Originally Posted by mizpeh
A VISION GIVEN TO ME IN 1978
February 26, 2014 at 10:31pm
My Three Hour Prayer Shift
Rayford Strange
It was in 1978. Our pastor, G. A. Mangun had led the church in a 24/7 prayer vigil for many years. He requested everyone in the church to select a three hour shift once each week and remain there until relieved by the next shift.
It happened on this particular day that I had accepted a prayer shift from 6:00 to 9:00 AM. I am ashamed to admit it now, but I had an especially hard time entering into a spirit of prayer owing to the fact that I had so much to do that day which bore on my mind every moment. I anxiously waited to be relieved, hoping that they would arrive early so that I could bolt out the door and begin the busy day.
I will never forget looking at my watch at about 8:45 wishing that my relief would arrive early. Just at that moment, my mind recalled such great men of God in my early childhood such as brother A.W. Sassman, and others say that before Jesus comes again, there is going to be a great move of the Holy Ghost throughout the whole world, do a quick work and cut it short in righteousness. I remember laying awake late at night with an aching heart while listening to Jack Coe on one of those Mexican stations saying that God had shown him that such a great revival would come before the Lord’s return. Oh my! Even as a youngster, my deepest desire was to see such a wonderful move of God in the earth.
As I pondered on those thoughts, I asked the Lord, “Surely you are coming soon, but where is that great move of your Spirit in the earth? I don’t really see it just yet. Now mind you, I was not expecting an answer owing to anxiety of mind concerning the day ahead of me. But, to my surprise, I heard the voice of the Lord speak from his blessed Word, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.”
There was the answer. I then went into a vision as my heart turned inside out with weeping unlike anything I had ever experienced but a very few times in my life. I saw the condition of the church here in America…it looked just like the church that Jesus lamented over at Laodicea. What a spiritual mess that they were in. I could sense the Lord’s displeasure with us, by in large. One church in Revelation was poor in the natural but it was rich in the things of God. But here, the Laodicean church was rich in the natural but poor in the things of God. I seemed to come out of myself as I wailed, looking on our rich, but spiritually impoverished condition. Though rich and increased in goods having everything and every convenience that our lustful hearts could desire our attitude seems to be, "who needs God?" We would never let such a word like that be spoken but the attitude is the same.
The church at Ephesus garnered the Lord’s rebuke for having left their first love. Having left their first love, the Lord called on them to repent and do their first works. Here we see first works are linked to their first love. So it is in America, we have forsaken our first love by forsaking our first works. I could see the mess we were in. I then asked the Lord what it would take to turn things around here in our own beloved nation? The scenes in the vision changed. God then said to me, “I am going to put her down on thorns.”
Something happened to our economy. I could not tell what it was, but it was something awfully drastic. I saw multitudes and multitudes walking the streets as though they were in a daze. I saw people hungry. It seems that the asylums had turned out the insane too. They were also walking the streets. There was no energy to drive the cars, neither were there light plants operating and no lights for our homes. Grocery stores were empty and people were rioting. Violence stalked the streets. Fear was everywhere. It seemed as though the hospitals were shut down since the sick, infirm and afflicted were also in the streets with nowhere to go. Things in the natural sense was in a mess to the exact extent that the church was in a mess in the spiritual sense.
I went from one awful scene to another awful scene. I was made to stay and look upon this for a long period of time as I marveled over the awfulness of what I saw...too much to make mention here. Something happened to or in our government. It seemed that there was a police state that became very oppressive in a last ditch effort to control society. I can’t say what it was but there was a change in our government. It was probably Marshall Law, but I don’t know that for sure.
After a long time of looking upon this and many things similar things almost endlessly, I then found myself walking down a road late at night. It was a hot night and the windows were open. I could hear people praying from those open windows. I could hear people praying in the woods. Up and down the road, I could hear the most heart wrenching praying that you could imagine coming out of those windows.
A church that said by their works and actions, “I am rich, increased with goods and have need of nothing,” seemed to be repenting. The words that I heard shouted, mourned, whispered, entreated, and often breathlessly more than any other were, “We need you, O God, we need you. We need you, O God, we need you. We need you, O God, we need you. I am now 65 years old, been an Apostolic all of those years, but I’ve never heard such soul searching, heart wrenching praying in all my life.
I was kept in this scene for a long time. If I ever heard the sound of true repentance, I heard it then. If I ever heard the sounds of true confession and turning to God, I heard it then. I would go in and out of that scene off and on throughout the whole day.
After a long time, the scene changed. What I saw after that, I am hesitant to tell except that God truly heard and answered that kind of praying that went up all over America. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Cron. 7:14. Oh yes… Repentance was truly being done, but it was not just one prayer, it became a life of action…doing their first works again. Praise God!
There were men walking the streets of America in the midst of great suffering and pain. I could not tell if America had been attacked or if there was nothing more than an economic collapse but the streets were filled with so much suffering and pain. These men, though very humble and few, was almost fearful to look upon. These men were unlike so many egotist who fill today's pulpits. All I can say about them as to their appearances, they walked and talked like God...humble and lowly of heart but you had to tremble in their presence. That is the nearest way that I can describe their appearances. A shaking came upon me as I studied their countenances. I could not help but to tremble at the awesome sight of these men.
They did not pay attention to every need, scarcely looking at some in great need. However, I was impressed by one man who cried out from a large throng of desperate people, "O man of God, my children and I are hungry, can you help us?" The man simply said with an outstretched hand toward him, "Go home and eat, there is plenty of food on your table for you and your family." Great miracles were done by these men, very humble but holy men.
It was from this that a new move of God broke out in America but it was not like the old Azusa Street meeting as glorious as it was. There was something different. Azusa Street revival was born out of the holiness movement into Trinitarianism. This revival that is coming will be the final restoration of the church of Jesus to be the bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife for whom He seeks in betrothal.
I saw brush arbors once again springing up spontaneously everywhere. People were having church in front yards, many were having church in their homes, store fronts, on streets, churches were being packed out with crowds unable to get inside. Revival had come to America in the midst of hunger, deprivation and want of every kind.
I can’t tell you want happened to my spirit. I was taken away. I saw myself praying under a large Red Oak tree in a pair of khaki pants and a long sleeve white shirt. I saw such a spirit of holiness resting upon me. I have no idea why I would see that, but the more I looked upon myself, praying in the deepest contrition, the more my heart was poured out like water.
Sister Mangun who sometimes stays in the church a major portion of the day, found me lying on my back between some pews and asked what had happed to me? ll I could do was open my eyes and look up at her but I could not answer her. She finally walked away, left me alone again. She knew that I had a visitation but she never knew the extent of it, not even to this day.
What about the day that I had on my mind that was so important? Well, it was dark when I finally left the church, with the days business left undone which seemed to be so unimportant. But, I left knowing that God had shown me some things that I may never fully perceive in the natural, but are matters of the spirit that only he fully understands.
The message was so overwhelming that I thought that any day this calamity would befall us in America. So, yours truly, went out and bought up a bunch of groceries to hide away. I secretly went around and advised others to do the same. I am now ashamed of myself. That was in 1978, here we are in 2006 and it still has not happened. But, I still believe those things will come to pass exactly as I saw them. Does it not say that he sent his prophets (not that I am one) EARLY?
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