On Jan. 9, 1999 Bob was taken in a prophetic experience and shown a key strategy of the enemy attempting to deceive the church during this crucial and final preparation season. He was also shown the desire of the Holy Spirit to create in us purity essential for entering the Secret Place of the Most High and union with Christ. Bob was first taken to what he perceived was a Christian conference with the theme of the conference being the preparation necessary for the coming hardships.

As the speakers were presenting their sermons Bob noticed that the people's garments were stained and soiled needing to be washed. Unfortunately, the leadership had removed the "washing machines" from the church and the people were unable to wash them. This is a crucial mistake that must be rectified. The "washing machines" represented the "Washing by the water of the Word" cleansing the garments of the believers making them presentable before the Lord. The emphasis of the Holy Spirit is now going to be on the cleansing and purifying work necessary for the believers to enter in to the next level of anointing and relationship.

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. Eph 5:26-27

The leader of the conference stated that there was a spirit present that was directing the flow of the meetings. Unfortunately, it was the spirit of the world preparing the people to walk by an independent spirit rather than being led by the Spirit of God. The people were being taught to deliver themselves through self reliance and humanistic preparation. This mentality clearly grieved the Holy Spirit and actually worked a counter productivity in readying the Church for that which is coming to the earth. Our preparation is a spiritual one requiring a spiritual provision coming from the very heart of the Father.

The people were being instructed to stockpile natural resources in preparation for the hardships that will soon be approaching. They were also taught other means of self preservation and provisional hoarding. The messages were directed at maintaining a comfortable way of life instead of preparing them to be clothed in robes of righteousness. When Israel was led out of the bondage of Egypt, the Lord was their source faithfully providing for every need, even visiting them by the pillar of fire at night and the cloud by day. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If a person truly desires to be prepared for the year 2000 and beyond, he should be doing all that the Lord would require to be clothed with Christ having a righteousness that comes from God through faith. We must consider the loss of all things for the sake of gaining Christ and consider the loss as mere rubbish compared to the surpassing value of union with the Lord Jesus. (Philippians 3:8-9) Our treasures must be stored in heaven where neither moth nor rust can destroy nor thieves break in and steal it.

Bob was then taken to a service in which the leadership was presenting "strong drink" to those about to perish. Strong drink was given to those in mourning or to criminals just prior to their execution...those without hope. Our hope is in Jesus Christ and His Righteousness. The people were being prepared for death instead of life by focusing on the source of coming problems rather than the Source of Life. A religious spirit was functioning through the speaker sowing seeds of death in the people rather than the Spirit of Life. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is bitter. Prov. 31:6

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:6-8

The Spirit spoke to Bob and declared that it is His desire that His servants preach life and expectancy, for the wedding feast is to shortly begin. Instead of "strong drink", the Lord is bringing "new wine". The new wine will bring new life for all new life is conceived through the marriage consummation.

Even as the Lord turned the water into wine at the wedding of Cana embarking on a ministry of miracles and the preaching of righteousness, so shall this wedding do likewise. The religious spirit was imparting legalism, opinion, debate, judgment, and criticism appealing to the needs of the flesh. The religious Spirit will produce death and hostility toward God, while the Holy Spirit life.

Legalism is the opposite of righteousness. Noah was a preacher of righteousness and was preserved in the day of judgment. No humanistic counsel could have prepared him for the events that unfolded. Only divine revelation could have equipped him for the unprecedented events that ultimately destroyed the world. So it is with us, many of the events that will be taking place in our generation will be unprecedented requiring that our counsel comes from behind the veil through the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. We must be willing to pay the price to be cleansed and purified to be joined with Christ and taken to the very throne room of God to receive our counsel.

The Spirit then declared that in lieu of human opinion we should pursue Philippians 2:7-8. "He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

We must empty ourselves of our own opinions and rely upon the faithful leading of the Holy Spirit. A bond-servant is one who yields his will to the will of his master. Instead of debate, which destroys faith and results in an independent spirit, we should become dependent totally upon the Lord as a yielded vessel. Instead of living by a judgmental Spirit of criticism, we should sow Mercy at every opportunity in order to receive Mercy. (James 2:13) When we allow Grace for the failures of others we will also reap Grace for our own shortcomings. Instead of criticism let us look at others through the "new wine" of Grace.

The covenant in the "new wine" allows us to look at God and our fellow man through an entirely new perspective. The letter of the law killeth; the Spirit gives life. The religious Spirit desires the yoke of the law while the Holy Spirit is a life giving Spirit. The Holy Spirit will also serve as a Tutor leading us into a life of purity and holiness guiding us to freedom from the carnal nature and Liberty in Christ.

New life begins in a marriage covenant.

On December 30th while at a conference in Charlotte NC, the Lord gave me a vision of the night that relates closely to the vision given to Bob. I will share it in hopes that it will also provide clarity to the message that the Lord is desiring that we embrace.

In the vision we were on a battlefield fighting aggressively in what we perceived was the great end-time battle. With each blow of our swords we were seemingly driving the enemy back to what appeared to be a sure victory for us. Because of our ability to push the enemy back, we perceived that we were suitably equipped for this great battle. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit stopped us and would not allow us to advance any further. When this occurred, the Lord caused the clouds to part and our eyes were opened to the great and massive guns of the enemy that were pointed in our direction.

In reality, we were not driving the enemy back because of our great strength, rather, we were allowed by the enemy to push them back as a deception to make us think that we were equipped for the battle. If we had advanced any further we would have been easily destroyed by the massive weapons of the enemy released for the great endtime battle. With this revelation, we were then transported to what appeared to be a combination operating room and training facility. The attendants in the room then began to strip layer after layer of our flesh removing from us our own carnality. This process continued until I asked the question "where am I, for I no longer see myself". A voice then spoke pointing me to a microscopic germ of life.

This stripping process had in essence carried us back to the very origin of life removing all fleshly attributes born in the Garden of Eden with the fall of man so that we could put on Christ. The attendants then began the process putting us back together using divinely powerful attributes so that we would in reality be equipped for the awesome battle. Any other preparation, than the one here described, would result in certain defeat.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to {its} lusts. Romans 13:14

A voice then spoke declaring, "the weapons set against you are much more powerful than you ever imagined! ... the divinely powerful weapons provided for you are also far more powerful than you ever imagined."

One of the foremost strategies of the enemy in this hour is to deceive us into thinking that we are properly equipped for the coming battle. The enemy knows that his only opportunity for victory can result by keeping us from God's provision for us. That provision can be released only when we allow the Holy Spirit to purge from us the carnal nature so that we can be joined with Christ as One Spirit with Him becoming a partaker of the Divine Nature. (2 Peter 1:4) When this occurs, the Lord takes up residence in us living out His Life through us in perfect union. The cost is great, death to self, yet the reward is exceedingly greater than our human minds can comprehend.

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Copyright (c) 1999 Bob Jones Ministry. All rights reserved. For forwarding do not change, or add to, or delete anything. Complete copyright must be included with every article. Copyright (c) 1999 MorningStar Publications & Ministries. MorningStar Publications, Inc., 16000 Lancaster Highway Charlotte, NC 28277 HTTP://WWW.EAGLESTAR.ORG