy-tale castles our children dream of. It had only low spires and was made of cold, grey stone. It did not have the height of a picturesque castle, either, being only one or maybe two stories high, and extending lengthwise through the town instead of vertically to the sky. Inside the fortress were dozens of rooms, each laid out next to the other. The rooms were unfurnished, no more than cold stone “compartments” in which to hold people. The entire city was sunken into a valley and seemed to descend lower and lower as I walked along the street. In the beginning, I saw women dressed in neutral-colored medieval gowns, all with long, thick hair. Their hair was the only glorious thing about them, and I noticed the different colors and textures of each woman’s hair, which they all wore long. The women would come from a slight elevation to the right of the town, and descend into the street by the fortress. But when they reached the town, I saw from behind them that their hair had been chopped short, and they were sick – so sick as to be vomiting in the street. I was told by a voice in the dream that if they did not keep moving, they would become deathly sick. And so the rooms of the fortress were filled with those who could not move forward any longer, who were sick and dying in that cold, damp place. The enemy lives in an evil realm full of captives. He wants to cause us to exchange our glory for a lie, to live in the “dark ages” of a past from which we have been set free. One of the ways he holds us captive is through sickness and disease. The women I saw were bent over in pain and weakness, vomiting out their insides. There seemed to be no cause for this; it was simply the atmosphere into which they had entered, the defining characteristic of this evil place. Thankfully, there was a second segment to my dream! An unknown but beautiful woman in the deepest part of the town chose to say that she wanted to leave the dark place. Having made her decision, she was instantly granted her wish. I was amazed: the enemy did not contest her decision, but rather, allowed it. Instantly, from the air above and to my right, an invisible angel – a supernatural being – brought her a table and three chairs, all gleaming a transparent white, and set them on the side of a hill in front of me, just above the street. The hill, amazingly, was a patch of vibrant green grass, and the woman, now dressed in a pure-white gown, sat in one of the chairs to the left. Facing her, I saw that even as her wish had been granted and she now had the ability to enter purer heavenly realms, the voice of the enemy was still speaking to her. She was told by the voice that she could leave, as long as she promised to “stay busy” in the Kingdom of light which she was entering. I knew that although she would enter into a better place with God, she would now be driven to distraction by the agreement she would make with the enemy to “stay busy.” The dream ended here, but the Holy Spirit woke me with revelation. In medieval imagery, the Lord highlighted the difference between two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light. The First Strategy and its Corresponding RevelationIt is the enemy’s desire to keep us in the dark ages, and one of the primary ways he does this is by keeping us sick. In fact, as the dream shows, sickness of soul or body is one of the enemy’s signature strategies. Its only end is death, and it is one way he robs us of the glory God gave us in the beginning. Sickness transforms us into captives, and will eventually lock us, cold, shivering, and alone, into the very cell-walls of his fortress. I saw many people trapped here because they had not continued to move past the demonic doctrine of sickness into the heavenly doctrine of healing. Yet there was one who had escaped: the woman who with her words chose to say she wanted “out.” Joshua 24:15 is the heavenly key that unlocks demonic fortresses and releases us into supernatural realms: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” God has given us free will, or the ability to choose whom we serve. The first revelation we need is this: just as God honors our free will, so the enemy cannot remove our ability to choose. The moment we choose life, angels are released to assist us. The table I saw represented a place of rest and covenant in the Trinity (three chairs). The Lord sets a table for us in the presence of our enemies, and causes us to rest in green pastures. (Psalm 23). And although this place of peace should be the happy end of our dreams, it is not. The Second Strategy and its RevelationThe second strategy of the enemy is deception. For the enemy can still speak to us, even as we sit at table with the Lord. Until He comes, we will always be “in the presence of our enemies” (Psalm 23:5). The second revelation is that we must choose NOT to enter into demonic agreements while we are seated at the Lord’s table. While I rejoiced that the woman had sat down, clothed in white, with her long hair restored and her hope renewed, I saw also that her eyes were still turned toward the dark city. Her right hand was extended towards the voice. She was still listening to the voice, believing the lie that she must serve endlessly, tirelessly, in this new Kingdom she entered. In fact, she believed that the only way she would escape the darkness is if she made this covenant to work for her salvation. God’s intention is to bless, but the devil’s goal is to stress and oppress. Historically, we see that the church has progressed along this same path. We left the dark ages through Luther’s Reformation and entered into a glorious new understanding of the accessibility of the Kingdom of Light. But we also maintained covenants with the enemy to “keep moving,” to earn our salvation, to stay busy and distracted, so that we would be prevented from enjoying the intimacy of the table God has prepared for us. Like Martha, instead of eating the meal, we are serving it. I believe the deception of a “works” mentality is still affecting the Body of Christ, keeping His Bride from entering into the relationship of intimacy she should. True service flows out of a place of rest and fellowship with God. It is not the way into intimacy, but rather, an outgrowth of it. An Appeal for ChangeIf you have made a covenant with the enemy to serve stressfully or endlessly in the Kingdom of God, I urge you to renounce that agreement today. Service is not your ticket to heaven, nor is a works mentality your guarantee of good standing with God. You are called to be the Bride of Christ, not His slave. Your decision to choose Christ, to serve Him, is a marriage vow. As it was for the woman in my dream, the moment you choose God, all of heaven is released to usher you out of the demonic realm and into the Kingdom of Light. Your transference is immediate. The enemy does not have the power to stop you from choosing your deliverance. But he will continue to tempt you and try to enslave you with your own words of agreement to a lifetime of hard labor in a Kingdom that is known for freedom and rest, not slavery. I urge you to renounce the slavery of a works mentality today, and to sit down at the table He has prepared for you. Spend all the time you need in fellowship with Him. Eat as much as will satiate your hunger for spiritual things. We need far more nourishment at His table than we allow. Enjoy the feast He has invited you to! It is a feast of intimacy and knowledge of Him! (See John 6:35) Then, when you are full, you will have all the energy and stamina you need to get up and go out again. At His request, you will invite others to come to the table with you. You will serve joyfully, not under compulsion, so that others can enjoy Him, too. Your seat is reserved for you. There is a placecard with your name on it, waiting. You have only to choose. Are you coming to the feast?
c. Deborah Perkins / His Inscriptions.
Right now, Deborah Perkins is outside collecting fresh eggs from her coop full of chickens. While she enjoys cooking breakfast for her hubby and three boys, her true passion is to help people Discover Life-Giving Communication with God. Her weekly blog, mentoring classes, and online Christian Resource Library are all free to subscribers who want to grow their prayer life. Join the His Inscriptions community today! |
Free Link to the Subscriber Resource Library when you join His Inscriptions!
About
Deborah Perkins Categories
All
Archives
September 2024
AuthorA severe hearing loss from childhood caused Deborah Perkins to develop what she now calls her secret weapon: tuning in to God's voice. A Wellesley College graduate and an award-winning writer, Deborah is now a wife and mother of 3 boys. Deborah has devoted over 25 years to professional and lay Christian ministry in New England and beyond. Her passion is inspiring people to cultivate greater intimacy with God. |