The Black Banner
Vision Received:
9/7/05
This morning I had a dream, or a vision. I was in a building
and there had been some catastrophe. In the building there were many
people
that were dazed by the catastrophe waving banners. But they seemed to
be waving
them without purpose or without the realization of what there were
doing. The
only thing I could understand is that they hoped God would notice
something. I
myself was flying high above them in the air, circling around the
ceiling, and
in my hand I was waving the black banner and yelling to all below,
"Look
up here!" But no one would listen.
In the natural we
wear black to mourn a death, so I think it
is a call to mourning of sin; it is in fact a message from God to us.
I can only
determine this from the vision. The world is now
going into convulsions, and God's people are looking around franticly
wondering
what they should do, and wondering where God is. But just like God said
long ago,
the only way to find him is to repent of our arrogance and get on out
faces. (2
Chronicles 7:14) This explains why I was waving the black banner. It
was a call
to true repentance. As those of you who are familiar with Isaiah: He
walked
around Israel
and said "Woe is you! Woe is you!" to the people. But when he saw the
face of God in all His Holiness, he said, "Woe is me."
It is time for us
to get off our spiritual high horses and
stop pointing our finger at the rest of the sinful world and point it
at our
self. Judgment starts in the house of God. (1 Peter 4:17
) If we
don't we will never be able to run the race God has marked out for us.
We need
him to fill us with His power. We need to let Him restore our soul the
same way
he told Elijah to eat for the long Journey ahead. If you recall, the
angel woke
Elijah up and told him to eat. Then a second time he woke him up and
told him
to eat again. (1 Kings 19 ) I think many of us have only eaten for the
first
time and we know a little about God and have a little strength, but now
we must
eat again for the journey that God has mapped out for us. If we don't,
we will
not complete the journey.
The
Black banner? I actually have a black banner and every time I look at
it I shudder.
I never thought I would wave that black banner again. But tonight it
flies
again in my apartment, to bring me into a place of repentance and
mourning of
all my evil and selfish desires. I wave it to God to let Him know that
I bow my
heart low to Him. And also to bring my city into the same place. It is
time for
the body of Christ to line up with God.
I believe the real
catastrophe is not the one we can see
with out natural eyes. It is the condition of our hearts when we don't
reach
out to God. God uses the natural to explain the condition of the
spiritual. But
strangely we won't reach out to him until our natural world is
crumbling. Then
we finally go to God where he can heal. It is in fact our spirits (not
our
natural surroundings) that require the healing.
Shalom,
You have
given a banner to those who fear you, That it may be displayed
because of
the truth. ( psalm 60:4 )
Scriptures for the Church in America
Isa 29:13-14
13
The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth and
honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their
worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men. 14
Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon
wonder; the
wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent
will
vanish."
Isa 30:9-11
9 These are rebellious people, deceitful
children, children
unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction.10 They say to the seers,
"See
no more visions!" and to the prophets," Give us no more visions of
what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11 Leave
this way, get
off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!"
Isa 42:18-20
18
"Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! 19 Who is
blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind
like the
one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? 20 You have
seen many
things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear
nothing."
Isa 43:8-13
Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears
but are deaf. 9 All the nations gather together and the peoples
assemble. Which
of them foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them
bring in
their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and
say,
"It is true." 10 "You are my witnesses," declares the
LORD," and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and
believe
me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will
there be
one after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no
savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed — I, and not some foreign
god among
you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. 13
Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I
act, who can reverse it?"
Isa
44:24-26
24 "This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, who
formed you in the womb:
I am the LORD, who has made all things, who
alone stretched
out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,
25 who foils the signs of false prophets and
makes fools of
diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into
nonsense,
26 who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the
predictions of
his messengers,
Isa 40:3-53
A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the
way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our
God. 4
Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the
rough
ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and
all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has
spoken."
Isa 40:21-25
21
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told
you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was
founded? 22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are
like
grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads
them out
like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the
rulers
of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are
they
sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them
and they
wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 "To whom
will you compare me? Or who is my
equal?" says the Holy One.
Isa 42:8-9
8
"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my
glory to another or my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have
taken
place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I
announce them
to you."
Isa 33:10-13
10
"Now will I arise," says the LORD. "Now
will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up. 11
You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your
breath is a fire
that consumes you. 12 The peoples will
be burned as if to lime; like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze."
13 You who are
far away, hear what I have done; you who are
near, acknowledge my power!
Isa 46:9-13
9 Remember the former things, those of long
ago; I am God,
and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make
known the
end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I
say: My
purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11 From the east I
summon
a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What
I have
said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. 12
Listen
to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. 13 I
am
bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation
will not
be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion,
my
splendor to Israel.
Isa 51:7-8
7 "Hear me, you who know what is right, you
people who
have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be
terrified by
their insults. 8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm
will
devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my
salvation
through all generations."
Isa 54:4-8
4
"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not
fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of
your
youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your
Maker is
your husband — the LORD Almighty is his name — the Holy One of Israel
is your
Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 6 The LORD will call
you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit — a wife who
married
young, only to be rejected," says your God. 7 "For a brief moment I
abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a
surge of
anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting
kindness I will
have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer.
Isa 55:1-3
"Come,
all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and
you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk
without money
and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your
labor on
what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and
your
soul will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me,
that your soul may live.
Isa 55:6-7
6
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he
is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his
thoughts. Let
him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God,
for he
will freely pardon.
How
to print these
articles:
Click "File" on your browser. Then click
"Print Preview." Make sure
"Shrink to Fit" is in the box titled "Scale." Now you can print the
page.
|
