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The following vision may be understood
in the context of a "transitional" point between present renewal and
greater revival; what God is preparing His people to experience and
embrace.
Many of us have recognized that the
church has been experiencing a time of "positioning" preparatory to
further changes. The Lord seems to be accelerating this positioning, and
many leaders have been "ripped" out of their comfort zones and are being
placed in more challenging areas and dimensions of ministry. The vision
the Lord gave me follows:
The Lord showed me a crystal clear
river, so clear and translucent that I could only see that it was a river
by the appearance of river banks and by the reflection of light off the
surface of the water. The water itself was purer and clearer than any
water I've ever seen. Words do not aptly describe the clarity of the water
I saw.
As I watched, I saw a large number of
people standing along the banks of the river. The people would dip their
hands into the river, bringing handfuls of water up with which they would
splash their faces, cooling and refreshing themselves. Others put their
hands in the water and played about, splashing and enjoying themselves.
The currents and the waters however,
were flowing, moving continually downstream. The waters were not stagnant,
not static, but flowing rapidly. The Spirit then said to me, "Notice that
the water is flowing; it does not stand still. This is a picture of
current renewal. It is not static. It is ever-changing. What I am about to
do will be different from what I have done. The thing I am about to do
will not look like what you have seen. You understand renewal by what you
have seen, by what you have heard and by what you have felt. You recognize
renewal by the context of your past experience with renewal. I will do a
new thing, and the thing I do will not look like, sound like or feel like
what you have known. Therefore you cannot understand my new work by what
you have known, by your mind or by your experience."
"You must enter into
close, intimate fellowship with My Spirit so that when I speak softly, you
will hear clearly. If I move My church into a new dimension which does not
look like anything you've seen before, you must discern My voice and
follow. Do not look to "Renewal Churches" or "Renewal Leaders" for
direction; for some of these even will not hear My voice. They will
continue to perform renewal, but will be void of My Spirit, even as Samson
knew not that I had left him. Many will think that they will "arise as at
other times," but will possess only the "form" of renewal, and will not
experience any longer the power and potency of true renewal. The mind, the
intellect, the creativity of man is too weak and too inadequate to know
the mind of the Lord. Your spirit must be in tune and in touch with My
Spirit. If you will draw near, you will not be misled, neither will you
misstep for I will lead you clearly."
"When I do this new thing, many will
miss what I am doing, because they will judge it by their past experience.
Many will criticize those who have heard My voice. Many will misunderstand
you and judge you according to their fleshly knowledge of renewal and
revival. Hear My voice. Know My voice. Do not lean on your own
understanding, neither give place to the flesh, which would counsel you
wrongly. I am the Lord, I change not. My plans for you are from the
foundation of the world, yet I will show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know. Therefore, know Me. Stay close to Me. Hold on to
Me. I will guide you, My Spirit will lead you into all truth, My Word will
bear you up. Times of great change are dawning. Many will be frightened.
Many will assume that renewal has ended, that My Spirit has been lifted
away, yet in the midst of this confusion, I will demonstrate my power and
glory and mercy in a depth you have never understood nor seen it. Hear My
voice, my people. Know my voice."
"If you are standing beside the waters
of My Spirit, refreshing yourselves in the coolness, I counsel you to let
yourself fall completely in the river. If you are playing in the wonder of
this visitation, I counsel you to fall in completely. The waters do not
tarry, they do not wait. The waters are moving. Move with the water; be
immersed, be inundated, let the waters cover you and carry you and lift
you up. Do not fear, do not be dismayed. You are about to see the beauty
of My glory which you have only longed for but have not seen. You are near
to the place where you will hear the sweetness of My voice as you have
never heard it. Draw near, remain close and you will see the salvation of
the Lord."
Greg
Austin
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