INTRODUCTION
While ministering in the Portland / Vancouver area from April 15th -21st 1998, I sensed the Holy Spirit showing me how He wished to move in that area and the northwest region. The biblical framework for this move is found in Judges, Chapter 6 and 7, the story of Gideon. God's move through Gideon and his army is centered around religious reform and military action based on a coalition of Israelite tribes. In the Church today, we have recently, through the Renewal, experienced religious reform. I believe that the Lord is now revealing to us a military strategy based on a coalition of Christian Churches.
THE LORD NAMES YOU
Prior to calling Gideon forth for military action, the Lord named him anew, identifying his forthcoming role in God's army.
Judges 6:12 "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour." (KJV)
I believe that God has unveiled his army of warriors to many Christians in this region, and that he has also named you in terms of your rank and function in that army.
THE LORD COMMANDS YOU TO GO NOW
Though Gideon had lived a life of oppression, robbery and confinement under the ravages of the Midianites, and though, in his own understanding, his family was among the poor in Manasseh and he, the least in his father's house, the Lord said in Judges 6:14.
"Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?"
I believe that the Lord is saying to us to "go now" in the strength that we have.
GOD WISHES TO FULFILL A RESOUNDING AND WIDESPREAD SCATTERING AND ROUTING OF THE ENEMY IN OUR TERRITORIES
The Lord made known the extent of His intended uprooting and annihilation of the enemy to Gideon.
Judges 6:16 "Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man."
I believe that, in a united and progressive thrust forward with the Holy Ghost, Christians in the northwestern territories will uproot the enemy from the land.
UPROOT ANY VESTIGES OF WICKEDNESS THAT WERE INHERITED THROUGH YOUR GENERATIONAL LINE
Judges 6:25 "… throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it."
I believe that some, either have already, or will experience the Lord requiring a complete uprooting of all vestiges of rebellion, idol worship, witchcraft, false religion etc. in their family line.
Judges 6:26 "And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock …and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down."
I believe that the Lord requires a fresh consecration of oneself unto God. Some of the old 'furniture' of religion may have to be removed to make way for a new out-pouring of the Holy Spirit into our Churches. The former must make room for the latter, which will bring about a completely different, more liberated and culturally rich landscape for the worship of the Lord. Many people may have already experienced a certain separation from former religious organizations as a preparatory step towards what lies ahead.
PROPHETICALLY CALL YOUR BROTHERS IN ARMS FROM THE SURROUNDING TERRITORIES
Judges 6: 34,35 "But the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also gathered after him; and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them."
I believe that men (and women) are to call together the Christian communities of the northwest to unite in the fulfillment of God's battle strategy. The 'trumpet' symbolizes the prophetic voice and also worship. I believe the Lord desires a convening of Christian communities for a large 3-day festival of worship in the Portland, Oregon area primarily. I believe that the timing of this event should be in early October 1998, coinciding with the Feast of tabernacles. This may be followed by another similar event in Olympia, Washington and later at another location. During that 3-day period of celebratory worship, with the dance and the 'Shout', the Lord will liberate His mighty men from the last vestiges of bondage and oppression under the ruling principalities of this territory and the religious (and other) organizations to which they have been tied. It will be like the crossing of a national boundary - out into new, liberated courses, which were destined for their lives. These men (and women) will be released into a company of mighty warriors, of forerunners, of like-minded men.
MANY PEOPLE OF GOD WILL PREFER TO REMAIN IN THE CAMP
There will be many among the Christian community who do not wish to go up into battle; they are occupied with the affairs of home; some are fearful at heart; they prefer to remain in the camp. They are freely permitted by God to refrain from the new thrust forward by the spirit into the enemy's territory.
Judges 7:3 "Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying 'Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead'. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand."
SEPARATION OF THE MIGHTY WARRIORS
There will be a further sifting of the troops, much like that done by military organizations, where individuals are selected on the basis of personal merit, training, experience, gifting and bravery of heart, to go up into battle.
Judges 7:4 "And the Lord said unto Gideon, 'The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there; and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee. This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go."
I believe that there are many Christian men and women in the northwest in whom God has staked his visions for the region. In the coming months, these visions will be stirred up within them. There will be an intense desire to run faster, to go up, and to take the land. To these people, I believe the Lord says 'Do not expend your energy in an attempt to bring all members of your communities with you. Do not pour your visions into the hearts of those who will choose to remain in the camp. Rather contain your strength; set your face forward to going up to battle; the Lord will soon liberate you into a company of mighty men who are like-minded and who will fight with you.
A NECESSARY DISTANCING FROM THE CAMP
There will evolve a certain physical and spiritual distancing between those who go up to battle for new territory and those who remain in camp. Let those who remain in camp give all they can to furnish the needs and to equip those going forth to take the land.
Judges 7:8 "So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men, and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley."
Those who go forth do so in a company of warriors. They are not cut off from the community of God's people in camp. They are simply separated for a time by virtue of the requirements of their visions.
DIVIDING THE WARRIORS INTO SEPARATE COMPANIES
Judges 7: 16-18 "And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them 'Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of the camp, and say, 'The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.'"
I believe that the mighty warriors will group, and fulfill their part in separate locations, though they all form part of one battle strategy. I see three separate thrusts, going north, east and south in these territories.
THE STRATEGY AND BATTLE OF THE LORD
The main tenets of the strategy are for the Church to (1) go up to battle, take your positions and stand. The Lord will go before you and destroy your enemies. This is linked to the description of the Lord's strategy given to Jehoshaphat when he defeated the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chronicles 20).
2 Chronicles 20:21 "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."
(2) The second tenet of the strategy is "the trumpet and the shout" i.e. prophecy, praise and worship. As this is fulfilled at a number of locations, I believe that the Lord will shake the enemy strongholds, causing spiritual forces to flee in many different directions.
Judges 7:20-21 "And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried 'The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon'. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled."
I also saw prophetically, that as the worship and the shout went up, the hard dry earth of the territory suddenly cracked like a mild surface earthquake. I believe that this represents the fallow ground in the hearts of the population being ploughed up by the Lord. There will be a widespread and all encompassing shaking by the Lord of the unbelievers in the region. I believe that as companies of evangelists later go out to sow the seeds of the gospel amongst the general population, they will find the soil of the peoples' hearts already ploughed and ready to receive the Word of the Lord.
(3) The third aspect of this move is the re-formation of the Church as a 'city without walls' as described in Zechariah 2.
Zechariah 2:4-5 "… Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the Multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her."
I believe that the Lord desires to use many people from different denominations, who will work together to fulfill these words. In doing so, He wishes to remove some of the walls between Churches, to intermingle their strengths and anointing, and to show forth his bride in a glorious unity of purpose.
THE WHEAT HARVEST FROM THE CHURCH
Lastly, I got a sense from the Lord that this year he would be taking a wheat harvest from the Church. This referred to the men and women that he had carefully taught and trained over the past number of years and whom he considered to have reached maturity. These would be a "first fruits" unto the Lord. They would be separated for the coming work of the Lord, some of which has been outlined earlier. Pastors, themselves, are included in this wheat harvest. Some would be separated unto greater works beyond the boundaries of the local body. For pastors who see some of their 'finest' people leaving: they are to know that this harvest is to their glory for it is they who have nurtured this crop to maturity; furthermore, the separation is unto the planting of many new works for the Lord. In this way, the parent Church will multiply as well as continue in the addition of members. Lastly, the new 'families' formed after the separation will be places wherein the 'parent' pastor should always be received and honoured for his labours.
Prophecy given by Patricia Keating
At the Full Gospel Businessmen's
Portland Metro Chapter, April 20, 1998
From End Time Prophetic Vision.
Also located at: http://www.kalama.com/~debodino/menofpdx.htm
John and Patricia Keating
Fireland Ministries
http://www.kalama.com/~debodino/fireland.htm
Forwarded by:
Northwest Revival News <revival@kalama.com>
World Wide Revival Reports/Events/Prophecies
Dave Bodine, Editor
Pacific Northwest Prophecies
http://www.kalama.com/~debodino/ pnwp.htm