Before I share this word I want to make it clear that this word is in no way speaking against the needed justice and restoration in the black American community, but this is a word to reveal and expose the work of the enemy that is trying to move against the healing and restoration that God is wanting to see right now and the work of the Holy Spirit to to mobilize a generation for harvest. This is a word of exposure to the tactics of the enemy that seeks to keep us divided, suppressed, oppressed, powerless, and yet again controlled and manipulated to his agenda and a call to step into our shoes as sons and daughters in this difficult and messy time of humanity.
THE SNAKE & THE DRAGON
I went to bed a few nights ago troubled and I asked the Lord two questions; “What is swirling in the spirit that I cannot see?” and “What are you doing that I cannot see?”
As soon as I fell asleep I went into a dream. In the dream I saw two figures moving amongst a crowd of people that were hidden from them. I looked more closely until I saw it, it was a snake crouching low in the grass and it was busy wrapping its tail around people’s legs and laughing as they tripped and fell. Many people began fighting and accusing each other all the while the snake was moving around incognito causing mischief and mayhem.
That’s when my eyes adjusted to the second figure of a dragon that was standing further back watching over what the snake was doing. The dragon was doing something in the atmosphere, like a swirling of wind and fog and creating a sense of confusion. It seemed like it was governing the weather patterns and creating turmoil and perpetuating the chaos atmospherically. At first I was annoyed at the snake for causing such problems, but then I realized that the snake was also sent as a distraction so we wouldn’t see the plans of the dragon that was being released.
After I had the dream, I woke up still feeling troubled because now I felt like God was speaking to me about what was spiritually taking place that many couldn’t see.
In the Bible the snake obviously reveals the enemy who in the garden deceived Adam and Eve to cause them to act outside of their identity and purpose. Right now the enemy is causing chaos and snaring people into fighting, bickering, and arguing, it’s diverting their calling and purpose! It was also interesting that it was the snake's tail wrapping around them because the enemy wants us to act like the tail not the head right now. It’s so subtle that we don’t even recognize when we have started reacting out of victimhood and anger instead of responding out of who the Father has called us to be. The other tactic of the snake is to DIVERT people away from being a mouthpiece of truth and cause them to be a messenger of the enemies gossip and propaganda. We are supposed to live above the snake-line, above the chatter, and the noise, and be in tune to the heart of God especially in moments of turmoil.
CAUGHT IN HIS GAME
The dragon was busy at work swirling the atmosphere and I could see in different parts on the horizon were tornadoes he had created but it was the fogginess and confusion that was the worst. So what is the dragon? The dragon in the bible is generally associated with the spirit of leviathan.
“In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea” Isaiah 27:1
The main role of Leviathan is that it works against the move of the spirit and the power of God by provoking fear, intimidation, harshness, bitterness, and operating out of pride or soulish strength. This spirit is a twisting serpent so it twists and turns things for it’s agenda and seeks to keep people caught up in a fight they will not be able to win outside of the spirit of God! Over the years when I have sensed this spirit in operation it normally manifests itself in religious wars between churches or people that instead of being a move of God they begin to war against each other and it stifles the move of God. What is necessary to point out though is that this dragon was not down in the grass doing the small and aggravating acts against people, but it was operating globally and trying to shroud the nations and pull the wool over its eyes. This spirits purpose is to counter the move of the spirit but turning people on people and nation upon nation. It’s counterproductive to a move of God, a move of repentance, and a move of the spirit that ushers in real change. It wants the revolution to be man's way and not God's way. It wants to pour fuel on the fire of national crisis instead of the healing balm to heal the land. This spirit has been operating for months now trying to subtly recruit people to turn on each other instead of turning TO each other and that’s not the wave we are wanting to join.
IN THE FIRE OF THE FRESH BAPTISM
So as I woke up processing what I had just seen in the dream I suddenly heard a scripture loud and clear and I knew it was God replying to me from my other question; “What are you doing right now?”
“Those who repent I baptize with water, but there is coming a Man after me who is more powerful than I am. In fact, I’m not even worthy enough to pick up his sandals. He will submerge you into union with the Spirit of Holiness and with a raging fire!He comes with a winnowing fork in his hands and comes to his threshing floor to sift what is worthless from what is pure. And he is ready to sweep out his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his granary, but the straw he will burn up with a fire that can’t be extinguished!” Matthew 3:11-12
Right now we are in a time of history where God is shaking the earth for His glory and baptizing the earth in the Holy Ghost and fire. It’s been the most intense refining we have ever experienced, why? Because God wants us to be the pure bride He can use mightily in the greatest harvest we have ever seen, but we haven’t been ready. He wants us to be the bride who have their oils topped up and fill ready for the bridegroom not the bride with a flickering flame trying to borrow some oil from their neighbor. What I have noticed about God is that he doesn’t cause chaos but He uses it to bring healing where the enemy only wants to incite chaos. Around the earth during this pandemic we have seen so much arguing, fighting, and disunity and while the enemy is snickering, God is laughing too because it only exposed the root. It only revealed what was hidden that was preventing what we have been crying out for. The Holy Spirit just keeps pouring out himself on His people and using his winnowing fork to untangle us and detach us from old things and fleshy ways. Things that keep opposing the move of God and revealing our true need for a CHANGE, a TURNING, and a CONVERSION from death to life, under to above, and victimhood to overcomes. This is where we are right now. Can you see the difference? Do you have eyes to see? God wants healing and true repentance in areas of injustice. Racism grieves him, abortion grieves him, political games grieve him, but without the shaking and the fire we would keep brushing it under the carpet for another 20 years. It’s being revealed for a reason. At the same time, we can’t lose our discernment and let the enemy piggy-back onto a true move of justice but adding evil and hidden agendas that do not result in healing and true change. He only wants to stir the pot and keep making it messier and for the division to increase. That’s not a move of God. That’s a move of revenge and will not achieve any measure of justice.
HOW YOU DRINK RIGHT NOW DETERMINES THE OUTCOME
My third question to God came yesterday as I was processing everything, I said “Ok so what do I do right now?” and instantly I felt like I was looking up the story of Gideon and his men.
“So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink . The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” Judges 7:5-7
I believe God is asking us to look to him right now more than anything. It doesn’t mean we ignore issues, no, but unless we drink right now we will only regurgitate the fear and hysteria of the media that sounds wise but it’s the twisting tongue of leviathan that places a veil over those who aren’t discerning it. It’s a call to intimacy and seeking the heart of God when most are wanting to raise their hands to fight. This is the secret. We are called to raise our voices right now more than ever before. We are called to war and to be the restorers of the streets and injustices but if we go to war without drinking, empty, and without oil, we fall into the trap of enlisting for a diversion of the fight we were created for. It’s less popular but let me ask you, who will drink right now? What sources of sustenance will you drink from in this time? Media, or heaven? Trending tags, or Jesus? One has solutions, restoration, justice, peace, and power, and the others don’t.
Today I encourage you to look to Jesus because He never stopped being the solution. Every idea, strategy, and method of resolution outside of or separate of Jesus won’t have the desired outcome. Remember it is JESUS that put's his foot on leviathan and slays him, not us. We just have to stand in authority and pray. Right now we need to hear heavens report, hear what the Holy Spirit is saying and doing. Are you speaking from His heart? Are you trying to process on your own? Jesus, we invite you into this moment of history because that is where you work best!