THE SPIRITUAL STORM

2/18/02

Hi Loved Ones,

We recently had a very strong storm blow through our area and it was very supernatural and also prophetic. Not all storms are supernatural nor are they prophetic, but this one was both. Even though this is a more lengthy newsletter than most, I want to share with you every detail the Lord sent me because I feel they are prophetically important for what is yet to come in the storms of life. Storms are not fun and yet it is important that we are prepared so we may stand strong and at peace in pressing times and recognize the Lord’s hand in our circumstances. I pray that these Words will come to life as you earnestly read them and not only bring needed change to our hearts, but also needed comfort. And so here is my story as it unfolds.

LAY LOW

For many months now, I have been hearing the Lord say, "Lay low." As a Word by itself, it could be interpreted many ways. But after such a long time of waiting upon Him and hearing and seeing this Word come to pass in many ways, I understand that to lay low is to lay on our faces before Him in humility and repentance. (Isa 57:15)

Recently prior to the storm I had an unusual experience. I heard the Lord speak to me Jill Austin’s name. As soon as I heard her name I had a picture vision of myself literally diving to the floor and laying prostrate before the Lord on my face. It was like I could not get there quick enough and it was almost like an urgent and desperate plunge to the floor. If you can picture what it would be like to stand in front of a bed and not fall flat onto it, but put your hands out and dive onto it… this was the urgent dive I took onto the floor. Now this picture vision startled me and I did not have the foggiest idea what it could possibly mean. I asked Him to send me understanding.

In an article, Jill shared the following vision:

JILL’S VISION {used with permission}

"A few years ago I was ministering in the nation of New Zealand and I was given an open-eyed vision that startled me, yet it has left a life-long impression upon my life. I saw an enormous fiery angel full of the glory of the Lord walking up and down the nation. He was brandishing a mighty sword that was beheading those who were standing tall in their own pride, egotism, and self glory. It was an attitude of their heart that the Lord was dealing with through this angel.

Those who were bowed low on their faces in a posture of utter humility were spared, knighted, and promoted. They were the ones God was raising up into a new place of leadership because of their meekness and humility of heart. The Lord was making a profound point about the importance of posturing ourselves in humility.

God requires and honors humility! James 4:10 (NKJV) says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." If you want your life to have significance, then position yourself at the feet of Jesus…."

{End of Jill’s vision and quote} http://www.masterpotter.com

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE STORM

The night before the storm, one of our intercessors had a vivid dream. She saw a huge dark cloud come in like an engulfing tidal wave. The wave was as tall as a mountain. Then she saw all these trees being torn out as the wave swept through. She cried out, "Oh Lord, save my babies!" This intercessor has a mother’s heart and has many spiritual children.

"And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it." (Ezek 17:24 NKJV)

The night before the storm I had been wrestling with questions about demonic backlash and took it to the Lord in prayer. In answer to my concerns He impressed upon my heart, "Don’t fear the enemy, fear God." As this Word penetrated, I knew immediately that we need the grace and favor of the Lord even more than authority and power over the demonic realm. When we have His favor, HE is on our side, and nothing, nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING else matters. When we have His backing, we have all the power and authority we need. (Est 5:3)

THE MORNING OF THE STORM

I awoke the morning of the storm feeling very loved. I had seen My Lord come to me with the most loving smile on His face. He leaned over my bed and kissed me on the cheek. It was so tender I just melted. The linger of His kiss stayed with me all day. (Song 1:2)

That same morning we attended prayer meeting. Often we have sharing in amongst our prayer and this day was no different. However, it seemed that the conversations were turned somewhat to the subject of principalities, warfare, the enemy and feeling outnumbered. There was enough emphasis that it made some in the room uncomfortable and all anxious to get to prayer and get our focus onto the Lord. There were two things that were quickened to me that came to the surface through prayer and one was for the Lord to open our eyes to see that there ARE more with us, than them. Then our pastor said, "Fear the LORD." His emphasis was on the Word "Lord", and I knew it was a direct confirmation to what the Lord had shared with me the night prior, that we are not to fear the enemy, rather fear the Lord. He is the One Who is Sovereign and everything must pass through Him. He uses everything for His purpose and for our good. This was the Lord’s kindness to prepare me with the right attitude for the sudden storm that was to come upon us this day.

Ps 34:9 KJV

"O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him."

THE STORM DETAILS

When the storm hit our area, it came as a total and unexpected surprise. We live inland and even so, the weather men did not forecast it because it came too suddenly. Later my husband saw on the Internet weather channel, that the circular cloud/wind pattern was exactly centered over our town. As we looked into the sky, the white puffy clouds looked like they were running across a blue screen. I have never seen clouds move so fast. At that altitude, who knows how fast they were moving.

Several years ago the Lord taught me there would come a day when the enemy would take advantage of nature’s wind, fire, rain and snow and add his supernatural punch to it, and it was important that we learn to take authority over such for our safety. We have had several shakings and wakeup calls in this area, and have learned to stand guard and pray on the spot, moment to moment. And so, as the winds rose up, so did our prayers. (Ps 64:1,2)

I was quietly doing a puzzle and looking out our back window at the "tree." It was in our neighbor’s yard and directly behind some travel trailers that were parked for the winter. I watched that evergreen tree do twists and turns and contortions that I have never seen a tree do in my life. I kept praying because I love the 3 families who owned those trailers. I didn’t think they would be too happy to have them crunched. Every time I bound any spirit behind the wind, I noticed that the tree quieted to a normal wind level and stopped doing the strange contortions. My husband was in the front room speaking, "Peace be still" to the towering trees across the street. As I got up and looked out the front window, memories flooded my heart and mind. It was time to stand in Jesus’ powerful Name.

OLD WOUNDS, OLD VICTORIES

There was a time when 24 hours after we had delivered a gal who had been raised in witchcraft that we had a sudden freak wind hit the trees across the street. A top branch snapped off and I heard what sounded like a sonic boom outside. I went outside to investigate and just as I got close enough to see, I saw a large tree branch hanging from the wires. It was sparking and then burst into flames. I turned around to run in and call 911 and I felt and heard the impact of a large explosion behind my back. Since I was literally running for my life, all I had time to do, was say, "Thank You Jesus, thank You Jesus, thank You Jesus."

The explosion caused the live wire to break and hurl itself in twisted contortions. It burned for over an hour into the asphalt in temperatures up to 5,000 degrees. Large drops of raindrops started to plop onto the burning pavement. We prayed against the rain and watched it stop. The electricity could have traveled through the wet pavement to where we had been standing if the rain drops had connected. It never did connect to a smooth wet surface. We watched the wind pick up and fling the live wire even closer towards our roof, only a few feet away. We prayed and the wind dropped. An hour later the electricity to the wire was finally cut off and it burned itself out making a hole in our front yard. The dirt and sand had literally turned to glass.

That night I heard the voices of the enemy that had been stirred from the deliverance. They wanted to make sure that I knew where the live wire incident had come from and wanted me to fight them and take on an additional battle. I rebuked them and refused, placing them all at the Lord’s feet. Then I heard the whining of the demons saying, "Why won’t she fight us?" A loud evil voice responded, "She belongs to her Master and you must not touch her. I must get direct permission from her Master." The head enemy over the demons was warning them not to touch me.

The enemy wanting access to Job’s life, said the following to the Lord:

Job 1:10 NKJV

"Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land."

YOU ARE BLESSED WHEN YOU ARE PERSECUTED

I have prayed a long time about sharing that live wire story with you. I did not want to give recognition to the enemy, but now I feel that it is the time to share it. In my praying over releasing this testimony the following quote by Bob Jones was sent out over the Internet: "Persecution is the greatest advertisement you can get, and it's free! If you've got scars, you've got the authority and the anointing for the next move of the Spirit. God will anoint your hands and tongue." {end quote} Beloved of the Lord, there are many who have gone through severe storms and now suffer such shame from their persecutions. It is time your scars turn into spiritual hero badges and that you are released to boldly declare your testimony through the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 12:11, Matt 5:10)

Loved ones, the voice of the enemy is very loud and very intimidating. It comes to us through violent and intimidating circumstances, but even if the winds rage, the fires burn, the floods rise, it can not touch you unless the Lord says so. The circumstances may plant deep seated concerns that the enemy has a powerful punch, but no matter what, it only comes through the Sovereign permission of the Lord. And so whom do we fear? We fear the Lord and trust in His everlasting love. Knowing His perfect love casts out all fear. (I John 4:17, 18)

BACK TO THE STORM

So, now with that background of the live wire experience, you can understand somewhat of the feeling we had, when we were taking authority over the wind and watching those trees violently twist and turn. I went back to my puzzle with concerns, but with His supernatural peace in my heart, after all He DID kiss me that morning! (Smile) I would hear and see a sudden gust and once again bind the spirit behind the wind and watch it return to normal wind. (Matt 16:19)

During this time of prayer, including speaking in tongues and also singing some of my prayers, I was still enjoying looking for puzzle pieces. I briefly wondered if my neighbor was home and if so, how she was doing. They had lost their youngest son last summer and I knew they were still grieving. I prayed a very simple prayer. All I said was, "Lord please let her husband live out his life to old age, for she could not stand to lose him too." It was a VERY simple prayer.

The next day I found out that he had an appointment and had left for it when the winds had just started. There was a tree down in the road, and so he turned around and went another way. On his way, he noticed a car right behind him and he also noticed that his oxygen tanks were loose in the back of his truck and making noise. So he pulled onto the side of the road to stabilize them and the car passed him. A few minutes later as he was again traveling up the road, he came to the same car that had been immediately behind him. It was buried underneath a fallen tree. If he had not stopped to fix the tanks, it would have been his truck under the tree. (Ps 27:13)

THE VOICE

All of last year the Lord has been impressing me with Psalms 91. I have read and prayed it, thinking I should memorize it but never have. So again when the winds made a sudden blast of violence, I quoted: "Though such n’ such will happen, it will not come nigh thee. Though such n’ such will happen, it will not come nigh me." I did this 3 times, each time trying to remember exactly what was happening in that scripture, but all I could remember was that it would not come nigh me!!! After the third time I heard the evil voice from the wind say, "It will not come nigh you? Is THIS close enough?" At the EXACT moment I heard the word "enough," our electricity blew. We lost our power for 1½ hours. I continued to peacefully do my puzzle by the light of the window, knowing full well that this was most definitely a supernatural storm.

About the time it was too dark to clearly see the puzzle colors I went to the front window and looked out at those looming trees, and yes, still remembering the live wires. I prayed, "Lord thank You that what is intended for evil, You turn to good." On the EXACT moment I said the word good, our electricity came back on. We went to bed that night with peace in our hearts, warm electric blankets, and marveled.

THE COMFORT OF HIS SCRIPTURE

As I gazed out the window, the sky line towards town was dark. In every direction it was dark. The radio said that downtown had no electricity. I went to bed wondering at the power of God and His scriptures:

Ps 91:7 KJV

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Ex 14:19-20 NLT

Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to a position behind them, and the pillar of cloud also moved around behind them. The cloud settled between the Israelite and Egyptian camps. As night came, the pillar of cloud turned into a pillar of fire, lighting the Israelite camp. But the cloud became darkness to the Egyptians, and they couldn't find the Israelites.

The next morning I climbed into my car just before dawn. I wanted to know the exact details about this electricity thing. My block had electricity, the other surrounding blocks were dark. I drove a mile away to loved ones and their block had power, the other surrounding blocks did not.

THE FALLEN TREES

I counted 15 trees down just outside a one mile radius of our home. The whole county was littered with fallen trees. I have never seen so many fallen trees in my life. There were hundreds of trees down. The reason that so many trees fell is that there had been a lot of previous rain causing the water table level to rise. The roots had little to cling to. It was also a southern wind and the trees had mostly grown strong roots towards the west, where the normal wind blew.

The above intercessor who had the prophetic dream about the wave of the dark cloud tearing out all the trees said that when they went on their drive, they marveled at the hand of the Lord. She said it was as if a giant hand had carefully aimed those trees when the fell. My eyes got big on that one. I looked at my husband, as we’d had the exact same conversation. When we drove to our loved one’s house, they had lost 4 huge trees that were uprooted. The pathway was so tight, they missed the house by a few feet at most. The only place there was room for them to fall, is where they fell.

Last summer there was a family in our church that had taken trees down in their yard and pruned the rest. They were the only house in their neighborhood that did not have fallen limbs or trees. We had also noticed and lost count of the number of trees that had been pruned or totally taken out last summer. We knew this was a supernatural preparation for this storm. This had kept trees from crashing into homes and all kinds of other damage.

ARE YOU PREPARED?

Beloved, I know this was a supernatural storm and a forerunner experience to pass on. How can we prepare for times when it appears the enemy has the upper hand? How can we stay standing in the midst of violent turbulence? Though the world’s storms will rage around us, we can learn to rest with intimacy in Him. (Isa 4:6)

1. Let Him prune you out of love. Heb 12:6

2. Lay low in repentance. Isa 57:15

3. Embrace the winds of resistance and grow strong roots in the Lord. Ps 78:26

4. Believe that God is Sovereign. Psalm 139

5. Learn to fear the Lord in His holiness. Prov 9:10

6. Trust in His goodness, His favor and His hedge. Rom 8:28

7. Though the storms rage around you, learn the secret of resting in Him. Heb 4:11

8. Fling yourself at His feet and one more time, lay low, lay low. Prov 16:18

Oh Lord have mercy on us and prepare us that we would live to declare Your goodness and Your works!

Lovingly,

Sandy