Published on January 15th, 2011 | Articles, Guest Posts
This guest post comes to us from Paul Keith Davis at White Dove Ministries.
Embracing Our Opportunity – Part 2
By Paul Keith Davis
Greetings friends,
I trust this first newsletter of 2011 finds you encouraged and vigorously contending for personal and corporate destiny. That certainly is the mandate we feel emphasized for the season.
For us, the last few months of 2010 were filled with many encouraging indications that we are entering a time of profound spiritual conflict and outpouring with the “sons of light” emerging with substantial anointing and authority.
It is the issue of spiritual authority that is being emphasized the most. The radical remnant will discover great authority in their words, decrees and proclamations as we prophesy our future and shape the destiny of this generation through spiritual impartation. Numbers 11 was given to me as a biblical outline to emphasize the Spirit being taken from one to anoint many. It will be as it was in the days of Moses when the Lord’s Spirit was also placed upon the 70 elders to help provide legitimate leadership to a needy nation.
In the days of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage, Moses was also instructed to first “strike” the rock as a demonstration of God’s power. Later, he was directed to “speak” to the rock to illustrate God’s authority through the spoken word. Although Moses did not follow the instructions to the letter it still outlines God’s intent to highlight this aspect of His redemptive nature. This will be especially evident in the lives of those emerging as mature “sons of the Kingdom.” (See Matthew 13)
This February our ministry will be hosting our fourth conference in Tucson, Arizona as we continue to press in to the rich heritage of that spiritual environment. The theme of our conference is “Sons, Taught of the Lord” taken from Isaiah 54:13. This is a season in history where the “sons” will be profoundly taught by the Lord as we hear the Spirit saying:
Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He your Teacher will no longer hide himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. –Isaiah 30:20-21
We are hoping many of you will be able to join us for this conference as we have an incredible team including myself, Chuck Pierce, Paul Cain, Steven Shelley, JoAnn McFatter, Steve Swanson and others. Come prepared to press in to what we believe will be a time of mighty outpouring and spiritual impartation.
We also just completed our New Year’s conference co-hosted with Steven & Stacy Shelley where great insight was released to help outline the coming days. I have preached a two message series entitled, “God’s Priorities” that we trust will provide considerable encouragement and direction for this vital season. The Lord graced us with several revelatory encounters over the last few weeks that provided clear admonitions and biblical promises involving our present day prophetic environment, the mysteries and secrets of God reserved for this day, and the emphasis of His Spirit as we move into this new season. We trust the Lord will use these messages to encourage and mobilize His people.
Also, as promised this newsletter will include part two of the messages we delivered in the 2008 Shepherds Rod that has present pertinence and relevance. We pray and trust it will be a blessing to you as we contend for 2011 to be an amazing and fruitful year.
Love and blessings,
Paul Keith & Wanda and the WhiteDove team
2008 Shepherd’s Rod –Continued
The Emerging Modern Day Ruth’s
Bob saw many spiritual “Ruth’s” taking their eyes off of themselves and their circumstances that have been like bondage and prison. Now is the time for this company of women to “breakthrough” their desperate situation and return to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. It will be a notable time of personal and corporate breakthrough. The Book of Ruth will become a living book to women this year and a prophetic outline for the Bride of Christ.
Our friend Bobby Conner has done an extensive series on the Book of Ruth and its spiritual implications for the 21st century church. I will not take the time to enumerate the many applications for today but encourage our readers to consider investigating this further through Bobby’s materials.
The Book of Ruth is primarily a story of redemption, devotion and love. It outlines the forsaking of meaningless traditions and harsh circumstances in order to embrace truth and a new beginning. Ruth said:
Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God — Ruth 1:16
Naomi is a spiritual type of the Holy Spirit. When Ruth made the decision to follow her unconditionally, it catapulted her into a place of fruitfulness and honor. She actually became the great-grandmother of King David and is in the direct lineage of the Lord. Ruth came to a crossroad requiring that she either turn back to the familiar or press forward into fresh new territory that led to her union with Boaz, who is a type of Christ.
The harsh environment and failures from which Ruth emerged prepared her for destiny. Although our past and present circumstances have been difficult and seemingly overwhelming, nevertheless, the Lord has allowed it for a fruitful end. It is a time of God’s favor for breakthrough and break-out with God’s blessing saying:
May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman— Ruth 4:11?12
This next season will see many women emerging from times of oppression into supernatural encounters with the Living Word. 2 Samuel 5:20 declares:
So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim.
The name Perez mean breakthrough denoting this coming season as a time of victory and favor, especially for women prepared for this purpose. Then the way will be made clear for the next leg of the journey. Strong intercession will then be sounded with unity and authority. There will be many conferences in certain areas devoted to women and this mandate.
The Righteous Heard in Heaven
In his revelation Bob heard the phrase, “The righteous shall cry out to God and He will hear and answer them.” In God’s scheme of things there is a principle of sowing and reaping. For a season we have been sowing tears and we are going to reap joy; we have been sowing prayers and we are going to reap answered prayer. Psalms 34:17 declares:
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
A higher level of righteousness is being imputed to a body of people who will hear from God and provide clarity and insight. When we cry out to God from a position of righteousness in this season, He will answer us with discernment and provision communicated through Psalms 25 and 26, the Psalms of the righteous.
These Psalms carry our provision for the coming season. Authority, power and anointing essential for this next interval of the Spirit can be found and emphasized in the truths of these Psalms. They will become a blueprint for the next season and opened for the righteous.
In Psalms 25, King David submits himself in totality to God. As a result, it is his anticipation that God will now deal with his enemies and not allow him to be overrun by them. That is a present promise for this time. God’s quest has been for us to submit ourselves completely to Him. When this is achieved, our spiritual tormentors will be dealt with by the Holy Spirit. He will release from Heaven strong angels to neutralize the principalities and powers that have been withstanding the destiny of God’s people.
This will also open up greater insight into God’s ways. His ways are much higher and we must ascend to a greater height to appropriate them. David penned:
Make me know Your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day.
Remember, O LORD, your compassion and your lovingkindnesss, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your lovingkindness remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O LORD — Ps 25:4-7
This promise also emphasizes our present opportunity to bring certain things to completion and experience commissioning for new beginnings. For many years the Church has been attempting to accomplish its mandate through the ways of men. Now we are being given the opportunity to comprehend God’s ways which are always fruitful. There will be a continued emphasis in the area of teaching and mentoring in the coming days. This is part of our calling to arise into maturity and the fullness of the stature of Christ.
In Psalms 25, David also asks for God’s intervention in his life to promote righteousness. We are incapable of achieving that within ourselves. We need God!
Psalms 26 outlines David’s noble prayer and commitment to harbor no falsehood or deception. He prays for purity of heart and motive in order to be God’s instrument during his generation. That is precisely the emphasis for today. To be used most fruitfully during this outpouring, we must ask for and insist upon the purity of God’s Spirit resting within and delivering us from our own selfish ambition and agendas.
Tremendous Fear
This will be a season of unparalleled fear, especially to the unsaved. The greatest fear will be that individuals will not get their desires. It is much more important to receive what we need than what we want. There is a rampant anxiety that is being released in the unredeemed that economic shaking and financial meltdowns will not allow them to achieve all of their personal desires. This can range from jobs and salaries that provide personal hobbies, access to certain people groups and other things promoted by the spirit of this world.
Our society is being driven to achieve position and status that have no lasting spiritual value. Instead, our council is to fix our eyes on things above where Christ is in the eternal realm. The things of this earth are temporary and fading, yet much emphasis is being placed in our society to achieve those very things.
The wicked will not get what they crave and it will cause tremendous anxiety. The wicked desire their way while the righteous desire God’s way! In many aspects the righteous will not get precisely what we expect or desire but we will get God’s way and the things that we need in this next installment of His plans. This will also be a time of great deliverance for Christians suffering from panic attacks and rampant fear.
Much of what will be transpiring today has not yet been seen or heard nor has it entered into the hearts of man. Therefore we cannot desire what we have not yet seen. It will be the literal fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 2: 9:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
What He has for the righteous is greater than our minds can presently perceive. Conversely, the wicked’s greatest fear will be their lack of ability to support their lifestyle of sin and self-serving pleasure. This is part of the shaking that will be taking place in this nation and around the world.
The righteous will have a focus and attention on Heaven that provides a Godly fear that existed in the life of Christ. We are told in Hebrews 5:7 that:
In the days of His flesh [Jesus] offered up definite, special petitions [for that which He not only wanted but needed] and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was [always] able to save Him [out] from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God [His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father] (Amplified Version)
This form of Godly fear or piety identifies the heart of the righteous as exemplified in the Lord’s earthly ministry. We are told in this Scripture that He was heard because, “He shrank in horror at the mere thought of being separated from the bright presence of His father.” The righteous fear that they will do something that would separate them from the unimpeded flow of God’s Spirit.
This also denotes greater access to the manifestation of His presence individually and corporately. In essence, we must become good stewards of God’s grace to walk with Him as Enoch did and obtain the testimony that we are pleasing to Him.
Corrupt Money Lenders
Our admonition from these revelations is to be careful where we borrow money. There is a shaking that is going to be taking place in the banking community that can have far reaching implications on the Church. Presently, great emphasis is being placed by the various lenders to distribute finances and facilitate greater measures of debt.
The counsel given to God’s people is to continue to be removed from heavy debt and be in a position to take advantage of the shaking and transfer of wealth when the time is appropriate. Though many lending organizations promote the image of helping people, in reality it can be a snare promoting more debt at a time when getting out of debt should be our priority.
Greed is a major stronghold that must be overcome in this hour. Much of this world’s economic system is built upon principles of greed without regard for the consequences. Although there are pockets of charity and goodwill demonstrated in our nation, especially during times of crisis, there remains a powerful spiritual influence of ambition and greed that drives the economic leaders. Our admonition is to be separated from this snare and warned not to fall victim to its plans.
Clearly there are some circumstances where borrowing money from financial institutions is mandatory. However, much of the credit card debt is the result of our easy access to this form of credit. It can easily become a form of bondage. There is going to be a collapse in this market at some point. We still have a space of time to position ourselves for it.
Sanctify Your Food
Food poisoning will be a major problem in the days ahead. In our enemies increased effort to promote fear in our society, food poisoning and tainted provisions are going to escalate in the coming days. Bob saw many areas reaching crisis mode in relationship to the purity of our food banks. Thankfully, we have the biblical admonition that:
Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer — 1 Timothy 4:4-5
We will come to know the importance of sanctifying our meals with the word of God and prayer. Even so, we must also use common sense to wash produce thoroughly and avoid exposure to the elements. This concern will also facilitate greater measures of fear for those who do not have faith in Christ and His biblical principles. Greater knowledge and awareness of potential hazards that exist in our worlds food supply will also promote greater measures of fear and caution.
Prophetically speaking, this analogy is also highlighting the importance placed upon what we consume spiritually and from what table we dine. The Lord has given us the invitation to dine at His table. In fact, he has promised to prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies.
In last years Shepherd’s Rod we talked about dining at the Lord Table saying: In his vision Bob found himself at the Lord’s Table with these three items set before him. Initially, he was allowed to partake of the fish, which symbolically depicts our present position of experiencing supernatural grace. Then he was allowed to reach for the bread, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Our grace in this day is to begin to apprehend the full measure of Heaven’s revelation of the Lord as the exalted Overcoming King. Furthermore, we will begin to experience the promise of Isaiah 30: 26 saying,
The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter like the light of seven days, on the day the LORD binds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has inflicted — Isaiah 30:26
The bread and wine are typical of communion. This prophetic expression is highlighting the Lord’s desire to “bind the fracture of His people” and produce a common-union or spiritual unity among many within the church. Clearly, unity of the brethren is a fundamental aspect of the 21st century church model.
True unity is discovered when we become Christ-like. Christ being formed in us is the true forum for spiritual unity among brethren. To the extent we reflect the Lord’s nature and character will we experience spiritual unity.
A Carpet of Covenant
Next, Bob saw a carpet of many colors laid in the desert about eight feet wide. It was completely straight and provided a direct path to the “bank of the Jordan” in preparation for crossing over. There are two paths set before us, requiring that we choose wisely in the days ahead. The Lord is setting a course before us with a beautiful multicolored carpet of covenant to make the journey favorable.
On the other hand, there will be an angel of the Lord withstanding the other paths and even speaking through “burden bearers” like Balaam’s donkey in order to turn the misguided back to the place of God’s provision. Numbers 22:24-28 declares:
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again.
The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
These prophetic images portray God’s provision to take us from our present position to the place of our greatest fruitfulness. If we remain on the path the Lord has orchestrated for us, we will discover fruitfulness, favor and a direct path to our destination. If we divert from it, we will encounter difficulties and delays.
This next season will require sensitive discernment and a willing heart to follow the Holy Spirit’s leadership. As contrasting as a beautiful soft carpet is with a hot, barren, rocky desert, so is the polar difference we will discover in doing things God’s way as opposed to our own. One will be easy and direct while the other harsh and overbearing.
This time will provide greater opportunity for all saints to hear His voice more fluently, not just the prophets and seers. To fully participate, both personally and corporately, in the fresh outpouring, we must follow carefully the bearing God sets before us and not waiver from it to the right or to the left. The prophet Isaiah foresaw a future day declaring:
Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He your Teacher will no longer hide himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left — Isaiah 30:20-21
Many of the “burden bearers” will be individuals who have encountered the Teacher and identify God’s way and the beautiful carpet He has provided. The carpet is a symbolic indication of personal and corporate covenant. The Lord has promised to hold us by the hand and watch over us and bring us into the bond of covenant in order to restore the land and cause us to inherit desolate heritages.
In Bob’s vision, it was important to remain on the carpet. Those who did had the appearance of an army in perfect order and alignment. They were like a stream flowing through the desert with living water. All of our essential provisions needed for personal development and maturity were allotted on this path. It was also evident that we would have to make a conscious decision to leave the path to pursue another alternative if we so chose. However, this would be a fatal mistake. Isaiah 35:7-8 declares:
The scorched land will become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, its resting place, grass becomes reeds and rushes.
A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it.
The importance of remaining on God’s path stems primarily from our need for greater development in personal character. This path is a highway of holiness! A grace is being provided for cleansing of our failures and the extraction of strongholds withstanding our highest calling.
This imagery highlights our path for the future. As already outlined, this next year will see the completion of many aspects of God’s plan and the introduction of new ones. It will be a time of completion and a time of new beginnings.
From God’s path many people will be sent to the various nations with the message and ministry of the Kingdom. This path leads to the nations and a harvest of souls who will be equipped as harvesters. The awakening of the dawn will be the crossing over into a fresh new day. As one day is culminating a new one is dawning.
Prior to the Day of Atonement, Bonnie Jones also had a confirming revelation. In a dream she was on a journey. She was told that the destination was the Jordan River. When she looked at her ticket that gave her access to the train, she recognized the number on it as 888. This could be highlighting a certain season of the time around August 8, 2008 as a time of significant importance for this transition.
The most important aspect of these revelations is the bringing to completion of our preparation and the commissioning of authority and power essential to introduce the next installment of God’s plan.
Furthermore, this will not be a season for observation but participation. All of our essential provisions have already been provided according to His riches in glory. Calvary has supplied every need for the Kingdom to be demonstrated in our generation along with the perfecting of the Bride without spot or wrinkle.
New Tools for the Journey
In the revelatory experience Bob saw a large stockpile of tools and implements that had been discarded at the beginning of the carpet. This represented our willingness to lay aside various spiritual tools we have used in past seasons in order to prepare ourselves for the fresh and unprecedented. That is not to imply that we discard the elementary principles but build on them in order to move forward into maturity.
God has something exceedingly powerful prepared for us. We must be willing to cast aside the good in order to implement the best. We have utilized various tools and spiritual weapons over the last season of time but now many of those tools are outdated and obsolete. The Lord is opening His armory to provide new tools and equipment. The Lord said through Isaiah:
You have heard [these things foretold], now you see this fulfillment. And will you not bear witness to it? I show you specified new things from this time forth, even hidden things [kept in reserve] which you have not known. They are created now [called into being by the prophetic word], and not long ago; and before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, Behold, I knew them! (Amplified Version)
Formerly, we have had measures of success with various gifts and techniques that worked for a season. However, to be most fruitful in the coming days, we must remain spiritually sensitive to receive plans and strategies direct from Heaven. Bob observed a stockpile of old tools and weapons at the beginning of the carpet, and new ones given as people walked along this uncharted path.
If we insist upon holding on to the familiar, it would be like attempting to fight a modern-day war with Civil War era weapons. To say, “this is the way we have always done it,” would be a fatal mind-set that could lead away from the carpet of covenant into the desert, which is a dry and water-less region. We will be given the opportunity to obtain fresh manna each day as long as we remain in His ways. In some cases, the Lord is only going to give us enough trust to take the next step without seeing the totality of His plan. This will indeed be a faith journey!
The carpet ran through the desert leading us to the “Bank of the Jordan” to the precise place He has chosen for us to breakthrough and crossover. This next spiritual season will be both a time of completion and a time of commissioning. Many individuals that have been in a preparatory mode will see this season culminating and a new commissioning transpiring on this straight and narrow path that God has provided.
Even when mantels of individuals manifested in prior generations are captured by today’s leaders, they will function in that anointing with a fresh new perspective. Joshua received the Spirit that rested upon Moses but displayed it in an entirely different way. Elisha wore the mantle of Elijah but utilized it with an altogether unique ministry.
Although we are still in the wilderness and haven’t yet crossed over, we have a wonderful provision through the desert, which is a place of His voice. Everything we need will be provided on that carpet. It is a multicolored rainbow type carpet illustrating the Seven Spirits of God and covenant.
There is a new way being provided for this season. Each step will be a step of faith and dependence upon God’s leadership. Only the righteous can walk this path and remain on it. The good news is the path was smooth and clear. If we continue in God’s ways over this next season it will become very fruitful.
Restoring Desolate Heritages
Interestingly, many of the most significant things that transpired in the last generation took place in desert regions. There were numerous important visitations and revelations given in the 1960′s in the Arizona desert with direct application to our present mandate.
We have a short season left in the desert but it will actually be a very good time for the righteous. Our grooming will be brought to completion and a new commissioning imparted to prepare us to apprehend our desolate heritage. It will be a time for the literal fulfillment of Isaiah 49:8 saying:
In a favorable time I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I will keep you and give you for a covenant of the people, to restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages.
The Lord has been holding us by the hand and watching over us in preparation to become a covenant to the people and a light to the nations in order to restore the land and cause the people to inherit the desolate heritages.
It is a straight walk and one that we will continue for the remainder of this year until the next Rosh Hashanah in anticipation of what lies beyond. Although it would be wonderful to prophesy that we will walk in the fullness of our inheritance over this next year, we believe it is more accurate to identify this as a season of finalization in preparation and also commissioning for the crossing over; Joshua was commissioned on this side of the river in anticipation of leadership for advancement.
In this next season many people will be commissioned with the “mantles” of others who have gone before us. There is presently an emphasis on honoring our spiritual fathers and mothers who provided leadership in the last great outpouring of God’s Spirit. They were pioneers who overcame great difficulties to manifest God’s Kingdom in their generation.
Although some experienced failures and made costly mistakes, the foundation they provided is our platform to launch the next major outpouring. This opens the door for the deposit of God’s Spirit they carried to be appropriated to individuals in this generation.
In our own ministry, we have been emphasizing the importance of honoring healing revivalist such as A. A. Allen, Alexander Dowie, John G. Lake, William Branham and others. Some of these have been the most dishonored individuals of the 20th century Church yet used most notably in soul winning and the miraculous. Our adversary has effectively attempted to neutralize the testimony of these individuals as forerunners by overly emphasizing their shortcomings and weaknesses. Even so, the Lord is allowing a body of people to recognize the pioneering influence these individuals conveyed in order to position us to carry forward the unfinished commissions.
Spiritual gifts are the result of supernatural grace purchased at Calvary’s Cross. Nevertheless, personal spiritual maturity can be costly requiring that we buy from Him:
Gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see
– Revelations 3:18
It is always been the Lord’s intent that we progress from Glory to Glory, but unfortunately, the Church has historically failed in this responsibility. Children should always start on a higher plain than their parents. That is the entire biblical principle of heritage and inheritance. Proverbs 13:22 states:
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
We are once again presented with an opportunity to apprehend our desolate heritages and appropriate them to our generation. Mantles of revelation and power that were introduced in prior generations are accessible. We must pay whatever price is necessary to achieve this place in God. The important aspects of this revelation are to highlight the “open door” opportunity set before us for this purpose.
The Lord has clearly demonstrated through these revelations that individuals will be visited by His spirit over this next season for the purpose of “mantle” impartation. Many of the people soon to emerge in leadership are not presently known or recognized in broad public forums. Nevertheless, they are known in Heaven and have been prepared to carry notable deposits of revelation and power.
Therefore, this prophetic promise is to initiate our desperation to contend for this heritage. Our council is to position ourselves before Him so that His Spirit can be released to us in much the same way that Elisha captured the anointing that rested upon Elijah.
Part of the revelations I had on the morning of Atonement dealt with our desolate heritage. In the experience, I found myself in a desert and mountainous region excavating an archeological site in hopes of finding treasures of great value. As I did I uncovered ancient books containing revelations that were started by leaders of the past that are to be finished in our day. I considered these books of greater value than gold or silver. Some were older than others but I knew this would be the completion of all mandates, commissions and promises.
This revelation speaks of our opportunity and responsibility to carry forward the task initiated by individuals of the former generation. Even as Joshua completed the commission of Moses so also will we facilitate the fullness of unfulfilled promises.
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