Dear Friends, During a time of worship this morning, The Lord reminded me of David's words in Psalm 139:11-12: "If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,' even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You." The Lord then spoke these words into my heart: “I will come and visit those who open the doors of their hearts to Me in this dark hour. As distractions fade and what seems like a demonic covering enshrouds you, I will enter as LIGHT: a covering of glory no man can restrain! Do not fear darkness, but welcome light just as Israel in Egypt welcomed light into all their dwellings. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart! You have nothing to fear when the Prince of Peace and the Ruler of the Kingdom of Light dwells within you!” I felt it was more important than ever to hear and obey the voice of the Lord, opening our hearts to His Word and relying solely on His counsel so that we can overcome present difficulties. In times of deep darkness, only supernatural power can protect and enlighten our paths. 
SUPERNATURAL PROVISIONThis word concerning supernatural light brought to mind a similar encounter I had on September 23, 2021, which I believe the Lord asked me to share with you today. During the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), while I was away on an extended prayer retreat, I was meditating on Psalm 90:14: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” I contemplated this verse for quite a while, praying that the Lord would make the verse a reality both in my life and in the Body of Christ. 
Suddenly I heard the Lord say, “Come and dine with Me.” God prepares a table for His people in the presence of their enemies! Yet just as the disciples assisted Jesus in preparing the Last Supper, so we also have a part to play in current Kingdom preparations. I believe the encounter that follows will encourage and strengthen anyone who has concerns about the days to come. THE VISIONI was taken into a vision of a formal dining room which I have visited twice before, in previous encounters. The room was very large, elegant, and rectangular in shape. It seemed to be saturated in deep yellow-gold tones. A long table dominated the center of the room, covered with a white tablecloth and candelabra. There were servers and buffet tables along the sides. I saw Father God sitting at the head of this table, at the far end of the room. Jesus sat on one side of the Father, and as I entered, I was invited to sit at His other side to share a meal. 
I noticed that in the middle of the table, extending down towards the Father, much food had been set out. There was a large pile of red grapes; then fruits; then what appeared to be vegetables, cheese, and other types of food. I noticed the grapes in particular because they seemed so dominant. They were more abundant than the rest of the offerings. When I asked the Lord about them, He answered that they represented the fruit of the Vine: works done by our abiding in Christ. As I listened to His words, a deeper revelation began to penetrate my spirit: these grapes - in fact, all of the food I saw here - represented the “fruit” of our obedience to the Lord. The Father explained that each time a believer obeys Christ they are “setting the table” for Him, providing delicious food on which He “feasts.” This is one way in which He shares communion with us. It was clear in the vision that our obedience “fed” not only the Body of Christ, but also the Lord Himself. The fruit of obedience released the blessings of abundance, satisfying our souls and delighting the Lord. 
A DIVINE FEASTIn John 5, Jesus describes the ability and necessity His disciples have to eat and drink of His Body and Blood. It is a teaching that causes many of His followers to fall away. True believers know that Christ’s Body and Blood literally sustain us, especially in times of fasting or famine. Yet this “Sukkot” vision confirmed that there is communion and fellowship for the Trinity as well, as they partake of what we provide for their table. Our obedience delights and satisfies the Lord as much as any “feast” on earth satisfies us. To see a vision of this truth brought great joy to me! As humbling as this revelation was, I then saw the Father hold out something for me in His hand, saying: “Eat.” The food seemed to be a cake of some kind. Father stretched out his hand to me and put the cake in my mouth. When I ate it, my entire being was satisfied by His ministry to me. I remembered Elijah, who discovered an angel-baked cake outside the cave at Horeb. The cake was meant to strengthen him for an upcoming journey. Only the Father was feeding me in this case, not simply leaving a cake for me to find! I had the sense that the Lord was saying: “The journey will be too much for you otherwise.” I knew that He wanted to prepare His Body for what was to come. I heard the Spirit say that just as believers had the ability to “feed” the Lord through our obedience, setting good food on His table, so our obedience to Him enabled us to feed His sheep. As believers obey God’s words, we set a divine feast for the Body of Christ, even as Joseph did during a time of famine. At this point in the encounter, I looked up at the wall behind where Christ was sitting. On the wall was something the Lord called “A Masterpiece.” It seemed to be a 19th century French oil painting which closely resembled the work of an artist like Julien Dupre or Jean-Francois Millet. It was a picture of the harvest: a woman in the field, carrying sheaves of grain on her shoulder. All four gospels tell the story of the feeding of the 5,000. When the disciples ask Jesus how they will provide food for so many people, Jesus replies: “YOU give them something to eat!” (Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9; John 6) A simple lunch from a little boy proves more than enough for Christ to multiply and satisfy His Body. I believe the Lord was reminding His people of our unique call to provide sustenance - natural and spiritual - to those around us during this harvest-time. He wants us to accept His invitation to share fellowship and communion as we “dine” with Him, then release that provision to the world, no matter how dark our situations seem. 
His Inscriptions was created in 2014 through a prophetic word from the Lord to fill a storehouse or “silo” online with spiritual words that would edify many. We were told that year that there would be “seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine.” In the middle of this year’s Feast of Tabernacles, the Lord reminded me that 2021 marks exactly seven years since this particular “silo” - which is just one of many - began to be filled. The fruit of obedience creates a feast for those who are famished. God’s Word is full of everything needed to sustain life and godliness in dark times! We live in an end-time age of apostasy, like the Laodicean church in Revelation 3. The Laodicean church was said to be the worst of the seven churches Christ addressed in the book of Revelation, due to their lukewarm apathy. How interesting it is, in light of this Sukkot encounter, that Jesus mentions He will “vomit her out of His mouth!” Worldly compromise will never “edify” Christ or His Body. Yet obedient individuals in the Laodicean church are given the most exquisite of all Christ’s promises: those who open to the voice which “knocks” at the door of their hearts will sit down to dine with the Lord. Those who overcome worldliness and apathy will sit with the Risen Christ on His glorious throne. There is no greater intimacy promised to believers in our time! 
The vision I received during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles is meant to be a picture of what obedience looks and tastes like to our Lord. There is such overflowing joy in His heart when we obey! Those who abide in Christ have nothing to fear in the coming days. Life, light, and sustenance are promised to those who remain in the Vine, Jesus Christ. I pray that even your most private acts of obedience to Christ will open your heart’s door to heavenly fellowship and provision, glorious light that deep darkness can’t overcome, and a satisfying union with the One who is the Source of all good things! Deborah 
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August 2023
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. 
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