A prophetic sandwhich - The lower "crust"

A matter of urgency                                                        NORSK

 

 Over the past years many incidents have drawn my spiritual attention towards something which looks like a “prophetic sandwich”. For several years God has spoken to His church in general and some messages seem to be sent to the specific mission of the Salvation Army. Lately several of these visions seem to come together in a way that must be more that coincidental, and it gives me a strange feeling of excitement and urgency: Either we eat or we die!

The common factor is a link to prophetic messages in the book of Isaiah. I feel I could write a whole book about it, but due to the urgency I will try to keep if brief:

 

The lower “crust”

Lars is a dear brother in the Lord whom I had the privilege to share deep spiritual fellowship with in the weekly ecumenical “Prayer for Oslo”. In June 2003 Lars had just completed 40 days of fasting, and on this particular morning I was just about to leave for my office as usual at 9 AM after three wonderful hours together with the prayer-warriors. Lars was leading praise and worship, and as I opened the door to leave, he stopped and said: 

“Jostein, don’t leave! I have something to share!”. 

 

I stayed, and listened to what God had spoken to him in ‘the wilderness’: 

“I believe God’s special messages for us and our time is to be found Isaiah 54:1-4” 

– and then he shared what God had shown him. I knew it was a prophetic, and for me it was a moment of preparation.

Only a few days later I stood on a podium in a sports-hall as The Chief of Staff Israel Gaither’s interpreter. 

 

It was the soldiers’ meeting in our territorial congress. In his message Gaither told that he had asked God for a special word for our church, and he had been given Isaiah 54:1-4*. I felt that the Holy Spirit shaking me as I interpreted. 

 

The Chief continued to expose the passage and I knew that it was God speaking through him as he focused on:

1. The barren woman shall have children!
2. Our area of influence shall be bigger!
3. We shall settle in desolate places.
4. We will not be ashamed

The lower crust is to grasp the promise and possibilities found in these words! 

 

'Manna' for today:

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.
Hebrews 12:25

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* “Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.
4 “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.

This reflection on prophesy is linked to:
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
Acts 2:17-18